Looking around now, Linda couldn’t believe their luck. She pinched herself, looking lovingly at Jeff. “Honey, I will never nag you again about spending too much money on lottery tickets. You were right when you said we would win someday!”
Jeff had driven Linda crazy buying lottery tickets. She had always told him he was wasting his money, money they had earned the hard way, dealing with all the crappy customers at the Burger Shack. Now, there would be no more greasy burgers, no more irate diners, no more minimum wage jobs thanks to that $300,000 winning ticket.
The couple stood in what used to be the reception area of the old sanatorium, with Sebastian tucked between their feet. Sebastian had been through a lot with them, and they were happy to finally be giving the dog a real home. Jeff had given Linda Sebastian while she was going through the worst of her detox symptoms. It had been the best gift anyone had ever given Linda, and now, she couldn’t imagine life without either of them.
As they stood looking at their new home, Linda was already making renovation plans in her mind. She wanted to convert this area into a great room with a comfortable lounging area; a place where people would walk in, look around and feel warmth and awe. Beyond that, she wanted people to feel welcomed. She knew the colors would have to be rich and warm for that. After she had seen pictures of the luxurious space, Linda’s mind had gone wild.
Linda and Jeff had been staying up late every night since winning the lottery prize, discussing their options. Finally, they had agreed to buy the old Hilltop Sanatorium and renovate it into a boarding or apartment house as there were over thirty rooms. She and Jeff certainly didn’t need that much space. They would rent the rooms out and make enough money to cover the loan payments and have enough to live on.
The prize money was great, but they both knew it wasn’t enough to live on, especially when they were shown the huge amount of money that would be taken out for taxes. The rest of the money had to be invested; they had both agreed on this, and real estate had seemed like the smartest choice.
Linda turned to her right to peek her head inside one of the rooms. Something caught her attention from the left. She turned and noticed Jeff drifting around a corner toward the old cafeteria. She smiled and watched him go. I sure love that man, she thought to herself, smiling, as her eyes continued to roam her surroundings.
Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed Linda’s waist from behind. She spun around, startled, and found herself face to face with Jeff.
“How did you get behind me?” she asked, and slapped at his chest with a smile.
“I just walked up, silly.”
“But, I just saw you way over there.” Linda pointed to the corner across the room.
“What are you talking about? I’ve been two steps behind you since we walked through the front door.”
Linda stood silently, scratching her head. She was sure she had seen Jeff disappear around that corner not two seconds ago. Strange, she thought. She shook her head, putting the thought out of her mind. She had hardly slept the past few weeks since she and Jeff had been told that this place was theirs. Surely, lack of sleep and excitement at owning this huge property had played tricks with her mind.
“Come on,” Jeff said, dragging Linda toward the French doors at the back of the room.
They stepped out onto a large patio that overlooked a neglected but promising courtyard. “I’m going to plant the most beautiful garden here for the most wonderful woman in my life,” Jeff said excitedly, scooping Linda up in his arms and then spinning her around.
“Oh, and who is that?” Linda called out demurely, feigning surprise that Jeff should have another woman. “Anyone I know?” She stuck her tongue out playfully at him, but jumped when movement caught her eye.
“Hey!” Linda called out and looked up toward the house. Startled, Jeff put her down, and she quickly ran up the steps.
“What is it?” Jeff asked and ran after her.
Linda paused inside the doors, looking around as Jeff came up beside her, catching his breath.
“I just saw something…someone, er…at least I thought I did.” She shook her head again.
That lack of sleep is really doing a number on you, Linda, she thought to herself. Get it together and get some sleep tonight!
Still, she couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that someone was there, hiding, and watching her. She shivered as chills ran up her spine. Perhaps, seeing things was part of her addiction recovery as her body was still purging the pills and alcohol that had had a horrible hold on her for years.
“It was probably just a shadow,” Jeff said, “or your mind playing tricks on you. You know, dizzy from spinning.” He smiled and slid his arm around Linda’s waist. “The moving van should be here soon. Let’s go out front and wait.” He guided Linda back to the front porch, but she faltered and then moved along slowly, eyes darting from side to side. She didn’t see anything but she knew something was here; she could feel it in her soul.
“I guess you’re right,” she sighed. “It’s just the excitement of moving.”
***
Exhausted from the unpacking, Linda went out to the kitchen to get glasses of water for her and Jeff. She wiped the back of a dirty hand across her brow, removing the beads of sweat that had gathered there.
They had a lot more boxes to unpack but that could wait until morning. The day had been a long one, and Linda was more than ready to unwind for the evening. As she moved away from the sink, the two glasses filled to the top with water in her hands, Linda heard a bone-chilling scream. The glasses fell out of her hands, breaking apart as they hit the floor.
“Jeff?!” a panicked Linda ran to where she had last seen Jeff, terrified that something bad had happened to him.
“What’s wrong, honey? What happened in the kitchen? I thought I heard something breaking, I was just on my way to check on you.”
Jeff was fine. He didn’t look hurt which eased Linda’s mind a little. But…the scream…
“Did you hear a scream? It scared me half to death, and I dropped the glasses of water on the floor. I…thought…you were hurt.”
Jeff looked at her a moment before he spoke. “Scream? No, I didn’t hear anything. Are you sure?”
He thinks I’m crazy. Well, I’m starting to think I’m crazy! But I’m positive I heard that awful scream. She looked at Jeff and tried to smile. “Well, maybe not. Maybe it was birds screeching or kids playing. Sorry, honey, I guess I’m just tired and well…” she trailed off, not knowing what else to say.
“Come on, let’s get the glass cleaned up and then why don’t you take a nice long soak in the bathtub? I know it’s been a long day. I’ll unpack some more boxes and then meet you upstairs.” He placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
“Yeah, sure. A hot soak sounds great.”
They swept the broken glass up and threw it away. Linda couldn’t help but look around the kitchen as they worked. Someone had screamed. Someone, somewhere close, had screamed. She wasn’t going crazy.
As she soaked in the bubble bath of hot water, Linda felt her eyes growing heavy. She just needed twenty minutes of calm; twenty minutes of peace to ease her tired muscles and scared mind. As she felt the calmness start to overtake her, she felt hot breath on her neck.