Eleven New Ghost Stories Read Online Free PDF

and
shuffling.
    As I went to the bathroom I even
heard him mutter something, something unintelligible. I wondered if
it really was in there with him? Something supernatural, something
rotten and cruel.
    I watched him for a little while
after. He was unsettled, but he didn’t seem to be distressed or
having a nightmare, at least not that I could tell.
    I fell asleep not that long
after climbing back into bed. I slept soundly till about
ten-thirty, when I shuffled myself out from under the sheets and
went to check on Craig.
    To my horror, he was gone. The
duvet was lying on the floor; his coat and slippers were gone. I
shouted for him, but there was no answer. I tried his mobile –
again, no answer.
    I suddenly felt an overwhelming
feeling of dread – he’d gone back, hadn’t he? Why? For some of his
things, or worse? If this thing was in his head, had it made him go
back? Forced him?
    I didn’t know, but I knew I had
to get over there. I threw on some clothes, grabbed my keys and
phone, and made a run for it. The air outside was damp and muggy; I
was dripping sweat by the time I reached the end of the road. The
distance to his had never seemed so long before, and every part of
the journey conspired to make it take longer: roadworks, traffic
lights, old people, no one stopping at the zebra crossing – I just
ran out and took my chances. I had to get to Craig’s.
    As I reached his street, I knew
something had gone badly wrong. As I ran towards his doorway, I
could see it hanging open. I ran into the inside hallway, where I
found Craig slumped against the door frame at the bottom of the
stairs.
    “Craig!” I screamed.
    To my relief he heard me; his
eyes arose slowly and he tried to shuffle into a seated
position.
    “What happened?”
    “I tried to leave,” he said
weakly. “I tried to leave and it wouldn’t let me!” A tear fell
across his cheek. “It’s in my heart!”
    “We’ve got to get you out of
here.”
    “No, don’t, don’t!” he cried.
“It’s in my heart Laura. I tried to leave and it stopped my heart.
And then all I could feel in my chest was the rhythm of six; I
couldn’t walk, I couldn’t breathe!”
    “I’m calling an ambulance.”
    “No, I’ll be fine. I just have
to get back inside.”
    “Stay there!”
    “He won’t hurt me if I go back
inside.”
    I dialled 999 hurriedly, walking
outside to get out of the cramped hallway.
    “Hello, this is emergency
services. What service do you require?”
    “Ambulance, now please.”
    “And what is the nature of the
emergency?”
    “My friend, his heart’s failed
or something. He collapsed, and now he can barely breathe, says
it’s his heart.”
    “Ok, I’m going to need your name
and address?”
    “My name is Laura ______. I’m
at…” I had to look at the door. “45 _________, Clapham South.”
    “Ok Laura, and what’s the name
of your friend?”
    “It’s Craig, Craig ______.
Please hurry, he’s – Craig!”
    He’d moved. He wasn’t at the
bottom of the stairs, but had started to crawl his way up
again.
    “Craig, come back!”
    “It’s all right,” he said, while
pulling himself to his feet by gripping the bannister. “I’m going
to be ok.”
    “Get back down here right now.”
I ran into his flat and up the stairs without thinking – without
seeing.
    When I reached the top, I threw
out my arms to grab him. But something swept me aside; a great arm
came from nowhere. I’m not even sure I even really saw it, or
whether I just imagined I had.
    It struck me in the chest and
sent my head back and my feet forward. I went head over heels down
the stairs, tumbled all the way down.
    My world went spinning; I hit
the door as I smacked against the floor at the bottom, pushing it
closed. I landed leaning against it, my head just about propped
up.
    I tried to lift myself up, but I
was too dizzy; I felt part of me was still turning.
    My vision was distorted,
blurred, but I could see Craig; he was on his knees.
    “Please!”