I must remain calm.
My family keeps making up these fantastical stories about ghosts and now even my poor dog seems
unbalanced.
He may be better out in the yard.
Either way, the amount of bulbs I’ve had to replace lately is insane.
Everyone keeps the lights on at all hours of the day and night.
My family has gotten sloppy and even my wife doesn’t seem herself.
Half the time she’s muttering nonsense to herself and I spend most of my time in the study.
I take comfort there in the dark surrounded by the old books and expensive stash of liquor.
We made out very well buying this home.
The last tenants left most of their things behind and we moved into a perfectly furnished home for
practically nothing.
We aren’t going anywhere; I have to remind my family of that frequently.
This is our home no matter what.
There’s a chill in the air tonight and I have to make a mental note to fix the heater again.
The rain and thunder are almost deafening as I walk into the bedroom.
The faint light of a candle flickers in the bathroom by the tub.
I see my wife’s long dark hair draped over the side and sigh.
Another bath.
Another night alone in bed.
I climb into bed in the dark and nestle under the covers.
The cold seeps into my skin and I feel my wife slide in behind me.
She settles her dainty hand over my middle and scoots closer.
I should find it comforting but she continues to squeeze tighter and tighter.
I laugh, “Are you scared of the storm now too?”
Her grip continues to strengthen until I feel her nails starting to dig into my skin.
“Honey?” I turn slightly and behind me is a face I don’t recognize.
Jolting out of bed, and scrambling to turn on my lamp, I stare at my empty bed.

From the bathroom I hear water draining and my wife stands in the doorway.
“Something wrong?” She questions.
“No.” I say quickly.
My heart is pounding in my chest. I must remain calm.

This was written by our contributing writer, Isis Jordan.