UNPSYCHIC.

Case 01 :: Chapter 09

I jumped out of my battered Chevy without caring to switch off the engine, and sprinted towards Mrs. Suliman's home. But a ruckus caught my attention and I saw both her and my mom at the front door of our house, banging profusely. I switched gears and ran towards them, the panic that streaked my mom's face became evident as I neared.

"What happened?!"

"Oh, Dominic. Thank god." Relief rushed over my mom's demeanor before it was quickly replaced back with dread. "Danni's in there and we can't get in!"

Shit. I banged on the door and tried to pry it open, but it remained firm and did a hell of a good job in keeping its owners locked out. With a last frustrated pound of my fist, I abandoned all attempts to enter through the front door, and went to the side of the house to search for an easy entry point.

I located a small window at the back which wasn't protected by the rusty grills that decorated every window around the house. Judging by the height of it, I knew it was for the ground floor bathroom. 

After a quick search, I found a rusty garbage can stored at the corner of our lot, and rolled it just below the window for leverage. Then I picked up a hefty rock, tossing it slightly in the air before catching it a few times to test its weight. 

"Call for help." I told my mom when she and Mrs. Suliman caught up before I threw the rock at the window with all my might.

Ignoring the protests from behind me, I climbed up the garbage can and used my elbow to break off the remaining jalousies until the hole was just big enough for me to squeeze in. Hauling my upper body, it took me a moment to shimmy my lean figure into the snug window.

I finally landed ungracefully on the tiled floor of the bathroom, my noisy arrival could have tipped off anyone who was in the house. But as I held my breath that someone might barge into the bathroom, the interior remained silent as a graveyard. Now upright, I crept to the door and gently opened it for a peek; having a clear view of the entire floor, the kitchen, dining and living room areas were empty and there were no signs of Danni, which means she could only be in one place.

The room downstairs.

Leaving the bathroom, I headed to the direction of the kitchen counter, and retrieved a knife from a drawer. Better to be safe than sorry. Feeling better armed than I was a second earlier, I jerked my head up and made my way down the stairs that led to the two storage rooms below. I didn't know if it was my imagination, but the temperature seemed to drop further as I descended the steps. 

And the goosebumps that erupted my body confirmed that once I stood facing the door. Encircling the doorknob with my fingers, the cold metal was almost unbearable to touch. With my weapon raised on my other hand, I twisted the knob--

Crashing noise. My hand froze before I could open the door. The crashing of objects continued to reverberate throughout the house. Scrambling back to the main floor, the ruckus came from one of the bedrooms upstairs. Adjusting the hold of my weapon, I rushed up, and suddenly the noises ceased as though sensing my presence.

Gulping, I threaded slowly to the hallway and checked my room first, its door stood slightly ajar. Pushing it open, it revealed my room as though a tornado passed through it; my books and other knick knacks that should be on my desk were now scattered to the floor along with my clothes from my wardrobe. All the furniture was either moved from its original place or had been tossed at its side.

How could ghosts create such chaos?

Retreating back to the hallway, I checked the remaining rooms and found them in the same state of destruction. But there was still no sign of Danni. With my mind set to return back to the storage room, I immediately went downstairs--