Derrick picked up his bag, wiping the dirt off his face as the car pulled away. As he made his way to the old farmhouse in front of him, a woman in her late forties waved him down from the front steps.
"Hi, are you Derrick Sullivan?" The woman asked.
"I am. I take it you're the caretaker here?"
"Yes, the name's Samantha Granger but you can call me Sam. I trust your trip went well?" Sam shook his hand, giving that caring, motherly smile that had been foreign to him for many years.
"Yes, thank you." Derrick took off his hat and slipped it into his back pocket as Sam guided him toward the house.
"How long are you on leave for Mr. Sullivan?" Sam asked as she noticed a slight limp in his gate.
"Actually I was medically discharged. That's why I'm looking for a home," Derrick stated, looking down.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Well, I thank you so much for your service. You young men don't get enough credit for what you do for our country," Sam stated as she gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. Well, let's get a look at the house. I'm sure you didn't come all this way to talk to me." Sam turned toward the house while Derrick followed.
"It's fine," Derrick said as his eyes sank toward the ground. He was actually enjoying the chatter as he hadn't really talked to anyone in a few days. Being an orphan he really didn't have a family to come home to, especially after receiving the dreaded Dear John letter only a couple of months prior.
"I don't know how much you know about this place but it has a unique history. I've cared for it off and on for the past few years. People just don't seem to stay very long," Sam began to sound a little ominous as she opened the front door.
"Pray tell?" Derrick perked up at her words.
"Well I probably shouldn't yammer on about this but previous owners give a similar story when staying here at night. Things move about on their own, doors opening and closing and some even claim to see the silhouette of a young woman with short hair." Sam paused as Derrick closed the door behind them.
"Are you telling me this place is haunted Mrs. Granger?" Derrick's voice became stern.
"Well, I'm no medium young man I'm just telling you the rumors you see. In fact, I was never really a believer in the supernatural myself, but after three or more homeowners give a similar story you begin to pay attention." Sam began rubbing her arms as the house began to grow chilly.
"Are you okay Mrs. Granger?" Derrick asked seemingly unaffected.
"I told you to call me Sam honey. No need to be so formal. I swear it doesn't matter what time of year it is here, this house seems to always be so damn cold." Sam grabbed a housecoat off the coat hanger near the door and continued to show Derrick the house.
"Of course, the first room is the living room. As you see the previous owners left all their furniture and even the old TV. It's all included in the house. Right around the corner is the kitchen. Should have everything you need. The stove and refrigerator are old but still work just the same." Sam continued to showcase the house but Derrick's mind seemed to drift off as he heard a whisper somewhere distant.
"Is everything alright?" Sam asked.
"Sorry, thought I heard something. My imagination gets away with me sometimes." Derrick appeared to shrug it off but in the back of his mind he knew something was off. He couldn't put his finger on it but he did feel a presence there. Oddly enough he did not fear it though, almost as if he longed for the company.
"Shall we continue to tour the house? You're not getting second thoughts are you?" Sam turned to face him.
"With all due respect, I've already paid. Were you not notified?" Derrick asked as he handed Sam the deed to the house.
"I am aware, young man, but as I've already told you people don't seem to stay very long. Shall we go upstairs and see the bedrooms?" Sam made her way to the stairway just before Derrick stopped her.
"It's okay, I'll manage from here," Derrick said, prompting her to turn around.
"Very well Mr. Sullivan. By the way, if you need a ride to town, there is a note next to the phone in the kitchen for the local taxi service. Are you sure you don't need anything else before I leave?" Sam asked, showing slight concern in her voice.
"I'll be fine. Thank you so much," Derek said, shaking her hand at the door.
"Very well, If you change your mind, here's my card. Don't hesitate to give me a ring," Sam handed him a business card just before stepping out of her car. Closing the door behind her, Derrick picked up his bag and climbed the steps. He passed by two smaller bedrooms to his right. He peeked inside them for a few moments, noticing the layout for both were nearly identical, obviously children's rooms with tiny beds and colorful walls. To the left was an average bathroom with a bath and shower combination, accompanied by an old-style toilet with a chain flusher, and a pedestal-style sink. Considering this house was more than one hundred years old, he was impressed by the good condition of what seemed to be the original facilities.
