I know it’s been weeks since I last posted and I apologise for that. But I wanted to spend some time with Beth before the inevitable. I think at this point I’ve just given up. It feels like we’ve done everything we possible can now and all that there is left for me to do is to at least tell my story.
I do have one last idea resting up my sleeve though. I’ve kept this one to myself for a while now. I could never have told Bethany. She would never let me try, but it’s all that’s left.
So, my question now is: If I die, if I… If I take my own life, will The Stray be gone too. I have pills in the bathroom, a handful could end it all and then hopefully Beth could bring me back in time. And maybe The Stray would be gone. It sounds like an easy way out and maybe it won’t even work, but if there’s even a chance it could work, I have to try.
But I have to finish the story first.
The Morning After
I held my head in my pillow, trying to ignore the existence of the thing that stood at the end of the couch. I kept telling myself in my head that I was just imagining it. That the Strangers story had just got to me. I hadn’t slept a wink. My head pounded from the stress.
“Good morning,” I heard Bethany call.
I shot up and looked over the edge of the couch.
“You look terrible,” she said, “I should’ve taken the couch.”
Bethany stood near the kitchen, her hair down in a mess. She wore one of my shirts that was clearly too long and her sweaty jogger bottoms. She was a mess too but still looked cute.
I took a look at myself in the reflection of the TV. My eyes were bloodshot and surrounded by thick dark circles. My face seemed gaunt and my skin a tone paler. I did look terrible.
I ignored myself and asked, “Would you like breakfast?”
She nodded. I assumed that The Stray was gone by her lack of acknowledgement of it. I was wrong. I turned to get up and there it was, stood at the end of the couch. Its eyes followed my every move. In a moment of fight, flight or freeze, my body froze like a deer in headlights and I just stared back.
Bethany clearly took notice because she asked, “Are you okay?”
I couldn’t tell her. I didn’t want to tell her about it. Would she have even believed me? We may not have known each other long but I didn’t want to scare her. The least I could do is spare her. Plus, I was hoping it would just go away.
I forced myself to look away from it and got up. Though I could still feel its eyes watching. That’s when an idea popped into my head.
“You know what let’s go out for breakfast,” I said.
She smiled and replied, “Okay. It’s a date,” and bit her lip.
I smiled back. Not that it lasted for long as my gaze drifted back to The Stray, still standing at the end of the couch with that horrifying smile.
“I’ll just need to head home first,” Bethany said, “to get changed.” She gestured to her current attire as she spoke.
“I’ll drive you.”
I got changed. Thank God The Stray didn’t follow me into my room. Some fucking privacy is nice. I dressed up nice, black shirt, fancy pants and my best sneakers. It was the least I could do considering I looked like a zombie. Plus, it was a date after all by her words.
Bethany waited by the door. Her hair up in a pony. Still wearing my shirt. I think she planned on keeping it.
“Not too shabby,” she said eyeing me up and down.
I held my hand out for her to hold and she clutched it with a giggle.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. You’re the perfect gentleman as they would say.”
I smiled and opened the door, looking back to The Stray. Still watching me intently. I hoped it would stay put.
“What are you looking at?” Bethany asked.
“Nothing,” I said, “Let’s just get out of here.”
I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep it from her. It was so damn obvious something was wrong.
As we left, I couldn’t help but mutter under my breath, “Good riddance.” I didn’t think Bethany noticed but her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Bethany lived the other side of the high street. So, after a drive through town we finally reached her place. The drive through traffic was longer than anticipated, but the stress was worth it, with no sign of The Stray in sight and Beth’s effervescent company to keep me distracted.
Bethany came out in blue jeans and a tight black top. We agreed to walk through town for brunch, as it wasn’t far from her place. I couldn’t help but wonder why she travelled so far to jog. Normally I would have brushed off the question and pitter-pattered around the subject. But there’s something about The Stray or the old man or maybe just Bethany that made me braver, and so I asked her why.
She just said, “Because of you. Duh.”
I chuckled and asked, “Seriously?”
“I mean it,” she said, “I saw you in the woods on that first visit and again when I returned and I just kept going after that. Seeing you and saying Hi. Hoping you might ask me out or maybe chat or something.”
“I didn’t know.”
“You weren’t supposed to,” she said, “that’s what a crush is.”
