“Why are you sleeping here?” Asked Terrence, a slightly312Please respect copyright.PENANAh2dhstscuB
larger-sized man with white hair and an uneven beard. His tiny eyes stared down312Please respect copyright.PENANAA0rcw8BRD7
at Aaron speculatively.
Aaron yawned, unwrapped his tiny blanket, and stretched. “My312Please respect copyright.PENANAXb2FMwcXap
bed didn’t feel comfortable.”
“You crazy bastard.” The man snorted, then plopped down by312Please respect copyright.PENANAQYnrCfNJjw
Aaron’s feet, nearly crushing them. “I heard some cray person tried to break in312Please respect copyright.PENANAIdbGpDpLNy
last night and here you are sleeping by the front door.”
Aaron didn’t think it’d be wise to bring up the fact that he312Please respect copyright.PENANAadw3ssrgSK
wasn’t as scared of the knocking as he was of the ghost haunting his room. One thing312Please respect copyright.PENANAX6PLzbWs9D
he did know was that he’d never sleep comfortably again. “I don’t suppose you’d312Please respect copyright.PENANAzMnZW8x8UD
like to trade rooms, would you?”
“Hell no. Todd and I already have our room set the way we312Please respect copyright.PENANAi5koVFKacj
like it. Plus, I doubt he’d appreciate everything getting moved around.”
Aaron sighed. His own bedroom faced their neighbor’s house,312Please respect copyright.PENANAXGOeVHx3fq
giving him a clear view of their bathroom, thus he usually had his curtains312Please respect copyright.PENANAbikP6oU7Fp
closed in case anyone accused him of spying.
“Incoming!”
“Huh?” Aaron didn’t have time to escape before Terrence312Please respect copyright.PENANADrDIP6qbvq
leaned over and ripped a whole basket of rotten eggs on him. “UGH! Gross!” He frantically312Please respect copyright.PENANAYS3I5aSJlU
waved at the air, sputtering and scrambling away from the nauseating gas cloud.
“I warned ya,” Terrence smirked, snatching up the remote and312Please respect copyright.PENANAwzgSNV7EQV
turning on the television.
Eyes watering, Aaron wheezed. “No you did not!” Before312Please respect copyright.PENANAijN1moYHMO
heading back upstairs to take a shower.
His room didn’t seem quite as scary now since Caleb only312Please respect copyright.PENANAB2WBlPmS3b
showed up around midnight. In hindsight, that should probably have been a sign312Please respect copyright.PENANAa9SSnVGM2s
that something odd was going on. At least now he understood how the guy never312Please respect copyright.PENANAt9t0l0YJPM
made the door creak.
Aaron tried to do a little more research on Caleb but was312Please respect copyright.PENANAlSLUMd6DLa
only able to pull up a bunch of missing person reports. The only thing that the312Please respect copyright.PENANAI5KOfVIl12
articles mentioned was that he had disappeared one night after work. Since then,312Please respect copyright.PENANAEKeQjMsoec
there were no leads as to where he went or what happened.
The case was still open and one of the theories was that he312Please respect copyright.PENANACkgrUqsOiY
had run low on money and skipped town, which would have been a nice sentiment312Please respect copyright.PENANAYuaBeoxk0Z
if his ghost wasn’t haunting Aaron’s bedroom.
In other words, Caleb was dead, and no one knew it.
Remembering all the horror films he had ever watched, Aaron312Please respect copyright.PENANAdynM3ksNqj
went through a plethora of theories on what may have happened and where he was312Please respect copyright.PENANAp8K0wpHyzq
now.
Were his remains buried somewhere nearby? Like under the312Please respect copyright.PENANAyJQQcqJMjd
house or in the yard? Or worse, was his body sealed away behind the walls? If312Please respect copyright.PENANAJdOxid3E0v
he was in the walls, then he’d most likely be in the walls of his bedroom…
Aaron shivered.
When he moved in with a group of virtual strangers, he understood312Please respect copyright.PENANASh02XXXcpM
there was a high likelihood that some of them would be oddballs, but he312Please respect copyright.PENANAAa3XPPGL8A
certainly did not expect one of them to be dead!
He considered going to the police about this but was struck312Please respect copyright.PENANAV5efPLiml4
by the gravity of the situation. It wasn’t like he could just waltz up and tell312Please respect copyright.PENANALLJeJ3Cziz
them that he knew one of their missing persons was in fact, dead. He’d get into312Please respect copyright.PENANA04ZhJPN4HN
trouble and will get questioned on how he knew that.
Yeah. No. He preferred his freedom to getting locked up,312Please respect copyright.PENANAYkmywRMr9r
thank you.
That didn’t satisfy his curiosity though. He wanted to know312Please respect copyright.PENANA7G87NDD6V6
what happened to Caleb. Even if he was a ghost, he seemed like a nice guy. At312Please respect copyright.PENANA3HzR9iuOPl
the very least, his family should know what happened to him.
Aaron decided he would try something tonight. Caleb was312Please respect copyright.PENANAq54cw3cqAu
easygoing, so if he showed up again, maybe he could ask the ghost himself?
