Spook Tales

o We had only lived in our three bedroom apartment for a quater of the year, but that was enough for me to see that it was haunted. My roomate had only lauged at me when I told him.

( First Month)

At first I told myself it was my imagination getting the best of me. I had kept telling myself that. It was the small things first. When working in the studio ( i.e. turned study to studio) it sounded as if someone was walking in circles in the living room. Like they had something on their mind and just couldn't sit. But when I went to see,the noise would slowly and softly....

vanish.

Also late at night, right before sleep hit, a loud bang would eco from the back patio. As if someone was trying to break down the door. Pissed I'd grab the baseball bat and be ready to swing at the lowlife trying to get in. But yet again I'd be disappointed to find the patio door closed and locked. (We were on the top floor.)

Not to mention the boxes still out on the patio, with the light on. My heart was pounding as I went back to bed...along with my old wooden baseball bat and fell into a uncomfortable sleep. These occurrences would happen almost daily, for weeks and it started to slowly wear on my nerves. Mike was in denial. He had heard the patio door once; a week ago at night and it spooked him, but later the next day he had said the apartment building itself was old and settling.( Which wasn't a lie...but still...)

( Second Month)

So I went out more and more. I would buy new film. Snap new shots of the town from new and odd angles. I even updated my client list three times. It helped there were Pizza shop numbers mixed in there. But by the third time it was orgainized and mostly numbers of friends. I even sent the town's paper( The Turner) some of the creative shots and they were printed.

Now coming back home wasn't so bad. I'd had put on my favorite CD to drown out the anxious ghost in the living room. And when Mike was out with friends I'd run it all night so I couldn't hear the back door trying to open on its own. Sure others things were happening but I just kept them out of my mind.

(Third Month)

One night the TV set starting to make a crackling noise and seemed to be trying to turn itself on when I was just reading on the couch. Angry I got up and yank the plug from the wall. " Shut up you piece of junk!" Then after I sat back down, I heard someone softly walking around my studio. First, it was back and forth, back and forth. Then they seemed to be circling the room then they just stopped and a chilling creek would fill the apartment. I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest. I got up again to find myself covered with sweat and shaking.

This was all going to stop.

Slowly I walked to my room to get my bat. I really didn't think I could beat the shit out of this ghost but maybe I made enough noice I'd spook the ghoust into leaving. It was worth a shot. Spying my phone I picked it up and called my roommate.

" Hello?"

" Hey, its me. I know this is going to sounds nuts but someone or something is in the studio and I'm going after it."

The line was quite for a beat. " Come on Clara its your imagination I'll be home in 20 minutes. Its nothing...if your that worried go outside."

" I'm not fucking crazy! I'm just going to take care of it, just so you know and don't think someone broke in it just me."

" Clara..." By then I was almost to the studio door.

" Clara.. CLARA? You there?" Mike voice was worried and I thought I heard a note of irritation in it.

" SHhh..I got to go see ya soon."

With that I flipped the phone shut and slid it into my back jean pocket. The ghosts or whatever was no longing making the creaking noise but pacing back and forth east to west this time. Clenching the wooded bat I slowly raised it above my head and kicked in the door with more force then I thought I was capable of. My tripod flipped over and crashed to the floor, I heard the lens break on the camera as it shattered.

Shit.

(Shock?)

The bat shook in my sweaty palms and I took in the room. It was just how I had left it, expect the broken camera, the lens shattered across the floor. No one was in there...now. Clenching my teeth I checked the window- still closed. We haven't even opened it in the three months we've been here. I quickly opened both windows and let the cool night air calm me down a bit.

Walking over to the computer in the back corner of the room I checked it. It seemed fine still humming in stand by. Without a thought I dashed into the makeshift dark room( which ran along the right wall) and screamed. Warrior women against ghost, ha. My eyes having adjusted and checked each photo, each pan of chemicals...all the photos were a blank white. That was very wrong. These were shots of the new club in town I'd taken last week for the paper. Instead of the vibrant crowd and twilingling lights accenting the Egytain theme, there was nothing. I even had double checked each pan of chemical...all dried now.

A sinking feeling had come over me, breathing was suddenly difficult. These photos were all developed this morning.

Mike had walked into the darkroom right about then. Frightened I jumped and dropped the bat. "All the photos, the're destroyed It wasn't like this in the morning." Mike looked at me with a serious look which surprised me.

"