Page 9 of While They Watch

When I get to the top, I hear the water turn off. That was good timing. The moment my hand touches the doorknob, I feel it turning as Luke opens it. He smiles as our eyes meet. He has the most infectious smile, only made worse by the fact that the only thing covering his glistening body is a tiny towel.

“Hi,” I smile back.

“Hi… are you objectifying me?”

“Maybe. Is that a problem?”

“No, not at all. Just making sure.” He squeezes past me into the hallway and starts retreating to the bedroom. “But, if you wanna watch any of that horrible, reality show I know you downloaded then you better hurry. I’m about five minutes away from being asleep.” Before he can get too many steps away, I grab his towel and tear it off him leaving him standing naked mid-step. He doesn’t stop but instead smacks his ass and finishes walking into the bedroom. I laugh, closing the door into the still steamy bathroom.

I can’t remember a shower ever feeling so good. There’s nothing like scalding hot water after a long day. A very long day. As much as I want to stay and use every ounce of this hot water, I clean up as fast as I can. I refuse to admit it to myself, but that persistent feeling of being watched has come back, making it almost impossible to feel comfortable closing my eyes to wash my face. I’m embarrassingly scared every time I close my eyes but after several rinsing attempts and only a small amount of soap in my eyes, I get the job done. I reach for the knob to turn off the water when I hear a distinct click.

“Luke?” No answer. “I hope you’re not dumb enough to think trying to scare me again is a good idea. I warn you, it’s really not the time, buddy.” Silence. I turn off the water and quickly open the shower curtain before I lose my nerve, but the door is closed and I’m alone. I let out the breath I’m holding. I’m losing it. I grab a towel and wrap myself up tight as I carefully step out of the bathtub. It’s one of those old claw foot tubs that’s deep and feels like a potential disaster to get in and out of every time.

I turn to look in the mirror, but when I look up, it takes my mind a moment to catch up with what I’m seeing. In the middle of the mirror, stamped into the condensation, is a handprint. It’s huge with long fingers and because of the humidity it looks like it’s melting. Droplets are rolling down from each finger and the bottom of the palm. I hold my hand against the handprint and my fingers don’t even extend past the palm. Luke’s hands aren’t that big. I don’t know what to do. I feel frozen where I stand. I close my eyes for a second and when I open them, the hand has faded enough that I can see my face through it. Shit. I have to get Luke before it disappears. I swing the bathroom door open and yell for him. I hear him either jump or fall out of the bed before he is running toward me with a tired and scared look on his face. I grab his arm and pull him into the bathroom.

“Look! There’s a handprint on the mirror. Someone was in here! This is proof.” I’m staring at him waiting for a reaction but when he looks back at me, he has no expression at all. Feeling confused, I look back at the mirror but there is only us. I see Luke staring at me with concern and I can’t even blame him. I look like a mess. In my rush to wash my face, I didn’t get my mascara completely removed so it’s smudged around my eyes making them look sunken-in. My hair is dripping wet and my skin looks ghostly pale. When I turn away from the mirror and look at Luke, he has a hand towel which he uses to gently wipe the makeup from under my eyes.

“You’re exhausted, Babe. You look like you’re about to fall over any second. Let me take you to bed and tuck you in. Please.” I don’t know what to say. What argument can I make for myself? The handprint isn’t there. Maybe it never was.

Chapter Eight

It’s dark but that doesn’t bother me. I can’t see but I can sense this place. I look around the room. I know it deep in my bones. I’m hiding. I pace back and forth, scratching the walls. Scratching the floors. I have to or I’ll lose what little control I have. I wait and I listen. What am I waiting for? I can’t tell how much time is passing but without consciously choosing, I open the door and step out. I feel my movements like a ghost. Drifting into another place. It smells wet, the air heavy. In front of me is glass. I feel like I’m fading. I can see someone. Something. The figure is tall and hunched over. Its back looks crooked, almost broken. Pale and withered like a living skeleton. There is something wrong with its eyes and mouth. I don’t know what but something isn’t right. I reach out watching my own stretched, emaciated fingers touch the mirror.

