Don’t talk, don’t move, don’t leave your bed.
Three very simple rules. Three rules I should have listened to. You see, the house I live in is strange. Items are never in the same place twice, a certain chill resonates down your spine, and a woman comes round at 12 AM every single night. My parents recently bought this house. Nothing would seem out of the ordinary, the neighbors are very nice people, the house is spacious enough, and it was practically a steal.
My parents jumped on the buy as soon as it went up for sale. And now I know why it was on sale in the first place. The previous owners seemed…spooked for lack of better words. They were in a rush to move and sold it almost immediately to my parents. They wouldn’t say much about the house when I was around, but just when no one thought I was listening they would talk. They shared every last detail in a seriousness I’ve never heard before. Now, I wouldn’t say my family are big believers in the unexplained, but this seemed to hit them like a sack of bricks. I thought they were crazy. That they just liked to tell stories for the fun of it.
But then, They never looked like they were joking. It never looked made up.
And so, the new rules were implemented on me. I didn’t take them to seriously, why would I? I go to bed at 10 PM anyways and besides what would an old woman do anyways? I laughed at the thought, but to appease my parents I never left my bed at night.
The days were fine. I went to school as usual, made friends, and hung out at the corner between Billy’s Auto and Cliffy’s Shoe. I made friends fast because summer was barreling down on me fast and I was determined to not be labeled as the ‘lonely kid’. The neighborhood was fairly safe, so me and a few friends would always take our bikes and any pocket money we had and ride down to the corner and play cards. The One that stuck out to me most though was Philip. In the short two months I’ve lived here he was the one that stuck to me fastest.
Mostly because we were interested in the same things. Girls, cards, and who could get laid first. Needless to say we were best friends. My bike tire treaded along the faded, split pavement as Philip and Julia jammered on about something or other. “Do you two ever shut up?” I joked.
Julia gave me the finger, “Oh lay off,” she deadpanned.
Philip did a bunny hop with his bike, “Jack, you got any gum?”
I took one hand off the handle bar of my dark blue BMX and patted down my pockets, “Nah, but I’ve got leftover wintergreen.”
Philip scrunched his face up and shot me a weird look, “No thanks. I still can’t believe you chew that stuff. It’ll ruin your teeth y’know?”
“Yeah then you’ll definitely scare people away with your missing teeth and wonder why you’re still a virgin at forty five!” Julia chimed in, laughing as she took both hands off of her handle bars to balance no handed.
I scoffed and stood up to pedal faster, “Fuck off both of you. I gotta spend my card money on something.” I grumbled.
Soon the alley came into view and the three of us stopped, our tires hissing at us. We didn’t bother to use kickstands as we rushed deeper into the alley where two other kids were waiting. A boy and a girl. “Good you’re here. I can finally kick your asses now.” The girl said.
“Right, like your win streak isn’t totally crushed into the dirk, Kayla.” I said.
She opened her mouth to retort, but The boy sitting next to her, Michael, cleared his throat. “Just sit down and throw your money in.”
We each threw about five to ten dollars in the middle of the circle we formed and waited for our cards to be dealt. “What game are we playing today?” Philip asked.
Michael, furrowed a brow as he focused on shuffling, “Thirty one. Ever play it?”
We all gave approving hums and joked around until the brown haired dealer was done. We each had three cards dealt to us and three placed facing up in the middle for all to see. Julia, Being on the right of Michael, started us of by swapping all three of her cards out. I looked at my cards a jack of hearts, an eight of hearts, and a three of spades. Eighteen isn’t a great start and I definitely need that winning money for a new bike.
Soon it was my turn and I looked at the three cards down in front. I instantly eyed the king of hearts just waiting for me to take, so I did. Great twenty eight is a good enough score. “So, Jack, I’ve heard rumors about your house that it’s haunted. Is it true?” Kayla asked.
I laughed and watched Philip take his turn, ending the round. “If you want an honest answer, yes it is. It’s not like anything you see on tv, no, things just get moved around and it always feels like someone is right next to you walking with you.” We all flipped our cards to reveal out scores. Michael let out a string of curses as he realized he lost with a score of twenty one.
“Shit, I was counting on that money!” He exclaimed, taking all the cards to shuffled again. Huffing as he did so. We laughed at him as he grumbled like a child forced to eat their vegtables.
Julia humored me and raised a brow, “What about the woman that comes around during the night? Didn’t the previous owners move out because of her?”
