September 1st 2:30 PM
"Who is that?" I ask while looking at the scribbled lines of my nephew's drawing, as he proudly shows his work of art to me. There appear to be five figures in the magic marker drawn picture. Four of the scribbled lines and circles sit inside a small house. The drawing represents our family, which consists of myself, my sister, and my five-year-old nephew named Sam. A smaller little line drawing with two ears appears to be my cat, Bosco. What catches my attention though, is the figure standing outside of the house.
While the other figures appeared, colorful and smiling something was strange about the drawn figure outside of the house. His lines were jet black, his face expressionless with a black hat sitting on top of his head, but what caught my attention was the shade of his eyes a dark green color. "Who is that sitting outside the house, Sam?" I asked.
"That is my friend Mr. Green Eyes!" Sam exclaimed. "He watches me play from the window!"
"That's cool, little buddy." I replied
I look over to the window of Sam's playroom, nothing sitting outside but hedge bushes with a solid wooden fence sitting behind it. I stand up and walk down the hall to the kitchen where my sister is currently cleaning the stove. "Sam has a new friend apparently, a guy in a hat that likes to watch him play from the window." I say to my sister.
"He has an imaginary friend it sounds like." She replied as she opens the cabinet below the sink. "He is still adjusting. I mean he has been through a lot these past couple of months."
"I know, he's been through a lot with the move across the country and the separation," I reply. "It is just a bit we--"
"He watched his father be taken away in handcuffs, then a month later he is living in a new house, a new city, and everything he has known has been uprooted."
I shrug and realize that my sister is right, Sam had indeed been through a lot for someone his age. Three months ago, I got a call from my sister asking me for a place to stay. Her husband, who had always loved his beer, suddenly really started to like it. With that came intense arguments, those disagreements eventually escalated when one day he decided to try to strangle her.
I remember that night answering the phone to the sobs of my sister telling me that her husband was being led out in handcuffs in front of their only son. I told her I had plenty of room in my house, but it was across the country. My sister said the further she was away from him the better, within a month they were living with me. It was an adjustment, but I did not mind knowing that my sister and my nephew were safe, and had a shelter of their heads.
She was right to assume that her son was adjusting and creating an imaginary friend in a new home and city to find a way to cope. I decided to drop the subject, let the kid work through his emotions and be supportive of whatever the two needed from me.
After all, it was just a phase.
---
September 25th 12:05 AM
It was a late night of surfing on the web, reading the news, commenting sporadically on Reddit, and listening to one of my favorite podcasts when I heard a strange noise. Taking off my headphones and listening to the loud yowls coming from somewhere inside the house. I walked downstairs following the noise that lead to Sam's Playroom. My cat Bosco was sitting on the window, switching between hissing and the weird clicking noise that cats make. I walked up and grabbed him startling him a bit, but he never took his eyes off from looking outside the window. It was as if he watching something.
That is when I realized what my cat was looking at, the bushes in front of the fence were moving.
Walking down the hallway and entering the kitchen, I felt a little bit of fear going outside. Something was there, but what could it be? Did my sister's ex-husband figure out where she was? Could it be a robber scouting out our house? Turning on the light to the backyard and stepping out I look at the bushes, the violent rustling continuing. I move slowly towards the direction, part as caution and fear. "Who is there, come out now!" I said aloud.
I hear no response, but now the bushes are moving even more erratic and violent.
"Come out now!" I yelled.
Building up the courage and picking up the pace of my step I reach for what is trying to hide in the bush. A loud shriek pierced my ear coming from the bush as I laid my hand on the branches. As I jumped backward, caught off guard by the shriek. A small raccoon made its way from the bushes and quickly ran away.
I felt a relief that it was just a wild animal hiding in the bushes. Breathing in to calm my nerves and headed back inside the house. As the door opened, Bosco darted past my feet and into the night. Looking around to make sure the raccoon was long gone I scanned the area to see if I could find my cat, but to no avail.
