The Haunting of Anna McAlister (8 page)

* * *

“Anna are you all right?” Tom came running into the house.
 

All color had drained from Anna’s face and her cuts and scratches looked much worse than they were.

“Sam called me and told me what happened.” Tom hugged Anna hard, as if to confirm that she was real, unbroken and alive. “He said you turned right into a tree. What the hell were you thinking?”

Anna didn’t answer Tom’s question. Instead she moved away and took his hand.
 

“What are you doing?” Tom asked.

Anna’s action spoke louder than any answer she might have given. She pulled Tom along with her toward the dining room. Once inside, they both saw the music boxes lined up exactly where they had left them.

“So, what’s wrong?” Tom asked.

“They were on my bed when I came home. I didn’t move them back here.”

“Oh please, Anna,” Tom scoffed. “You must have hit your head in the accident and forgot that you brought them down.”

“Tom, when I saw them there on the bed, I just ran.”
 

Anna didn’t tell him about the man, she just stared at the music boxes. For a moment she had an almost overwhelming desire to touch them, to open them and let them sing. Instead, she squeezed Tom’s hand and pulled him in the other direction, out of the dining room and back to the officers who were finishing their accident report.

As they walked, Anna whispered, “I think we should stay at your place for a few nights.”

Anna’s grip tightened to the point where Tom felt the bones in his hand compacting. He broke free, surprised at Anna’s strength and the pain racing through his hand. “Sure,” he said shaking his hand in the air in hopes of jump-starting normal circulation. “Whatever you say.

Chapter 8

A few nights turned into two weeks. Anna daily found a reason or an excuse to stay at Tom’s rather then spend the night at her house. Whenever Anna had to go back for clothing, or even to pick up the mail, she would insist that Tom, Stacy or Jeffrey accompany her. Even so, she would get in, and get out as quickly as possible. She didn’t want to see that man ever again.
 

Every shadow, every trick of light, every movement seen from the corner of her eye would terrify her. Anna wouldn’t go near the dining room, and always made whoever was with her go into her bedroom first.
 

Jeffrey understood, he too felt a little odd in Anna’s house. He said it was as if reality were just a little bit off. Tom tolerated Anna’s behavior out of love, and because of sex. And, Stacy would tell her that she was crazy, but that she was also a friend.
 

For her part, Anna didn’t really care why any of the three came with her. The fact that they were there was the only thing she considered important. Anna absolutely refused to be alone in her own home until she had some idea of what was really going on. She knew that idea could not begin to form until she heard from Monsieur LaRoche in Paris.
 

As time passed, Anna’s aversion to her own home grew. In the days immediately following the accident, she always had the unmistakable feeling of being watched whenever she entered the house. Soon, that took a terrifying turn. Whenever she was in a room alone, she would not only be aware of being watched, but of being touched as well. She felt her breasts being caressed and her body penetrated.

At first, Anna wouldn’t go near the dining room. Then, she started avoiding the rooms adjacent to it. Soon, she wouldn’t go anywhere in the house except straight up the stairs to her room and back directly out. Finally, after moving most of her clothing, make-up and other essentials to Tom’s, she wouldn’t go inside her house at all.
 

Everyone questioned her sanity, but Anna now acted on instinct and intuition alone. She knew she was not insane. She could feel whatever was in her house getting stronger by the day, by the hour. Its draw and its call were getting harder and harder to resist.
 

Anna kept these facts to herself, knowing that only Jeffrey might believe her. She kept silent in order to avoid being ridiculed, but also to protect those she loved. Why that was the case, she didn’t understand. Still, she knew it to be true.

At the end of the second week, Anna would have someone drive her to the house and stay in the car with the motor running while she pulled her mail from her mailbox as quickly as possible.
 

“I feel like I’m your get away driver,” Jeffrey laughed one Friday after work. “I’m da wheels for da McAlister gang.” Jeffrey attempted to sound like someone from the Godfather, instead he came across as a Brooklyn boy in La Cage Aux Follies.

“You’re da wheels alright,” Anna kissed him on the cheek and got out of the car.
 

Jeffrey revved his engine and smiled at Anna as she ran to her mailbox and reached inside. When she got back into the car she was smiling and holding an envelope. The return address read Paris, France.

Anna was so excited that she could hardly breath. “Drive, Jeffrey. Drive,” she ordered. She read the outside of the envelope seven times. “Mademoiselle Anna McAlister,” she read out loud. “I like the way that sounds.”

“Well open and share,” Jeffrey said as he drove. “I know it’s really none of my business what your letter says . . .” Jeffrey waited for Anna to object. When she didn’t he continued “. . . but I don’t care. Read the damn thing already.”

“I can’t believe this is here. God, I hope it tells me what’s going on.” She held the letter to her chest as if she were holding a lifejacket on a sinking ship.
 

“Would you please . . .” Jeffrey hated to be kept waiting.
 

Anna carefully opened the envelope. Her hands trembled when she pulled the letter out and unfolded the paper.

“Oh fuck,” Anna moaned.
 

“What?”

“It’s in French.”

“Oh fuck.”

Anna felt that she was about to cry, scream, or just start laughing hysterically and never stop.
 

“Wait a minute,” Jeffrey said with a smile. “French is no problem.

“More like a big problem,” Anna smirked. “If you recall, I don’t read French and neither do you.”

“But, Duncan does,” Jeffrey’s smile grew to a grin.

“Duncan can read French?”
 

“Didn’t I ever tell you what Duncan does?”

“All the time, but I don’t see what that has to do with him being able to read French.” Anna remembered all of the stories of Duncan’s prowess in various activities.

