There is Someone in the House

Dani had been complaining for days that someone was in the house.

She claimed that someone would break into her room, and move around her things. She tried to prove it to me once when she found one of her makeover magazines on the ground.

“Dani, I think you’re just imagining things. You probably dropped your magazine when you accidentally fell asleep on your bed. You have done that loads of times!”

Dani stomped her foot. She was now thirteen years old, and that had become one of her favorite things to do. She was short for her age and did whatever she could to make herself intimidating.

“Why don’t you ever listen to me? You’re supposed to be my brother, David!”

I crossed my arms, not wanting to show I was a little hurt by her remark.

“Listen, sis. Don’t you find it a little weird that it’s only been your room that has been messed with? If someone was in the house, don’t you think this person would be going through everyone’s rooms?”

Dani bowed her head.

“Why can’t you believe me? I’m telling you the truth.”

Dani ran away and slammed her bedroom door behind her. This happened every single time. She would throw a tantrum and shut herself away from me and our parents.

I did of course, ask our parents if they believed her, and they both shook their heads.

“She has a lot of stuff in her room. Maybe she misplaces things, and doesn’t realize it sometimes,” David’s mother said.

David’s father rolled his eyes.

“Oh please. She’s obviously in her rebellious phase and wanting attention. Remember when she got in trouble for skipping school with that crowd of stupid kids?”

David’s mother gave him a look.

“That was two months ago, Jared. She doesn’t even go near that group anymore.”

David’s father shrugged, and went back to reading his newspaper.

The discussion was over, and everyone forgot about it. At least, except for Dani. This continued on for weeks.

Dani would find something, and immediately tell me what was misplaced in her room. I kept reassuring her that nothing was wrong.

Like always, she would get angry and lock herself in the room. I didn’t know what to do at that point. I confided in my best friend, Sam; and told him everything that was going on at home. Sam listened to every word.

“Shit, man. Maybe your sister really wants attention. Do you guys ever spend time together? You guys were really close when you guys were younger, right?”

“We are close! We play Jenga, videogames…and sometimes we dance to blasting 80s music when our parents aren’t home. I just think…maybe she’s going through something else at school. I keep asking her, but she told me that everything is fine.”

Sam scratched the back of his neck.

“What if she’s hanging with that crew again? Or maybe they’re getting back at her for leaving them?”

“Oh, come on, man. Those kids are stupid. They’re the type of kids that think they’re all badass, but in reality, they are just cowardly idiots. When my sister left the group, one of them made a comment to her, and she got all up in the dude’s face; and he literally fell on his ass.”

Sam barked out a laugh.

“Your sister is awesome, bro. I really admire her; she is a damn fighter. I’m surprised you don’t have a pair of balls on you. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”

I avoided looking at Sam’s face. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was ashamed of himself. I wished I was more like Dani, able to stand up for herself without fear.

What really bothered me the most, was that I felt like I was letting my sister down. I then made a promise to myself, that the next time Dani found something odd again in her room again, I would figure it out for her.

Whatever it was, I would make sure my sister felt safe. I was five years older than her. I should be the one to look after her.

“Thanks man. For listening to me talk about this. I…I should probably get going now.”

Sam raised an eyebrow.

“Thank you for what part? The part about your worry for your sister, or the part where you just realized you’re a pussy?”

I swung a fist playfully in Sam’s direction.

“Fuck you, bro.”

Sam avoided my next few punches, the two of us laughing our asses off. I was truly grateful to have Sam as my friend.

When Dani and I moved to the neighborhood about five years ago, we introduced themselves to Sam when we spotted him on a swing all by himself at the town park.

Sam and I instantly became inseparable after that encounter. I never forgot the smile that blossomed on Sam’s face.

My parents were going to a party that night. Our parents quickly got dressed, and left in a hurry. They told Dani and I that we could eat whatever our hearts desired.

It was family tradition for the family to eat nothing but junk food on Saturday evening for dinner, and for the rest of the night.

I took Dani in my car to go pick up some pizza that night with a side dish of pasta. After we were totally stuffed, we watched movies in the living room, ate snacks until we felt full again; and then when we started to feel sleepy, we went to bed that night.

