This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/ChickenJeff on 2024-11-04 14:52:06+00:00.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3[Final]
I didn’t have time to be startled, as a familiar voice immediately accompanied the knocks, “Hey. I’m back. I stayed an extra night. I bet you loved the peace and quiet. Anything happen? You didn’t call so I’m hoping we’re all good, you gave me quite a scare.”
Jane… In her normal, casual, optimistic Jane voice. I wanted to be able to trust her so badly. I needed a friend right now. And she made it so easy to trust her.
So easy…
How do I talk to her… It… What could I say? I couldn’t find the words.
“You there?” She asked calmly.
“Your number… It said it was out of service.” I muttered, weakly.
“Really? What the hell? Are you sure you typed it in right?”
“Yeah I’m sure.” I couldn’t put any energy behind my voice.
“Are you okay? What happened?” She responded, sounding genuinely concerned.
“You know, don’t you?”
“Know what?”
“You’re part of it. You’re this thing.”
“What are you talking about? Leigh, you’re not making sense.”
“Is your name really Jane?”
“Well, yeah. Obviously. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Jane Lewis?”
The wall fell silent for a moment.
“What the hell. Are you looking me up or something? That’s messed up.” Jane said, sounding shaken.
“Maybe I should look you up. Maybe I should. Since you’re dead.”
“What the f-. Leigh you’re scaring the shit out of me, okay. I think you need some help.”
I lost my composure again, “You’re dead! You died! Jane Lewis died so who the fuck are you and why are you doing this to me!?”
“I’m not dead! Why are you saying I’m dead!?” She shouted.
She sounded so convincing… Maybe she genuinely didn’t know she was dead. Or maybe this was another trick.
“Your apartment is vacant. Nobody has lived there for eight years. It’s empty. You aren’t real.”
I heard her laugh. That kind of exasperated laugh when you hear something so ridiculous your brain has trouble processing it. It was a very human like response.
“Leigh. That’s not true. I don’t know who’s telling you this shit, but it’s not true. I can assure you. I am real. I signed a lease. I have a fucking parking spot. I just went to see my sister and my nephew. We played Mario Kart and ate pizza. Pretty sure I wasn’t a ghost to them… Listen to yourself. You’re in your own head. I am real. I am your friend. At least I’m trying to be.” Her voice began to crack at the end. I could almost hear the tears welling up.
I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I began to cry. She was trying to pull me back to a reality I had drifted so far from. God, I wanted everything she said to be true. Across the wall I could hear a few quiet sobs. It was so… real. It had to be real.
“You’re really scaring me. If this is a game, please just stop. It’s sick. I’ll leave. I’ll pack my shit and I’ll leave, just please stop.”
My heart broke. I never wanted this. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry Jane. I don’t know what’s happening with me. Nothing makes sense. The building manager told me all this shit and I don’t know what’s real anymore. I – I need help.”
I almost let it all go. I almost convinced myself that I had totally lost it and it was all in my head. It would have been so easy. All the pieces would fit together if none of it was real… But I had one more idea.
I have a phone. Like I said to her, maybe I should look her up. If she went missing there would be reports. All I have to do is type in her name.
Jane Lewis… plus the name of the city… Enter.
My heart sank further than I thought it could. There she was. The article came up immediately, and I saw her face for the first time… But I didn’t think she was lying, not on purpose anyway. Those tears couldn’t be fake. I refuse to believe it. She… really doesn’t know. She’s still stuck in that room… Thinking she’s alive.
I looked at her picture for a while… So different from the ones my mind conjured up when we spoke. But her face fit her voice and personality like a glove. It radiated positive energy. The image of her in my mind was replaced with this new one instantaneously. Something about being able to attach the voice to the face made me trust her ten times more. I knew this was really her, in some form. I wasn’t being tricked. I was certain.
I didn’t know if I should tell her that she was dead. A part of me thought there wouldn’t be a point. There’s no way she would believe me. But… I felt like I had to. No more secrets. I needed this all out in the open. Whatever happens.
