Phantom

“…investigators continue to look into the recent series of murders in Oakwood after the eleventh victim has been found dead. Nikolai Andreyev, among the ten other victims, was found in the town’s nearby forest, naked, beheaded, and tied to one of the trees by his entrails. Once again, the suspect left no trace of existence, giving ‘The Phantom Murders’ case its name. There have been no leads to any suspects or as to why and how the victims are chosen, but investigators are now relating these murders to the unsolved murder of a six-year-old girl that occurred in this town fifteen years ago. As of now, the town has issued a curfew at seven o’clock in the evening to ensure the safety of the population. Those who do not comply will face law enforcement—”

I grabbed the remote and turned off the television with a sigh before standing up from the couch.

Take a shower. Brush my teeth – to get rid of the disgusting taste of iron.
Get dressed – a black sweater with black jeans and worn out shoes.

I walked into the kitchen, debating if I should eat or not.

A low growl from my stomach.
I glared down at it.

“Shut up…!”
The growling continued as I grimaced at the pain that followed.

I decided to skip breakfast and pulled my maroon hoodie over my head before leaving the house.

The air was frigid and grey clouds draped over the town.
But even with the past events and the unsettling gloominess, there were still some townspeople who continued on with their lives as if nothing happened.

I continued down the sidewalk – being sure to greet a couple of passerby with a half-hearted smile – until I reached the familiar, school-like building.

It was eight-thirty in the morning, and Ms. Bobienski was outside sweeping the steps.
She spotted me and instantly stopped with a smile on her face.

“I’m glad that the recent murders haven’t scared you away. The children would’ve been extremely upset if you hadn’t visited them.”

She placed her broom against the wall and led me inside.
I was instantly greeted by a group of seventeen children, each with smiling faces and open arms.

I saw a new face, standing shyly in the distance.

“Don’t be shy, Peter. Come and say hi.”
Aisha – one of the children – spoke as she walked over to him and tugged him back along.

I did my best to give him a full smile before kneeling down – he was a small child – and holding a hand out to him.

“Nice to meet you, Peter. My name is Andrew.”
He eventually took my hand and shook it with a small smile.

My stomach started its low growling again, but I didn’t stop my smile – I didn’t want the children to worry.

But it hurt my heart immensely to know what was coming.

“Come along, children. Lessons are about to start. You can all play with Andrew later.”
Collective groans and sighs as Ms. Markovic spoke, but the children did obey.

“Andy is like our older brother. He always comes and visits us whenever he can.”
I heard Aisha explain to Peter as they were led into the classroom.

“Would you mind sitting down for a cup of tea with me while you wait, Andrew?” Ms. Bobienski spoke.
I gave her a small smile.

“Of course.”

And so, we sat at the table in the book room with our tea, conversing and playing checkers.

“Just like old times. Right, Andrew?”
“You would always win too.”

She let out a small laugh as her bony fingers moved the piece.

“I’ve been playing checkers for decades. The skill comes with time.”
“Speaking of time. Has anyone else ever come back to visit after they left?”

Her smile faded.

“I’m afraid not. I assume that as soon as they were adopted, this place no longer existed to them. I don’t really blame them, however.”

She paused to take a sip from her tea.

“At least you still care about this place.”
“This place has been my home since I was a newborn. It will always hold a special place in my heart, even with what happened in the past.”

Little Suzie missing from the rooms at midnight to get a glass of water.
A dismembered body found in the wardrobe the next morning, hanging by blood-soaked entrails.

I grimaced at the memory as my stomach let out another low growl.
I placed my hand over it as I held back tears.

“Yes. At least Little Suzie is dancing in Heaven now.”
I could only nod in agreement as I picked up my cup with a shaky hand.

I knew Ms. Bobienski could tell something was off, but she seemed to brush it off for now.

“How has life been treating you? I know only two weeks have passed since your last visit, but so much can happen in that time, y’know? Plus, it’s been years since we last sat down and talked like this.”

She gave me another smile before taking another sip of her tea.

“Everything is fine.”
An emotionless statement.

“Really?”
“Y-Yeah.” – I corrected my tone. – “I still have a stable job. I finally said goodbye to the apartment and moved into a nicer house.”

“That’s lovely. No wife yet—?”
“No!”

Her eyes widened a little.
I nervously tugged at my sleeve.

“I-I mean…I had a fiancée, but…she left before we could get married. I don’t really like talking about it.”

It was easier to say “left” than “was murdered” anyway.

“Oh dear. I’m sorry to hear that. However, I’m sure there will be others. You are still young and handsome.”
She let out a small laugh.