We were walking along the high street at this point, store windows left, right and everywhere.
A truck shot by and caught my attention and that’s when I saw it. The reflection to our left, across the street, standing, staring: The Stray.
I shot round to see if I was imagining it. A car shot by as I did and for sure it was there. It’s neck almost turned 360 degrees to watch as we walked beyond its view.
I grabbed hold of Bethany’s hand. She smiled, clearly thinking it was just a romantic gesture, but it was mostly the fear overcoming me and her hand in mine at least helped me feel even the smallest amount of safe.
I picked up and we walked slightly faster than before. Heading for the café near the end of the street.
“Slow down. We’re not in a rush,” Beth said.
Another car shot by. My eye raced toward the opposite side of the street and like a bad penny, The Stray stood there, watching, closer. Every time a vehicle shot by The Stray moved along the street. Following us in freeze frame between each vehicle’s movement.
I squeezed Bethany’s hand tight, as I picked up pace once more. A van blasted by and suddenly The Stray wasn’t on the sidewalk opposite. My eyes darted around looking for it, knowing that it has to be somewhere.
That’s when another vehicle passed and I saw it. In the middle of the road between the cars, waiting, watching, there was The Stray. Another car drove by and it was close. Steps away from us on that side of the road. I froze for a second, staring back into its deep dark eyes, my heart thumping.
Everything inside me told me that something bad was going to happen. So, I picked up the pace once more, almost in a jog, practically dragging Beth along with me.
“What’s wrong?” Beth pleaded with me.
A truck shot by again, and then The Stray was right behind us. Same side of the road. Same sidewalk. Every time I looked back and away again it got closer and closer.
I focused on moving forward, dragging Beth along in a short jog and blasted into the café without a thought.
“What is wrong with you? You’ve been acting weird all day” Beth said.
“It’s noth—”
“—And don’t say nothing.”
“I think I’m just shaken from the old man’s story and I guess my anxiety is flaring being around so much going on,” I said.
“Fine. Let’s order.”
I still couldn’t bring myself to tell her about The Stray, so I lied through my teeth. I guess there was some truth to it at least. Even though she was clearly annoyed at my evasiveness. I felt like if I told her, maybe she might be cursed with it too and I couldn’t let that happen.
We ordered breakfast and thankfully ate in peace. The Stray was nowhere to be seen. I finished up my meal, stress eating at speed. We talked a little but she was still annoyed with me. She just wanted to know what was going on.
While Beth still ate, I looked around. Hoping to not find it, but at the same time wanting to, because at least then I’d know where it was. The anticipation of it just appearing was making me a paranoid mess.
Was I foolish to wish such a thing? Because it was not long after that it seemed to appear as if summoned, but this time was different than before. My eye was drawn to a man in a plaid shirt sitting at his laptop, nothing was peculiar about him. Just some guy. I heard Bethany call my name. She had finished her meal and was ready to pay the bill, and that’s when I looked back and I swear sitting in that man’s place was The Stray. As if it had just replaced him.
“Beth,” I said.
“Yes.”
“Can you see that man sitting at his laptop.”
“The keyboard lumberjack?” she asked.
Her answer confirmed my suspicion. The Stray was sat in the man’s place. As if it had erased him from my eyesight. While everyone else only saw some guy with a bad dress sense.
“What about him,” Beth asked.
She stared at me, her eyes pleading for me to just tell her the truth. But I still couldn’t bring myself to tell her, most of all because I was worried that I might somehow pass it on to her. Is that how this works, like a verbal disease? I have no clue. This doesn’t come with an instruction manual. No, I can’t tell her, not yet. Not until I’ve talked to the old man again. It’s the only way I would be able to learn more. Maybe he had some guidance he could give me.
“Don’t you think he looks so cool in that shirt,” I said, sarcastically of course.
“So cool,” She laughed, “that I think we should get matching outfits when we’re done here.”
“Let’s do it. We have time.”
I started to ignore The Stray’s presence. It was so easy to do when I was talking and joking with Bethany. She had a way of making any situation easier, so much so that situations that would normally have made me anxious, were now a cake walk.
We talked for a while. The Stray’s eyes watched relentlessly. But I wasn’t going to let it control my life. I made sure to bring up the idea of going for a walk in the woods later. I told her it would be nice to go for a walk together, the truth of course was that I wanted the chance to talk to the old man again. To learn more about The Stray. But I can’t lie, the walk with Beth would be nice.
