The doorbell rang, interrupting Randall's peaceful afternoon. He heard Gail's excited voice from downstairs, announcing the arrival of Uncle Michael. Randall groaned inwardly. He hated when the Andera family had visitors. They always disrupted his routine and invaded his space. He wished they would just go away.
Randall wanted to see who this Uncle Michael was. He saw a man he had never met before, carrying a large suitcase. Randall frowned. Why did he bring luggage? Was he planning to stay for long? Randall hoped not.
He pressed his eye to the hole, ignoring the dust that irritated his vision. He watched as Tom and Jillian, her eyes were red and swollen from crying, descended the stairs to meet their uninvited visitor.
It was Uncle Michael, Tom's youngest brother. He had just gotten out of jail for attacking a man at a pub. The man had been drunk and had stumbled into Michael, splashing beer on his clothes. Michael had flown into a rage and had broken the man's nose with a punch. Randall wondered what kind of trouble he would bring to the Andera household.
Jillian loathed him for his rowdy character and drinking problems. She had hoped Michael had split up with his snobby girlfriend Latoya, whom she couldn't stand. However, when she heard Latoya's voice complain about something outside, her face twisted with anger.
"Hurry up, Michael. The wind is ruining my hair," Latoya shouted from inside the car.
Michael weakly smiled at them and said, "Let me bring our stuff in, and I'll explain later." He ran back to the car, not wanting to keep her waiting. She enjoyed insulting him in front of people.
No one lent Michael a hand. They just watched the poor guy struggle with Latoya's suitcases. Meanwhile, Latoya walked in the house without greeting them and sniffed the air. "What died in here?" she asked. She went straight to the living room and sat on the couch. Without hesitation, she put her feet on the table and filed her nails.
Randall's brain exploded with fury. He wanted to burst out the wall and strangle the obnoxious bitch. Now he had to deal with two unwanted guests. They had no right to be in his home. They were not welcome here. He would make them regret ever walking through that door.
Jillian and the kids retreated to their rooms, leaving Tom alone with the guests. They couldn't stand being around those annoying people.
Tom sighed and crossed his arms on his chest. "You shouldn't be here, Michael."
Michael sniffled and wiped a tear from his face. "I really need your help, bro. I have no money and no place to stay."
"I don't mind if YOU stay for a few days, but why did you bring snot-nosed with you?" Tom demanded.
"I can't break up with her. She's pregnant. I guess I'll be stuck with her for the rest of my life."
"Are you sure the baby is yours?" Tom asked his brother.
"I don't know if I'm the biological father or not. We need a place to stay for a little while until we find a solution." Michael pleaded.
Tom gave in. "Okay, but please don't let her upset Jillian and the kids. We have our own personal problems. I don't want the situation to get worse. Let's chug down some beers like the good old times."
Michael went to the living room to share the good news with his cranky girlfriend Latoya. Meanwhile, Tom grabbed some beers and snacks from the kitchen for the guests.
Inside the wall, Randall was infuriated. He seized a chunk of his matted hair and pulled it so hard. He gritted his teeth against the pain. They must leave my house!
That evening, Jillian refused to cook dinner. She was livid with her husband for letting the couple stay in their home. She asked Dionah to order some Chinese food. The children were overjoyed.
The table was silent as they ate. Latoya began to whine about the food and her health. She felt ignored by everyone, especially her boyfriend. She rose from her seat and stormed out of the dining room. "Good riddance," someone muttered.
Randall spied on the woman in the spare room as she stood in front of a mirror. She wiped off her makeup. He sneered in a low voice, "Damn, ugly hag!"
Latoya scowled and looked around the room. She heard a creepy whisper. "That's weird. I'm the only one here." She shrugged and finished cleaning her face. Then she changed into a nightgown and went to bed.
Randall glared fiercely at the woman on the bed. He hissed in a creepy voice, "GET OUT!"
Latoya jolted awake on the bed, feeling a cold shiver down her spine. "Who is here?" she asked in a trembling voice.
"I haunt this house. I hate guests. You better leave before I strangle you to death." Randall's creepy voice echoed in the dark.
Latoya sprinted out of the room and shrieked, "There's a ghost in this house!" She rushed back to the dining room, where everyone was still having dinner. She was panic-stricken, her finger shaking as she pointed at the spare room. Everyone looked at her in confusion.
Dionah nearly choked on her Kung Pao chicken when she saw her uncle Michael's girlfriend acting like a child. Latoya was adamant about leaving the house and staying in a hotel. Michael reminded her that they were broke. They couldn't afford a hotel. That's why they stayed with Tom and his family.
Latoya bristled with anger. "You worthless fool. You better obey me or I'll leave you for good!" Her boyfriend stayed silent. He didn't want to argue with her in front of his family.
Gail leaned over and whispered in her brother's ear, "There's no ghost in this house. It's the boogeyman. He doesn't like anyone."
"Shut up! You're crazy just like Latoya." Jordan snapped, pushing his little sister off the chair. He ran out of the kitchen before his parents could scold him for being mean to Gail.
Gail fell on the floor and hurt her wrist. She cried but no one cared. The rest of the family was focused on Michael's terrified girlfriend. Latoya dragged Michael into the spare room. "Listen very carefully. You might hear the creepy voice." She insisted.
Michael scoffed and walked away. "There's nothing there. You're making a fool of yourself." He returned to his half-eaten dinner.
Jillian was tired of the drama. She stormed out of the dining room and headed for the bathroom. She needed a hot shower to calm her nerves.
Dionah shook her head in disbelief. "What is wrong with these people?" She wrapped her arms around Gail's shoulder and led her sobbing sister out of the dining room.
As Dionah tucked in her little sister, Gail whispered, "The boogeyman is very evil. He likes to scare people."
Dionah fought a rising panic, "How many times do I have to tell you, the boogeyman doesn't exist."
They heard three loud knocks. Dionah froze in her spot. "Is this house really haunted?"
Gail gave her sister a strange look. She whispered, "This house isn't haunted. I think the boogeyman is under my bed." She pulled the blanket over her head.
After three more loud knocks, the door flew open. No one was there. Dionah's heart skipped a beat as she approached the door. Jordan jumped out and yelled "BOO!"
Dionah slapped her brother in the face. Jordan held his cheek in shock. "What the hell! Can't you take a joke?"
Dionah glared at him with a mix of anger and disgust. Gail giggled from under her blanket, enjoying her brother's prank. "She hates your stupid pranks.You're such a dork!" the little sister taunted.
Dionah ignored her and turned to the door. "Enough, both of you. It's way past your bedtime. And stop talking about the boogeyman. He doesn't exist. Now go to sleep."
She slammed Gail's door shut and dragged her brother to his room. She hoped he would leave her alone for the rest of the night. She returned to her own room and lay down on the bed. She was worried about Gail's fascination with the boogeyman. It wasn't healthy for a girl her age. She closed her eyes and tried to forget about it.
Randall watched her through the hole in the wall, his eyes filled with lust. He thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. My sleeping beauty, he thought. One day, I will kiss you and make you mine. He smiled and leaned closer to the wall. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips against it. He imagined it was Dionah's soft mouth. He was lost in his fantasy until he heard a loud noise from downstairs. He opened his eyes and frowned. What was that? He wondered. He decided to check it out.
Jillian and Latoya shouted at each other. Jillian was fed up with Latoya's stories about the ghost in the house. She wanted her to stop frightening her family. Latoya refused to back down. She insisted that something had threatened her. She wasn't fucking insane.
Randall chuckled. He thought Latoya was a stupid hussy who had mistook him for a ghost. The men ignored the women and continued watching a wrestling match on TV as they drank their cold beers.