to go. I had a feeling it would probably be back. It wasn’t the last I’d see of the thing. But the question remained: was it a person or a spirit? It had moved just like the dark shadow I’d seen recently. Had someone really unleashed a demon on me from their black magic? It wouldn’t surprise me in the least.
I hurried toward the back door before the thing had a chance to return. What had I been thinking by chasing something in the middle of the night? I’d lost my ever-loving mind. I rushed in, locked the door and flipped off the muddy shoes. I hoped they weren’t ruined.
My breathing was still heavy from my nocturnal exercise. I moved over to the window to see if the thing had returned, but thankfully, I saw nothing. I needed a shower and sleep. I’d block this whole mess out of my head and worry about it tomorrow. I needed time to relax. The stress was getting the better of me.
After a long hot shower, I slipped into my cozy pajamas and buried myself under the covers. There was nothing like the comfort of my bed to make me feel safe. As if nothing could possibly get me there. Well, as long as I didn’t stick my toes out from under the covers, because then for sure the monster under the bed could get me.
The thoughts overwhelmed my mind so much that I finally resorted to counting sheep to take my mind off of what I’d seen. It must have worked somewhere around number a hundred and ten because I didn’t remember counting after that. But I woke up with a start the next morning.
When I pulled my legs from the covers, I was shocked at what I saw. Panic rose from my stomach and my heart raced. My feet were covered in dried mud. My stomach turned. I knew I’d taken a shower the night before. I remembered. I had on the pink pajamas I’d put on, but the bottoms of the legs were muddy too. Had I been sleepwalking? There was no other explanation, right? I’d never done it in the past. Not that I was aware of at least, and I’d know by now. What had happened?
When I looked down at the floor, I saw my footprints, but that wasn’t all. My prints weren’t the only ones. I recognized the others as the demons that had visited me in the past. My stomach turned. Apparently, I’d taken a jog with a demon. I had to do something. This was the last straw. I wouldn’t put myself in danger like this ever again. I had to get rid of whatever was invading my life. I hadn’t invited it and I wouldn’t allow it to stay.
I looked around the room but saw nothing else out of place. Where were the ghosts anyway? Where was Elvis? Had they seen me leave in the middle of the night? I stepped out into the foyer, but didn’t see anyone or anything. Of all times for the ghosts to disappear. It figured. When I needed them, they were nowhere in sight. I stepped back into the bathroom and hurried into the shower. I had to get the mud off my feet. I didn’t want to see the reminder of what had happened during the night.
Chapter Thirty-Two
It was the last day of filming and I was thankful for small favors. Thinking about what might happen didn’t give me the warm fuzzies. My behavior had been growing stranger by the minute. I feared the worst. I just wanted it to be finished so that I could get back to my normal life. Even dealing with the ghosts on a daily basis sounded like a welcome reprieve. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that something was definitely affecting me. I just had to figure out what it was. A demon? Black magic? Or both? I felt as if something was pulling at me, willing me to do things that I would have never dreamed about before. Everyone had to notice that I was acting strange.
Now every time the mailman showed up a dread took over and my stomach tumbled. Today was no different. As soon as I watched him approach my house, I spotted the envelope in his hand. It looked different from the regular mail and I’d learned to recognize it right away.
When I stepped out the door onto the porch, he greeted