Finding Home (Zak Bagans Daughter)

Chapter Sixty

"Charlie? Charlie! CHARLIE!" Zak's voice boomed through my phone.

My first reaction was to jump, causing Diana the receptionist to jump as well. I whispered a quick sorry before returning to my phone call with Zak.

"Sorry dad I zoned out, what were you saying?" Zak loudly sighed in the phone, causing me to pull the phone slightly away from my ear. I had yet recovered from his previous yelling.

"I was saying that I'm going to be a bit later than I planned. Turns out the sound on Billy's camera at Blackwater Prison died and we're trying to recover anything for the episode. I won't be able to meet you for lunch anymore, Sorry Ro."

I hummed into the phone and made a small smile when he said my nickname. He started calling my Ro a little while ago and it stuck. In all honesty I completely forgot that Rose was my middle name until he started calling me by it. Of course Charlie is, and always will be my name—only Zak can call me Ro.

"Charlie did you zone out again?"

My eyes widened when I realized I was still on the phone with Zak.

"No, of course not. I was listening the whole time."

"Mhm sure. Anyway I won't be home until about 11:30 are you okay to close the museum tonight? You've done it before."

My chest tightened as I realized I would have to be alone, in the museum, with whatever was haunting the box. But if I told Zak what was going on, he would never get his work done.

"Of course, I'll be fine."

"Perfect. Okay Ro I've gotta go now, but I'll talk to you later, love you." He hung up.

"Love you too dad." I mumbled to the dial tone and pulled the phone from my ear.

***************

"Are you sure you don't want me to help with the close?" Diana asked. She was so worried about me being alone in the Museum she offered to help close it with me, but if I wanted to check out the gramophone one more time I couldn't risk her getting hurt.

"I'll be fine Diana, no worries. Everyone did all the closing for me. All I have to do is make sure everything is locked up and put the cash away. Then I'm out. Plus, I'm a Bagans, nothing can hurt me."

I gave her a smile, one of which she wearily returned.

"Okay sweetie, if you say so." She grabbed her black purse and put on her hand-knit cardigan.

"I'll see you next week!" I waved to her as she walked out the main doors.

The second she drove out of the parking lot, I rushed through my close and went straight to the room with the gramophone.

As soon as it entered my sights I began to feel queasy. The thought if something went terribly wrong and nobody would be able to help me didn't aid my anxiety at all.

When I entered the room, the feeling changed. It was in the room with me.

"I'm going to ask you what I asked earlier, who are you? What are you?"

Within half a second, the same black mass from earlier appeared, but instead of sitting in a corner, it stood just a foots length away from me. I held my breath as I stared at it. As scary as this was, it was also incredible.

I really am my father's daughter.

I was about to ask another question when a sudden whimper from across the room caught my attention. I immediately turned my head in the direction of the sound and discovered a young male. He was wearing a white button shirt covered in blood and black pants crouched down in the corner; crying.