House Ghost ONC 2022 LONGLISTER

Chapter 5: The Ghost

POV: Grey

Huddled in my corner, dazed and half awake, I'm not prepared when the hatch screeches open and a harsh line of light shoots up through the opening. What on earth is going on? Am I dreaming? Is this a nightmare?

"Is anybody up there?"

Oh god. This isn't a nightmare. It's my worst dreams coming true.

"You need to come down right now."

His voice is shaking, he must be enraged. Why are humans so aggressive?

Grey, you have to move. Focus. You've planned for this.

I look at the faded dresser that the alarm clock is perched on. Time and again I'd practiced pulling out a drawer, hiding in the gap and closing the drawer behind me without knocking down the clock. No human would think to look for a ghost there. Rising to my feet, I start to sprint across the attic.

And a hot beam of light hits my leg.

I drop to the floor behind one of the many boxes up here. My leg tingles and stings where the flashlight focused. God, it hurts worse than any of the overhead traps the human's left for me; those were aching and annoying, but this light is sharper, closer, brighter. At that distance, it felt like putting my leg against an overheated hot pack. What the hell will it feel like when it's close?

"Hello? Is anyone up here?"

The human is in my space. He's going to find me. No, no he won't. He doesn't know I'm here.

Easing myself onto my hands and knees, I start crawling forward. I never liked being short as a ghost but I'm damn grateful I am now.

My breaths are unsteady and quick, but I risk a glance over the boxes. His face is hidden, blinded by the horrid brightness, and he towers in the entrance of the room. Something metal glints in his other hand – is he holding a knife? I can't help but laugh at the irony. The flashlight is more painful to me than any weapon he could carry.

Wait a minute, does he think I'm a human?

I don't have time to wonder about that now, as his light sweeps above my safety barricade made of cardboard.

"Hey," the human shouts; too loud, too close, "this isn't funny. If you're here, come out."

"If I come out, you'll burn me," I hiss silently over the thrumming panic in my chest, "Just leave me alone!"

The boxes are packed tightly here. The dull ache in my leg makes it harder for me to contort myself like I usually do. My shoulder brushes against the dusty cardboard, nudging the box forward. His flashlight trains on the movement. I freeze and shut my eyes.

Footsteps come closer, until the light is hovering over the boxes. But slowly, ever so slowly it moves over to the right, and the human walks past.

I won't let him find me. Humans are easily distracted. I can use this.

As luck would have it, the sheet is close to me. Stretching my arm out to full length, my fingertips just touch the cool fabric, and I yank it over.

Balling the sheet up in my hands, I crouch up and wind my arm back to throw across the room. Due to cursed human weighted objects it doesn't travel nearly as far as I wanted it to. Instead it smacks the human's leg and falls a few feet past him. He squeaks, and judging by the sound of another yelp and a crash, he tumbles back into a pile of boxes.

"Who's there? Where are you, what are you-- Huh? This is crazy. It's just a sheet. Wait a second, it's my sheet? How did it even get up here? What...?"