Chapter 2
He leaned into my ear and whispered, trembling.
He said, "My Dad's back."
My mind went completely blank, a ringing in my ears.
It felt like my blood froze at that moment.
Every hair on my body stood on end. And my scalp prickled with a jolt.
Leo hugged me tightly, his whole body shaking like a leaf in the autumn wind.
I finally realized.
It turned out that tonight was not the first time he had seen it.
Leo and I didn't dare close our eyes all night, paralyzed by fear.
Those feet had been standing outside the door.
It didn't disappear until the first ray of morning light shone into the room.
Leo and I both went limp, lying limp on the bed, gasping for breath.
Daylight finally came.
I looked at Leo's pale face and dark shadows under his eyes, feeling like my heart was being torn apart.
I asked trembling, "Leo, what the hell is going on?" My voice was very hoarse.
Leo's lips moved, but he couldn't say a word.
He got up, walked to the door, and carefully opened it.
The hallway was empty, the sunlight streaming in through the windows, warm and bright.
It was as if everything last night was just a nightmare.
But we both knew it wasn't a dream.
Leo said, "Mom, let's go to the living room and talk."
He took my hand and led me over to the couch in the living room.
The sunlight fell on me, but I couldn't feel any warmth, and my body was still cold.
I asked, "When did it start?"
Leo replied, "Second semester of senior two."
My heart skipped a beat.
It meant it had been more than a year.
Leo continued, "At first, it was just some strange sounds at home."
He held his head in his hands, his voice low, full of suppressed pain.
He added, "I thought it was because the house was old and not very soundproof.
"After that, stuff started moving around by itself.
"I'd leave my pen neatly on my desk at night, but by morning, it'd be lying on the floor for no reason.
"One of the clothes you hang on the balcony will fall off.
"I thought I remembered it wrong, or the wind blew it."
He spoke slowly, as if recalling a long, drawn-out ordeal.
Leo whispered, "Mom, I didn't dare tell you.
"I was afraid you'd worry, or think I was crazy.
"I checked online, and some people said it was hallucinations because of too much pressure.
"I hope it's an illusion too."
I held his cold hand, and the tears couldn't hold back.
Leo had been shouldering all this by himself for so long.
"So... When did 'he' first appear?" I managed to ask.
Leo began to tremble again.
He replied, "Half a year ago.
"The first time was when I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.
"I saw the door of the study open, and there was a figure inside.
"I thought it was a thief, so I quietly walked over to take a look.
"The figure was standing in front of my Dad's desk, with his back to me.
"He was wearing my Dad's favorite gray jacket.
"The figure had the same build as my Dad."
My heart skipped a beat.
I rarely set foot in Dylan's study after he passed away.
Everything inside was the same as before he left.
Leo continued, "I was so scared that my legs were weak, and I didn't dare to move.
"He just stood there. After a long time, he slowly faded into thin air, like he was never really there at all.
"I've seen him almost every night since then.
"He'd wander around the living room, open the fridge, and sometimes... He'd just stand at the door of my room and watch me sleep."
Leo sounded very hopeless.
He continued, "He never hurt me, nor did he make a sound, just like a shadow.
"Until last week, something changed about him.
"His eyes... Became very strange.
"The way he looked at me was no longer gentle, but it was this sharp scrutiny in his gaze.
"The night before last, I saw him holding something in his hand.
"It was a hammer.
"The hammer from our toolbox, the exact one we keep in the house.
"He just stood by my bed, gripping that hammer, staring at me all night."
I couldn't hold it any longer and burst into tears.
I wrapped my arms around Leo, holding him as tight as I could, as if I could protect him from all the pain.
I couldn't imagine how he had survived the past six months.
Every night, he had to face Dylan, who had passed away, holding a hammer and standing by the bed.
How terrifying and tormenting this was.