So, it was decided. We went shopping first. Maybe that quip from her was more of a suggestion. I don’t know why she didn’t just ask, I’m hopeless around her anyway.
As the trip came to an end, Beth asked if we go back to my place. I’m not sure what she had in mind, maybe after everything she just didn’t want to be alone. Honestly, neither did I. The Stray at least had been less of a nuisance as the day had gone on, or I got better at ignoring it perhaps.
On the drive home, I took the longer route that would guarantee that we pass by the woods. It wasn’t long before we hit traffic. I knew as we came to a stop that something terrible had happened.
People formed from the traffic jam crowded the entrance of the woods, secured off by police tape. Behind it, the road was lined with cop cars and an ambulance. A few Police managed the crowd and were answering what questions they could.
Bethany and I chose to investigate. Beth dragged me to the front of the crowd, like she had the right of way to do so.
She asked one of the officers behind, “Do you know what happened? Who it is?”
I wondered for a second if she was thinking the same as me.
I strayed away, walking along the tape, to get a look at what was happening. Two paramedics carried a gurney down the dirt path toward the ambulance.
The body on top covered by a body bag. I needed to know for sure if it was the old man or not. I knew I was supposed to stay behind the tape. I knew I should have just let it be, but I needed to know whether I was going to get any answers or if I was stuck with this thing forever.
So, I waited for the officers to be distracted by the questions of the crowd, and the detectives to be too busy to take notice, and without another thought, I ducked under the tape and ran to the gurney. I pushed a paramedic aside and to their dismay, I forced the zipper open and immediately repelled in horror.
I fell to the floor at the sight of the contorted body, it was as if every bone in the man’s body had been broken. His face gaunt and frozen in terror. Eyes wide, almost popping from the skull. Mouth agape, the jaw stretched so far it seemed as if it had broken from his screams of fear. His skin had recessed back, clenching to the bones of the body and heavily peeled at the edges. The stench was unbearable and yet familiar. It was as if this man had been dead for weeks, if not months, but it was clear to me that it was the stranger. I recognised his glasses and those grey eyes and I recognised that distinguishable scar on his forehead.
It was him. Dead. But how could his body have rotted so much in such little time. It had been barely a day since we spoke.
Before I knew it, I was surrounded by police officers and being manhandled away from the body. As they dragged me away, all I could see as they hauled the body into the ambulance, sitting in the back, waiting, was The Stray. Its eyes stared through me, its smile more sinister and taunting than ever before. The doors slammed shut and the ambulance drove away as I was approached by the lead detective.
she stood over me, while an officer cuffed my hands. She wore a long heavy coat and a pant suit. Her face seemed kind but her demeanour was cold.
She knelt down beside me and in one breath asked, “Did you know that man?”
Her voice was harsh and her eyes scolding. I couldn’t bring myself to answer. I had lost all words. My brain was in shock, too busy trying to figure out what I should do now that my only chance of any answers was gone.
“Take him to the station,” she said to the officers, “We’ll talk more there,” she spat.
***
I spent hours being interrogated at the police station. They asked all the same questions over and over, waiting for me to slip up and say something wrong, which of course was never going to happen when I had nothing to do with the man’s death. At least I don’t think so. Is that how things work with The Stray? Was it my fault? Did I kill him just by sitting down?
I told them everything I knew. How I talked to him and about the ridiculous story that he told me. I of course wasn’t going to mention The Stray and especially not that I was seeing the damn thing. They’d have me locked up in an asylum sooner than you could find your own feet.
I apologised for my behaviour at the crime scene, explaining that I had been worried about the man that previous day as he approached the bench on the cliff edge, and that today I freaked out when I saw a body and felt like I needed to know if it was him or not. I mean technically I didn’t lie to them, but I may have conflated a few truths.
I begged them to let me call Beth, but they assured me that she was safe and waiting for me outside. They wouldn’t let me speak to her or even leave the dark cramped damp room they secured me in. They eventually started asking the same questions once again. The last time they said. The only problem being that this time when the detectives returned, one of them had been replaced by The Stray.
It sat down on the opposite side of the table beside the other detective. The usual stare and smile. It was eerie being so close and it didn’t make a sound. Not even a breath. I answered their questions best I could, but eventually I was met with blank stares from the female detective.