I snorted as I picked up the freshly dealt cards, “Apparently, But I haven’t seen her and I guess I’m not supposed too. My parents said that if I’m awake when she comes ‘round to stay quiet, don’t move, and don’t leave my bed.”
Philip chuckled and swapped out a six of diamonds for a ten of spades, “Sounds like a bunch of bullshit.”
“It is,” I said, taking a king of clovers in replacement of a seven of hearts.
That’s when Michael, who was sitting off to the side as to not get in the way of the game, perked up and grinned. “Why don’t you get proof? I mean, you say she’s not real but what if she is?”
I thought about it, and uneasy started to pit in my stomach. I don’t know why, but I didn’t like it. “I don’t know guys, my parents aren’t too fond of that woman.”
Philip laughed, “Have your parents even seen her?”
“Well no, but–”
“Exactly, Michael’s right. We could get proof of her and debunk her down to just an old hag. Or are you actually scared, like a wuss?”
I sighed, I still had a boiling uneasy but I didn’t want them to think I’m scared of someone who’s probably not real. I jabbed Philip in the side, “Fine, but you’re coming with me.”
“Perfect.” He grinned.
Philip and I walked into my house, which instantly gave me the chills. “Mom? I’m home!”
My mom came out of the kitchen with a rag draped over her shoulder. She had a soft smile and caring eyes. “Oh, sweetheart, you brought a friend?”
“Yeah, His name’s Philip. Can he stay the night?” I asked, crossing my fingers for luck.
My mom went stiff as her breath caught. She walked over to us, her eyes still somewhat soft, “Do your parents know, honey?” She asked him.
He nodded with a smile, “Yup! I’m green lit for the night.”
She exhaled and ushered him towards the dining table. Then she looked at me with a hand on my shoulder. She squeezed it tight, “Do not stay up past 12. Do you hear me?”
I felt the unease rush back up my throat. I don’t know if it was her grip, or the momentous glare behind her usual soft greens, but my palms became sweaty and a lump formed in my esophagus. I swallowed thickly and plastered on an easy smile. “Mom you can trust me, okay?”
She let go of my shoulder and sighed, rubbing her temple. “Yes, of course I can. I’m Just being paranoid, I mean who even knows if she’s real, right?” She chuffed a laugh and walked back into the kitchen.
I joined Philip and waited with him. Soon, my dad joined us and the four us us ate dinner and talked about mundane things. I grumbled about loosing at cards while Philip laughed at my expense. Both of us ate dinner pretty quick so we would have time to mess around before that night. After our plates were whisked away we dashed to my room.
“Do you know the history on this woman?” Philip asked, sitting down at the foot of my bed.
I shrugged, sitting down on a red bean bag I had in the corner of my room, “Only that she’s been around awhile and scared away all the tenants that lived here.” I took off my jacket and stretched out over the bean bag. “I guess she comes around pleading for help and if you so much as breathe too loud she comes for you.”
Philip seemed to mull over the information as his brow furrowed in thought. “So what if we record her? Like just prove she’s a deranged old woman and get her sent away? I mean what is she going to do–she’d pop a hip trying to get us.”
I laughed at the thought and nodded, “It doesn’t sound like a bad idea, actually.” I sat up and popped my back, “So want to play on my console or something?”
Philip stretched his arms out above his head, “Yeah start it up.”
We gamed for a few hours until it was about 10 PM. My dad knocked on the door and opened it a crack, “Boys?”
“Yeah Dad?”
He stepped in, “You might want to head to bed soon.” He said, giving me a hard look.
I groaned, “We will Dad, no need to stroke out.”
He huffed and crossed his arms, “Don’t give me that. Just go to bed soon alright?”
“Okay.”
“Alright, good night both of you.”
We said our good nights and I could feel the anticipation in my veins. I was still heavily uneasy, but that’s normal right? A chill ran down my spine shaking me to my core. It felt different. Nothing physically changed but an atmosphere was thickly lying down on us. “Philip you feel that?”
Philip craned his neck over in my direction, “Feel what? You going crazy?”
I blew it off as I shook my head, “Nothing forget it. What’s the time?”
He reached in his pocket to fish out his phone, “Ten thirty six. We’ve got some time wanna hop back on the game?”
“Naw lets just chill.”
