Anywhere But The Closet

The new house was never a favorite. The greyish haze that was always hanging over it gave it the look of an old, depressing, downright terrible place to live. The creak of the floorboards emphasized a haunting. But the closet of the room two doors down the hall on the second story tied the knot. I never did realize what was lurking in the shodows of that closet, but I knew that it was more than just dresses and shoes. The moans at night, the occasional bang on the door (from the inside), the footsteps... I knew there was something there. And one day, I decided to figure out what. In my bag I had packed a flashlight, a box of crackers, a voice recorder, and a little wooden cross. I know...it seems odd to have actually packed a bag for a trip to the closet, but I was just so scared at the time, I wanted to investigate, but I was bighting my nails about what I might find.

The closet was fairly large, so I had no problem fitting comfortabley into the space. But that was the least of my worries. Believe it or not, I had speant an entire week preparing for this trip. Now that I was entering my worst nightmare...I had my doubts.

The first night was the worst. I couldn't sleep. Every time I heard a noise, even if I knew for sure that it was just a squirrel, I would hold my breath and close my eyes, waiting for my fear to die down. The bulk of the night was when I heard, and saw, the clothing hangers slide across the metal that heald them up. To this date, I still wonder if that was what I always thought it was; a ghost.

The second night was a little better. I would no longer jump at the noise of the outdoors, and I even managed to get a little shut eye. That night, I did not catch any..."evidence."

The third night was great. I was able to sleep. But, even better yet, I cought something on my voice recorder. I'm not sure exactly sure, but I think that it actually said, in a little girl's hushed voice, "hello, Corrine."

I was surprised to hear the friendly voice. Whenever I visit the house, even today, I still like to see if I can "catch" anything on my voice recorder.