Haunted

    It haunted her.  In her dreams it was visible, during her waking hours she could feel its presence.  It followed her like a relentless bloodhound veiled in dark, murky mist.  Clare twisted the dial to the safe, sweat pooling on her brow.  She couldn't see the creature, but it was there, lurking beyond her sight. 

    Her pulse accelerated when she heard the promising click.  The door creaked open revealing stacks of papers and money.  It has to be here!   She rifled through stack after stack until her fingers felt the cold metal.  No other choices were available.

    Footsteps echoed down the corridor.  Clare panicked.  Everyone was supposed to be home enjoying a leisurely supper.  She quickly closed the safe, stuck the gun beneath her jacket, , and dove beneath the desk.  The light flicked on in the office.  The person was humming quietly.  They were coming around to this side of the desk, in a few moments they would-  “Clare!  What are you doing here?”

    With guilty eyes, Clare looked up into the face of her Dad’s secretary.  She had to get tough and cold to make the secretary back off.  “What are you doing here, Trisha?” she stood to her feet and drilled the petite women with scornful eyes.

    She smiled, “Finishing up some work.  But answering my question with another question will not throw me off track.  What are you doing here?”

    “None of your business,” as she stalked towards the doorway she bumped into a chair.  The gun fell to the ground with a clang.

    Trisha’s eyes widened. 

    Clare leaped towards her and slammed her up against the wall.  “Don’t you dare tell anyone, you understand?” 

    Trisha stared at her, her pupils large.

    “I’ll take that as a yes.”  In a few moments she was out of the building, the gun safe within her grasp once again. 

    A shiver ran down her back.  It was still there, watching, waiting.  She gulped in a breath and sprinted the last few feet to her car.  She had to get away.  Far away. 

    “Don’t think you can end it.”

    Clare whirled.  A black shape sat in the back of her car.  It leaned forwards, green eyes glowing.  “Come with me, I can help you.” 

    Something within her was drawn to this creature that terrified her.  It reached a dark hand out and touched her shoulder.  A fiery pain tour down her side.  Clare screamed and slapped at it.  Her hand passed through thin air.  It was gone as if it had never been there before.  She leaned back against the seat and panted. 

    Something knocked on the window.  Clare was barely able to keep another scream from leaping out of her throat.  It was only Trisha.  She opened the door and stepped out. 

    “Are you okay?  I thought I heard a scream.”

    “I’m fine,” Clare’s voice cracked.

    “You don’t look it.  Your face is as white as a sheet,” a smile tinged Trisha’s lips, “Did you see a ghost?”

    The terror of what had just happened struck Clare again; her knees buckled sending her to the pavement.  Black dots swam before her.  Trisha was beside her saying something but the words didn’t make sense.  She could feel the creature’s eyes on her.  She turned.  They stared at her, turning from green to red.  Everything went black.

   

    Clare sat up sweating and panting.  It had all been a dream.  A few years back, however, it had been reality.  Though there had not been a creature haunting her, there had been an evil that had wrapped itself around her soul. Thank you Lord, for delivering me from that life.  A smile, a wide joyful smile, spread across her face warming her to her toes.  She had been delivered from a life of misery and destruction.  The occasional nightmare reminded her how much she had been rescued from.  Oh thank you Lord.