Millpond

“There, right there” Milli said “you see it? Don't you?”

Both Milli and I are staring at her perfectly intact yellow striped wallpaper in her bedroom. Her room only had a twin sized bed, a dresser, a small window, and a few old movie posters we had taken from my job at the local theater.

“See what?” I asked, trying to look as intensely as she was.

“There's a crack! It's in the middle of my wall. I'm afraid it will cause a leak or something. Ugg I do NOT want to call my landlord again.” she groaned

“Well maybe you drank a bit too much at last night at the party and are seeing things” I say nonchalantly turning to sit on her bed across the tight space

“Oh come on,” she scoffs, “I barely drank! besides -- AH look! It's bigger!” she exclaimed right as I flopped on her bed. Sighing I get up and walk back over to this mysterious crack in the wall. “I don't know what's got you all worked,” I trail off, there it was after looking only a moment ago at a perfect-- albeit dingy --wallpaper now had a black crack about four feet long almost perfectly straight and in the middle of her wall.

“Ha HA you do see it! I knew I wasn't crazy, I had my mom over just before you came by and she said I was crazy no crack but HA! There it is, in your face mom.” I chuckle as she rambles on about her mom. I inspected this crack--well more like a slice I look closer and reach my finger up to touch it. Once I do it grows another two feet; I jump back hitting my legs against her bed.

“Milli, it’s cold.” I say softly with my eyes wide on the now six foot slice almost reaching her ceiling. She keeps rambling about this and that when in my most motherly voice I say sternly “Prudence!”

She gets quiet looking up at me with her big green eyes “I hate my name Haley you know that d-don't call me P-Prudence.” she stumbles over her given first name like it's a curse.

“I know that Mills,” I say in a more caring tone, “but you weren't listening and well look.” Her eyes drift away from mine and gapes at the wall. “Its cold” I say “the slice- crack its fucking cold.” As we stare I start to notice a small trickle of mist almost like breath in the winter time seeping out of the wall. Milli gets up from the bed and cautiously walks to the crack that's now touching the ceiling she reaches her hand forward. “No!” I exclaim and grab her outstretched arm “It's the middle of July, if it’s anything it should be hot as balls but it's not. I don't think we should touch it again.” her head swivels slightly toward me on the bed but almost snaps back to the slice.

“I hear something.” She presses her hands on either side of the wall and turns her ear closer to the slice. I become very still and calm my breathing to see if I hear something as well. Then I hear a faint whirring sound.

“It’s like wind.” I say quietly “Shhh” she hush's me.

Another much louder creak comes from the wall and she jumps back knocking into me causing us to flail on the bed. After we separate and sit crouched on her mattress we look at the crack noticing that is wider now almost enough to see through to what's causing this oddity. We both stare for another minute when my phone goes off scaring both of us with a jolt.

“I have to go to work” I say after silencing the alarm on my phone “please don't do anything stupid we can call someone later if you want but don’t touch it. I’ll stop by after my shift and check in on you okay?”

Milli just nods her head and mumbles “yeah I’ll keep the door unlocked for you.” I sigh and shake my head at the slice one more time before I get up and slowly creep toward the door.

“Nothing stupid right?” I ask looking at her one last time before I leave the room. “Uh huh nothing stupid” she replies still staring at the wall. I walk to the theater just up the road from her apartment and start my shift. After a few movies and popcorn messes later I notice she hasn't texted me or visited which is very unusual for her since we are almost inseparable. Ok now I’m worried I think and practically run to her apartment after I clock out.

I slam open her door on the second floor above an old hardware shop. “Milli you okay?” I say as I inspect her loft like living space. No Milli. So I tip toe closer to her bedroom door and notice my breath is visible, oh no, it's freaking cold. I made it to her door where a sign hung from when we were kids “P Millpond No entrance unless authorized” the whole door seemed to be frozen shut. I use my shoulder and all my body weight to crash through into her freezing bedroom. There she was crumpled up by her dresser. “Oh god, Milli!” I exclaim and rush toward her. I glanced at the sliced wall and it was gone. Perfectly undamaged dingy yellow striped wallpaper where the gap had been, my stomach drops as I crouch to inspect my friend. Pushing her curly red hair aside I see her eyes are closed and her nose is blue, almost black. “MILLS!” I shout and touch her face, frozen.

Prudence Millpond was found dead in her downtown apartment last night. allegedly freezing to death in her own home above a local hardware store. Authorities are baffled by this incident seeing as last night was one of the hottest this year. “Yeah, so we can't say much as of now but it looks like possible homicide” No known suspects as of yet but friends and family are pleading with the public to come forward with any information about that night saying anything could help discover what happened to her. Local news action 4.