The Guest

Jennifer tightly crossed her hands over her chest as she heard the rattling noise again.

Why was no one else awake? she wondered. She thought maybe if she ignored the sound, it would go away, but it didn’t. She looked at the alarm clock on her nightstand and it read, 2 a.m. — just the same time as the other days. She could feel it, she could feel her. Lurking around the corners, waiting for the perfect moment to strike!

She knew she could not wait in her room forever. What if she came in? Jennifer thought. She looked at her clock again and it was still on two. She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath, then opened them suddenly and ran for the door. She ran to her parents’ room, banging on their door, pleading with them to come out. But there was no response. She ran to her brother’s room. Then her sister’s. Then to the maid’s. No response. “Why is no one waking up? Wake up! Wake up! She’s coming! Wake. Up!” She heard the door to her right open, and then she looked to see that it was her mom. She sighed in relief.

“Baby what’s going on, why are you banging on doors?” her mom asked.

“Oh, my God, Mom, thank God you’re awake. We have to leave the house now. Wake dad up, wake everyone up! We have to go,” Jennifer said.

Her mother stared at her in confusion. “Jen, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. But we have to go. Get dad. I’ll go get Tayo and Ella and Aunty Blessing,” she said then went back to their doors, banging, screaming. “Everyone get out, we have to go. Now!”

Her mother was still looking at her, confused as to what her daughter was saying when her husband walked up to her from behind and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. “What is going on?” he asked in a sleepy voice.

“It’s Jennifer, she’s saying we need to leave,” her mother said.

Jennifer came back to meet them with her siblings and their maid. “Okay, everyone’s here. Let’s go!”

“Go where Jennifer, it’s the middle of the night?” her father asked.

“I’ll explain when we are safe.”

“Safe? From where? From whom?” her father asked.

“From her. She’s coming.”

“She who? Are you having one of your episodes again?” her mother asked.

“No!”

“Babe, I think she’s having an episode,” her mother said to her father.

“I’m not. We are running out of time!” she said.

“Jennifer?” her little sister called with her little, sleepy voice.

Jennifer turned to her. “It’s going to be fine, Ella.” Then turned to her parents. “I’m not having an episode, why won’t you believe me?” Jennifer screamed. Her mother got scared, tears rolled down her cheeks. Why did this have to happen to her daughter? she wondered.

“Okay, okay, let’s just grab a few things and then we’ll go,” her father said and Jennifer nodded her head.

Jennifer… she heard and fear gripped her.

“Dad leave it, let’s just go!” she said as she began leading them down the stairs, tightly gripping Ella’s hand.

“We’re not taking anything with us? We need to at least take a few things?” her father asked.

“No time. We need to hurry before she…” Jennifer was cut short by the wind that blew past her. Her face went cold upon feeling the wind, and it was not because of the weather. “She’s here. We are too late…”

“Who is here?” her mother asked, worried for her daughter’s state of mind. And a little irritated. This was getting too much, she thought.

“Back door, back door,” Jennifer said as she hurried down the stairs and headed for the back door. Everyone followed. They got to the back door and Jennifer pulled the handle repeatedly but it wouldn’t open. She ran to the second back door and the same thing happened. “She has trapped us. We’re not leaving here. She’s going to kill us!”

Jennifer started pacing, scared. Her father tried to calm her down as she started crying. That’s when they heard the knock on the front door and they all went silent, staring in the door’s direction in fear and confusion.

The knock came again.

“Who is it?” her father decided to ask after some silent seconds, but no response came. And the knock came again. Her father looked to her mother, then to her, then to the others. “Let me go and see who it is.”

Jennifer pulled his arm back but he left anyway. They followed behind him, still scared, but Jennifer’s terror grew more with each step because she knew. The knock came two more times before they reached the door, with the same precision as it did the previous times. One tap. Three taps. One tap.

“It’s okay. There’s nothing to be afraid of,” her father said, trying to ease his or their tension. It was unclear. But he said it anyway as he took a deep breath before he opened the door.

“Hi, uncle,” the lady at the door said, she was looking a bit unkempt and scared.

“Angel?” her father asked. Then he turned to his family with much relief. “Nothing to worry about.” He turned back to Angel. “What are you doing here? By this hour?”

“I need help, uncle. May I come in?”

“No! No! No! Do NOT let her in!” Jennifer shouted.

“Jennifer!” her mother shouted in reprimand and she fell silent.

“Uncle, please, may I come in?” Angel asked with sorrowful eyes.

“Come in, Angel,” her father said. Jennifer’s face looked like it had been drained of blood. Angel entered the house and as her father and the rest followed her in, she turned back to Jennifer who was still standing by the door and smirked at her.

Then Jennifer heard I’m in.

---

“Give it to me!” Angel screamed at Ella.

“No! It’s mine. Mummy gave you your own. Go and use it na!”

“I want yours too. Give. It. To. Me!”

“No!” Ella cried.

Angel’s eyes turned red and her voice became deeper and hollow. “I want what I want when I want it, and how I want it. What is yours is mine, and what is mine can be yours, but in due time. For now, before we jump into the lake of fire, give me what is yours!”

Ella frowned her face and gave a pout before she handed her box of cookies to Angel. “Thank you,” Angel said cheerfully.

“Did you see that? She just used her demon voice to make Ella do something. And her eyes were red, she is getting stronger. It’s only a matter of time before she can’t be stopped—when her eyes turn black…” Jennifer said to her mother who she made join her to spy on Angel.

“What are you saying, sweetie? All I saw was Angel, politely asking Ella for her cookies. And quite persistently at that, till she gave in. Reminds me of my sister,” her mother said.

Jennifer groaned, causing Angel to turn back and look at them. She froze as Angel waved at them with a devilish smile.

“Sweetie, there is nothing wrong with Angel. Let it go. You’ve been on this for weeks,” her mother said then left.

“I am right. Call a pastor, a priest, a bishop, anyone!”

Her mother ignored her and screamed, “Go take your meds, sweetie!” as she went upstairs.

Help does not come to where the devil resides, Jennifer. Jennifer heard this in her head and looked to Angel, who was smirking at her. Then Angel got up and left.

Jennifer paced around the living room, thinking about what to do. She had warned her father; she had pleaded and begged, but nothing worked. What could she do? How could she prove that Angel was the devil? She heard the church bells down the street ring, and an idea came to her. Jennifer headed for the door, not minding to put on a sweater, given that she hated the cold and it was a chilly morning. She rested her hand on the door handle and heard her voice again.

Open that door, Jennifer, and you will understand why they call me the devil.

Check out the next story from our finalists in the Short Story Challenge#1