"Bosco, come back inside." I called out.
Waiting at the door to see if by chance my cat would return I look at the bushes one more time. After a few minutes, I close the door and leave the light on for him. It's not the first time he had escaped to the yard, but he always came back the next day. I was too tired and drained from the experience to keep standing outside yelling his name.
I start to walk back to my bedroom when I pass the room where Bosco was sitting in the window. Sam in his pajamas stood frozen in the room gazing through the window. I walk inside the room and kneel down next to Sam to ask. "Why aren't you in bed?"
Sam rubbed his eyes and turned his body toward me with his small arms stretched out. Grabbing ahold of him and lifting him up I take one last look outside. Everything seemed fine now with no bushes moving or animal in sight. After a moment we headed up the stairs with Sam clutching me tightly. As we entered his room, I could not help but notice more drawings of the family. One caught my attention it was Sam's imaginary friend, but this time he had a scowl on his face.
"Now go back to sleep, Sam." I said as I tucked him in.
"But my friend Mr. Green Eyes is outside and wants to play."
---
September 28th 2:15 AM
The sound of Bosco screaming woke me up, it was a loud hiss and followed by loud screaming. I had tried to get him to come back inside luring with a bowl of food at the back door, but he had never returned. I wondered if he had wandered off the property, however hearing the noises at this time tonight told me differently. It sounded like he was fighting something outside, possibly the raccoon from the other night.
As I ran down the stairs, the sounds of my cat were becoming more alarming it started to sound as if he was in pain. Quickly stepping outside to the backyard I saw no sign of Bosco, nor anything he could be fighting. It was hauntingly silent in the yard while I searched for any clue of where my cat might be. Walking to the area where the raccoon was spotted yielded no trace of him either. Finally, I decided to walk around the perimeter of the house. Something caught my eye near the window of Sam's playroom.
My cat Bosco was lying motionless on the ground.
Quickly shoveling Bosco up and rushing inside to lay him on the couch. I turned on the light to look him over. Observing that the cat had no marks, or any sign of blood coming from his body, there might be a chance to save him. In a panic, I ran to my bedroom to dress and retrieve my keys. Picking up the still motionless Bosco and making my way to the car. I fumbled on my phone to find an emergency pet clinic and made my way there.
Arriving at the clinic and hastily making my way inside I looked to the desk person and said. "I need to see someone now, my cat isn't moving, or responding."
The desk person quickly escorted me to a room, and I laid Bosco down on the table. After a few moments, the veterinarian came in and looked at my cat lying on the table. After checking his pulse, the vet looked over to me and said. "I am sorry, but your cat is dead."
"I heard him fighting with something outside, but I don’t see any signs on him of blood or wounds.”
As I watch the veterinarian pulled out a small light, she shined the light and scanned his body. I observed to see any sign of scratches, bruises, or marks that I may have missed, but nothing appeared. The veterinarian then moved to Bosco's neck and then to his head. "It looks like your cat broke his neck." She replied.
"How could my cat possibly break his neck?"
"Could he of possibly chased something up a tree or jumped on the roof of your house?"
"He saw a raccoon outside a couple of nights ago." I answered.
The veterinarian nodded and said. "Most likely he spotted the raccoon and chased it up a tree, then accidentally fell."
That seemed to be the most likely answer, but something was unsettling to me. Bosco had never done anything like this before, sure he was a cat, but I had never seen him climb a tree. As I paid the bill and made arrangements to cremate him, something did not quite sit right about what had happened. I couldn't pinpoint my feeling as I drove home.
Pulling into the driveway and looking at the house, the thought of my cat's death left me sad. As I entered the house and peering out the window where the two of us had seen the raccoon, nothing but the night and bushes. I decided to try to get some sleep, but while leaving the room a small drawing laid on the ground. When I picked up the picture, I noticed it was another family drawing, but this one was missing Bosco.
