July 25, 1996
I have no one left. No one believes me. They did it. I know they did it but I have no way to prove it. The only shot I had of getting some real help fell through. I can't go to the police without evidence I'll just sound like some crazy kid. I don't know what to do. I can't let them get away with this. I'll figure it out. I just need some time.
Andra could hear Cameron calling her name but it sounded as if he were at the end of a very long tunnel. She knew she should answer him but it all felt so trivial at the moment as she realized that she was once again on the second floor of the house on Pinewood Drive.
Savannah was there on the landing just a few feet away watching her. The two girls stood there saying nothing for what felt like an eternity. Savannah's long dark hair hung in thick damp strands down the center of her back. She was wearing the same black and purple Hard Rock t-shirt and grey shorts that she had been wearing the morning they found her body.
Without saying a word she turned on her heel and headed into her room. Andra could hear her humming as she drifted slowly through the doorway only looking back briefly to make sure Andra was following. Taking a deep shaky breath Andra started toward the open door.
Stepping into Savannah's room she saw a scene that was familiar to her. Savannah lay stretched out on her stomach her feet in the air ankles crossed. She was writing in her diary as sunlight streamed in the open window. The radio was playing quietly in the background. From below them, a door slammed and Andra steeled herself for the sound of Gloria's voice calling her daughter for dinner. Andra watched the scene play out as she had once before but this time she caught something she had missed or maybe something Savannah had been keeping to herself until now.
As Savannah jumped to her feet a small thin piece of paper fell from the pages of her diary. She didn't notice just repeated her actions from Andra's previous visit first hiding her diary and then bounding down the stairs to where her mother waited. Andra already having viewed this little performance once ignored Savannah and knelt on the floor to grab the slip of paper. There were words written on it in a small neat hand.
Party Saturday night at the Bluffs. Meet me at the bottom of the stairs by the water. We need to talk.
Andra read the note and then looked up. The sky outside had gone dark. It was night now and Andra watched as Savannah strolled into the room running a towel over her hair. She was back in the Hard Rock shirt and shorts. Andra watched helplessly knowing already that she was watching the last moments of Savannah's life playing out in front of her.
Downstairs the front door slammed and Savannah paused the towel still pressed to her hair. As she rose from where she had perched on the edge of the bed the Dj on the radio introduced the next song. Andra had known what it would be before he ever spoke the name. Savannah started across the room turning in the doorway to give Andra a tight smile before stepping into the darkness beyond.
"What are you doing here? You don't belong here." Savannah screamed. Andra began to run but it felt like everything was happening in slow motion. As she burst onto the landing she was just in time to see Savannah tumbling backward down the stairs a scream tearing from her throat. The sound her body made as it hit the bottom turned Andra's stomach. At the top of the stairs stood a large hulking form. The figure laughed as she fell a sound that came out deep and malicious.
Andra knew she needed to run but every muscle was paralyzed by a terror so powerful that it left her feeling dizzy. The figure on the stairs turned in her direction displaying a leering grin just as darkness fell over the room.
Before Andra could get her bearings large hands grabbed her and pulled her forward holding her in an iron embrace. She thrust her arms out pushing back trying to free herself. Her voice became hoarse from her screams. Her small fists shot forward connecting with something firm and warm over and over again. She continued to strike out flailing and struggling until she heard his voice.
"Andra! It's me. You're safe."
She opened her eyes sobbing wildly and found herself looking up into Cameron's concerned face. The overhead lights had blown leaving the pale bars of moonlight that fell across the kitchen floor as the only source of light. The room was silent once again and other than the busted lights everything seemed to be normal. There was no sign of the dark shadow. Andra let herself relax and pressed her face into Cameron's shirt wetting it with her tears. As he pulled her close she burrowed into him trying desperately to get herself under control. Eventually, her sobs began to slow and then dried up altogether.
"We should really get you to a doctor." He said quietly finally breaking the silence between them.
Andra did not attempt to move from where she sat pressed against him as she shook her head. "I can't do that. I don't need it anyway. Everything's fine. I'm fine."
"I know what I just saw and nothing about that was fine. This can't keep happening."
"It won't keep happening because we're going to end this and we're going to do it soon. If you make me go tonight they'll admit me, they'll run tests, and we'll never finish this. We only have a few days left. If you're still worried about it when this is over I'll go anywhere you want me to but not now. Not tonight."
