Haunted

Chapter 4: Ghost Hunters

"I can't believe you're gonna let strangers into your home," Katrina said as she mixed up her color. "You are gonna stay there with 'em, though, right?"

"Yes," I replied as I took a bite of food. "They said that since the activity was happening to me that it would be good if I stayed. With all that's happened, I don't know what else to do. Maybe the investigators will find out what's going on . . . or that I'm crazy. Either way, I can't live like this," I admitted, puffing out my cheek to emphasize the still-visible scratches going down it. 

"Girl, you're braver than me to still be stayin' there at all. I'd have done cut a trail long before now." I wish it was that easy.

It wasn't long before my next appointment was supposed to come in, so I tried to hurry and eat the rest of my lunch, thinking about the upcoming weekend. The paranormal investigators were coming Saturday night, which was just a couple of days away. I was a bit nervous to see what they might find, but excited, too. Maybe they could find out what was going on and get rid of it.

The morning that I'd had enough, cursing my new home as I drove down my street, I came to work and did some research. There were several paranormal teams in the area that did investigations for free, so I picked the one that looked the most professional and called them up. I figured I didn't have anything to lose. I also tried to look up history on my home, but my address didn't pull up anything.

The thought of having to drug myself so that I could sleep in own home was ridiculous, but if it kept me oblivious to what might be there, then just call me Junkie Jacynda. I really hope that the paranormal team can help, because if not, whatever was haunting my house would win and I'd be calling Jenn to find me a new home. 

Jenn. I wonder if she knows anything about the house. Surely she would've told me if she knew something was going on there. I picked up my phone and called her, but got her voice-mail. I left her a message to call me before heading back out onto the floor. Even if she didn't know anything about the house, she knew who the previous owners were, and I'm sure they had some answers about the house . . . the house that they practically gave away.

                                            * * *

Jenn didn't know anything about the house and seemed genuinely surprised that there were such strange things going on. She did have the previous owner's phone number, however, which she reluctantly gave me.

"I just want to know if they ever had anything happen or if the previous tenants said anything," I explained to her. "That's it. I just want to ask them if they know anything, which I'm sure they do. Didn't you wonder why the house was so cheap, especially when everything passed inspection?"

"Yes, but that happens sometimes. Sometimes people just need to get rid of a home for whatever reason and price it to sell."

"Exactly. And I just want to know what their reason was. I'm not going to start any trouble, I promise."

When I called the previous owners, I got their voice-mail. I left a message with my name and number, not telling them who I was or why I was calling. I tried to sound friendly, hoping they would call me back, which they did. It took them a day, but I was glad that they called at all.

"Thank you for returning my call, Mr. Jarnigan. My name is Jacynda Johnson, the person who bought your house on Persimmon Street." All I heard was silence. "Mr. Jarnigan?" I asked, thinking he'd hung up on me.

"Yes, I'm here." 

"Um, as I was saying, I bought your house and there's been some strange things going on. Did you or the previous tenants ever experience anything?"