It was only reassuring for a small moment.

I shouldn’t try for another romantic relationship.

“Tell me. Are you still keeping your promise?”
“My promise…?”

“Yes. ‘When I grow up, I’m going to work hard and save up my money so I can buy this place and make sure that everyone can find a home with a loving family. I promise!’ Remember?”

I let a sad smile form.

“I remember.”
“Well…?”

I would love to, but—…

“I’ll still keep my promise. Granted, it might take time, but I will keep it.”
I gave her a warmer smile, but the meaning was only physical.

At that age, after what happened, I should’ve known not to make that promise.

An hour had passed after our conversation and the children were allowed to play outside for forty-five minutes.
Of course, I was asked to play with them.

Hide-and-Seek. Tag. Red Rover.
The games were endless and so was their energy.

I eventually grew tired and sat onto a nearby bench as the children continued to play.

“You used to live here, right?”

I was slightly alarmed to see Peter sitting next to me so quickly.

“Y-Yes. I did.”
“May I ask you something then?”

He must be worried about what it’s like to live here.

“Yeah.”
I gave him a small reassuring smile.

“Do you know who wrote on the wardrobe?”

My breath hitched slightly.

“I-I’m sorry, I don’t—”
“‘He who is reading this, do not venture the halls at night. He chooses his victims at random, and attacks when he’s not in sight’. Someone here wrote that on there, right? To warn everyone about something.”

I tugged on my sleeve, but eventually nodded.

“Did it have something to do with Suzie?”
“How do you know about her?”

He started to kick his legs back and forth.

“Mother Bobienski was talking to someone about her and how she died.”
I didn’t respond as I brought my gaze to the ground.

“I think it has something to do with all the people that died recently.”

I didn’t bat an eye at his statement.

“What makes you say that?”
He turned to look at me.

“They ventured the streets at night, and the Monster attacked them when he was not in sight. Everyone should have listened to the nice policemen. Even Mama and Papa…”

It was silent between us.
Uncomfortably silent.

“I think that Aisha is going to die next.”
“Why do you think that?”

“I had a nightmare. She leaves the room, ignores the warning, and then the Monster comes and takes her away.”

I swallowed thickly.

“Can you save her?”
He looked up at me with pleading eyes.

“She’s really nice to me. I don’t want the Monster to get her.”
“It was just a nightmare, Peter. Everyone will be fine—”

“No! You have to promise me. Promise me that you won’t let the Monster take her!”
I held out my pinky towards him.

“I promise.”
He didn’t hesitate to link his pinky with mine.

“Hey! We should play Hide and Seek in the Forest this time!”
I couldn’t help but overhear Aisha talk over the children.

“But that’s where the Phantom lives! They say he lures you to go in there at night! Aren’t you scared?”
“That’s just a myth. Besides, I’m not scared of anything! I think it’ll be fun—”

I quickly stood up and made my way over to them.

“None of you are to step a foot into the Forest! Do I make myself clear?!”
They all stared up at me and nodded without hesitation – all except Aisha.

I glared at her.

“Do I make myself clear, Aisha?!”
She glanced at me before bringing her gaze to the ground.

“…Yes, Sir.”

The low grumble in my stomach returned.

Shut up!

“Alright, everyone! Time to come back inside for lunch!”
Ms. Markovic’s voice was heard, and not one complaint was heard as they all rushed back inside.

“Are you still staying with us, Andrew?”
Ms. Bobienski’s voice.

“No. I should be heading home. I have some errands that I need to take care of.”
“Oh, what a pity, but I understand. Say goodbye to Andrew, children!”

A “Goodbye, Andrew” sounded in unison as most of the children waved.
Peter held his pinky up. I gave him a nod for reassurance before I walked out the door.

Halfway down the sidewalk, I shook my head in disbelief, trying to hold back tears.

You’re wrong, Peter.

† / † / †

“You have been coming to pray at the altar more than usual, Andrew. Is there something bothering you?”
“Everything is fine, Father Martin.”

I finished my prayer before opening my eyes, looking in his direction.

“Are you worried about the murders?”
I didn’t answer.

“If you are asking God to protect you during these horrible events, then there is no need. He has and will always continue to watch over you.”

I stood up, quietly thanking him before taking my leave.

I’m not the one that He needs to protect.

† / † / †

I waited.
It took an hour, but I waited.

The two men finally walked away from the headstone, heads hanging in sadness.

I tightly grasped the four roses in my hand, puncturing it in the process.

