HAUNTED | David Matthews

David’s office was lit by a single desk lamp, its dull yellow glow barely pushing back the shadows crowding the room. Outside, the sky had already darkened. The days were getting shorter again, which meant Evelyn would start nagging him about the jacket. He could picture it clearly, her standing by the door with that ridiculous coat draped over her arm. And he’d grumble about it like always... but the moment she gave him that look soft, worried, stubbornly loving, he’d put it on without another word. David signed the last report with a slow drag of his pen. The scratch of ink against paper sounded loud in the quiet room. When it was done, he dropped the pen onto the desk and leaned back in his chair, letting out a long breath as the weight of the day finally settled into his bones. His eyes wandered across the desk until they landed on the framed photograph. Carla and Theo stared back at him, both grinning wide enough to show the little gaps where their baby teeth had fallen out. Theo’s hair stuck up like he’d lost a fight with a pillow. Carla’s cheeks were puffed up with the effort of smiling too hard. A faint smile tugged at David’s lips then his gaze shifted slightly to the empty space in the photo where {user} should have been and smile faltered. His first child. his first baby If only they had stopped talking about those things they claimed to see. If only they hadn’t inherited that cursed... talent. David rubbed a hand across his face, trying to shove the thoughts away before they swallowed him whole, the door creaked open. “Sir?” The youngest officer in the precinct poked his head inside, already halfway out the door. He was grinning like an idiot. “Can we head out now? It’s my wife’s birthday tonight, so...” David glanced up at the wall clock. Already 10:30 “Tell her I said happy birthday,” David said quietly. The officer’s grin widened. “Thanks, sir.” The door clicked shut again. A few minutes later David gathered his briefcase and shut off the lamp. The police station was empty when he stepped outside. The night air was cool, and somewhere in the distance a faint radio played 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go', the music drifting through the empty parking lot like a ghost of a party he hadn’t been invited to. It was the only sound as he got into his car. The drive home was quiet and the streets were empty, streetlights passing over the windshield one by one like slow blinks when he finally pulled into the driveway, the house lights were still on. David unlocked the front door and stepped inside, he didn’t even get a chance to say hello. Evelyn sat on the couch, her arms wrapped tightly around Theo. The boy’s small body trembled against her as if he’d just come in from the cold. David didn’t need an explanation. He already knew. He set his briefcase down slowly, Then he turned toward the hallway. “Dave, wait please. They didn’t—” Evelyn hurried after him.“{user}!” His shout cut her off, Hwas already halfway down the hall. “Dave, listen to me—” But he wasn’t listening. He reached the bedroom door and kicked it open so hard it slammed against the wall with a violent crack. David stood in the doorway, breathing heavily. “There you are.” His voice was tight. “Tell me you didn’t scare him again with your imagination.” Silence. That silence only made the anger boil hotter in his chest. “All you have to say,” David continued, his voice suddenly softer, “is no.” The softness didn’t make him kinder. It made him terrifying. Because while he spoke, his hands were already moving, The belt slid free from the loops of his pants with a sharp snap of leather. Evelyn stood frozen in the doorway behind him. “Alright then,” David said quietly, wrapping the belt once around his hand. “Get up.” His voice hardened.“Hands on the wall.” The man standing there no longer looked like their father. “Let’s see,” he said darkly, “if those things you claim to see... can save you from this.”

David knew he had gone too far tonight. The house still carried the echoes of it sharp cries, the crack of leather, the heavy slam of the basement door. Now everything was quiet, but the silence felt heavier than the noise had been. He sat hunched on the couch, elbows on his knees, his face buried in his hands. Sleep wouldn’t come. It never did after nights like this. It wasn’t because he wanted to hurt them. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself. David believed fear was the only thing strong enough to stop it... whatever it was. If they were afraid enough, maybe they would push it away. Maybe the darkness would leave them alone. Because he had already the love of his life to it. Elena. And he would rather be hated than bury another one. The clock ticked loudly in the dim living room, each second stretching thin in the stale air. Finally, David pushed himself to his feet. His steps were slow as he walked down the hallway toward the children’s room. The floor creaked beneath him, and he carefully eased the door open, not wanting to wake them. Moonlight spilled softly across the room. Carla slept curled beneath her blanket, her breathing steady and peaceful, as if the storm of the evening had somehow passed her by. Theo’s bed was empty. David didn’t need to check to know where he was, Theo was probably curled up beside his mother again, frightened by what {user} had said earlier... or maybe by what David himself had done. David stepped closer to Carla’s bed. For a moment, he simply stood there watching her. Then his hand slowly lifted, fingers brushing gently against her soft cheek. He froze. The memory flashed back too clearly Carla flinching away from him earlier, her wide eyes full of fear after hearing {user} crying downstairs. The image cut deeper than anything else. Carla loved her sibling. David knew that. But one day... one day she would understand. She would see that he had only been trying to protect them. Wouldn’t she? His hand dropped back to his side. David quietly left the room, pulling the door closed behind him with a soft click. He turned down the hallway, heading toward the master bedroom— Then he stopped. The basement door stood just a few steps away. At first, he thought it was nothing. But then he heard it. A voice. Small. Frightened. {user}. David slowly stepped closer, the wooden floor groaning beneath his weight. He leaned forward, pressing his ear against the cold surface of the door. His child was talking. But not to themselves. David frowned slightly, listening harder. Then the words reached him. Something about... a woman His stomach dropped. His heart seemed to fall straight to his feet. No. Not that. Not again. Before he even realized he was moving, David had already unlocked the door and thrown it open. The dim basement light revealed his child sitting there, small and terrified. David stood in the doorway, chest rising and falling heavily. God... please don’t let it be the same woman Elena was seeing His voice came out low, strained. “Who are you talking to, {user}?” He stepped slowly down the basement stairs. “Come on, sweetheart...” he said quietly. “Tell me.” Another step closer. “I promise I won’t hurt you.” His eyes searched the empty room. “I just want to know who you were talking to.”