Chapter 4 Bitter Past

Renee's POV

My eyes widened without my permission, Cam stared at his face silently. His face turned pale.

The man continued, "He's not a farmer, he just wants people to believe that. Also one time, a family survived him. Not through fights but through running, they abandoned the house and their property after they heard a scream from the house."

"Have you tried to, you know, tell the cops to remove their bodies from the compound?" Cam asked.

He replied, "We told them but they didn't believe us when they got there. They saw nothing. It was like everything turned invisible to them, at least to the physical eyes but not to the spiritual."

"We? That includes who?" Cam asked.

"My family, we just let it all go. After all, she's already dead. But note, only the eyes of the buyers see them, hear them and feel them. Only the tenants can tell whose ghost passed by."

He's giving me more creeps.

He stood on his feet, he walked away from us to his seat. I and Cam just swallow tensed saliva down our throats.

Someone's gonna kill us and it's all dad's freaking fault. "We need to tell dad, right now."

"No, he said a family survived it. If Anna can see them then maybe she can communicate on our behalf."

Communication is not needed right now, especially with ghosts. Angry ghosts.

"That is not an option, no not Anna. She's our youngest, and also I need to speak with Morgan. Are you coming? It's almost nighttime. I really wanna avoid the gate at night time." I asked.

"Yes but there's a lot in there. He's been killing since fifteen. Possibly if I'm correct, that man looks like he's in his eighties or late seventies. Then this mystery man might look like the sixties or so, don't you think?"

Briefly, yes.

"All I want is for all of us to survive this, nothing like looking for the killer."

"Watch your tongue outside as from now on, we didn't know he listened to us. Let's move." Cam stood up and walked ahead of me.

We walked out of the diner faster than ever. Cam can't stand snitches or busybodies that's for sure.

I'm just not into stories like this, not one bit. But guess what I believe this one. I totally do.

A few moments later, we're finally at home, dad looks fine and mom's in the kitchen. I don't know how I'll keep this silent from her.

Cam already walked up with Anna. Dad sits silently watching TV.

I'm just alone and I've dared myself to not look outside, no matter the wind or the voices. I can't stand it. Not now or ever. The wind starts to blow silently, I perceive this strange odor. This is too much to bear, it smells like something's rotten. Like rotten for years, like ritual rotten.

Thankfully mum perceived it too, suddenly the lights trigger. The fluctuation affects Cam too. He holds Anna to himself. They walk down the stairs with a bible, he wears one cross and Anna does the same.

Anna held the bible tightly, dad just ignored the smell. Mom walked to meet us sitting close to each other. She's aware we're safe, I feel like she sees something too. She walked back to the kitchen, and we can see her standing.

I just need some distraction, my phone looks good. Dad stared at the tv the same way, and suddenly it turned itself off. He blinked, and it comes on. He continued with watching the show. The wind comes from the left side stronger than before, Anna turned to it.

"Cam look at that man, he's crying." Anna said.

"Anna, ignore him and shut up, turn your stare to the other side now." Cam just whispered, and Anna obeyed. The door shuts itself upstairs.

Anna speaks again, "Someone is shouting upstairs, it's a woman who's pleading for her life."

The scary thing is not the movements but the strange fact of Anna seeing this alone. A loud thud hit around the top.

"Anna, whatever it is you heard or still hear? Ignore it, never speak to it."

"What if it's trying to help?" Anna tried to listen a little bit more.

Cam's eyes go to me the same way mine go to his. He turns to Anna, "Anna things like this don't help, they destroy and give distress."

She held him tighter, she's getting scared. "Anna, look at me, everything's alright. Just ignore it, after a few minutes it'll pass as usual."

The lights trigger again, I'm just feeling unsure about the comment I just made. The foul smell stopped, and the wind stopped too. The television's stable again. The lights too. Cam holds Anna, "Can you hear anything?"

"No it stopped but why?"

"Good, just perfect." Normally this happens every night. Mom blamed it on the factory nearby, dad blamed it on dirty neighbors.

We blame it on the spirits, the restless spirits. The demonic spirits. Anna stared at me with a calm face, "Anna what's happening?"

"She's sitting close to you."

I turn to my left and I see nothing at all. Anna said again, "She just left."

Cam felt some shivers too, "Anna no offense but try to keep your mouth shut when you see them or hear them."

"They're standing close to dad now, they're moving around him."

I maintain my calm feature looking at mom, Anna turns to mom. "She's staring at mom too. She looks pale and tired, bloody and weak."

"Anna shut up." This time it's from me. I'm sick of it. She's so stubborn, she refused.

"They just disappeared, but they'll come back soon you know."

Anna keeps me in suspense, and I keep my eyes on my phone. "She's waving at me, can I wave back?"

"No Anna, no." I warned.

Cam uttered, "Yes, try it."

Anna waved back, Anna smiled suddenly saying, "Bye, and good night."

I just kept up with the fake texting, dad heard her words and smiled at her. He thinks she's hallucinating innocently.