Home Alone

By Stansheyaka Washington

It was October 13, 2011.  One of the most haunted days on the calendar, but also the anniversary of Calvin and Maria.  They were Ethologists who studied the behavior of people who claimed to see the afterlife.  Tonight they would be celebrating by going on an dinner date in the city.  Their young daughter would be staying home alone.  She had successfully persuaded her parents that she was responsible enough to look after herself.  She was excited, as most teenagers would be, to stay home alone.  But she soon found out that it was not as great as she thought it would be.

She sat on the long, dark sofa in the middle of the living room.  It was late now, so not many shows were on.  With nothing to watch, she pulled out her cell phone and began to tweet.  "Mom left.  Home alone! #Finally!"  During the process of sending her tweet, her phone froze.  Quickly becoming annoyed, she tossed her phone aside and turned her attention back to the television.  She began to flicker through the channels, barely noticing that each time she turned, the same chilling smile and glowing eyes momentarily appeared on characters in the background of the screen.  Her cell phone vibrated on the couch, symbolizing the tweet had been sent at last.  When she picked up the phone, she noticed a new person was following her.  She clicked on the picture of a handsome young boy who didn't seem to be much younger than she was.  His profile had no information and he had only two tweets.  One read, "I'm going to visit you tonight."  Posted today at 7:30.  The other read, "I'm here."  It was also posted today, at 8:00.

Her face began to back away from the screen.  The sound of the large bell in her living room blasted, causing her to jump slightly.  The clock just struck eight.  Her mind came to ease, realizing that she and the mysterious boy were in two different time zones.  Again, she tossed her phone on the couch, annoyed, and a little creeped out.  A preview on the TV announced that one of her favorite movies would be coming on soon, so she went to the kitchen to get a snack.  When she came back, the screen was black and white with static.  She quickly dashed to the sofa to grab the remote control.  Frantically, she pressed numerous buttons, but the channel did not change.  

An image appeared on the screen.  It was a boy.  He sat motionless with his head down.  His hair seemed wet and his skin pale and colorless.  She tried again to change the channel as the boy slowly raised his head.  He stared at her--almost through her.  His face seemed familiar.  It was the face of the boy on the profile.  She ran to the TV and unplugged it from the wall socket.  

Frightened, she reached for her phone.  Her first thought was to call her mother and tell her to come home.  But if she did that, she would never be able to stay home alone again.  She knew that this couldn't be real, and assumed that is was all the plan of her parents to see if she would be fearless or not.  She walked through the house, turning on every light along the way.  This had to be her mind playing tricks on her.  She ran up the steps to her room.  She thought to call her best friend, but her phone had a terrible signal.  So, she sat on her bed, motionless.  She was bored and petrified--a terrible combination.

The wind outside was blowing hard and she could hear the tree's branches clashing.  It seemed as if she heard every creak throughout the house.  She walked over and closed the window, only to come back and sit back on her bed.  She heard slow steps thumping against her hardwood floors.  She said in almost a whisper, "Is anyone there?"  There was no reply.

She slowly stood and walked to the bathroom, locking the door behind her.  She was truly losing her mind.  Almost trying to verify her sanity, she turned on the sink and splashed water in her face.  She reached out a blind hand for the towel, but paused when she got it.  It was almost as if it were passed to her.  Her arms trembled and she brought the cloth back to her face.  She dried her eyes and stood tall in front of the mirror, only to see the reflection of herself and the young boy.  She screamed, but her voice fell upon dead ears.  No one could hear her.  No one could help her.  And because she chose to be home alone, no one ever saw her again.