Page 7 of Eldritch

Then there was her father’s voice. And her mother’s. They wouldn’t be silent, either. Always in her head ready with a criticism. Taking a slice off her flesh. Always making sure they sighed and added her name in the most scathing way.

Sybil rubbed her left shoulder, a habit she’d started as a teenager. Self-soothing, someone told her. Not a hug exactly, yet it comforted her.

Maria started walking toward the house. “It really is beautiful. We should take photos and videos of the back side of the house, too.”

“Good idea, Maria. We can use the photos and video for our website,” Sybil said.

Sybil panned the phone over the house, taking in details here and there and certain she’d need Letisha’s video technical skills for editing the final product.

Sybil had almost finished when she saw a curtain parted at one window on the third floor. An indistinct figure stood there peering down at them. She blinked, thinking maybe her eyes were dry. It didn’t clear up the figure.

“What the hell?” Sybil whispered.

“What?” Letisha asked.

Sybil swallowed hard, watching as the figure refused to form clearly. “There’s someone up there.”

“Where?” Pauline asked. “There isn’t supposed to be anyone else here, right?”

Letisha shifted on the gravel. “Nope. Where do you see them, Sybil?”

Sybil didn’t answer, holding the phone away from her face long enough she could touch the screen and expand the view.

She put the camera back up to her right eye. “There…the third floor. Second window on the right. Someone pulled back the curtain, and they’re standing there right now. Can’t you see them?”

“No,” Letisha said.

Pauline placed her hands on her hips. “I don’t either.”

Icy wind ruffled the air with a fresh scent of rain or maybe snow. Sybil shivered, the thin windbreaker jacket she wore suddenly unable to combat the cooler autumn temperatures. She concentrated on the window again and took a video.

The person at the window looked indistinct, the edges almost fuzzy, and Sybil couldn’t say if the interloper was a man or woman. They wore something white and had short dark hair. She zoomed in more.

“It’s…” Sybil started. “I see a person, but they’re wearing a white garment of some kind.”

A moment later, the individual stepped away from the window, and the curtain fell back into place.

Sybil frowned and stopped the video. “There’s someone in the house. Letisha, did Clarice say anything to you about someone else being here today?”

Letisha’s expression creased with concern. “No. We need to call the cops.”

“It’ll take the cops an eternity to get here,” Sybil said. “Clarice said in these parts they aren’t prompt.”

“Let me look at the video,” Pauline said.

Sybil reminded herself that Pauline wasn’t doubting that she’d seen the person in the window, but that she was curious about the figure.

Right. You know better than that. Pauline wants to throw shade.

Sybil handed Pauline the phone, and Pauline played it from the beginning. Letisha leaned in to see the video.

“Shit.” Pauline said. “There is a figure there.”

Letisha made a scoffing noise. “I don’t believe this. They look…I dunno….”

“Indistinct,” Sybil said.

Letisha pointed at Sybil. “Bingo.”

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