Page 7 of Threads of Fate

“Were you? You’ve been sifting through all of the shows for the last 5 minutes. Obviously nothing is catching your fancy.” He starts scrolling through some of the new shows or ones we just haven't watched anyway.

“We’re going to have to remove the sink and the toilet. The sink because it's damaged and the toilet because I want to check the seal and for molding.” He says.

“I know. I was thinking the same. I didn't think that little room would take so long just getting wallpaper off and linoleum removed.” I toss my head on the back of the couch. “I hate wallpaper.” I mumble.

“Me too. But at least we haven't found any mold yet.” I nod at that. Grateful for it.

He continues scrolling trying to find something we haven’t watched a hundred times. He picks a new series we've never watched and tosses the remote on the coffee table. We are one show in when the timer goes off for the pizzas. I hop up and he grabs my hand and pulls me back down and whacks a pillow into my stomach. He laughs and gets up, shooting into the kitchen. I hear some fumbling and several drawers opening and closing. He must find the pizza cutter because it goes silent. He comes back in the room moments later with two plates filled with pizza.

“How much pizza do you think I'm going to eat exactly?” I ask, taking the plate.

“Hopefully more than what you had for breakfast. Or ‘lunch’. You and your damn nibble trays. You eat like a toddler and you didn’t even eat your ‘snack tray’, just like a toddler.”

“HEY!” I smack him in the chest with the back of my hand. “I’ll have you know that I eat just fine. It may not be as much as you but I eat!” I confirm my statement by taking a huge bite out of the pepperoni pizza. It's way too hot and now I'm mouth breathing with a mouth full of piping hot pizza while Noah chuckles at my stupidity.

“Sure you do” is all he says while devouring his four slices. Like, where does it go? Does he chew? Did he just unhinge his jaw while I wasn't looking and swallow it whole? I've barely finished one and he is getting up for more. The show continues on while I eat two slices. Absolutely stuffed to the brim. I curl up with the pillow and then promptly pass out.

I wake up to my body swaying around. I clutch at the body carrying me. “Relax, it's okay.” I snuggle deeper into the warmth and then I’m gently laid down in my bed.

Chapter 4

Dana

A low, deep, eerie noise jolts me awake. I start panting like I ran a marathon and I have a sheen of sweat clinging to my body. I hear the deep noise again and I start to panic. I grip my sheets not knowing if I should hide or run. I guess that fight or flight saying also has a ‘stay rooted to the spot’ option because I don’t move a muscle. I start to hear whispers. Fuck the whispers. I have seen this particular horror movie. I jump out of my bed and tear across the floor to my door. The door is locked and I know damn well I didn't lock it. I never do. I scramble to turn it to the unlock position but when I go for the knob it already is. I didn't think I could panic more than I already was. I start pounding on the door yelling for Noah.

Tears start streaming down my face and I realize I need to see what's behind me. That’s where the threat is. I turn around while still yelling for Noah and pounding on the door with my palms down by my sides. I see shadows gathering on one of my walls and not the gentle one I always saw as a kid and teenager. These were misty, like static or like a bad TV antenna. They almost seem to cut in and out. Is this the same thing from the car earlier? The shadows were plaguing my bedroom wall now. I can spot what looks like a dozen writhing around like they are trying to escape invisible confines. The whispers are the same as before and none of it makes sense. Then there is the moaning. It’s a deep baritone and a steady background noise to the whispers. My breathing is sawing in and out of my chest at a rapid pace. My pulse is pounding in my neck. Just as I think I’m going to be pulled to some other realm or murdered by shadows, I hear Noah pounding up the stairs. When he gets to my door he struggles to get it open.

“DANA! DANA! UNLOCK THE DOOR!” He continues to pound into the door while the shadows writhe on the walls yelling at me in whispers. I slide down the door and pull my hands to my ears trying to block out the torrent of noise. Suddenly, I’m pushed forward by a force from behind. My palms scrape the floor and pain shoots up my arms. At the same time I'm being pulled backward. I claw at the hardwood screaming for Noah trying to get away from whatever the hell these shadows are. I feel arms grab me and turn me around. I keep my eyes closed terrified of what I'll find when I hear my name being called and warm hands on my face.

“DANA! Look at me! Come on! Look at me!” I suck in a breath and open my eyes to see Noah holding me, his chest heaving and his eyes wild. I suck in some breaths and clutch onto him. Relief pours through me, knowing I'm not alone. I bury my face into his neck trying to steady my breathing. He stands up with me in his arms and quickly leaves the room.

“The shadows Noah. Did you see them?”

“I wasn’t paying attention. I’m too worried about you. I’m guessing it wasn’t a bad dream?” He starts to back up to look in my room.

“No! Let’s just go downstairs. I don’t want to see my room right now.”

“Okay, let’s go sit down and relax. You can tell me what the hell just happened.” Noah walks down the stairs with me still in his arms.

“You can put me down.”

“No.”

Alright then.

When we get downstairs Noah sets me on the couch and wraps a blanket around me. He sits on the coffee table directly across from me. He rests his elbows on his knees and leans forward. “Tell me.” He demanded.

“I woke up to a low moaning sound. I started to instantly panic. There were shadows on the walls. It was dark so maybe they weren’t shadows at all. Maybe they were like the ghost in my car earlier? Whatever it was it was whispering and whispering got louder and louder. I couldn’t get the door open. How did you get the door open?”

“I don't know. I shook the handle and it wouldn't budge. Like it was locked. I kicked the door a couple times and when that didn’t work I tried the handle again and it turned. It may have been stuck. We should leave. Go to my house and what do you mean ‘ghost like this morning’?” Noah reaches for my hands. I hiss out a breath when he does. Noah jerks his hands back and then slowly grabs my wrists to inspect them.

“Damn, let's get you cleaned up.” Noah helps me to my feet and I shuck the blanket. We walked down the short hallway to the kitchen. I slowly enter, scared to run into more shadowy ghosts. Noah leans over and flicks the lights on. My body is prepared to haul ass out the door and down the street but there is nothing darkening the walls. I walk over to the sink and turn the water on but Noah moves me out of the way.

“ I don't want to leave. I know that is very ‘crazy white girl’ of me but I’m not going to be kicked out of my house by a bunch of shadows or ghosts. Whatever they are.” I look down at my hands which are covered in splinters. “The ghost was after coffee. I got into my car and I just felt something was wrong. I looked in the rearview but there was nothing but when I turned to look at the backseat there was some weird ghost thing that was having trouble staying here. It kept flickering. I don’t know. I just got out of the car and it vanished.” I shrug my shoulders and Noah gives me a look. “You're more than welcome to leave Noah. It's fine.”

“I’m not leaving you but any more weird shit tonight and I’m dragging you out. Willing or not. Sit.” He pats the counter. I give him a droll look. Noah stands in front of me and lifts me up onto the counter under my armpits quite like a toddler. Once he has me situated he turns the faucet on and grabs some paper towels. I hold my hands out waiting for the doctoring to commence. Never interrupt Noah on a mission.

Noah hisses out a breath.

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