He made his way to the end of the hall and opened the door to the master bedroom. In the center was a king-sized bed with the most comfortable-looking mattress he had seen since he left his quarters at the marine base. He tossed his bag on the bed and opened the nearby chest of drawers to begin putting away his things. Opening the first drawer he raised an eyebrow as he pulled out a red, woman's nightie, and noticed several other intimates in the drawer.
"Strange, they really did leave behind everything," he thought. Opting for going through the drawers later he succumbed to his fatigue and decided to lie down. Looking back toward the bed he saw the corner turned back. He hesitated for a moment but shrugged it off as he stripped down to his underwear. He laid down in bed and quickly drifted off to sleep.
Derrick opened his eyes. After only a moment he was unnerved as he noticed he couldn't move. It was as if everything but his eyes were paralyzed as he looked around. Even though he was in the same room he fell asleep and something felt off. He felt a sudden chill as his eyes glanced toward the window in the room that was now open, and a sense of dread set in as he saw a shadow figure standing there.
"I'm dreaming. I just need to wake myself up somehow," he thought as the figure began to step forward. As it moved he noticed the shadow had a feminine form and what appeared to be short hair blowing in the wind. Entranced, he couldn't look away as it continued to step closer. It wasn't but a blink of an eye and it was gone only for him to look up and notice it on top of him. It began to lean toward him when suddenly everything went dark.
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Derrick shot up in bed, heart pounding as he felt the breeze from the open window.
"Maybe it was just a dream," he thought as he slid out of bed. He didn't fear ghosts. After all, he had faced death many times while serving and nearly succumbed to it before being discharged. If anything, his sense of fear in the dream came from his inability to move. It was one of the few times in his life he felt vulnerable.
He decided a shower might be a good idea and made his way into the bathroom.
After stripping down, he looked in the mirror at the scars across his torso.
Each one brought a memory and a feeling, some of pain, others of sorrow.
Turning the shower on, he stepped in and allowed the hot water to relax him.
He couldn't help but wonder who would have lived in the house.
Why did they leave so quickly and what caused the owners to feel uneasy?
After his shower, he went back into the bedroom and got dressed.
He noticed the nightie from the drawer had been moved and was folded neatly on the bed.
"What the..." He reached down to grab it when suddenly a chill went down his spine.
"You're not supposed to be here."
Derrick turned around and his eyes widened.
There stood the same feminine figure from his dream, only this time it was much more vivid.
He couldn't see the details, but he could tell the figure was that of a young girl.
She was wearing a tattered gown and had short black hair.
"Who the hell are you?" Derrick tried to remain calm, but inside he was a little frightened.
"This is my home. You need to leave. ," the girl stated as her body seemed to flicker.
"What are you talking about? This is my house now," Derrick replied.
"NO!" The girl screamed.
"This is my house. I won't leave. You can't make me!" She screamed as she threw a fit.
Derrick tried to reach for her, but her image faded away before he could.
He was shocked, confused, and even a little worried about what just happened.
"Was it really a ghost or did I just imagine it?"
He wasn't sure what to think, but he knew what he saw wasn't something of this world.
"Well, I guess I won't be getting any sleep tonight."
Derrick left the bedroom and went downstairs to the living room.
He grabbed the remote off the TV stand and turned on the set.
There wasn't much on, but he could at least waste some time watching infomercials until morning.
"Maybe I should give Mrs. Granger a call. Maybe she has some insight," he thought.
He sat there for an hour, trying to keep his mind off what just happened.
After a while, he began to feel drowsy, and before he knew it, his eyes had closed.
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Derrick opened his eyes.
Once again he was unable to move, but this time it was different.
There was no shadow figure, no open window, just an empty room.
