Lightening Strikes

By

Jennifer Radke

It was raining heavily when Crystal pulled into the apartment complex parking lot.  She shivered as lightening streaked through the sky, thunder crashed overhead.  Storms terrified her, they had since she was a small girl and lightening had struck a tree in her backyard.  She had been playing by a big window and had seen the whole thing, the streak of light, the splitting tree, the fire.  And the noise-- it was deafening!  They had been lucky that the whole house hadn’t caught fire when the flaming tree had fallen next to it.  Her parents had rushed her out of the house, calling the fire department from the next-door neighbor’s home.  Four trucks had screeched to their rescue, dousing the tree before it could ignite the building.  It had been a horrifying experience.

Crystal shook her head, trying to rid her mind of those horrible memories.  She searched for a parking space within dashing distance to the apartment doors but there were none to be found.  She sighed, and rounded the second island of cars.  Ah, finally, someone was pulling out.  She would get drenched but at least she could see the doors.  She got out of the car, hit the “lock” button on her key ring, and sprinted to the apartment. 

Once inside, she took the stairs to her fifth floor studio.  Opening the heavy steel door, she noticed her neighbor, Mrs. Hickney, peering out her door.  “Why didn’t you take the elevator, dear?” asked the nosey woman.

Crystal smiled briefly.  “I needed the exercise.  Have a good evening Mrs. Hickney.”  She added in her mind, “You old bat.” 

She knew it was going to be a bad night.  Cameron was out of town, again.  He was just starting out as a junior lawyer in a firm in the city.  He was in Boston that night researching for a case.  She had wanted to go with him but last time she had had two classes to teach and he wouldn’t hear of her canceling them just for a quick trip to New York.  She had had a class this time, too.   

One wall of the studio was a solid window and since they were newly married, they hadn’t had the money for curtains.  They had moved in two months before, after living with her mother for several months following the wedding.  She had told him she didn’t want to live on the fifth floor, but they had been unable to find anything else that was within a reasonable drive to his firm and her college.  She turned on every light in their small space, but it did little to block the flicks and flashes. 

The near-constant barrage of sounds, from rolling thunder to cracks of lightening soon had her heading for the bathroom.  Sweat glistened on her face and arms as fear rose within.  Why did Cameron have to be gone again?  And why tonight of all nights did this storm have to come?  She sat on the vanity, careful to stay away from any plumbing.  She looked in the mirror, a damp, pale face peered back, terror etched deeply in newly formed lines.  She closed her eyes and tried to think of happy days.

It was such a beautiful fall morning, leaves drifting from the trees in the light breeze.  The yard looked festive, white tents, flowers everywhere, the archway decorated in white roses.  That archway, she would soon be walking under it, to marry her best friend.  She was so excited!  She and Cameron had been planning this day for months.  All the worry about having it outside and how the weather would be had turned out to be for nothing.  She had the perfect dress.  It had taken weeks of shopping before she had found it.  Cameron was going to look spectacular in his suit.  That man looked good in everything!  Her parents had put aside their differences so she could enjoy her day to shine.  The wedding night… she couldn’t wait.  They had agreed to hold off but it was so hard.  Now it would all be worth it.

Thunder crashed directly overhead, breaking Crystal out of her musing, causing her to almost fall off the vanity.  Wow, that’s getting too close.  Maybe I should head for the basement, or at least turn on the TV.  As soon as that thought was complete, the lights went out, plunging her into total darkness.

“Well hell!  How am I supposed to find things now?”  Crystal said aloud.  Just then, the phone rang.  Crystal frowned, how can a cordless phone work with no power?  She stumbled through the apartment, guided by the ringing.  She cautiously picked up the receiver, “Hello?”

“Are you alone?” asked a whispery voice.

“Wwwhat?  Who is this?”  Fear edged up her spine, her heart pounded.

“You know who this is, Crystal,” the spooky speech continued.

“How do you know my name?  Who is this!?”  Crystal was trembling uncontrollably.  In the darkness, lightening lit the room briefly then faded, thunder roared, and she almost lost her grip on the phone.

“I’m offended you don’t remember me…”  Shadows of the past flitted through her mind as she tried to place the faint familiarity.  Oh my God, it couldn’t be…

“John?  But how?  NO!  You…” she couldn’t go on.

His laugh sounded like a hiss, “Oh yes, it’s me.  So nice to speak to you after all this time, I’ve missed you.”

Crystal bumped into a chair, frantic to figure out what was going on, wanting to flee, but having nowhere to go.  John?  Calling her?  But he was dead!  He died five years ago in a fight where he attacked another guy.  The guy got off on self-defense because John had come after him with a lead pipe.  It was a fitting end to the life of a most violent man.

“Darling Crystal… have you missed me?  Do you still think about me?  Do you remember the times we shared?  The love we made?  I know I do, all the time.”

Am I losing my mind?  Dead people can’t call and phones don’t work without electricity!  Crystal sat frozen in fear, unable to respond to John’s taunting.  Images of their marriage flitted through her mind, the dread, the pain, the cruelty, all brought back with each flashing light.  His massive form standing above her, fists clenched in anger, ready to strike her.  No!  She shook her head, trying to clear the terrifying memories.

“I know you’re there, Crystal.  I can hear you breathing.  Such a lovely sound, heavy, like when we were together.” 

Crystal threw the phone against the wall where it shattered into pieces.  The eerie voice echoed through the bits of plastic that lay on the floor…  “You can’t get away from me, Crystal.  I won’t let you go now that I’ve finally found you again.” 

She backed up, trying to get as far from that… that thing as possible.  Hands over her ears, blocking the horrifying sound, she tripped over the small stuffed bear Cameron had given her when he returned from New York and fell against the window.  Glass shattered as she careened out and onto the sidewalk below, finally escaping the haunting voice.