What We Hide by M. L. Stoughton

Author:M. L. Stoughton [Stoughton, M. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Death; grief; friendships; ghost; haunting; boarding school; mystery/suspense; paranormal; PTSD; Young adult; bullying
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2023-01-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Warm hands gripped my shoulders and shook me.

My eyes sprang open, and I lowered my hands from my ears.

Dr. Swan knelt in front of me, concern weighing heavily on her soft features. “What’s wrong, Ronnie?”

“Is she gone?” My voice was barely a whisper.

“Is who gone? There’s no one here, honey.”

From my position on the girls’ room floor, I raised my gaze. Tears dripped from my nose and chin, and the bitter taste of bile stung the back of my throat.

The room was still and quiet. It was over. Not a single sign of what had happened remained. I pulled in a ragged breath and released it. Even my foggy breath was gone.

“But…” My wide eyes met hers again. “But you heard it, right? You had to have heard the banging.”

I could tell by her blank stare that she had no idea what I was talking about.

I knew it wasn’t in my head.

I jumped to my feet and went to one of the stall doors, pushing it open. It hit the wall with a thud and bounced back, barely making a sound as it slowed to a close. It was so much louder moments ago.

My hands went to the sides of my head, and I grabbed fistfuls of hair. It was real. I knew it.

I inhaled a quick breath, and my eyes darted to the sinks. My legs took me there. I cranked both knobs on one of the faucets, and the water came on. Then I cranked the knobs the other way, and the water turned off.

“I don’t know how she was doing it.” I looked up to my reflection in the mirror.

“Doing what? Tell me what happened so I can help.”

I spun slowly, as I ran off the list, pointing at the haunted objects. “The faucets, they were blasting and wouldn’t turn off…and, and…the doors were banging and slamming…and the lights…they were buzzing and flickering. She was everywhere.”

“Who was? Did one of the girls hurt you?” After a beat of silence, she put one arm around my shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go to my office.”

Dr. Swan guided me down the corridor to her office and deposited me on the couch. While she moved about the room, I stared at the painting on the wall. The feeling of doom surrounded my thoughts.

The cushion on the couch shifted, rocking me slightly to the side, then a warm hand landed on my back.

Dr. Swan sat beside me. She held a cup out, interrupting my line of sight. I let my lids close over my dry, stinging eyes.

“Take a sip,” she said when my eyes blinked open.

While barely half full, the small plastic cup felt heavy in my hands. I took a few sips and lowered it.

“Would you like me to get you more?” she asked, taking it from my hand.

After another slow blink of my eyes, I shook my head, and she placed it on the side table.

Her hand rubbed a small circle on my back, reminding me it was there. She leaned forward and eyed me from the side.

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