“I mean what he does for a living.”
 

Old teasing habits are hard to break, even under the most trying of circumstances. “You mean he doesn’t do those ‘jobs’ you’re always talking about for a living.”

“Honey,” Jeffrey looked at Anna and grinned. “Duncan’s good, but he ain’t that good. Just don’t tell Stacy.”

“So where does he work?” Anna held the letter tightly in both hands.
 

“He teaches at Orchard Community College. French is like a second language to him, as well as a technique.”

Anna hugged Jeffrey as he drove.
 

“Hey, I’m driving.” He playfully pushed her away. “Remember, there are some of us who prefer trees as trees rather than hood ornaments.”

“Want to fuck?” Anna countered Jeffrey’s joking attack with one of her one.
 

For his part, Jeffrey started to search for the nearest tree.
 

“I love you, Jeffrey,” Anna smiled.
 

“I love you too,” Jeffrey sighed. “If only you had an outey instead of an inney between your legs. We’d make the prefect couple.”

Jeffrey couldn’t stay serious for more than three words. He said it gave him a headache.

Anna loved to play along. “Don’t you hate it when people forget where they came from?” She patted between her legs to remind Jeffrey of his point of origin.

“It’s much worse if they forget where they came, period.”
 

Jeffrey and Anna joked and kidded all the way back to Tom’s apartment.
 

“Brunch, tomorrow, my place,” Jeffrey said pulling the car to a stop.
 

“Are you sure Duncan won’t mind translating the letter?” Anna asked.
 

“No. The boy knows where his buns are buttered,” Jeffrey threw Anna a kiss. “
Au revoir
.”

Anna got out of the car, happy.

* * *

That night Anna drove Tom crazy. She behaved like she did when she was a kid the night before her birthday. It was the one night of the year her parents always had to go out and leave her with a sitter for as long as possible.

Anna fidgeted through dinner, kept looking at her watch and checked on the safety of the envelope at least a dozen times. Finally she said, “Time for bed.”

“Ah, Anna?” Tom said.
 

“Yes?”

“It’s 8:30.”

“That late?” Anna slowly ran her tongue over her upper lip. “Better hurry, honey,” she whispered breathily. “I’m starting to get really tired.”

Tom beat her to the bedroom.

* * *

Anna slept with the letter under her pillow. With all that had happened, she was a bit surprised to find it still there and undamaged the next morning.

Brunch was to be served at 10:37, exactly. Jeffrey always held his events at odd times. He claimed it was all for fun but he would become furious under his calm facade, if anyone showed up late, or early.

Anna pried Tom’s left hand from her right breast and got quickly out of bed. It was only 7am, but there was no way she could go back to sleep. She looked at Tom’s angelic, peaceful sleeping face and decided that he too had slept enough. Anna didn’t want to dump water on Tom again. So, instead she started jumping on the bed as if she were jumping rope.

“
A
my name is
Anna
. . .I come from
Anna
-bama . . . and I like to play Pi-
Anna
. . . with my friend Lee-
Anna
.”

Anna played her favorite jump rope game. She and her best friends had played it virtually every day from second through fifth grade. Anna always won. Her best friends were named Claudia and Louise.

Anna was a very good rope jumper, but this morning the rope jumped back. Tom grabbed Anna’s legs and pulled, causing her to bounce bottom down on the bed.
 

“I’m sorry,” Anna smiled sweetly. “Did I wake you?”

Tom growled and rolled over. “I hardly got any sleep last night. It was my turn for nightmares.”

“What did you dream?” Anna asked.

Tom thought about it for a moment. “You know, I don’t remember.”
 

“Try,” Anna ordered

“Whatever you say, captain.” Tom covered his eyes with his hands. “Something about the music boxes, of course. There was some guy there, but he really wasn’t. There was a lot more, but I can’t find it? I think his feet were red. Crazy stuff, huh? I remembered the dream as soon as I woke up, but it jumped away as quick as you can say
A
my name is Anna. Thanks a lot.”

“I’m sorry I woke you up that way,” Anna said. “I just wanted some company and . . .”

“No, not about waking me up,” Tom yawned. “You should have warned me. I didn’t know your nightmare was contagious.”

Tom’s words knocked the wind out of Anna as effectively as any physical blow. For a moment she couldn’t talk. Then, the sensation left as quickly as in had arrived.
 

“Neither did I.”
 

* * *

Anna and Tom arrived at Jeffrey’s apartment at 10:35 that morning. Anna made them wait in the car until 10:36:45.

“This is so stupid,” Tom was always grumpy when tired. He also didn’t particularly like visiting two guys who were much more than just drinking buddies.

“That Jeffrey always looks at my butt,” Tom had complained on many occasions.

“He does not,” Anna had laughed.
 

Anna had made the mistake of telling Jeffrey about Tom’s concern. From that day on, Jeffrey had taken every opportunity to stare at Tom’s butt as obviously as possible. He had gone so far as to nickname it, Chuck.

“10:37 on the dot or I’ll just die,” Tom spoke with a high, lisp-laden voice.
 

“You do that voice very well,” Anna said while watching the clock.

“Why thank you,” Tom lisped along and started singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

“Almost too well.”

Tom stopped singing. He reached over and started running his hands over Anna’s body and tried to sound like Frank Sinatra. “Let’s do it my-yyy way.”

“Time to go in,” Anna watched the clock switch to 10:36 and then counted to 45. “We don’t want to be late.”

“If he looks at my butt again I’ll kill the little cock sucker.” Tom laughed.

“Just keep Chuck covered and you’ll be okay.”