He tried asking his roommates first, but none of them had312Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6KLXwIfAY
any additional information. He felt like something was about Caleb’s case because312Please respect copyright.PENANA5RnEZKkWzB
there was very little information posted online. It was like the news outlets hadn’t312Please respect copyright.PENANAzuHVbc9emO
found his story interesting enough to report anything consistent. Then again,312Please respect copyright.PENANAQ39xW846sd
people went missing everyday and the guy lived alone, so maybe his family hadn’t312Please respect copyright.PENANA7mQTRtindg
raised enough fuss for the media to consider the story interesting?
That night, he sat hugging his body pillow, waiting for the312Please respect copyright.PENANAaOxpwnLcHL
apparition to appear. It was still unsettling to see that the corner of the312Please respect copyright.PENANAQMUNopLCjU
room was empty now. He half-expected the bed to appear out of nowhere or312Please respect copyright.PENANArsFvgdemWg
something whenever he blinked. Soon, he grew sleepy, and his eyes began to312Please respect copyright.PENANAC1F19Fawnp
close. A few times he’d jerk back awake as he struggled to stay conscious, but312Please respect copyright.PENANAMxaqpi6xdK
eventually, he lost his battle and slumped sideways.
He hadn’t noticed the figure staring at him at the corner of312Please respect copyright.PENANANckisq9Brh
his room.
When he woke back up, it was light out.
Realizing his plan had failed, he got dressed. Ruffling his hair,312Please respect copyright.PENANAbgElWbviyA
Aaron stumbled out of the room, then paused when the door opened silently.
He stared at the hinge, swinging the door to and fro, trying312Please respect copyright.PENANAIxyyIWpeww
to replicate the shrill squeal it usually emitted.
Did someone finally lubricate the darn thing while he was312Please respect copyright.PENANA8nxLSwXgAd
sleeping?
Confused but grateful, he made a note to ask the others if312Please respect copyright.PENANA6UUlWnqXai
they did something. He wouldn’t be surprised since the noise he had made the312Please respect copyright.PENANAGR6hPAuqqk
other night had gotten on most of their nerves.
Downstairs he started digging through the cabinets, looking312Please respect copyright.PENANAALxIoNjQCj
for a quick meal before brainstorming his next compilation video. Maybe he’d312Please respect copyright.PENANAlBqs2ltPSt
put on some special effects makeup and shop around dressed like a zombie? He312Please respect copyright.PENANA1sMxiDqVfH
could do something cool, like that zipper-face makeup that was popular a while312Please respect copyright.PENANAkv159eFsW6
back.
When he realized his box of frosted flakes was gone, he312Please respect copyright.PENANARlXwN8hpzf
grunted, assuming one of the other guys had decided to help themselves to it312Please respect copyright.PENANA1si5zgmTh0
and grabbed a Pop-tart instead. Then he turned to find the toaster which was…. Missing?
No wait, it’s over by the fridge now. Who the heck moved312Please respect copyright.PENANAt8zTjmFy6B
it?
Aaron walked over and noticed that not only was it moved,312Please respect copyright.PENANAP8LaqUuFcz
but it was also brand new with four slots instead of two. Maybe one of the312Please respect copyright.PENANAVqozPsCYQN
others traded it up? Not like he was one to complain. A toaster was a toaster312Please respect copyright.PENANA3wM2BR8dUU
after all.
Popping down the lever, he waited for the tarts to heat up312Please respect copyright.PENANA9FAcTpUaLd
as he noticed a few other odd things. The biggest one being the living room.
The kitchen and living room were adjoined downstairs, with312Please respect copyright.PENANA09NWiETdrb
nothing but a bar counter separating them so you could look over and watch TV312Please respect copyright.PENANA6YTsPY2xuS
while you cooked. However, the TV was situated on the wall to the right, and312Please respect copyright.PENANAHTqy9nPawn
the couch was made of sleek black leather instead of the ragged brown one that312Please respect copyright.PENANAqvMAeW8w1w
usually sat slumped in the middle of the room.
He also noticed that someone had put magnets all over the312Please respect copyright.PENANAIEMWZuCbCK
fridge. All of them were little squares with motivational quotes and pictures312Please respect copyright.PENANAiYRMCYyb2H
of puppies.
On the wall beside the fridge were an outdated calendar and312Please respect copyright.PENANAZBAFV9sh3j
a blender that he’d never noticed. What’s more, the whole place was way cleaner312Please respect copyright.PENANAkn4d1Atp1U
than it had ever been.
Who the heck redecorated the entire house last night? And312Please respect copyright.PENANAS1kecmDJ3E
how did they do it so fast? That TV was bigger than the old one and would have312Please respect copyright.PENANAHZgQlv94vp
taken quite a bit of effort to get through the front door.
He started wandering around, noticing even more odd things312Please respect copyright.PENANAWfBI1VqIy1
that were clearly out of place. Like the carpet being different, and the walls312Please respect copyright.PENANAtrst4kDso9
being white instead of beige. Then there was the fact that no one else seemed312Please respect copyright.PENANAGA8Sr9AgYG
to be home.