"I don't like this. Andra, you looked like you were having a seizure. I don't feel right ignoring this."
"We're not ignoring it. We're just putting it off for a few days."
"What just happened An? What did she want?" he asked quietly.
"She showed me the night she died. A man was standing at the top of the stairs when she fell. I just barely got a look at his face before everything went dark. Oh, Cameron He was laughing when she fell." She covered her mouth as another little sob escaped.
"Did he push her?"
"I don't know. I didn't see enough. I heard her say that he didn't belong there. The way she said it was like an accusation."
"Would you recognize him if you saw him again?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Is that all she showed you?"
Andra started to say yes and then the memory of the little scrap of paper floating slowly to the floor hit her like a ton of bricks. "No," she said looking down at her hands remembering the bracelet that had come through with her the last time. There was nothing. She jumped to her feet running back out to the living room with Cameron hot on her heels. Dropping to her knees she pulled her bag out from beside the couch.
Not wanting to waste time searching she turned it up emptying the contents onto the carpet. The diary hit the floor with a soft thud. She grabbed it and holding only the front and back covers in both hands she began to vigorously shake the pages back and forth. Cameron stood in the doorway saying nothing but Andra ignored him her focus solely on the book. Just as she suspected a small scrap of paper floated lightly to the carpet. Cameron moved to the floor beside her and they both stared at the piece of paper as if it were alive. Andra was the first to put out her hand.
Just as she did the front door swung open. Without thinking she slammed her palm down on the note dragging it back toward her before turning around. Denise stood at the front door staring at Cameron and Andra angrily. "What exactly is going on here?"
"What do you mean?" Andra asked genuinely confused.
"I've been calling for over an hour now. I couldn't get either of you. I tried to check the security cameras but it's throwing up some type of error message. I left the restaurant early to come home and make sure you were okay."
"I'm sorry Mom." She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and stared blankly at the black screen. She hit the button on the side of the case but her cell refused to power on. Andra was pretty sure she knew who to thank for this little inconvenience. "My phone's dead."
"So what about Cameron's? I'm assuming you're not going to try to tell me that his died too?"
"No ma'am," Cameron answered. "Mine's charging in my car. I haven't gone out to get it yet." Andra knew he was lying because she had seen him slip it into his pocket not twenty minutes ago. Denise looked around but didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. When she looked back at them Andra could see that the worst of the storm had passed.
"Alright. Well, I'm glad to know everything's ok. I just wish you two had made a point of making sure your phones were available." She glanced down at her own phone checking the time. "It's eleven-thirty. You guys need to be wrapping it up. I'm going to get ready for bed. Cameron hon you should be on your way home if not already home by the time I get back downstairs."
"Yes ma'am," Cameron answered.
They sat quietly as Denise headed up to her room. As soon as her door closed Cameron slid closer to Andra. "What is that?"
She passed the note to him. "So she showed you this?" he said.
Andra nodded as Cameron went back to studying the note. "To bad the writer didn't sign it." She said.
"I wouldn't say that. There are a few interesting things here."
"What do you mean?" she asked but before he had a chance to answer they both heard a door close upstairs.
"Oops," Cameron said. "Gotta go. Look meet me in town for lunch tomorrow and we'll figure this out. I have a funny feeling we're going to need to do some phone shopping anyway."
Andra grimaced at that. She had a sinking suspicion he might be right. He stood headed for the door and then hesitated before turning back. Kneeling in front of her he leaned forward and pressed his lips gently to her forehead. "Take care of yourself. Ok?" he said quietly. Then without waiting for an answer he rose and slipped quietly out the front door.
Denise came down the stairs a second later clad in her favorite candy cane Christmas pajamas. "Want some popcorn?" She asked.
"No. I think I'll pass," Andra replied remembering her and Cameron's untouched bowls of popcorn on the counter. "Suit yourself," Denise called already headed for the kitchen.
Surveying the room Andra began to stuff her things back into her bag placing the diary in last before hiding the note away in a small side pocket. It was going to be a long night. She wanted nothing more than to hash all this out with Cameron.
"Andra." Denise suddenly shouted. "Do you have any idea what happened to the lights in here?"
Andra stood with her bag over her arm and quietly slipped up the stairs without answering.