It was the knocking that came first.
It happened often, without rhyme or rhythm. Different days, different times of the day, the only thing that was the same was it only happened when I was alone.
The first time, was during the middle of the day. I had been in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for the slow cooker, radio humming faintly as I worked.
The knock was so loud, so unexpected that I had startled, dropping the knife out of my hands and letting it clatter noisly on the tiled floor.
By the time I got my breath back and made my way to the door, I was greeted by no one.
I’d glanced around, eyes scanning for a parcel or something, assuming without much of a thought that it could be anyone apart from a delivery driver.
There was nothing, I went inside with a shrug and forgot about it. Until it happened again.
This was at night time, Ry had picked up a late shift so I decided on a bath and an early night in. I’d slipped into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin and was on the brink of falling asleep when I heard it again.
My stomach turned, instinct telling me something wasn’t quite right, but I shook my head and ignored it, telling myself that someone could be needing help, not to be so silly. gathering my dressing gown and pulling it tight around myself , I bound down the stairs. The porch light on, I asked who was there before opening the door. I have seen enough slasher movies to know the drill.
But no reply came.
The gut feeling came back, how odd it was that someone would knock the same loud knock, and both times there would be no one there. Once maybe.. But twice? And in the middle of the night?
My house wasn’t exactly rural, but the properties weren’t close either, and it wasn’t really the place where people walked around the neighborhood so late at night, especially to knock on the door and just.. Run away?
I brought it up to Ry the next morning, and he smiled into his cornflakes. “I don’t mean to make light of it babe, but in sure it was just a possum or some little punk playing practical jokes. Anyway, it mustn’t have scared you too much, you were snoring like a freight train when I got home.”
The phone calls came next.
I would answer, and no one was on the other line. After a few moments of static silence, the line would go dead.
One morning Ry asked me why the home phone was unplugged. I hadn’t told him about the calls, too be honest I felt like he wouldn’t have truly believed me, brushing it off like he did before. And I was right.
“It’s been such A stressful year for you, hasn’t it my darling?” his voice was gentle with pity. Pity for me, or for the situation I am in, I didn’t know, nor do I ask. “I think that sometimes when our minds are over worked we can end up seeing things not quite as they are,or even doing things that seem a bit.. Impulsive.” he was referring to the arm chair, I wanted to scream. “have you ever considered why it only happens when I’m not home? I’m not saying I don’t believe you, of course I believe that you think..”
I stopped listening and just nodded now and then. It didn’t matter what he said, I knew he was not on my side.
At work, I mentioned it to a few of my colleagues, as we sat around the smoking area during lunch. There was an awkward silence, eyes downcast avoiding contact as they took a drag of their cigarettes.
It was Mel who spoke first, her voice soft with kindness.
“I’m sure Ry’s right. I’m sure it’s just some bored and brainless teenage prankster, trying to entertain themselves over the school holidays. I know my nephews can be right little buggers” Mel’s smile was warm, and I realized then that she almost believed me, while the others thought I was making it up.
It shocked me for a moment, and indignation began to burn in my chest. First Ry and now people who see me every day at work don’t belive me?
Instead I focused on how I felt grateful to Mel for lightening the situation, and returned her smile. I wanted desperately to say that it wasn’t even school holidays, and my phone number wasn’t listed so how exactly did a prankster teen aquire that? But there was no point, the fact she sort of believed me felt like enough. And, I realised I probably sounded a bit insane, so I didn’t want to prove anyone right. It was better to keep things to myself for now.
Later as we all walked back inside to our desks, I mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ to Mel, who nodded her head in solidarity.
Ry was away visiting family, and it had been impossible for me to get time off, so I was home alone for the week.
The first nights were fine, no random knocks, no bumps in the night. I was beginning to have hope that Ry and Mel had been right, it was really just a bored kid or worse, I had some kind of mental break and I’d imagined it all.
On the third day I got home from work and unlocked the front door. I had just been grocery shopping, my arms were full of produce in brown paper bags. One moment I unlocked the front door, and stepped inside the dark room, promptly tripping over something blocking the doorway, sending my groceries scattering up the hallway. I fumbled for the light switch, breathless and a bit winded from the fall. In the middle of my entry way, sat a massive lazy-boy armchair. Cream leather, plush. It must have cost a few grand, at least.
It didn’t make sense. I knew I hadn’t ordered it, but Ry? Surely he would of told me if he was making such an expensive purchase.. But even if he didn’t, how did it end up inside when I had been at work all day, and Ry was out of the state?
I pulled my phone from my jeans pocket, fingers trembling as I scrolled through my contacts and got to Ry’s name.
“Hey honey, I’m just at the fair, we’ve been on the dodgems at least 5 times, and you should’ve seen - “
“Did you order a lazy boy?” my voice comes out harder than I expected and I wince at its harshness.
“A what?”
“A chair Ry. A fucking lazy boy arm chair. Did you order it or not?” I felt like an asshole but anxiety and fear was wearing my patience thin. Please say yes, please say yes, please say -
“No.” there was a long pause, “look.. I know you’re going through some.. Stuff, right now.. If you’ve spend some of the savings I’m not going to be mad, but there’s no need to play games and make pretend. You know you can tell me anything. I’m worried about you.”
“I know Ry. I haven’t been having a great time. But I’m okay, promise. Say hi to your mum and dad, okay. I’ve gotta go.” I end the call before he can say anything else and close my eyes tightly. This does not make sense.
I leave the groceries where they are, not allowing myself to think, and take a glass of wine into the bedroom. I lay on the bed, staring at the TV without paying attention, sipping on the wine slowly.
I am drifting off when the knock comes. I jolt awake, the red wine tumbling out of my hands and onto my white bed cover. I rush down stairs, surprised I don’t slip and fall, but not caring either. I need to get to the door before they go. I need to know who they are, who is doing this to me.
I swing the door open, and there is no one there.
Defeated, I close the door slowly, leaning against it for a long moment after I hear it latch and lock in place.
With a sigh and the start of a headache, I turn to make my way back to bed, and out of the corner of my eye, I notice it.
A doll, perched lazily on the lazy boy, as if it had been there all along.
My heart was racing, my legs felt like jelly. I did not want to, but I needed, more than anything, to go over and inspect the doll.
It reminded me of the doll I had as a child, one that was lost a very, very long time ago.
The phone starts to ring.