Years ago, when I still went to school my parents used to move around a lot. My mother had to often change jobs and it was my dad’s fault , due to his own job. At the time the story happened, we were looking at yet another relocation, planned months in advance.
I was a not very successful 9- grader. In total we have been staying at this place for 4 years, living at the 6th floor of a 9 -floor building.
Things would have been doable but in the apartment above us there lived an old woman, a hag if you will. At first glance you could think she has gone entirely insane. In the summer the window of my room was always open and due this our entire family could hear her talk out of her own window. She would spontaneously start monologuing and just as spontaneously she would stop. She would start talking in her apartment in the middle of the night, as if to piss everyone off she would do it more often than during the day. Her day didn’t have any structure, she was free to do as she pleased. She would talk about things no one understood, trying to get someone to understand her in her own very confusing way. The locals didn’t pay attention to her at all, force of habit, I think. But I woke up a few times in the middle of the night, that’s how loud she was talking. I have to admit I was really scared because she changed her voice a lot and you could have the impression that different people were talking.
One evening I was at home alone, killing time in front of the PC as usual. I was lost in thought as I suddenly heard scratches on our front door. Confused, I approached our door and looked through the spy. There stood the old woman from upstairs. I slightly opened the door but couldn’t say a word as she interrupted me.
“You stole from me! Return my gold!” She spoke with a voice full of malice.
I wasn’t sure what to reply to this, it happened so fast. She on the other hand kept talking as if having forgotten what she said a few seconds ago.
” My little son Alex, where have you been?” She inquired, her face assuming an entirely different expression.
” I’m sorry but my name is Eugene!” I replied. But she just kept talking as if she knew what I would say.
” I have several of you, I can’t remember everyone!” She squeezed the words from her barely parted lips before turning around and walking back upstairs. I did not understand what she came for but I have to admit I felt uncomfortable after that conversation. There was something in her eyes that was beyond insanity, as if something from within her consciousness was successfully manipulating her. Forcing the philosophical thoughts out of my mind I returned to my PC. Strangely, there was nothing to hear from her till the evening.
I couldn’t fall asleep for half the night. At one moment, silence descended upon the room as if someone had cast a spell. But it was not a normal silence. I had the feeling that I got tossed in a vacuum or worse, had gone entirely deaf. As if nothing has changed but the silence was entirely within my head. I kept listening intently but didn’t pick up any sounds except my own breath which for some reason annoyed me immensely. Those moments felt like a calm before the storm, as if something was bound to happen any moment.
Frustratingly my expectations came true, I heard steps upstairs and the woman started to speak.
“You will kill me?! I know! Leave me alone, I am fed up with this!” she spoke with a voice that grew ever louder.
Having barely finished the sentence she continued in a changed voice .
” Why do you act this way around us dear, your dad is still with us, I’ll tell on you and he’ll punish you!” she spoke in a slightly lisping voice.
But all those changes faded to nothing as she, after standing there in complete silence for a minute suddenly started yelling loudly and incomprehensibly. She was either threatening someone or trying to scare something off. Despite all her quirks I have never experienced her acting like this. After the yelling I heard a loud thud as if something fell onto the floor, something very heavy. After this the night was quiet again. I kept trying to listen to something but all I heard were some light steps and I have never heard anything of the kind before. I must have dozed off at some point.
In the morning I woke up with a horrible headache. For the first time I felt happy going to school. I didn’t tell my parents because I knew they have other things on their mind right now. I also knew that my dad hated talking about these things. I wasn’t paying attention as I gathered my things and left. Strangely I felt better after a few steps away from the house. Maybe the fresh air did me good or a change of scenery.
The day went by without anything strange happening, aside from the fact that time somehow seemed to pass way quicker. I was so distracted by my studies that I barely noticed that it was time to go back home. Usually I would be the first one out of the school door but not today.
When I returned home I was greeted by deadly silence as usual. Only the clock in the hallway kept counting down seconds. I caught myself wishing for a cat so I wouldn’t be so lonely.
Entering my room I noticed with surprise how messy it was. My things were thrown all around, the bedsheets crumpled up, some kinds of strange marks everywhere. I didn’t pay it much attention, instead thinking “challenge accepted” and shifting into cleaning mode. To not get bored I put up music on my PC and pumped up the volume. During my cleanup I was wondering as I kept finding several of my things, some of which were in such spaces that it seemed as if someone was deliberately hiding them from me.
After a few minutes I heard loud knocking from above. Apparently the woman disapproved of the loud music. To get back at her, as form of petty revenge I turned the volume up even more. It felt good getting some payback for the night plus I wasn’t doing anything illegal.
After a minute the knocking stopped and I figured she got tired. Having pity on the old lady plus having finished the cleanup I turned off the music and decided to rest.
I laid down on the bed, having put my phone on charge and got lost in my thoughts. After a while I noticed that it was time for the old woman’s talk again but she was silent . My window was open but instead of her gibberish I heard children playing outside and people talking. It was a welcome change I thought as I drifted off to sleep.
I rarely dream but maybe because of last night or some other reasons this was one of those rare occasions. In my dream I was going on about my day, seeing glimpses and bits of it. But in the entire dream I was not alone. It is a feeling I have difficulties to express. As if some unknown entity was following me from a distance. And as the day progressed the world around me kept getting smaller , effectively bringing the observing entity closer to me. I was really scared, especially when in my dream I entered my room I got this overwhelming feeling that I was caught in a trap and someone has been waiting…
I woke up to the entrance door to our apartment slamming. Struggling to open my eyes I looked at my phone and wondered about two things. Number one: apparently I slept for several hours which means I will be having difficulties falling asleep again. And number two: my phone was disconnected from my charger and the charger was lying in the corner of the room.
Getting up I felt how cold it was in my room. I blamed the open window yet as I moved to close it I felt the warm breeze of wind from outside. It was warmer outside than in my room. I have no idea why it was cold in my room specifically but as I went to my parents I felt warm again.
My mother and father were fighting about something and it has been a while since such heavy conflicts occurred in our family. They never led to anything good anyway. After a few more words my father left the room, preferring to withdraw from supper and my mother’s company. My mom warmed up the food and we set down. I tried to tell her about what happened today but she just kept showing her disinterestedness in listening to me. I finished my supper in silence, thanked my mom and went to my room.
I decided to spend the evening preparing for the math exam tomorrow. I did a few math exercises and solved some equations. Having finished that I laid down and tried to sleep and to my surprise I fell asleep very quickly….