There are things that go bump in the night

The cool breeze whisked across her face from the window. She turned towards the camera that had been placed in the center of the room. A solitary desk and one chair were all that furnished the empty space. The white walls colored the room giving it the feeling of being locked in. The reality was, she was locked in. The door leading out of this room was locked from the outside and the bars on the open window were not wide enough for her to slip through. She ran her fingers through her tangled brown hair before wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

She muttered to herself as she moved to take a seat on the wooden chair that rested directly in front of the camera. “Oh my god, I can’t believe I am going to write this letter. My therapist thought this would be a good way to process everything that’s happened since mom died. It isn’t,” She sighed. Her eyes rolled and settled on the camera in front of her.

‘This is stupid,’ she thought to herself and she forced a fake smile for the camera. She closed her eyes, resolved herself and began to speak.

“I was 15 when she was taken from me and today is my 25th birthday. Happy birthday Vicky!” she said sarcastically as a tear slipped down her cheek. She held back the floodgates as her throat tightened from the strain of her emotions. “My baby sister Michelle was only 10 years old when it happened. Can you believe it? She’s a woman now. I miss her. I miss her so damn much. I know that soon the shadowmen will come for her. It’s just a matter of time. I hope I’m wrong. I hope that what these doctors are telling the truth and that I am simply insane. That would make it easier to believe she is going to be alright.” Victoria paused.

The words had become harder to get out and the tears she'd been trying to hold back began to flow. She was paralyzed with sorrow and despair. ‘It wasn’t supposed to be this way,’ she thought as she allowed the tears to fall. The reality set in that she wouldn’t be able to use any of the material in this shot. With that awareness, she stood up from the chair and walked over to the camera. She pressed the stop button and looked at the screen. In the still image, she could see a shadow standing behind her.

“See!” she screamed to the aid controlling the camera. “Do you see this?” her eyes had grown wild and frantic. The aid looked at the still. She eyed it carefully and looked back up towards Victoria. “What should I be seeing?” she asked carefully. “The shadow, do you see the shadow?” Victoria screamed. Her agitation was growing with each passing moment. She was running out of time and this aid couldn’t see it. Heightened, she threw her hands in the air. “How can you not see it?” she yelled.

“Let’s calm down Victoria. I can see a shadow in this but what you need to understand is that this shadow belongs to you. We all have them. Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” the aid reflected and motioned to someone on the other side of the door to end the session. Victoria scanned the room and realized that if the session ended so would her opportunity to prove her sanity.

“No, please, you are right. I’m just...please, could I have one more chance?” The desperation in Victoria’s voice was not lost on the aid. The aid sighed heavily, rolled her eyes, regained her composure and stood behind the camera with renewed conviction. “One more chance. That’s all you get. Understood?”

Victoria nodded acceptance. This small victory left her feeling more hopeful and renewed than she had before they started. She smiled deeply before speaking. “Yes, understood. Thank you, you won’t regret this. Thank you so much,” she said with a wide smiles. The aid smiled back at her and motioned for her to sit down. “Ok, we don’t have all day so get back to your seat and let’s get this done, good?” her eyebrow raised as she glared at Victoria. Victoria knew this would be her last opportunity. Most of the aids thought she was insane. This one had been the only person to give her a chance to do this. She wasn’t going to squander that opportunity. She sat back in her seat, looked up at the aid and smiled. “Good,”

“Ok, let’s begin,” the aid said as she pressed the record button.

“My hands are trembling because I know that as soon as I put this down to paper I will never get out of this place. I don’t think I’m crazy, but that’s not what everyone else thinks. It was real what happened to me. When my mom died it was really hard for the family. My father was devastated and Michelle didn’t take it too well either.” she paused for a moment to reflect on her next choice of words.

“What I’ve seen was never meant to be seen by those in the physical realm. This knowledge was never meant to be made public. I don’t know what will happen to me if they find out. They say “Vicky, why do you believe there are shadowmen?” and I tell them “Because...I’ve seen them.” Isn’t that enough proof for these people?” Victoria looked up at the aid and closed her eyes. In her mind, she was still trapped and haunted. The desire to save her sister from evil gave her the strength to keep going even though she knew she just saw a shadow that wasn’t her own.

“The things that I am about to share, you may have already seen in those horror movies. Some of it will simply blow your mind. There are things that go bump in the night. I can’t decide for you whether to believe me, only you can choose that. What I can tell you though, is once you hear the truth you will never be able to unhear it. Be still and don’t let them see your fear.”