Regina (19 page)

“Someone was here. She opened the front
door!” I shouted, gesturing towards the front door which was still
open. Grandpa’s eyes became wide with anger. His fury started
stirring as he realized someone broke into the house.

“Someone tried to break into my house,
again?” He shouted with rage.

“No Grandpa. I.., well I don’t know, …….
Maybe she was trying to rob the house. I was so confused.” I
stammered. I saw my parents look at each other with a little
knowing glance. They weren’t going to believe no matter what I say.
It pissed me of, and helped me find my voice. “Grandpa, you got up
and went to bed. I got up and turned off the TV. It was hot in here
so I walked over to turn the air conditioner on and when I came
back, she knocked on the door and came in!”

It sounded ridiculous to them, I know it did,
but the door was wide open! The wind was making the door creak as
it shifted back and forth. We stood there, looking at each other as
if wondering what to believe. The atmosphere was cold and
confusing. How could they explain my story? Plus, leaving out a few
details was ok to me.

“Regina, are you sure that’s what you saw? I
heard a large crash down here. Are you sure you’re not saying this
to cover a boy sneaking in?” My father inquired with narrowed
eyes.

“No dad! Someone was in here and the crash
you heard was me! I fell over the ottoman when she walked her happy
ass in!” Anger rose in my chest and heat was in my face. Grandpa
came up behind me and spoke in a hard voice to my father.

“I locked that door myself before I put on
the TV.” Grandpa said. “If Regina said someone was in here, I
believe her. I’m gonna call the Sheriff.”

My parents narrowed their eyes at me as
Grandpa went to call the police. I knew they thought I was making
the whole thing up, but I didn’t care what they thought, at least
Grandpa believed me.

Sheriff Cameron Goodwin arrived with his
Deputy, Joey Tallerto. Mom said she went to high school with the
Deputy. They exchanged a few kind words and mom pulled him aside
for a chat. I knew she was going to tell him I was lying.

The Sheriff was a nice man in his late
forties. His plump figure sat comfortably in Grandpa’s living chair
as he asked me to describe what happened. I went thru it again and
this time I added some movements to show how the girl came
inside.

“What did she look like?” He asked while
taking out his pad and pen.

“Well, Sheriff, I think she was hurt. She had
dirty brown hair that was all knotted up and she was bleeding.”

“Bleeding?” Sheriff Goodwin asked in
concern.

“Bleeding?” Grandpa echoed. “You didn’t tell
me that!”

Grandpa rushed to the front door and opened
it again, this time stopping to turn on the outside lights.
Floodlights lit up the front yard as the men stepped outside. They
looked all over the ground and walls for any traces of blood but
found nothing. Mom and I turned on the flashlight apps on our
phones and looked around as well.

“Well, it’s hard to see anything in the
dark,” The Sheriff began but was interrupted by my mother’s
gasp.

“What is it?” I asked while running to
her.

Mom was shining her cell phone flash light on
the ground about three feet from the front porch.

In the ground, written in the dirt were the
words RUN. It was written in blood.

Chapter
Twenty-four

The next day, I was anxious to see Dr. Greer
and if he had any information. I drove like a wild woman to his
house after school. Manor was a good forty-five minutes from Lee
and after last night, I had to know what was on the file.

“I’m glad you’re here.” Dr. Greer said once I
arrived. “I had a chance to analyze the file and unfortunately,
it’s going to take a while to enhance all of it because of the
darkness.”

My heart sank. I had a lot of hopes that he
would be able to find something for me.

“I have to tell you Regina, that video gave
me the creeps.” He said softly. I looked down and nodded softly.
Dr. Greer gave me a hard pat on my shoulder, as if to say ‘Buck up
Guy’. “But I did get the first sentence for you. What did you think
they were saying when you heard the recording?”

“I honestly have no idea.”

Hot and steamy coffee was ready for me when I
went to the computer. Apparently, Dr. Greer had it ready for
us.

“Ok, here is the sentence cleaned up.” He
said and pressed play on a huge, old looking projector.

