I'M a former police officer

I'm a former police officer it's time to share the most disturbing case I've handled I'm going to share a few stories with you one by one though because if I was overwhelmed by them I have a feeling you will be two I'm officer Bradley I retired from the force ten years ago at the ripe age of 50 I'll begin with a story from my 20 years as a police officer that stuck with me like a deep thorn January 17th 2005 we got a call about a woman who had locked herself in her bathroom she said her boyfriend was trying to kill her my partner Mason and I arrived at a house on the end of a street the lampposts flickered yellow in the wind danced the trees and bushes the clouds were thick and the air ice cold we took position at the front door we knocked police open up only the sound of wind chimes Mason kicked the door open with all the force he could muster we scanned the house downstairs no one insight clear you hear that I said Mason looked up at the stairs gentle cries a woman so subtle and as if muffled behind the door in a room thought she was supposed to be downstairs said Mason we made our way upstairs ma'am it's OK I began you're safe now no one's going to hurt you the crying stopped abruptly as if someone hit pause then it started again but he's still here replied the woman from inside the bedroom my partner and I checked the entire house no one's here ma'am you're safe downstairs the front door slammed shut my partner and I gave each other a gaze and I could notice his brow sweating despite the cold night I used my head to gesture for him to take a look he stood from atop the stairs and looked down at the front door just the wind I think he said then a gentle voice came from inside the bathroom Are you sure officer Bradley the woman asked the entire night at that scene neither my partner Mason nor I used our names out loud not once ma'am do you need help or not Mason was agitated we need to know you're OK so step back because I'm kicking it in a part of me believes Mason was more eager to see the woman's face to find out who she was and how she knew what she did that he was for her safety he wanted Peace of Mind no hold on hold on I said she might be sitting right by the door we don't want to hurt her then she said it officer Bradley tell Mason that if he touches this door I will visit his family in the late hours of a certain night and breakdown a door of my own the woman's voice was an octave deeper when she said that I never understood the expression why does a ghost do people actually turn that pale in the face I learned that they in fact did when I saw my partner react to those sinister words I couldn't stop him from kicking in that bedroom door this time but when he did we found nobody inside there wasn't a window above the shower through which to escape or another door to go through and yet we were certain that we just had a full conversation with the woman behind this door we scanned the entire house including the backyard one last time inch by inch nothing partner and I communicated nonverbally the rest of the night so when it was time to leave we gave each other a look and left the house without even looking back now this is the part of the story I haven't told anyone not even Mason we were sufficiently disturbed so I didn't want to tell him what I'm about to tell you when we left the house I drove us back to the station that night he probably thought I didn't notice but his hands shaking too much to drive comfortably he doesn't drink coffee as I reversed the cruiser out the street Mason didn't look back at the house but the truth is I did and I sincerely wish that I hadn't my eyes squinted through the thick darkness between me and the garbage can at the side of the house to see a black figure kneeling by the gate as if watching us leave and as we finally began to drive away as the house became more and more distant in the rearview mirror the figure slowly stood itself up and elsewhere even today that as it stood up its head peaked over the roof of that two-story house