Here

The hairs on my arm stood at attention. A gentle caress of cool air traveled up my skin like a finger gently tracing a path. My spine went erect and I snapped my flashlight around. No one was with me. I shook off the shiver—the window was open and the breeze wafted in, nothing more.

My beam of light illuminated long-abandoned cobwebs and thick dust layers. Furniture, once beautiful and in high fashion, sat stoic in its resting place, only appreciated by mice and bugs. A chandelier, dull and dirty, hinted at its former glory by glistening ever so slightly when shone upon.

Debris scattered haphazardly across the floor from winds blowing in and rodents seeking shelter made for uneasy stepping. A curio cabinet in the corner caught my eye and I approached it. Inside, trinkets collected over years from trips and gifts begged me to take them as I assessed each one. Nothing notable, but I opened the door and carefully reached through to gently pick up the glass frog. His smile assured me he was happy to be rescued from obscurity and I put him in my bag to eventually join the others on my bedroom shelf. Not everything valuable was worth money.

A cool breath on the back of my neck made me turn quickly, ready to strike with my flashlight if needed. No one. I walked over and closed the nearest window.

I started to go back to the cabinet when I froze. Whispered next to my right ear was, “here.” I spun and again found no one.

After spending several moments analyzing every shape I saw to make sure I was alone, I shook my head and chuckled. My usual high alertness, which I didn’t think I’d need on this job since the house was abandoned, was causing me to hear every noise.

I went to examine another cabinet, when I heard it again. “Here.” My ear tickled like when my sister used to tell secrets. It was just a bug, I told myself.

But now, the staircase that I hadn’t noticed until now, beckoned. The steps felt solid under my feet, though I didn’t touch the dilapidated banister. Worn carpet softened my footsteps where it hadn’t been eaten by rodents or insects.

My instructions had been to recover a particular item, and take nothing else. Surely the person commissioning knew better when talking to a thief. For the sum the mysterious email offered, I’d have carried that curio cabinet out on my back, so I’d try my best to respect the rule. Rescued amphibians didn’t count.

The hallway at the top of the stairs forked and I swung my light left, then right.

“Here.” Whispered in my left ear.

Again, I pivoted to find only floating dust particles floating in the luminescence I provided. Inwardly shrugging, I thought, what the hell, and went left.

I stopped at the first door on the left and rotated the knob. A resounding CREEEEEAAK echoed throughout the house as I slowly opened the door. I winced, despite knowing the house was empty.

But the scene before me made me second guess that.

Sunshine lit the room through the open window, a soft breeze was moving the delicate sheer curtains. A child-sized bed was on the right wall, a comforter neatly tucked over a mattress and pillow. In the middle of the room was a small boy with his back to me, rummaging through a toy box. When he found what he was searching for, he faced me and smiled sweetly. His little hands held out a wooden dog with wheels as feet and rope in its mouth to be led by.

My limbs felt as if I were moving through gelatin as I stepped closer to accept the proffered gift. When I took the toy from him the room went dark. The warm breeze was replaced by the chill of the night air. Able to move naturally again, I stared in disbelief at the now missing bed and empty toy box.

Stunned, I stared at the dog that remained, so I put it in my bag. I was sure my benefactor didn’t care about an antique toy and perhaps it would fetch a price. I wasn’t sure what had happened—maybe mold particles in the air had made me hallucinate. Sure.

Returning to the hallway, I walked across to another room. The door opened loudly again, but this time, it was as it should be—dark and cold. The skeleton of a bed was to the right and a grime-covered vanity sat to the left. A jewelry box perched askew on the vanity, and my heart skipped. I opened it to a single necklace, the only item on my checklist, and closed it again. I put the whole box in my bag, just in case my benefactor wanted it. When I went to leave, I felt a warm breeze again on my back and the room lit up with daylight.

I rotated back to find the remains of a bed replaced by a complete one, full of pillows and a duvet of flowers and lace. The vanity, now restored, had a woman sitting in front of the mirror. Her dress was buttoned high up past her collar bone, and the bottom would touch the floor had she been standing. Her hair was pulled into a loose knot and she was smoothing it down. Her reflection scrutinized me in the mirror, then my bag. She knew I had the jewelry box. My heart leapt to my throat.

I stammered, beginning an apology for the intrusion and theft, but as she slowly faced me, her rosy cheeks, full lips, and sultry eyes transformed into gray mummified dust and sunken black holes.

My scream got lost on its way from my throat and I shook my head as I backed into the hallway. She rose from her seat to come towards me. As she floated to the door, her hair began floating from her scalp as if underwater. Her empty maw opened to an unnatural length to let out a wail, piercing my ears and making my head ring despite covering them with my hands. The high-pitched SCREEEEEECH was cut off by the door slamming shut. All was quiet again.

With my chest heaving and my mouth gaping, all I could do was stare at the closed door and the small boy holding the handle. It was the same boy who’d given me the toy. He smiled at me and I tried to tell him thank you for closing her off, but he vanished before my I found my voice.

Gathering my wits and wondering what in the hell I was still doing there, I hurried to the staircase. Behind me, the door began opening again. I quickened my pace. As I ran to the front door, the wind picked up and leaves and papers began blowing wildly through the house.

I got to the front door and pulled on the handle—but it didn’t budge! I tugged hard and it still wouldn’t move. I spun around to find another exit only to come face to face with the same screaming ghost woman. I crouched and covered my ears as she shrieked again, shattering glass around the house.

When it stopped, I saw the little boy staring down the woman, who was back to her pretty self. He was glaring at her and she had her fists balled at her sides. I couldn’t hear any voices, but I felt they were communicating in some way. I took the opportunity to try the door again, and this time it opened!

I scrambled down the front steps, tripping in my eagerness, and landed sprawled out on the front lawn. The contents of my bag scattered, and I rushed to retrieve it. When I reached for the toy dog, it rolled out of my reach. I tried again with the same results. I glanced backed at the house and saw the woman standing in the doorway, and knew somehow, she’d moved it.

When I tried again, the little boy stood before me, pushing the toy back into my reach. I smiled and put it in my bag, then ran the rest of the way to my car.

Once home, I placed each item on the table and opened my laptop. The email from the strange benefactor was still up and I replied,

Goods acquired. Please send the remainder of payment.

Untraceable emails were normally how I communicated with my employers, as well as false names, and this one was no different.

What was different was the request for just the necklace and nothing else. Intriguing, but I also knew people were quirky. For the money, I wouldn’t judge the person using the moniker, Doug Boyd.

Opening the jewelry box, I took out the necklace. My eyebrows furrowed as I examined it. It was costume jewelry; I was sure of it. Why would someone pay me such a high price for something fake? If I hadn’t already been given half down, I’d be pissed for what I went through to get it.

A soft creaking sound stopped me. The toy dog began rolling across the table. A chill began at the base of my spine and shot up my back. The hair on my arms stood on end and I shivered. Something was in my peripheral vision. I faced it.

It was the little boy. Realization hit me square in the chest and I reexamined the email on my screen. Doug Boyd seemed an awful lot like Dog Boy.

I watched his eyes become consumed by blackness, and his sweet smile curl wickedly into a vicious grin. From his little body came a deep demonic voice that said, “Here.”