text: My wife and I recently bought our first house together. Its in this quant, peaceful, and rather boring neighborhood. Of course, my wife insisted on living in a safe neighborhood and a large enough home to start a family. Upon our arrival, a rumor reached us. A rumor that most rich white people start in their perfect little communities. Anyhow its about this old widow, who lives across the street from us. Theres many variants of these rumors, she killed him for money, after her husband died, she became mentally ill; the list goes on. I never gave into the bullshit, high school drama as my wife refers to it. Until, until I left for work one day and my wife was never seen again. “Don’t worry about today, you’ll do great,” my wife said as she handed me a ‘to-go’ cup of coffee. I grabbed the hot thermos from her and pressed my lips to her forehead before heading out. “Henry!” I look back as I open the door to leave, “I love you; you’ll get it I know you will” I smile and nodded and responded back with “I love you too,” as I closed the door behind me. At work that day everything went as it usually goes. The only important difference at work was it was my assessment day. Essentially the company looks over all the pointless shit you have done while you worked with them if you are not completely useless, they will promote you after the assessment is complete. “McCollin,” I heard my last name yelled out just enough to disrupt the quietness of the office, while people sit in their cubicles and think about what they’ll eat for lunch that day. I pushed back the faux leather chair and adjusted my formal button up and headed towards the sound. Walking in slightly nervous, knowing my financial future is up in the air. Jack Thomas, my lovely, oversized boss was accompanied by a police officer. Confused, I sat in the doctor office waiting room chair waiting for an explanation. “When’s the last time you saw your wife, Catherine?” perplexed and worried, “This morning what do you mean? Is she okay?” Tony the officer who happens to be a close family friend replied, “I received a missing persons call from her place of work, three days ago...” I shot up out of the chair, “That’s impossible I saw her this morning, how is she missing?” Jack would not even look at me, “We’ve talked with your neighbors, and they haven’t seen her in days as well.” Angerly, I retorted back, “Is this sick idea of a joke? She’s been home for the pass three days I am not sure what the fuck you’re talking about!” Tony slowly made his way to me and asked, “Would you mind going down to the station with me, just to answer a few questions,” He looked at me like he knew I was lying. “Did you go to my house? Or is this the first thing you do when someone is ‘missing’? Huh? You enjoy tormenting the spouses?” Jack looked at me for the first time this whole conversation. “You need to go with Detective Anderson.” I felt trapped in a vortex created by the black hole of anguish. I composed myself for one second before opening my mouth once more, “Okay.” Being at the police station in this instance felt ominous, and overwhelming. The chatter and noise from the people were much louder than at work. I followed Tony insisting on keeping myself composed considering the reasoning me being here. He led me to his own desk and gestured for me to sit in the seat adjacent. I sat done gripping my hands together waiting as calmy as I could. “Where were you the date of August 8 th , of this year?” as he asked, I clenched my eyes shut hoping it was all a horrid dream, I would soon be awakened by from my wife, “What day exactly was that Friday?” stone faced, “Yes Friday August 8 th .” “You really think I would do something to my wife?” I blurted out, not letting him respond, “She isn’t even missing! Take me home and ill prove it to you.” Tony let out a sigh, “First just as protocol, answer a few questions then I will.” He said tiredly. “Okay, um Friday I was at work-,” “What time did you arrive at work Friday?” “7am is when shift starts but I leave my house at about 6/630 to grab food and coffee on the way.” “Where did you get coffee?” “The small coffee shop we use to go to downtown, you know the one that older lady owns?” “About what time was that?” “Oh, um about maybe 620ish? Not sure,” “How long did you stay?” “Not very maybe ten minutes top considering I was getting it to go.” “Then after that where did you go?” “To work. Got to work about 640,650?” “Tell me your day did you leave work for lunch, or for any reason.” “No, not Friday they brought in pizza because we did ‘outstanding’ for our quarterly.” “So, you were at work all day?” “Yes,” “Ill send someone to talk to your boss and other co-workers make sure we’re all on the same page.” “I can’t believe this shit!” The anger exploding from the inside out. “This is standard procedure. I do not enjoy this anymore than you trust me, its not fun on my end either. Let’s go I’ll take you home.” Tony said finally humanizing the situation, making it much more real. I started to really think she was gone. “Can you take me back to work to get my car?” I asked defeated, “Unfortunately no, not now. Since there is a missing person’s report made, and you claim she is home then I must go check. Cannot leave the lead subject alone,” He scoffed at his last remark, as did I. “Who reported her missing from work? I feel like this is a huge misunderstanding, Tony she was home this morning normal day. Someone must have been making a shitty joke, she’s home.” I felt the sadness lodge in my throat like a reality pill that is too hard to swallow. “Let us go and clear this up