---
September 30th, 2018 8:35 PM
"It's time for bed, Sam." I said loudly as I walk down the hallway.
As I start making my way down the hall to retrieve Sam who is loudly trotting around his playroom, I notice that he is whispering lightly. At first, it sounded as if he was talking to himself, but it seemed as if he was holding a conversation. The first thought came to my mind was that my sister was in the room with him. As I reached the outside of the room, I stopped for a brief moment and listened. I did not hear my sister's voice, but Sam who whispered. "I can't play anymore tonight."
He continued. "I know you don't like it when I leave, but I have to go to bed."
Walking into the room, I watched as Sam's head quickly turned facing me. He seemed shocked that I was listening to his conversation. I looked around the room and looked back at him. "Who were you talking to?" I asked.
"You made him run away!"
"Who did I make run away?"
"Mr. Green Eyes!" Sam shouted as he pointed at the window.
The feeling of someone or something, whether imaginary or not made me feel tense after what happened to Bosco. Something in my head told me to go outside and look around, even if was to prove myself that Sam's friend was imaginary. "Why don't you head to bed, Sam. Your mom is waiting upstairs to tuck you in." I said.
Sam gave me a little bit of a frown but relented and headed towards his bedroom. Heading outside and walking towards the window of Sam's playroom, nothing looked strange as I approached it. A sigh of relief came over me as I realized no one was outside, and Sam's friend was imaginary. That is when I looked down and saw something strange on the ground. The light showed it plainly the closer I got the light.
A set of footprints with the toes point toward the window, as if someone was standing there and watching.
The tension in my body started to rise as my legs began to feel stiff. Reaching for my phone and dialing the non-emergency number I requested for a police officer to come as quickly as possible. Someone or something had been outside speaking to my nephew. Kneeling down and looking at footprints, they looked big and deep. Whoever had been looking inside appeared to be large and heavy.
After hanging up the phone and thinking of how to explain to my sister that the police are arriving without making her panic, I lift my head up to see that the light to Sam's room is still on strangely. Making my way to the back door of the house, I feel frozen in terror.
I don't remember leaving the back door open.
Left stunned and with a sinking feeling by the sight of the door being open. Dashing for the door and entering the house, I call out to my sister and my nephew but hear no response. The sound was too quiet like no one was even in the house. Reaching the stare and looking up to see the light to Sam's room is still on, something is not right. I quickly run to the stairs and scream. "Sam, where are you?"
"Somebody please answer me!" I scream again.
Entering Sam's bedroom and seeing an empty bed. I look down to see my sister's lifeless body on the floor. Lying flat on her stomach, I rush over to her and check for a pulse, but I feel nothing. She has bruises along her neck as if something had come behind her and attacked. Sobbing uncontrollably at the sight of my sister who looks to have her neck broken. "Sam, please tell me where you are." I yell.
Sam still not respond to my screams and that worried me. Standing back up and I run back to the stairs, running down the hallway checking every room. Every one of them empty, when arriving in the playroom something is in the corner of my eye.
What looks to be a man with a sickly pale white skin is looking directly at me. He is abnormally tall almost reaching the top of the window. His face has a grin with jagged crooked teeth that are stained brown. The terrifying gaze he gave me from his gruesome eyes, that were a dark green and with black pupils. He pursed his lips for a moment and lifted his finger. I stand frozen as his smile widens and he walks away slowly.
As the man walked away from the window, I catch a glimpse of Sam following him innocently with a smile on his face. Running toward the still open back door and outside, they appear nowhere in sight. The wind howls and with a slight creaking sound. When I look to see the back gate to the front yard was now open. Rushing to the front yard and looking about but nothing, not either one. I run to the street desperately looking at both sides of the road hoping and praying to catch the faintest view of my nephew.
As I see the lights of a police car approaching my house, I look hopelessly on as it is too late. As it seems that both my nephew and whatever evil thing lead him away has disappeared into thin air.
---
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