“Jane…” I said hesitantly. “I looked you up. I’m looking at the article right now.”
“Leigh please…” she begged. I continued and began reading the article aloud.
“Jane Adrienne Lewis, 26. Last seen October 12th 2015, reported missing October 14th 2015, declared dead October 14th 2022. Multiple searches turned up no leads. The initial suspect, ex boyfriend Devon Aaronson whom had at the time been serving a restraining order from Jane, was exonerated. Her sister Carrie and mother Lynn continue to urge the public to come forward with any information they may have.” I recited coldly, trying not to break.
“Jane was loved by her family, friends, and community – and is described as a kind soul, funny, passionate, and selfless. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to start up multiple small businesses, dating all the way back to eight years old when she would make and sell beaded bracelets and homemade baked goods to her classmates. Her mother, Lynn, quotes-“ I stopped myself. This was a lot to throw at her, and I think she got the point.
She was silent for a minute, and then she spoke “October 12th 2015.”
“Yes. Eight years ago, last month. That was the last time you were seen.”
“Eight years ago…”
“Yeah.”
“October 12th 2015 is today.” She said. “You’re telling me I go missing today.”
Everything turned upside down once again… I stammered; words struggled to form. She was living out her final days all over again somehow…
“Nobody remembers the stupid bracelets… Only my mom remembers that shit.” She continued.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not true. You’re sick. You’ve been stalking me. Gathering all this information, what the fuck do you want??” She screamed.
“There’s a video… Can I play it for you?”
She went silent. I took that as a yes. I turned the volume up, held the phone to the wall, and hit play on the embedded video. An older woman and a younger woman stood together in front of microphones on the front lawn of a small house. I could only assume her mom and her sister. She wouldn’t accept it from me, maybe she would accept it from them.
Her mom didn’t get through two sentences before I heard the most horrific sound I had ever heard coming from the other side of the wall. It sounded like all the air was sucked out of her while at the same time she screamed and wailed. It was like the scream I heard the day before. All she could say was “No.” over and over again. I heard her rocking back and forth on the bed.
It hit. She believed.
“I’m sorry!” I cried. But all I could do was wait and listen to her violent sobbing. Her awful cries. I couldn’t imagine what she must be going through.
After a few minutes the crying stopped and she spoke through her sniffles, “Read me more. There has to be more.”
I obliged and continued skimming the article. The words “an early prominent lead” jumped out at me and I read the paragraph out loud.
“Jane’s older sister told police about conversations the two had the day prior to her disappearance. Jane talked about making friends with a neighbor named Lee…” I paused. The last thing I expected was my name to appear in this, albeit spelled wrong. My heart began to pound, and I continued.
“…Whom she claimed she could hear through the unit’s wall. However, when police searched, they found nobody by that name living in the building and weren’t able to find any evidence of this mysterious Lee.”
“What the fuck?” Jane said, echoing my sentiments.
“You’re… You’re alive. I’m really talking to YOU, eight years ago.” I surmised. It was the only way that could make sense.
“I’ve been trying to tell you I’m fucking alive!”
“Wait… Maybe that means I can help you. You’re supposed to die today… But maybe I can save you.”
“Okay, how?”
I thought about it for a second and the most obvious answer popped into my mind. “Get out. Get out of the room. Now. It’s in the room. You have to leave.”
“What do you mean it’s in the room?”
“It’s 402. Something bad is in 402. I hear it at night. You have to go, right now. Stay with your sister.”
“Okay… Okay I’m going.” She said frantically. I heard the bed shift as she began making her way off, then I heard something else.
“WAIT.” I shouted. “Don’t move.”
“What? Why?”
“Don’t step off the bed. Stay on the bed.”
“Why!?”
“…It’s breathing. I can hear it. It’s under your bed.” I softened my voice to a whisper. Even though I didn’t think …
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