Haunt

I

Dear diary,

I think I am going mad. I don't know what to do, but I'll tell you about it. 

It started around two weeks ago, when they released me from hospital. My girlfriend did not make it. Her injuries from the car crash were too severe. I came home with my arm in a sling and to worried pair of parents. They were very happy I was okay, but they sensed something was wrong, especially mother who is a Libra.

The first weird thing that happened was the flickering of the lights. Every evening at seven o clock, all the lights in the house would start to flicker and sometimes go out entirely. They came back on after some time but it was spooky.

Then, things started disappearing. Small stuff at first- a few spoons, a small jug, some candles- nothing major. My mother thought they had been misplaced and didn't pay too much mind to them. Something spooky happened the other night. It was raining. The lights flickered as usual and went out. Suddenly the ferocity of the storm increased and we had to shut the windows. While I was shutting the ones in my room, a lightning bolt fell, lighting up the yard.

And I saw her standing there.

My girlfriend with a bandaged arm was standing stock still in the backyard, dressed in the same white slacks and tee shirt she wore on the day of the car crash. I thought I was seeing things at first- tricks of the light. I paid it no mind, shut the windows and left the room.

For about a week, the lights flickered regularly. My father went to check the fuses and earthing of the house for potential flaws but everything was okay. Meanwhile more things started to disappear- bigger things this time- a clock from the mantelpiece, a figurine of a woman in a blue dress and some books.

Also, a new symptom developed. I started to have nightmares about the night of the crash. They were vivid and described the crash very well. My girlfriend  featured in all of them. She looked at me out of hollowed eyes and asked me why I hadn't saved her when I had the chance.

II

Dear diary,

This is the second time I am writing about all of this. That feeling of going mad has increased.  I keep hearing her voice in my head. The lights flicker more violently these days and mother says she feels something evil lurking in the house. Seeing as all this was putting a strain on us, we came away from the house for a quiet weekend at a small hotel.

But it was not to be. The lights in my room flicker constantly and I see my girlfriend in the bathroom mirror.  She keeps getting closer and closer and more defined with each passing minute. I think she has come for me. I am scared out of my wits and I feel persecuted.

III

Dear diary,

It's getting worse. The voices keep getting louder and louder and my girlfriend is there in a selfie I took. She was sitting on my shoulder. I feel more and more sure that she has come for me. I don't know what to do.

IV

Dear diary,

I'm stuck with her. No matter where I go or what I do, she is perched on my shoulder. I am the only one that sees her. None of the other people do- neither friends nor family. I told my parents about this and we conducted an exorcism. It seems like she is gone. The misplaced things were found and the lights no longer flicker. I think the worst is behind us.

V

Dear diary,

The voices are getting worse. They keep calling me back to the scene of the crash. I'm not sure if I should go. Maybe going there would help solve this puzzle.

Contd.- I went to the site of the crash. My car had been towed away and the scene seemed calm.  Then, I saw her again. She raised a finger and beckoned me towards her. I turned tail and ran. I'm writing this with a stiff drink in my hand. I have no idea if this is real or some sort of illness that has taken over me. The voices never stop.

VI

Dear diary,

She's sitting on my shoulder as I write this and I've accepted that she will haunt me forever. The voices have been getting louder and louder and accusatory in tone. She never speaks. She just sits there on my shoulder. This is my last diary entry, written while I am still sane. There is a gun in the house. I think I'll use it. This torture has to end. 

Goodbye

The Bilge Master