okay, I’m on your side.” The tires slowing down as we approached my house. My heart began to pound, my hands sweat, and my knees shake. Eagerly I waited for the okay so I could run in and see her sitting on the couch watching some shitty reality show. Tony opened his door, and so did I and I carefully opened the door and let us both in. “Catherine!” I shouted as soon as I entered. I made my way towards the kitchen only to see old leftovers sitting out and take out boxes caked with grease. “This wasn’t like this when I left,” Tony took out his flashlight and told me to stay quiet, he then began to search the house for an intruder. Panick rushed through me I started yelling her name frantically searching the house. The bedroom had clothes thrashed about and her wedding dress was laid out on the bed. Carefully placed in the chaos. My heart pounding a million miles a second reached for my phone to call her. The phone rang, and rang, and continued to ring and the feeling that she would not answer creeping up my spin like a ghost whispering in your ear. Tony looked around and looked at me like I was the one lying. “Ill get detectives over here tomorrow, don’t leave the state until then. Its going to be a hard fight, but I can help you if you tell me the truth, I--,” “Get the fuck out of my house!” I screamed he forcefully left my empty house. I began to feel the dam break that was holding back the sadness I held inside for too long. I woke up the next morning laying on the bed. Shooting up from my spot I look around the room to see everything in its place. “Catherine?!” I yelled hoping for a response. I could smell the coffee so I rushed downstairs. I was stopped in my tracks to see my wife making breakfast in the kitchen. Everything was the same. Not as last night but how its always have been. “Where have you’ve been?” I asked her, running to her, hugging her tightly. “I’ve been here all along--” “Thank god, we need to call Tony and I gotta let him know what's happening,” I shouted with joy, only to be cut off, “I’ve been, been there,” She pointed to the attic. “What do you mean?” the few seconds of joy drowned out by concern, “I’ve been here all along, right where you put me.” She stood their looking at me her face began to darken as I looked at the attic door. I looked back at her, “What do--,” she was gone. “Catherine?” I shouted terrified. I heard footsteps coming from upstairs. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath making my way over to the attic door. Pulling down the door exposing the cool humid air escaping from the eerie space. I took out my phone for light. “Either this or prison,” I thought to myself trying to make the worst moment in my life slightly not as shitty. I went up slowly on the creaky cracked ladder. As I made my way up it began to smell of rot and decay. I hoisted myself up into the small entrance of this dark cave like area of my safe space I never been. We don’t have a lot in the attic a lot of old furniture and Knick knacks from the previous owners. In the widest opening of the room there was what appeared to be a circle created with thick red paint. I moved cautiously towards the strangeness to pry apart more answers to this entire fuss. As I moved closer, I saw what appeared to be a body covered in sheets. I stepped back and turned my face away from whatever it is I saw. I shot back up to look at the mysterious figure. “What the fuck.” I let out my reaction to the heinous discovery, being gone. I rushed downstairs and looked around the house everything seemed to be normal. Scavenging the house for any sign of Catherine. I stepped outside to rethink everything and honestly, I just could not be in there. I sat on the front step holding my head in my hands, rubbing the stress from my eyes. Looking up from my sulking, what met my gaze was the widower. Mrs. Stevenson, peered at me through the window, upon us making eye contact she waved at me as though inviting me in to reveal the secrets of my own nightmare. ­­­­­­­­­­­ As I reached the front step as if something were drawing me in. Perhaps it was my desire to kill the curiosity I had inside about this older woman, or if it was me desperation from my own peculiar situation. I stood quietly for a second and slowly reached out for the door knocker when the door slightly creaked open. “Come in dear. Take a seat.” A distant voice softly spoke, inviting me and my issues in. It felt familiar, this house. Dim light casted shadows all throughout this small, strange house. The front room illuminated light much brighter than the shadows covering the rest of this place. Naturally, I made my way to the front room assuming my host would be sitting awaiting me to find her. Sure, enough there was a small figure sitting next to the fireplace in an old creaking rocking chair. “Took you long enough.” ­ Standing in a stranger’s house expecting answers on my own life seemed futile. This ominous statement was no where close to the uneasy feeling I felt in that house. “Come, come, sit. I believe I may have answers to your peculiar situation.” The old woman said whilst gesturing me to take a seat. Hesitantly, I accepted the gesture and cautiously made my way towards the love seat. “So, your wife is missing I heard... I think I know where her whereabouts are...” I stared intensely at the woman as she spoke those words. “Come, I am hard of hearing,” I carefully leaned in, the old woman leaned in as well and whispered, “She’s here.” I flinched back away from her. To my shock she was gone in the shadows of the creaking house. Since that moment all you can hear are the screams.