“Could you answer my colleague’s questions please,” she said.
I couldn’t, because I couldn’t hear them. All I could see was The Stray’s taunting stare. I answered in accordance to the questions they had already repeated to me over and over. Sometimes I failed and looked like a psycho answering in riddles. I felt ridiculous and hoped it didn’t make me look guilty somehow, but I did my best.
Eventually, I claimed that I was tired and was losing concentration. A silly excuse to get them to back the fuck off. I asked for a break and thankfully they marked this as the end of the interrogation. They thanked me for my time, like I had some kind of fucking choice and pretty much told me to fuck off like I had waisted their time.
It was night by the time I left the station and Bethany waited for me in silence in the lobby. Her face was scrunched in anger toward me. Rain scratched the windows outside.
“I’m sorry,” I said to her.
She ignored me and walked outside into the pouring rain. Clearly expecting me to just follow and of course I did. She rushed through the parking lot covering her head best she could with her bare hands. She slammed into her car. I jumped in and sat beside her.
Bethany was drenched and so was I for a matter of fact. The rain still scratched at the car windows.
We sat in silence for a second. Until Beth looked to me with her all her anger and said, “Well.”
I shrugged my shoulders. I didn’t know what to say.
“What is wrong with you?” she said, “I need you to tell me what’s going on. You’re acting crazy and—”
“—I’m seeing it,” I said interrupting her scolding speech.
All she could say was, “What?”
“The Stray.”
The rain came down like nails as I said it. The drops pinged as they hit the car’s surface. It felt like the car’s walls were closing in on me.
“From the old man’s story, you mean?” she asked.
I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t know if she even believed me or though I was crazy?
I turned and glanced into the back of the car before sitting back up right in place.
“Look in the rear-view mirror,” I said, “what do you see?”
She did and replied, “Nothing. The back seat.”
“All I see is The Stray. Sat in the back. Its wide sharp-teethed smile and its dark grey eyes that are too far in the back of its head watching my every damn move,” I said almost pleading for some sort of help.
Beth craned her neck to look back, as if it would make a difference and help her see it. She didn’t see it.
She stared at me for a while, not knowing what to say. I could tell she wanted to comfort me, but had no clue how.
She didn’t say word as she drove us home. The Stray remained in its place in the back. Throughout the drive, Bethany kept looking back into the mirror, as if she thought she would all of a sudden see it. She was clearly nerved and felt as if she was being watched. Now you know how I feel. It’s worse when you see what is watching.
Beth pulled up outside and held my hand tight as we walked inside. She slammed the door closed, and immediately scanned the room for the thing.
“Is it here?”
I looked around. It wasn’t. At least not yet.
“No.”
“So, what do we do now?” she asked, “Can we get rid of it?”
“I don’t know.”
“What does it want?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, it has to be here for some reason. Why?”
“Beth, I don’t fucking know,” I said in an outburst, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scream. I just don’t know. I was hoping the old man could give me answers, but—”
“—But he’s dead,” she said quietly, “It killed him didn’t it.”
I didn’t know what to say and just stuttered with my hands raised. I couldn’t say I don’t know anymore. The words were just intensifying the anxiety around the not knowing.
She just ran to me and threw her arms around me. She looked up into my eyes and leant in to kiss me.
“I don’t want to lose you,” she whispered.
All I could think to say in the moment was, “Ditto,” what in the ghost was I thinking.
And I guess that intensified the emotions because before I knew it, she was on top of me on the bed and…
…guess what? There was The Stray watching me through the window. Standing in the rain without a care. I guess it doesn’t care about the weather, as long as it can torture my soul. I jumped up and closed the curtains. Beth dragged me back onto the bed and then it was in the corner of the room, and in the doorway, at the end of the bed and… knelt down by the side of the bed staring from a matter of feet from eyes.
The Stray was everywhere!
We didn’t do anything that night. I couldn’t with all the eyes watching me. Beth fell asleep soundly in my arms. I couldn’t sleep, I was surrounded by multiple versions of this fucking creepy ass monster. All I could bring myself to do was to sit there holding Beth and just stare back into the eyes of The Stray that stood at the end of the bed. I only had pure hate to show it in my eyes.
What the fuck do I do Now!