The voices took me back to my room that
night. The machine broadcasted the voices in a loud but clear tone.
My fear returned and so did my anxiety. Three separate freaky
voices filled the room, and I shook with fright so badly I spilled
coffee on my shirt. “What does that mean?” I wondered aloud while
trying to clean myself from the coffee.

“It’s the English language.”

“It is!” My shocked face turned to his.

“If you turn the words around it says, bind
her soul to the law.”

He showed me the words on the computer
screen. Oh my goodness, he was right!

“How did you figure that out?”

“I find encoding numbers, numbers and symbols
fascinating. Something difficult for you was simple for a man with
my experience. It’s why you hired me.”

I laughed. “Thanks, Dr. Greer.”

“Yes, well, don’t mention it.” He put his
head down and got back to work on the computer. “I’m going research
the sentence and the way they were used. You are free to stay if
you’d like. I know you had to drive a little ways to get here and
you are welcome to pull up a computer.”

I laughed at his joke and sat down beside
him. I pulled out my books and started to work on my history
homework while Dr. Greer clicked away on the keyboard. Peace and
safety began to fill my chest. Dr. Greer’s house was painted a
neutral beige tone with a plant here or there. Yet, the warmth was
missing. Nothing hung on the walls, stiff office chairs were
sparsely placed, and tons of computer parts with wires were
everywhere, but I felt completely safe here.

“Regina?” His voice called out an hour
later.

“Yes?”

“What do you think was after you that
night?”

It was a good question. “I don’t know. I
think a spirit is haunting our home. Maybe it was the spirit?”

“A spirit is haunting your home?” He asked
me. He wasn’t being skeptical at my answer, just trying to
understand why I thought so.

“Or a ghost? I don’t know if there’s a
difference, but something has been messing with me since I arrived
to that house. And it loves to do it when I’m alone. Doors slam,
faucets turn on, the cabinets open up. One night the dishwasher
door actually opened by itself. I was standing in the kitchen and I
closed and locked it, but when I was wiping of the countertops it
unlocked and opened! Plus, it has appeared to me twice.”

Dr. Greer was nodding his head as I talked.
At one point, he began taking notes.

“I’ll start researching the town and
the house. Maybe someone died in the house or an event happened in
the town.
Something
might’ve
happened to cause this.”

“So you believe me?” I asked with wide eyes.
I knew his research wouldn’t take him far, but this was the first
time Dr. Greer said he believed me.

“I believe that you believe it. And I believe
you are not crazy.” Dr. Greer hesitated before he continued. Once
again, he rocked in his wheelchair. I learned he designed this
wheelchair himself. Once he began feeling his legs, he designed the
chair so that he could exercise his feet and legs while working at
his computer. “Have you told your parents about this?”

I couldn’t answer. How could I tell them?
They don’t pay attention to me at all and when they do, they act
like hateful zombies. “No. But I’ve tried Dr. Greer! I swear I
have! I don’t think they believe me.”

I left it at that. No need to go further
right now. I need this guy to tell me what is happening on that
video. Regardless of how much I trusted this guy, I put him on a
need to know basis.

“Regina, I think we know each other well
enough for you to call me Bill, please. Maybe you should try again,
especially your father. You said you have a nice relationship with
him.”

Disappointment flooded thru me. Of course
this guy, the adult, was going to encourage me to talk to my
parents. He was just like all the others! I started to gather my
things. I know he was only trying to help me but it was pointless
advice to talk to my father. Besides, I wasn’t ready to admit what
was happening to my family. “Thanks Dr. Greer, I mean Bill. I will
try again when I can. I gotta get back to Lee. I have school
tomorrow and homework to finish, but thanks again.”

“Regina, if I said something that offended
you,” he began. He didn’t hide his surprise over my abrupt leaving
too well.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re right, I should
talk to my dad. My dad who now hates me, and looks at me every day
like he’s ready to kill me. Thanks for the advice!”

I closed the door on his advice and home.

Chapter
Twenty-five

I kept to myself for a while. It was well
into October and Katie left with the band for a marching contest.
She wouldn’t be back for a few days. I felt very lonely in the
seclusion of the country. I spent my time reading my fashion
magazines for when I return to New York of course, and walking
grandpa’s farm.

