I’m officially freaking out.
My lab partner, James, still hasn’t sent me our semester project.
Something he was supposed to do this MORNING.
There’s been no word from him.
I fidget with my lucky lighter, flicking it on and off.
I knew James would mess this up.
He’s a total slacker stoner.
I have to email the project to our professor by midnight.
If I get anything less than an A, my life is over.
I won’t be able to graduate.
I have 6 hours to track down James before my future goes belly up.
I call his phone, but keep getting the same message.
“We’re sorry, but the number you dialed is no longer in service.”
There’s a difference between someone’s phone being off…
And someone’s number no longer being in service.
What makes me even more uneasy is when I email him.
“Message Delivery Failed.”
“The Specified Account Does Not Exist.”
I was emailing with him yesterday.
I have the messages to prove it.
I go back to my previous messages.
There’s nothing from James.
A chill runs down my spine.
I’m not the brightest kid in the world.
But I’m smart enough to know when something’s off.
What am I supposed to do?
Tell him I can’t find my lab partner?
I need to step up my efforts.
I hop on my bike and book it to James’ house.
When I pull up, the place is dark.
I run up and ring the doorbell.
Edwin
James! James, it’s Edwin! Open up!
I’m about to turn around when I realize.
What if his computer is in there?
That’s all I really need.
If I can just somehow get inside…
Maybe I’ll be able to find it.
And I can email myself the project.
But it may be just crazy enough to work.
There’s a giant oak tree next to his window.
I look around to make sure the coast is clear.
When I reach the window, it’s locked.
Not what I was hoping for.
But down the hall I can see a faint glow of light.
I TAP, TAP, TAP on the window.
There’s no way anyone’s here.
They would’ve heard me by now.
Then there’s no one to freak out if I break in.
CRASH. I elbow through the glass.
Sorry, James. I’ll cover the damages.
I unlatch the window and crawl through.
Once in, I get up and dust myself off.
I can hardly see a thing.
But the place has a funny smell.
I can’t quite put my finger on it.
As my eyes adjust, I realize it’s completely empty.
What on earth is happening?
I was JUST here last week.
There was a desk and a bed and chairs.
Did he just pack up and leave?
None of it makes any sense.
I need to email my professor.
Because James definitely isn’t here.
Besides, the place is starting to give me the creeps.
I head back towards the window.
What about the faint glow of light?
What could that possibly be?
I know I should just get out of here.
I move slowly down the hallway.
The floorboards creak underneath my feet.
As I turn the corner, the light gets more powerful.
It’s coming from downstairs.
I descend, gingerly putting one foot in front of the other.
When I get downstairs, I see it.
A single bulb swinging from the ceiling.
It casts an ominous light throughout the room.
And just like James’ room, the space is empty.
I don’t know what James is up to.
Or why he would leave like this.
But it doesn’t matter right now.
The only thing that matters is that he’s not here.
I turn to go back upstairs when a voice calls out.
A man, probably 80 years old, stands near the front door.
He wears a long shirt that hangs down to his knees.
And he has a nightcap on like Ebenezer Scrooge.
His face is sallow and bony.
I’m so caught off-guard I can hardly speak.
Edwin
I-I’m Edwin. I’m looking for James.
Edwin
Do you know where he is?
Old Man
There’s no James here.
Edwin
He was just here a week ago.
Old Man
I’m afraid you’re wrong.
Old Man
There’s never been a James here.
I don’t know what to say.
My mind is racing at a million miles an hour.
But I figure it’s best to just apologize and leave.
Edwin
I’m sorry to bother you, then.
Edwin
I’ll be leaving now.
Old Man
You broke into my home.
Old Man
You trespassed onto my property.
Old Man
You can’t just leave.
Edwin
Obviously there’s been a mistake.
He begins GLIDING toward me.
Feet dragging softly across the ground.
Like something not of this world.
Old Man
Yes. You’ve made a big mistake.
I wheel around and sprint back upstairs.
My heart is pounding in my chest.
I’m so scared it’s hard to breathe.
But when I go to climb out the window.
It’s the exact same room I entered through.
I gaze back down the hallway.
The old man stands at the other end.
He stares at me, expressionless.
Edwin
What do you want from me?
Old Man
All trespassers must be punished.
He begins gliding forward again ever so slowly.
James crawls out of the shadows.
Edwin
What are you talking about?
James
Use your lucky lighter.
James
It’s always on you, right?
It’s the only option we have left.
CLICK. WHOOSH. I light the cloth on fire.
The old man glares at me, almost at the doorway.
Old Man
What are you doing?
It lands at his feet, igniting the old, wood floorboards.
He screams like a banshee.
As the fire engulfs the space, the room starts to morph.
James’ furniture reappears, just as I remembered it.
And so does the window behind me.
I run over to him and get him on his feet.
It’s difficult to breathe.
The fire is growing out of control.
But we manage to climb out the window.
Then down the big oak tree.
When we reach the street, I dial 911.
By the time the fire department arrives—
The house is already half-burned to the ground.
The screams of the old man cut through the night air like a knife.
The fire department lets it burn.
Eventually the screams stop.
I ride in the ambulance with James to the hospital.
James
All I remember is waking up around 2 a.m.
James
I got water, and then I blacked out.
James
Next thing I knew, I woke up in the corner.
James
That’s when I saw you.
The fireman riding with us explains why they let the place burn.
Fireman
People have said that house has been haunted since 1900.
Fireman
Legend has it that the old man held visitors as prisoners.
Fireman
And he was able to completely erase any record of their identity.
Fireman
When he died, he continued to haunt the place.
Fireman
He intimidated whoever lived there until they were forced to leave.
Fireman
But no one knew how real those stories were.
Fireman
Until you boys made it out of there tonight.
Edwin
You think our professor will give us a pass?
Edwin
On account of the fact that we almost got killed by a ghost?
James
I wouldn’t count on it.
I take out my lucky lighter and give it a few flicks.
Then I close my eyes for some much needed rest.
