Beverly
Beverly
The bedroom looked beautiful compared to the mess it had been a weed before. Gabby admired her handiwork. The pale blue walls with a thick band of brown through the middle which matched the new bedding and curtains, blended well together. During the move, Gabby had decided that the new house would signify a new life, and to her that meant getting as many new things as Ray would allow her.
With her back to the door, Gabby didn’t see her husband sneak up behind her. He grabbed her around the waist, causing a screech to emit from her tiny body. Ray couldn’t help but laugh. It had always been easy to scare Gabby, even before everything happened.
“Don’t do that!” Gabby shouted when she was released. She gave Ray a light smack on the arm but the large smile on her face gave away her true emotions. “I don’t think my heart can take much more.”
“I’m sorry, Gabs,” he said, giving her a light kiss. “It’s just so funny. Will you forgive me if I go get dinner?”
Gabby deliberated for a moment before saying yes and then ordered him to pick up a few things from the drugstore as well. Her list of aspirin and air freshener grew to include flashlights, batteries, coffee filters, glue, and a first aid kit. Ray grumbled about the list, but he figured it would be easier if he just listened and made the trip as quickly as possible.
The front door closed with a loud click behind Ray, and Gabby realized it was the first time alone in the new house at night. The ominous sight of the barren house brought back all of the memories of why they had moved in the first place. It was all her fault, Beverly.
Ray’s troubled co-worker began talking to him almost eight months before. The whole thing seemed like an innocent office room crush until Ray began to receive the pictures and messages. The first approach had been to just confront Beverly, and when that received no results, Ray was forced to go to the higher-ups. Beverly had been fired, but that stopped nothing. She had their address; they no longer felt safe. The move had happened shortly thereafter.
Neither Ray nor Gabby had seen or heard anything from Beverly since the moving process began. Ray had become more lax about his safety, but Gabby never was. Remembering Beverly reminded Gabby that Ray had once again forgotten to lock the front door behind him.
With a sigh at her husband’s fleeting mind, Gabby left the bedroom and made her way to the upstairs landing. Before she could reach the steps, the sound of the front door closing echoed in the house. It had only been a few minutes; Ray must have forgotten his wallet again.
“What’d you forget this time, honey?” she giggled, hurrying to get to the steps. However, the person at the bottom of the steps wasn’t her husband. The sight of the tall, raven-haired woman stopped Gabby’s heart.
“Hello, Gabby,” Beverly said sweetly but with a sneer that marred her features.
The trip to the store and pizza place took Ray almost forty-five minutes - way too long in his opinion. He then had to carry everything into the house himself, almost dropping the pizza twice. When he opened the front door, the only thing he could hear in the house was running water from the bedroom shower.
Ray put the food in the kitchen before going up the stairs. Something didn’t seem right in the new house. “Gabs?” he called out, wondering if she would even be able to hear him over the pounding water. The bedroom door was open only an inch or two; Ray pushed it open and was met with darkness. He flicked the light on and screamed at the sight in front of him.
Gabby, her short, blonde hair spread out around her head, was sprawled on the ground against the only empty wall in the room. She was motionless, her limbs lying at odd angles, but that wasn’t the sight that shocked him the most. No, it was what had been put on the wall above Gabby’s seemingly lifeless body. The words “I’m back” had been scrawled in red, red that was pooled on the ground under Gabby’s body. As this sunk in, the door to the bathroom opened and a blonde wigged Beverly stepped into the room. Her freshly painted lips pulled into a sinister smile. “Hello, honey.”
With her back to the door, Gabby didn’t see her husband sneak up behind her. He grabbed her around the waist, causing a screech to emit from her tiny body. Ray couldn’t help but laugh. It had always been easy to scare Gabby, even before everything happened.
“Don’t do that!” Gabby shouted when she was released. She gave Ray a light smack on the arm but the large smile on her face gave away her true emotions. “I don’t think my heart can take much more.”
“I’m sorry, Gabs,” he said, giving her a light kiss. “It’s just so funny. Will you forgive me if I go get dinner?”
Gabby deliberated for a moment before saying yes and then ordered him to pick up a few things from the drugstore as well. Her list of aspirin and air freshener grew to include flashlights, batteries, coffee filters, glue, and a first aid kit. Ray grumbled about the list, but he figured it would be easier if he just listened and made the trip as quickly as possible.
The front door closed with a loud click behind Ray, and Gabby realized it was the first time alone in the new house at night. The ominous sight of the barren house brought back all of the memories of why they had moved in the first place. It was all her fault, Beverly.
Ray’s troubled co-worker began talking to him almost eight months before. The whole thing seemed like an innocent office room crush until Ray began to receive the pictures and messages. The first approach had been to just confront Beverly, and when that received no results, Ray was forced to go to the higher-ups. Beverly had been fired, but that stopped nothing. She had their address; they no longer felt safe. The move had happened shortly thereafter.
Neither Ray nor Gabby had seen or heard anything from Beverly since the moving process began. Ray had become more lax about his safety, but Gabby never was. Remembering Beverly reminded Gabby that Ray had once again forgotten to lock the front door behind him.
With a sigh at her husband’s fleeting mind, Gabby left the bedroom and made her way to the upstairs landing. Before she could reach the steps, the sound of the front door closing echoed in the house. It had only been a few minutes; Ray must have forgotten his wallet again.
“What’d you forget this time, honey?” she giggled, hurrying to get to the steps. However, the person at the bottom of the steps wasn’t her husband. The sight of the tall, raven-haired woman stopped Gabby’s heart.
“Hello, Gabby,” Beverly said sweetly but with a sneer that marred her features.
The trip to the store and pizza place took Ray almost forty-five minutes - way too long in his opinion. He then had to carry everything into the house himself, almost dropping the pizza twice. When he opened the front door, the only thing he could hear in the house was running water from the bedroom shower.
Ray put the food in the kitchen before going up the stairs. Something didn’t seem right in the new house. “Gabs?” he called out, wondering if she would even be able to hear him over the pounding water. The bedroom door was open only an inch or two; Ray pushed it open and was met with darkness. He flicked the light on and screamed at the sight in front of him.
Gabby, her short, blonde hair spread out around her head, was sprawled on the ground against the only empty wall in the room. She was motionless, her limbs lying at odd angles, but that wasn’t the sight that shocked him the most. No, it was what had been put on the wall above Gabby’s seemingly lifeless body. The words “I’m back” had been scrawled in red, red that was pooled on the ground under Gabby’s body. As this sunk in, the door to the bathroom opened and a blonde wigged Beverly stepped into the room. Her freshly painted lips pulled into a sinister smile. “Hello, honey.”