Cruelest Twist - A ghost story

The first full day was always the hardest and most taxing. He’d need every second of sleep to keep up. Exhausted by what he’d already done, the world faded away quickly.

Blinking his eyes Andy looked up into the darkness. Awake and a bit confused he peered around. Something sounds like scratching and he suspected a rat. Light, barely there at all the scratching continued, then paused, then starts up again. The light from under the door shifts, someone is scratching on his door. As soon as his feet hit the floor the scratching stops. Then sounds from father away. Seems to him like someone playing tricks. Bruce was usually the culprit for study pranks. Annoyed he yanks open the door and peeks out. Nothing.

All of the doors are shut. He looks up and down the hall finding nothing. Walking across the hall in his bare feet he tries Bruce’s door and peeks in. Asleep. Disturbed he checks all the doors and finds one slightly ajar. Opening it, he found the bed and room empty, the white brocade on the bed a tangle. If she was mad enough to start playing cheap tricks on him he better set it straight now. So he begins looking for her. The place is dark, but a few lamps had been left on here and there in case someone should be wandering about late at night.

Hearing someone on the back stair he follows it hoping to catch Mae red handed. He races down the stairs catching sight of her in a nightgown running before him. She goes right at the landing and he follows. Two more hallways lined with doors and he lost her. Andy checks the rooms as he walks. At the third one he hears something, a whimper, and he opens the door. “Mae?” he asks into the darkness. “This isn’t funny.”

Barely more than a shadow in a white cotton gown he finds her backed into a corner. Long curly hair shrouds her, that's weird. Andy freezes. Trembling and whining she tries to crawl up the wall. She is too real to be a ghost, down to the smell of sweat on her. “Who are you?” he asks as he reaches to push her hair out of her face.

She screams and he screams when he sees the wounds on her face. Over and over again she screams from her torn and ragged mouth. Her skin begins to show slashes as she slams back and forth before disappearing entirely. Horrified he stands frozen.

“Andy?” Mae bursts through the doorway and stares at him. One look into his eyes and she was dragging him out of the room.

“It isn’t real.” she stares into him. “Echoes, snapshots of history replaying themselves out.”

Blinking he comes out of the shock. “I know that.” he growls at her. “What were you doing? Trying to scare me? Well it worked. Are you happy now?”

“What are you talking about?” Confused, she looks at him.

“Scratching at my door? I didn’t imagine that…” he snaps at her.

“Andy I’ve been raiding the fridge!” her hand clenched on his wrist. “I was halfway through a chicken salad sandwich when I heard you yell. I didn’t scratch at your door. Dinner was a bust for me and I got hungry..”

Realizing it might be the truth he looks at her. “Well you want me to leave so you can and I thought after telling Mitchler…”

“Mitchler thinks I work for him.” she scowls. “Idiot, I’m working for you.”

“Don’t let Mitchler hear that he may stop payment on your check.” frazzled he makes a joke about it.

“You know what this means, don’t you?”

“I need new shorts.” he groans.

Chuckling she shakes her head. “You get to be on the list of firsts.”

Andy sort of smiles on that. “I just want to be the first to get drunk.”