Inhale. Exhale.

I walked over to the four freshly-planted headstones, glancing at the urns that were placed on top of each one with a heavy heart.

There was no choice but to cremate them.

I let out a small sigh before kneeling in front of the headstones.

Tasha Benfield: twenty-seven; mother of two; went grocery shopping for supplies for her newborn – Eighth victim.

Place a rose. Say a small prayer.

Marquis Benoit: thirty-two; uncle of five; searched for a neighbor’s dog that ran away – Ninth victim.

Place a rose. Say a small prayer.

Yun Lee Kim: nineteen; older sister; walking home from her girlfriend’s party – Tenth victim.

Place a rose. Say a small prayer.

Nikolai Andreyev: twenty-eight; father of one; deliriously searching for his deceased wife (Fourth victim) – Eleventh victim.

Place the last rose. Say the last prayer.

I stood up and stared to walk away, but not before giving the last headstone another glance.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could prevent it, but…”

I held back the tears that were threatening to fall.

“I’m sorry.”

And I took my leave.

† / † / †

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

I stared at the small clock that was placed on the small shelf as I sat back into the chair.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

Every muscle in my body was tense. On fire.

Every second that passed, the harder I gripped at the arms of the chair, digging my fingernails into the leather material.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

It was seven o’clock at night.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

It was eleven o’clock at night.

I felt my insides quiver and rattle at the familiar, low roaring sound that emitted from my stomach.

Inhale. Exhale.

I shut my eyes tight, bracing myself for what was to come.

But I’m never ready.

The roar was louder as a large, black claw ripped my abdomen open from the inside.
Another claw followed closely after, trying to force the gash apart.

But I couldn’t scream.

I could only writhe in agony, eventually falling to the floor as the claws continued to tear me open slowly with the sickening cracks of my ribs breaking with every movement.

I was now paralyzed, opening my eyes to see the large, black mass slowly emerging from my abdomen.
I vomited up blood, silently hoping that I wouldn’t choke, as he finally stepped out of me.

A black, shadowy mass with razor sharp teeth and claws.
Small, piercing red eyes staring down at me.

I coughed up more blood in an attempt to speak.

But he’s out now, and I can’t do anything to stop him.

He smiles wickedly, showing off his teeth before letting out a low growl.

And in a second, he vanishes into a cloud of black smoke.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

One o’clock in the morning.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

Three o’ clock in the morning.

I continue to lie in motionless agony, awaiting his return.

Awaiting the dark, twisted smile with teeth and claws bathed in blood and entrails.
Awaiting the low growl in ecstasy and satisfaction.

Awaiting another day, forced to exist with him existing inside of me.

Awaiting the longing wish to die, knowing that he won’t allow it.

The clock reads four in the morning as the door flies open, closing back just as fast.
He hovers over me with the familiar, twisted, blood-stained smile, holding something in his claws.

It drops with a thud! and a splish! as his smile grew wider.

He let out another growl before re-entering the opening he left earlier – a process that was just as painful.

I gain control of my body back and slowly sat up, only to vomit bile and blood at the sight in front of me.

A head.

A small, decapitated head rested in front of me, still bleeding out.

Eyes wide in horror, tears leaking from them.
Mouth open, blood dripping from it.

The terror-filled face of a child, lifelessly staring at me.

Another low growl in satisfaction.

“W-Why…?”

Tears filled my eyes.

“Why did you bring it back…?!”

But I knew that I wouldn’t get a proper response.

He simply loves to see everyone suffer, including me.

Seven o’clock in the morning.

I sewed the wound back together – it always heals miraculously within an hour.
I cleaned the blood and bile from the floor and buried the head in the back yard, saying a prayer over the hiding spot.

Take a shower. Brush my teeth – to get rid of the disgusting taste of iron.

I turned on the television and sat back into the chair.

Every emotion was numbed as I stared at the screen.

“The Phantom Murders continue to haunt Oakwood after two victims were found dead this morning in the town’s nearby forest. The twelfth victim was identified as eight-year-old Aisha Patel. Even though the head was not found at the crime scene, investigators were able to identify the thirteenth victim as seven-year-old Peter Andreyev, the orphaned son of the fourth and eleventh victims of this case. A witness claimed that Peter left the town’s orphanage late at night, while Aisha left to bring him back. Once again, the suspect left no trace of existence and there are still no leads to any suspects or as to why and how the victims are chosen. The town highly advises everyone to abide by the seven o’clock curfew that was set in place to ensure the safety of the population. Those who do not comply will face law enforcement, or possible death…”