Chapter 4: Dreams or memories

Darkness. A loud hum engulfs me. What is this sound? It feels so familiar. Like a childhood memory from a long time ago as my body feels heavy. I feel like i’m sinking. I feel like I’m drowning as the darks is swallowing me. I try to reach up and reach for help but I can’t. I don’t even know what direction is up. I try to scream for help and my mouth won’t open. It feels like I’m being watched beyond the darkness. Judgmental eyes peering into my soul. The sound is disorienting me. I try to struggle out of it but I can’t as my head submerges into the dark. I feel like I’m falling. I can’t tell how deep this goes as I feel like I’m falling forever. Then a light appears above me and lowers towards me. It fully surrounds me. My body freezes and as my body stops I jerk awake and as I pop a little from the bed. Something wet is touching my face. What the hell is this? I open my eyes and I see a beautiful Rottweiler licking my face. Next to it was a golden retriever laying on the ground panting. I look around and the door was closed. I didn’t do that. I must have passed out for a minute and had a night terror. Felt more like a flashback in this bed.

I hear a knock then the door opens as Zach walks in. “Oh there you are! I see you found your old room,” He says. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah” I reply groggily. “I must have passed out and had a night terror. It was weird.”

“There might have been a reason for that. I have something to show you. Also I see you found the two best boys in the world. The lab is mine and his name is Comet and the rotti is Bean. That’s Mallory’s. They’re amazing. Don’t worry about them. They’re friendly. You can never be to safe. Follow me upstairs. Yeah, the attic is still super creepy.”


*****
Downstairs
*****

“Is this your first time in Colorado?” Mallory ask Maggie.

“I used to be out here when I was a kid before moving to Vegas. It’s been a long time. If I need to get into the mountains I normally go to the Sierras or the Tahoe region now. I do miss it. Are you from out?” Maggie responds with.

“Yup born and…” the tv clicks on. They both look co fused. “Faulty wiring here. We’ve been having issues with lights and stuff too” Mallory says as she turns it off. “Otherwise yeah, I’m born and raised here. So how did you guys meet?”

“We met out in Nepal.” Maggie says before pausing and zoning out for a second. “I was doing the Annapurna circuit and he was climbing. It was a blessing I ran into him. How about you guys?”

“I probably shouldn’t say but we met in rehab. We both were going through a rough patch. Just lots of trauma ya know?” Mallory says

“Yeah I def…” the tv clicks on again. Maggie stops and they look at each other.

“Let’s go outside with the dogs. It’s beautiful out.” Mallory says with a slight uneasiness. “Beans, Comet let’s go outside” she calls out as the two dogs rush down the creaky stairs before they head out the back.

*****
Upstairs
*****

I follow zach up into the attic. When we reach the top of the stairs we come out in the middle of it. Three old beams make the rails around the rest of the opening. It’s dark and dusty. The windows from the front don’t let in much light. A skinny chimney goes up through the floor and out the wooden ceiling. The ceiling is worn and needs work. I follow him to the right and he stops at some boxes.

He looks over his shoulder back at me. “Are you ready for this?” He ask as I nod back curious what this is about. He pushes the boxes more out of the way. There is writing on the wall.

“HELP ME!
They are coming
Remember please
- Zach 11/19/03”

I get goosebumps. What an eerie massage. What is this about? Zach starts to open boxes.

“I wrote a reminder for myself a long time ago. A forgotten memory. We’ve had lots of forgotten memories. The day I found this message I had a message carved into my leg telling me to check the attic. More forgotten memories. These boxes are a bunch of dad’s old things when he got into the paranormal after mom’s disappearance. Another forgotten memory. How did we wake up in a field with bruises and no memories? I think dad covered up this message to protect us. Check out these books. Aliens, demons, ghost, ski walkers…”

Skinwalkers? Was that what I saw on the drive I ponder

“…Yetis, chupacabras, shadow people, witchcraft and more. But I also found this on top. A book about hypnosis and hypnotherapy.” Zach says as he hands me the book. “After I found the message on the wall and my leg I gave this a chance. I remember a lot now. That’s when I messaged you. I thought about ending everything after but I found the strength to hang on. I went to rehab for a lil and started getting into ghost hunting as well. I’ve had some intense experiences and I almost killed myself once or twice. I was able to recover and bought our house. I also started using a ouija board to contact with dad. I do it up here alone. I haven’t tried in front of Mallory. She doesn’t know he killed himself here. I do think he’s still protecting us. After hypnotherapy i felt like I knew the truth. I want you to try it to tomorrow. Have you ever felt like weird stuff happens to us often?”says zach

“I’ve noticed that. Nepal was something I hope I never experience again. Then the childhood drama and all the nightmares” I reply. “Hell I saw some weird stuff on the drive here.”

“Do you have nightmares about skinny grey figures with big black eyes? Or feeling like you’re always being watch? Or feel uneasy in the dark? Those aren’t just dreams Dan. They’re real and they visited me a week ago”

I pause for a second

“Yes”