I open my eyes, realizing that I was having another bizarre dream. Before I move, I try to commit it to memory before it floats off into oblivion. I’ve never been good at remembering my dreams, and I’ve never had an interest in trying, but these are different. They feel important somehow, even if I don’t understand them now. I look toward the other side of the bed and notice that Luke isn’t with me, so I roll over and grab my phone to check the time. It’s already late morning; he must have decided against the early start and let me sleep in. I groan, forcing myself to sit up. I was in bed for 12 hours, but don’t feel rested at all. The night was sleepless, filled with tossing and turning. I wonder how long I was dreaming and how much I already can’t remember.

I make my way downstairs, the smell of coffee meeting me on the last step. The thought of it has me feeling more energized already. As I round the corner into the kitchen, Luke spots me. “Good morning, beautiful.” He slides a mug toward me with a smile, but I walk past it and wrap my arms around him.

“Morning. Thank you for letting me get some extra sleep.”

“Don’t thank me. I tried to wake you, but you were in full-coma mode, so I took that as a sign.” I give him a fake laugh before turning and grabbing my mug.

“Well, don’t worry. I didn’t forget about our big hike. Just let me get caffeinated quickly and then I’ll get ready as fast as I can so we can hit the trail.” I say the last few words with some extra flair before taking a few small sips. I lean back on the counter across from him, feeling oddly calm after last night.

“You don’t need to rush. We have plenty of time. The place I’m taking you isn’t that far.” He in turn takes a drink of his coffee and adds, “Ya know, I almost made your super-nova coffee, but I opted for a healthier amount of caffeine this morning.” He peeks up at me over his cup and I can tell he is amused with himself. I roll my eyes and flip him off with a laugh.

“Whatever, you loved it.” Something just past him catches my eye. I set down my coffee and walk over, picking it up carefully. It’s some sort of small, humanoid doll figure made of sticks and twine. “What is this? Weird, side hobby you’ve never mentioned?” I set it back down quickly as a bad feeling settles in my stomach followed by a chill running down my spine.

Luke laughs softly. “No, I found it outside on the porch. It was standing up against the railing like it was waiting for us. Maybe a fairie brought it.”

“Luke, that’s incredibly creepy. Why would you bring it into the house? Aren’t you NOT supposed to accept gifts from creatures of the forest?” I try to stare him down, but he stubbornly keeps a smile on his face and shrugs.

“I have no idea, Hanna. Fairies aren’t real. I was just kidding.”

“That’s what you think! Seems to me, you’re going to find out. You’ve basically invited it in.” I give him a small, teasing smile as he rolls his eyes.

He picks it up and examines it before answering, “It’s probably just some kids playing a prank.”

“What kids? We’re in the middle of nowhere!”

“I don’t know. Me and my friends used to love going out into the woods, drinking and scaring ourselves with stupid, ghost stories. Someone probably came out here, saw our car and took the opportunity. I would’ve done the same thing when I was younger. Honestly, probably still would.”

“Boys are so weird. That was so not my teen experience.” I pause before adding, “Can you do me a favor and please return it to the forest? I don’t like it being inside. Joke or not, it gives me the creeps. I, on the other hand, am going to start getting ready.”

I keep my word and don’t bother with my usual routine. I throw my hair up in a quick ponytail, wash my face, and get dressed in the hiking clothing I bought for this occasion. Hopefully it will be the first, and last time, I wear any of it. The only thing I didn’t get was new shoes. Luke told me I would heavily regret breaking in new hiking boots and since this isn’t a regular event for me, my tennis shoes would work fine. I’m a bit of a perfectionist though, so it’s a struggle to get past the feeling that I’m missing something essential. As a compromise to myself, I decide to apply some unnecessary mascara. When I’m done, I look at myself in the mirror and feel pretty good about it. I think I could fool someone if they didn’t know me. I give myself a thumbs up. “Chin up. Attitude high.”

I skip down the stairs, feeling rejuvenated after putting myself together a bit. The idea of getting off this property for even a couple hours is sounding very appealing and I’m excited to see Luke in his element. When I get down the stairs, he is leaning against the door with his arms crossed, looking like a rugged lumberjack. “Exactly how many flannels do you own?”

“Can anyone have too many?”