I was just falling asleep in his room, but Dani burst into his bedroom, waking me up.

“Hey, David. Someone was in my room again.”

I groggily rubbed at my eyes, but I willed himself to move out of bed. I kept repeating the promise in my head, as I followed Dani to her bedroom.

She was currently obsessed with the color pink and every inch of her room was decorated in the vibrant color. Dani marched over to her mirror where she would sit down to brush her hair or apply makeup.

She pointed at her makeup box kit.

“This was on the right, but now it’s on the left.”

I put my hands on my hips.

“Hey Dani…there’s something I need to tell you. I’m sorry for not taking you seriously. From now on, I’m going to believe everything you tell me. Now, be straightforward with me, was this really on the right?

There was a hint of a smile on her lips before she addressed my question.

“Yes. I’m positive. I know my room. Why would I move things around so much like this? That would make me crazy if I did stuff like that.”

I smiled.

“You’re right. Not even I move all my crap in my room like that -’’

Something fell down in Dani’s closet.

Then I heard what sounded like a gasp.

Dani froze. I slowly pushed his sister behind me. I approached the closet, my fingers shaking.

I pulled the door open, and let out something mixed between a scream and a cry of anger. It was a sound that I never made in my life.

It was Sam.

He was in the closet, one of Dani’s shoeboxes on top of him. Sam had his hands in the air.

“I — I can explain — ’’

“Sam, what the fuck? What are you doing in my sister’s room?”

“I-I was just-’’

My eyes landed on Sam’s phone that was resting by his feet.

There was an image on the phone.

It told me everything I needed to know.

I pounced on Sam, punching him in the face. Sam tried to fight back, but I have always been the stronger one. Dani screamed, begging me to stop.

I eventually stopped, when I heard my sister crying. I looked down at my hands and saw the blood. They were throbbing with pain.

They were going to be bruised for a long time. I calmly asked my sister to call the police.

Dani did just that. She waited with me, crying. I held her the whole time, staring at Sam. He was crying too.

The police arrived.

I told Dani to get the police. She slowly walked downstairs. I clenched my fists. The pain was immense, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. Or notice.

I never said a single word to Sam. Not even he was led away in handcuffs. The phone was taken as evidence. The police were speaking with Dani and I until our parents came home.

Dani ran from the couch to embrace our parents. They called for me, asking if I was OK. Instead, I ran from them, straight to the bathroom.

I didn’t make it to the toilet, and I threw up on the bathroom floor. At some point, I felt my mother’s hand caressing my back, weeping softly.

Sam never came back to school again.

He was sent to jail for several years.

It turned out that Sam had been staying in the attic. The police discovered several items to indicate that he had been staying there. There was even a sleeping bag. He had been sneaking into our home.

Dani was right about everything.

My parents apologized over and over to her, feeling horrible for not listening to her. I did too, sobbing like a baby. Dani held me the whole time, telling me it was OK. It ate at me for months.

School didn’t help.

Everyone kept offering their condolences. The attention was overbearing. Dani and I didn’t fight our parents when they suggested that we should leave. Starting over among strangers who didn’t know our story was honestly a relief.

During one evening, as I was helping Dani pack her things; she asked me to sleep next to her that night.

“Can…can you sleep next to me? I — I don’t want to sleep alone. To be honest, I haven’t been sleeping well. Ever since…you know.”

“Me either.”

Dani rushed over to hug me, crying. I hugged her back, telling her it was alright to let it out. I couldn’t wait to leave everything behind us.

Later that night, I lied awake in bed, as Dani was snoring peacefully next to me on her side. I was glad to see she was finally sleeping.

I looked at the closet. I could see it so clearly, due to Dani’s nightlight illuminating her room. She never slept with one until that night.

I hated to think back on that day.

I wasn’t referring to the night when I caught Sam in my sister’s closet.

It was the day Dani and I met Sam.

She was eight years old. Sam and I were thirteen.

Dani and I greeted Sam, when he was on the swing in the town park by himself. I remembered Sam’s face when he saw Dani for the first time.

The way his eyes lingered on her, his lips growing into a huge grin.

If only I had seen the signs sooner.

Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn