It was a Monday
A very quiet Monday
I pushed my hands against the bed and began to sit up and look out the window.
The sun was rising and so it was time to get up. So I got out of bed. Every morning, I try and guess the time. It was an English November, so I guessed the time is 7:34. I picked up my phone. 7:34! I was right. I stood in my Bathroom and I was pretty happy with a spot-on guess. As I’m brushing my teeth I think about the guess. Wow! I didn’t even know my reasoning for it. I’m halfway through the two minutes when I felt something.
On my ear.
Like someone had ripped out a hair and was now twirling it in my ear. It was a sort of tickly feeling.
I turned around expecting my younger brother, Daniel, to be there.
But no one is to be seen.
“All right Daniel, I know you’re there!”
Nothing.
“You can come out now.”
I looked at the possibility that maybe he isn’t there and I was just imagining it.
30 seconds later I felt it again.
Almost instantly, I turned around.
I knew he was going to be right there holding a feather or something.
But nothing.
No one.
This was weird. I felt it. It was real. Someone was doing it. It was not air brushing against me. It’s like holding the backside of your hand next to a wall but not touching it so the hairs feel the wall. It’s a funny feeling.
But it was real.
Something touched my ear.
I finished brushing my teeth and walked down two flights of stairs and down the long hallway into the living room. Mother was eating a boiled egg and Father was adjusting his tie. But Daniel was nowhere to be seen.
“Father Dearest, where is Daniel?”
Father is silent, but Mother responds.
“He left a note on the door saying he has gone to school early to study before his end of year.”
I process the information but then shoot a confused look at mother.
“What’s wrong, Dear?” she answers in a monotone yet very slightly concerned voice.
“Daniel took his end-of-year exams last Tuesday”
Mother looked interested but then returned to a regular, calm face.
“Peculiar! But I wouldn’t think much of it.”
I was still mildly concerned but I’m sure I’d see him at school. I took my seat at the table and finished my egg rather quickly. It was already 8 O clock and I had to be at St William’s for 8:30 sharp.
I rushed out the door to find Father walking towards the family vehicle, briefcase in hand.
“Wait! St William’s is on your route if I am correct. Would you mind dropping me off?”
Father sighed and signalled for me to enter.
We sat in silence until I arrived at 28 past with 2 minutes to spare.
I arrive on time and have a normal day until Fourth period.
Mathematics.
x=42 y=-4 z=8
-4x(9xy-7yz)+7z(4+12xy2)+44xz= ?
I am not academically gifted but I am not below average.
I am concentrating hard when I feel it.
It’s not my ear this time.
It’s the back of my neck.
I immediately turn around and try and slap my own neck to possibly catch the feather or toy of some kind.
But nothing is there. No one was in the seat behind me.
This is getting out of hand.
Daniel must be playing a very elaborate prank on me and I am not for it.
The rest of the day goes on normally.
At Lunch, I do not see him.
Even after school as we go home we take the same bus.
But I do not see him.
Daniel is in the year below me so there is a possibility he was at school here I did not see him.
I go home.
I ask Mother if she’s seen Daniel.
“No, I haven’t. And neither have you I assume?”
“Not at all today. He wasn’t even on the bus.”
Silence.
I’d like to tell you (witnesses to this story)
a little something about Mother and I.
She show’s very little facial emotion. The only time she will show emotion is when she’s in a good mood or she is distraught, upset and empty.
But even with little emotion shown, I can tell her mood. We’ve got a bond. I could tell right at that second she was worried. Very worried.
She walked towards the main phone picked it up and dialled three numbers
9 - 9 - 9
She asks me to leave the room.
I stand outside of the door as I hear my mother crying on the phone.
My father comes in.
More crying.
Shouting.
A door is slammed.
Silence.
About half an hour later a knock comes on our door.
Police.
I stand in the corner of the room.
I prepare for the bad news.
But fortunately, they are not here with bad news.
All they’re here to tell Mother a search party has been formed and they are sending 2 officers to stay with her to help console her. Even though there is no proof in either direction (dead or alive) Mother is now in tears.
Earlier I mentioned how she only shows emotion under circumstances.
This is the first time in years I’ve seen her like this.
After a while, she manages to calm down a bit.
I sit at the table in silence just hoping they find him.
Hours pass and it is 11 pm. The police have left and it’s just Me, Mother and Father.
The search party is still going and may go all night.
I start heading to bed and say Goodnight to mother. I walk up to my bed and lie down.
I turn the light off.
About half an hour into trying to fall asleep, I feel it.
But it’s not my neck or my ear.
It’s everywhere.
I jump out of bed and rip off my duvet cover. Nothing. I rip off my sheet. Nothing. I take out my mattress and nothing. I take off my clothes I take off everything and there are no bugs no feathers. Nothing.
Paranoid, I place my mattress on the floor, grab a new sheet a new duvet cover and sleep like that.
I manage to fall asleep but around 1 am I wake up.
As soon as I wake up I scream and stand up shaking, terrified.
It felt different this time
Like a thousand Spiders all over.
I turn on the lights and I cannot see anything on my body.
But they’re there. I know it. They’re crawling on me. Everywhere.
I throw up in the corner of my room. I sink to the floor crying in acceptance as all the “spiders” crawl over me.
I fall asleep.
I wake up. I can still remember everything.
But I’m clothed.
The mattress is on my bedframe.
There is no vomit.
I’m confused. But a thought pops into my head.. maybe it was just a nightmare!
I face reality.
It was just a nightmare!
And maybe Daniel’s disappearance was a nightmare!
I wake up and put some clothes on. I go for a lucky guess at the time, 7:34!
Of course, it is, that was what it was in the nightmare!
I know Daniel’s alive I know it. I just want to see him again.
I walk into the living room happier than ever. I ignore everything in my way. Anything I might’ve missed. And there he is! Daniel. Sitting on the sofa. I want to give him the biggest hug in the world but I feel the need to perform a little prank. I pick up a feather pen and put it in his ears.
He quickly turns around and as he sees me I jump into a hug.
But I don’t hug him.
I go right through him.
I look at him. He can’t see me.
I try to slap him.
He can’t feel it.
I go to Mother.
Nothing.
I go to Father.
Nothing.