This was a house with 8 men living in it. There was always312Please respect copyright.PENANAdmofPC4DVQ
at least another person here aside from Aaron. So where are they?
As he wandered, listening closely to see if he could hear312Please respect copyright.PENANAfglNWDSLxc
any of the guys hiding somewhere, he came to realize he couldn’t hear anything312Please respect copyright.PENANAYHuhLpR7As
at all. What’s more, it was cold, like, really cold throughout the house.312Please respect copyright.PENANAbej3Uorj2w
Someone might have turned the AC too low.
Rubbing his arms, Aaron decided to wander back to his room312Please respect copyright.PENANAHoBm47NGoR
where he once again noticed things were out of place. Namely the fact that his312Please respect copyright.PENANAoTUDVA4W03
bed was now gone and instead, he found the missing spare bed in the corner that312Please respect copyright.PENANAbNINkGRzdw
it had always been in.
Aaron’s pulse begam to race and he backed up until he tripped312Please respect copyright.PENANAItfE0ThtGE
over the door frame. This had him knocking into a standing floor lamp that wasn’t312Please respect copyright.PENANAy4SGdSGRGQ
supposed to be there, and the thing fell over, punching a hole in the drywall312Please respect copyright.PENANAFZKqpDMuDc
just beside his bedroom door. Then it crashed to the ground, shattering the bulb312Please respect copyright.PENANArKPKh0DQy6
into a million pieces.
This isn’t right. None of this is right!
Utterly weirded out, he ran back downstairs and made his way312Please respect copyright.PENANA8zeI9GLhbp
towards the front door but was stopped abruptly by someone banging on it from312Please respect copyright.PENANA3SuLO1qsRz
the other side. It wasn’t a knocking sound. It was loud, hard and deliberate312Please respect copyright.PENANAiXDIl7ijBs
like someone was angry.
Unlike before, this banging did not let up and it continued312Please respect copyright.PENANAI5lllU2ZBi
to bang harder and harder, practically shaking the whole door off its hinges.
“Who’s there?” Aaron called.
No response.
“I’m calling the cops!” He shouted, his voice trembling and312Please respect copyright.PENANABSIjJew1dr
his body too terrified to move. “I mean it!”
“Who is it?” Someone asked, causing Aaron to spin around and312Please respect copyright.PENANAzz1QD3Z6uU
find Trevor, eyes wide with fright and glued to the front door.
Suddenly the house went dark and the noise stopped. The old312Please respect copyright.PENANAyUQE26w43Y
ragged couch and small flat screen were back to where they belonged in the312Please respect copyright.PENANABmn78nuc1c
living room, and wrappers were laying on the counter with shoes tossed aside312Please respect copyright.PENANAJJpOdiYAdZ
near the main entry.
Doug rounded the corner, looking just as scared. “Dude, was312Please respect copyright.PENANAcujynJjxgp
that you banging the door just now?”
“What ?” Aaron asked, confused.
A few of the others started calling from upstairs. “What’s312Please respect copyright.PENANAVF69m4FPIe
going on?” He recognized that as Todd’s voice.
“Aaron’s banging on the front door!” Doug replied.
“No I wasn’t!” Aaron defended himself. “Someone else was!”
“It’s true.” Trevor agreed. “I was standing behind him while312Please respect copyright.PENANASRnyZdK5Gh
it was happening. It wasn’t Aaron.”
“Are you saying it’s the same crazy bastard from before?”
“Maybe.”
“What the fuck? Why are they knocking on our door?”
Aaron started to check all the windows, wondering where the312Please respect copyright.PENANAwUp4VUv3JQ
sun had gone. “Hey guys what time is it?”
“1:00 AM” Doug answered.
“That cant be. It was light out a second ago.” Aaron mumbled,312Please respect copyright.PENANAXq8zhArssb
then pulled out his phone and sure enough, it was 1:02 AM. “What the hell’s312Please respect copyright.PENANAkngK61Kc3O
going on?”
“I’m getting a security camera, that’s what’s going on.” He312Please respect copyright.PENANAG3zdeuFuhb
heard Todd coming down the stairs, determined. “If whoever is banging at our312Please respect copyright.PENANANL7jS0UKvA
door doesn’t cut it out, I’m getting his ass on video and call the cops on him.”
The rest of the guys agreed and started to disperse. Aaron continued312Please respect copyright.PENANAycsswAlZSS
to stare at the door in disbelief, then rubbed his eyes.
Had he been sleepwalking?
Returning to his room, he shut the door eyeing the corner312Please respect copyright.PENANAh6Ioxjcn8I
where the spare bed used to be and somewhat relieved to find it was still gone.312Please respect copyright.PENANA7c5KDiLMEE
Too scared to find sleep immediately, he flipped on the312Please respect copyright.PENANAbz1Z2IV2Am
light switch and that was when he saw it.
On the wall right next to the door was what looked like a312Please respect copyright.PENANAeq7Iwi3JOu
patched hole in the wall, right where he had knocked over the lamp.
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END OF CHAPTER 3
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