Another day at, what I was beginning to call,
Robot High School was the same. Without Katie to make the day
interesting, I found myself bored and thought a lot about life here
in Lee.

Maybe it was all connected? Perhaps my
parents, the dreams, the roads, the house, the haunting all have
something in common. But what could it be? The city of Lee was
settled in 1871. Only the infamous gunfighter, Bob Longtooth made a
stain on Lee’s history for this town was the site of his execution.
The town was a normal country town with normal, yet robotic,
people.

I was still dreaming of the roads, but I
refused to go back there again. I was getting pissed off that I was
starting live my life afraid of the nights and scared of every
little noise. Every little bump sent me into anxiety. I decided I
had to try and take my strength back.

One week after I slammed the door on Bill, I
went back. He felt terrible about the advice he gave me. That long
grey hair covered his face as he hid from me. I could tell he
wanted to say he was sorry, but didn’t want to approach the subject
unless I said something first.

“Bill, I’m so sorry about last week. It’s all
my fault, I haven’t told you everything.” I said to him.

“I assumed as much. You don’t have to talk to
me if you don’t want to. I can develop this video to a higher
quality and shut the hell up while I do it.”

I laughed at him. Bill was such a sweet man.
Here he was helping a young girl he doesn’t know who could possibly
be crazy. The thought of his kindness made me cry. My father use to
be this way to me, but no longer.

I told Bill everything, from the physical
illness I felt about coming here, to the dreams I was having about
Lee. It was a lot to tell and Bill listened to every word I said.
He didn’t interrupt me or pest me with questions, he just sat back
and listened. It was nice to have someone just listen.

“I don’t know what to say, Regina, except I
believe you.” Bill thought for a moment before going on. “I’ve
certainly seen my fair share of the unexplainable.”

“Really?” I gasped.

“Yes, Regina. I’m old but I did live before I
was in this wheelchair.” He muttered.

“I’m sorry Bill, that’s not what I meant. I’m
glad to finally have someone who can attest to the experiences I’ve
been having. Not many people believe in ghosts.”

He chuckled and took a sip of his water.
“Well, that’s certainly true. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to snap at
you, I…..I don’t really…have experience with the young kids
anymore. I never married nor had a child so it’s only been me,
myself and I. Today’s youth would classify me as ‘shitty social
skills.’”

I couldn’t help but explode with laughter. To
hear Bill use that language and cut loose was pretty cool. I felt
as if I could finally be myself around him. That feeling of comfort
ran thru me and I sat back in the chair as if I belonged.

“May I ask you something, Bill?”

“Sure.”

“How did you end up in the chair?” Normally,
I wouldn’t ask such a bold question, but the smell of liquor
slapped me in the face with its stench. What I had mistaken for
water was actually vodka in Bill’s cup. As these Texans would say,
Bill was loose as a goose, but after I asked the question his face
became dark.

“One of the many joys of becoming old, my
darling.”

-----

October was in full swing with a Friday
the 13
^th
dance in the works.
Next weekend the school would host a dance and I was very excited.
I loved Halloween, except this year I didn’t want to be living in a
real haunted house. I was getting along with everyone except
Sabrina, who was acting like a terrible person to me. It was stupid
little child tricks she would play on me that would piss me off the
most. She glued my locker shut, poured water on my books when I
wasn’t looking and put peanut butter on my seat. She was a year
older than me but acted like a child.

After Katie returned from competition, she
had time to focus on me and was positive something was up. She
fired questions at me all the time and was beginning to become
suspicious of what I was doing with my afternoons I spent with
Bill. At first, she thought I was having secret rendezvous with
Steven or maybe someone else, but her theory deflated when she saw
how much I came to detest him. I tried to hang out with her as much
as I could but driving to Manor took forty-five minutes to get
there and the same time to get back. It took a lot of my time after
school, and she didn’t seem to believe my excuses. I did miss our
friendship but I was finding something great with Bill that I
hadn’t found with Katie. Besides, I liked spending time with Bill.
I found out a lot about him and his life while trying to enhance
the video of my nightmares.