THE APARTMENT

Chapter Four - The Visit

The malevolent hag continued her evil work - mercilessly riding behind my back, relentlessly smothering my face against the pillow, and maniacally cackling as she relished my suffering.

Those seconds passed by like eternity, as I struggled to get some air. For each effort I made to lift my face, the hag buried it deeper into my pillow. If I got lucky in stealing some precious air, the putrid stench from the demonic specter's slimy clothing instantly invaded my nose - making me gag.

When all physical efforts failed, I resorted to the one last act that I could possibly do: silently pray. I repeatedly asked God absolution for my sins before I die like a mantra.

As my mental prayer started, the hag retaliated by digging her nails deeper into my scalp, burying my face more heavily against the pillow, and more furiously shrieking.

Amazingly, the miracle of miracles happened. Before I was about to blank out, everything suddenly stopped - leaving behind unnerving silence. As air entered and burned my oxygen-deprived lungs, tears of relief and gratitude streamed down my cheeks. I did not remember how many times I thanked God for saving me.

The silence then became short-lived. A cold draft then blew against me - accompanied with an equally bone-chilling voice saying, "Lynn..."

The deep voice startled the living daylights out of me. Upon bolting out from bed, I lost my balance and fell face down - hitting my forehead, my chest, and my knees against the floor. My muscles were so weakened and cramped from the seemingly eternal struggle to break free from the evil specter.

While wincing and giving myself a chance to recover from the unbearable pain shooting through my body, the bloodcurdling voice called out my name once more.

"Who the hell are you, and what do you want from me?" I indignantly and audibly asked.

In response to my question, a deafening and shrill pitch reverberated throughout the room. An invisible force then tossed me full-force towards the armoire. Before I crashed against the furniture, another miracle happened.

Someone - or something - turned on the lights. I instantaneously dropped on the floor. Even though I unfortunately hit the back of my head, I was still thankful that my body did not completely slam against the armoire.

"It's three in the morning," a familiar voice groggily and irritatingly complained. Minutes later, Andy panicked and said, "Stay there!" I then heard him run towards the bathroom.

When he ran back in my room, he helped me sit at the foot of my bed. After examining my forehead and parting my hair, I felt gentle pressure against certain parts of my scalp.

As the smell of alcohol wafted in the air, I winced in pain. God, I knew that those demonic nails dug deeply against my scalp; but I did not realize how deep the wounds were until now.

"I wish we have hydrogen peroxide, so that it won't sting so much," he apologetically remarked, as he daubed the alcohol-soaked cotton on my wounds. "What happened to you?"

What the hell was I supposed to say to him? What would he think if I told him what just happened to me? What would he say to me, especially if it turned out that he would not be as open-minded as Dean was about supernatural matters? While I wracked my mind to think about what I was supposed to tell him, I dazedly looked at my trembling and clammy hands.

Realizing that he would not get an answer from me at this time, Andy placed his hand on my shoulder and said, "Just take it easy, and we'll talk about it over breakfast." While he neatly returned the items in the first-aid kit, our eyes unavoidably met.

I felt his sadness and slight disappointment, as we exchanged gazes. Although the willingness was there, I was still too numb and stupefied to say anything. All I could do was blankly stare back at him, while my eyes glistened from the tears threatening to stream down to my cheeks.

My absent-minded stare continued as he kissed my forehead, stood up, walked towards the door, and turned off the lights. The split second of darkness instantaneously snapped me out of my stupor. Helplessly quivering, I closed my eyes and frantically begged him, "Turn it back on!"

By the time Andy turned the lights back on, my tears flowed freely and continuously dropped on my pajamas. I was too scared and weary to wipe the tears away, or to turn my body towards my baffled brother. Although my back was turned from him, I knew that he stood by the doorway a few minutes more before closing the door.

I remained transfixed by the foot of my bed - with half of me shocked from my horrifying experience, while the other half felt guilty for hurting my brother's feelings. My mind was bombarded with so many thoughts that I could not think or react for a good, long while - until the lights inside my bedroom began to flicker.

The fear creeping down my spine escalated to full-blown panic when all the light bulbs burned out - leaving me alone once again in darkness, shaking like a leaf and pleading for Divine protection. For each passing second, the room temperature began to drop.

My heart then stopped, as I felt someone - or something - sit in the middle of my bed. As I quickly and tightly closed my eyes, I frantically clutched the sheets and foolishly used it as a last resort of self-control.

While my heart pounded faster and more furiously, I immediately felt the additional weight on my bed shift closer to me.

Just when I thought that my body could not shake more violently than it did now, every hair stood up and my breathing stopped as an icy hand stroked my cold cheeks.

Unable to handle any more fear and strain, I vulnerably broke down and audibly begged, "God, please help me! I can't take this anymore!"

"Don't cry, Lynn," a deep voice gently whispered in my left ear, as the mysterious hand now rested on my arm.

The tears continued to involuntarily flow down my cheeks, as I shook from being utterly terrified. As my body trembled more violently, the more forcefully reassuring the cold hand clutched my arm. I did not know what suddenly came over me. There was something I needed to find out about this spectral visitor.

I slowly opened my eyes - forcing me to see the eerie owner of that voice. I would only start believing what I feel and hear, once I see it with my own two eyes.

As my vision adjusted in the darkness, the blurry figure sitting beside me and clutching my arm became gradually clearer. My heart caved in, as I gasped in utter disbelief.

"D - Dean?"

End Chapter Four

Author's Notes

Hope you liked this chapter. I thank everyone in advance for reading and constructively reviewing this piece.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the author.

Copyright 2003 by Zatken. All rights reserved.