One hour and a half was all it took. Just one hour and a half. My heart was thumping so loud I was sure Philip could hear it. Midnight struck as Philip pulled out his phone to record the woman. It was dark, the only light being my phone flashlight. My stomach was to my knees as almost instantly a woman came out of no where. But she didn’t look normal. She was hunched over, had black where her eye whites should be, scraggly, gray hair, and her skin. Oh god her skin. What was left of it was a discolored gray. It was falling off in chunks as her talon-like fingernails beat on my window. She wore no clothes and her bones were visible in spotty blotches.
“Help! Help me! He’s coming!” She screamed. Her voice was otherworldly. It was as if someone distorted a dying dogs yelp.
Me and Philip were frozen. My heart thumped in my ears as the blood rushed to my head. Philips long forgotten phone clattered to the ground as we stood shocked. “What the hell…!” I stammered, unable to breathe.
Philip seemed to regain his senses because he clenched his fist, “Hey woman! Get the fuck out of here! You here me? Leave!” He yelled, His voice bouncing off the walls in a panicked, rasp.
The woman stopped beating on the window and grinned maliciously. She took a talon and put it up to her lips in the universal shush motion. “Sshh…” She blew out. And instantly Philip’s mouth was forcibly closed and he started choking. His face went beat red as he clawed at his throat trying to cough or scream or something! He wouldn’t say a thing! He fell to his knees choking, the veins in his neck popped out, and his face was terribly red.
I tried to scream or move but I couldn’t. This fucking invisible force was holding me still! My eyes flickered to the woman as she laughed so maniacally Her distortion rang through the surrounding trees as she doubled over. Tears freely flowed like a broken faucet. I couldn’t speak! I tried to thrash around and move something, anything! But no matter my efforts I wouldn’t budge.
Then Philip dropped. No more struggle, no more coughing, No more of anything. He was dead. I wanted to scream, cry, and vomit as I looked at the sadistic woman smiling. Then she winked at me and snapped her finger.
It went impossibly dark.
When I was able to see again it was broad daylight. I was laying on my bed and I had a raging headache. I sat and wondered for a second. I could almost pass everything off as a horrible nightmare. Almost. I saw the shine of a phone on the floor. I got up and picked it up to inspect it.
Philip.
It was undoubtedly his phone as the lock screen displayed me and him. Events of the night before rushed back in uncaring spurts as tears sprung me again. I couldn’t breathe, everything was in a haze as my blood started to pump again. I ran out of my room, stumbling out on the hallway wall.
“Mom! Dad! Mom! Mom please!” I begged, breaths ripping in and out.
My mom and dad rushed into the hallway and gasped at me. “Jack! Jack, honey what’s wrong!” My mom asked, putting her arms onto my shoulders. My dad stood next to her, worried eyes trailing me up and down.
I heaved for air, saliva running down my chin. “I-I’m sorry! Mom please…I’m sorry!” I cried into her chest.
“Sorry for what? What did you do?” My dad asked.
“Me and Philip looked at the woman and now–now he’s dead!”
My mom pulled away from me to look me in the eyes, “Honey, who’s Philip?”
I sniffled, snot shooting back up my nose. “What?”
My parents shared uneased glances, “Jack, Who’s Philip?” My mom said again.
My head twisted as confusion bubbled up. “You met him last night! He’s my best friend!”
“No, Jack we know no one by that name. Are you feeling alright?” My dad put his hand to my forehead.
I jerked away, looking between them. My vision spun and nothing was making sense. “You guys are crazy!” I yelled, running back into my room, slamming the door locked.
I fell to my knees and cried. My throat burned and my eyes felt stiff and sore. Philip was real. Philip is real. He had to be! But then, where did he go? He just vanished with that–that thing! Whatever that thing was, she wasn’t human! I pulled out my phone and sent rapid texts to all of my friends asking about Philip. All of them giving me similar answers.
who the fuck is Philip?
Every. Single. One. Of them asked. I threw my phone against the wall in a fit of rage. How had they suddenly just forgotten my best friend?! I was slumped against the walls exhausted. My head fell to my knees as I fell asleep.
That leads me to now. It’s been two days since the incident. I haven’t slept or left my room at all. I’m holding out hope that Philip will reappear. But, every time the woman comes, she just sits and laughs for hours. Then as quickly as she came she leaves even faster.
Whatever she did to Philip was grotesque and one day I’ll know.
But for now, I wish to say to all of you.
Never look at the woman in the window.