Nothing Exists
Written By: RJ Kiss
Stefani peered through her binoculars, musing on what a nerd she was. The window of the hotel room created a slight distortion through her lens, and she cursed, positive she missed sighting a Chestnut-Collared Longspur for only the second time. Stuck in this drab hotel room for another work trip, she figured leaning into one of her favorite hobbies was better for her mind than another rerun of The Office, especially on the first night. She winced at the pounding in her head after a day of meetings, still adjusting to the never-ending stress from her recent promotion.
Wish someone would have told me becoming a Vice President was a twenty-four-seven job, she thought.
She hummed a random tune as she continued scanning the landscape, which consisted of a small parking area backed up against a thick, dense forest. This was her first time in the northeast, and she couldn’t believe how green some of the surroundings were. The sun was beginning to set, and she decided to do one last scan before hopping in the shower.
“Come on, Longspur,” she said.
She turned her binoculars to the right when she abruptly stopped. Standing in a slight opening where the forest parted stood a figure. It was tall, perhaps almost seven feet, and extremely thin. It was wearing a skintight black body suit, which covered the entirety of its body, including its hands and feet.
“What the hell?” Stefani said aloud.
She adjusted her lens to zoom in and gasped. The figure’s entire head was a blinding white, as if it had on a snow-colored ski mask. Somehow, there were no openings for the mouth or eyes; it looked as if the mask was the figure’s actual head. It stood eerily still until it suddenly tilted its head in the direction of Stefani’s window. She zoomed back out as a chill ran down her spine. She threw down her binoculars and frantically began closing the curtains. As she finished, she peeled back the curtain and peeked out the window. The figure remained, and it robotically raised its hand and waved at Stefani. She screamed and ran to the door, fumbling with the chain until she finally locked it. She walked back over to the bed and sat, staring straight ahead.
What was that? she thought. A figment of my imagination. Had to be.
She glanced toward the window and decided to take one last peek, moving the curtain ever so slightly. Nothing. The figure was gone. She breathed a sigh of relief as she headed towards the bathroom to finish up her nighttime routine.
Once in bed, she tried sleeping but couldn’t get the figure out of her mind. That thin, long body. The creepy way it moved. And its head. The purest of white without one blemish. When she finally dozed off, her dreams were filled with images of blood and violence.
-
“God, that meeting was way too long,” Tracey said as she sipped her margarita.
“Tell me about it. Could have been an email,” Stefani replied, shaking her head.
It was close to 7pm, and the two women sat outside at a casual Mexican restaurant downtown. Tracey was Stefani’s best work friend, and they always went out together after the day-long work meetings whenever they traveled.
“We didn’t even need to be here for three nights. One, maybe two tops. Obviously, for your presentation. But what else? I’m going to say something to Barry about this,” Tracey huffed.
Stefani nodded, half listening as she sipped her martini. Thoughts of the figure still drifted through her head. She’d barely slept a wink, and when she did doze off, her dreams were so visceral that she woke up screaming.
“Earth to Stefani,” Tracey said, waving her hand in front of Stefani’s face.
Stefani snapped out of her trance. “Sorry,” she said. “Just all this work stuff on my mind.”
Tracey snorted. “Girl, we’re at dinner. Let that shit slide off your shoulders. That’s what I do.” She let out a cackle.
Stefani smiled at her friend’s level headedness. “I know, you’re right. Hey, I forgot to ask you. Have you seen that new movie with-”
Stefani’s heart sank into her stomach as she peered through the crowded streets lined with people. At the end of the block, standing still near the stop sign, was the figure. It was dressed in the same black attire, and its lanky body towered over every other person. Its white head seemed to glow with the setting sun. She whipped her head around to see if anyone else had noticed it. To her astonishment, everyone walked right past as if it wasn’t there. Stefani continued to stare in horror as the figure slowly raised its arm and pointed one long finger at her.
“Ahhh!” Stefani screamed as she jumped up from the table, knocking into it and spilling her drink.
“What the hell, Stef? Are you okay?” Tracey asked, looking up in confusion.
Stefani’s hand covered her mouth as she pointed in the direction of the figure. “It’s… it’s not possible,” she stammered. Her body trembled with fear as sweat dripped down her brow.
“Stef!”
Stefani snapped back to reality as she realized Trish was shaking her by the shoulders.
“Stef! What the hell are you doing?”
Stefani slumped back into her chair as her legs wobbled from fright. “I’m… I’m sorry. I thought I saw someone.”
Tracey eyed her friend as she took her own seat. “Who? Freddy Kruger? Jesus Christ, Stef. It looked like you saw a ghost. Who did you see?”
Not wanting to come off as a compete psycho, she responded with the first person that popped into her head. “I… I thought it was my grandfather. But he’s been dead fifteen years.” She lowered her head.
Tracey placed a hand on top of Stefani’s. “Oh, girl. I’ve heard about this phenomenon. Are you sleeping? I bet you’re stressed. I mean, your new position is not exactly a walk in the park.”
Stefani sighed as she tried to get her heart rate back down. “Yeah. You’re right. My sleep has been terrible, especially with the travel. Maybe three or four hours a night. Stressed out constantly.” She started to feel a little better, happy she could make some sort of logical sense of what she saw. “That’s all. Works getting the best of me.”
Tracey removed her hand, buying the story Stefani was telling. “You scared me shitless, girl.” Tracey took a deep breath. “Remember. I know you’re on the C-Suite now, but still. You’re just a number. One quarter of missing your targets and-” Tracey made a throat slashing gesture. “All I’m saying is, don’t let this job drive you crazy.”
Stefani smiled, grateful for her friend’s wisdom. “I know, Trace. Thanks.”
Tracey smiled. “Okay, girl. Let’s get a nightcap at the Wiltern. They have the best Greyhounds.”
Stefani chuckled as they stoop up to gather their things. As they exited the restaurant, Stefani couldn’t help shooting a glance back towards the stop sign. Nothing.
-
Stefani stumbled back into the hotel room. She had consumed one too many cocktails and the room was begging to spin.
“Ugh, time for bed,” she said, giggling as she threw off her shoes.
She debated brushing her teeth but decided to forgo it, given her need for sleep. She tore off her clothes and plopped into bed, pulling the covers over herself as she closed her eyes.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
The noise startled Stefani and she squinted towards the phone. Who could possibly be calling at this hour, she thought?
She assumed it was the front desk and, since she should have scheduled a wakeup call anyhow, picked up the receiver.
“Hello?”
There was no response, only a barely audible muffled breathing.
“Hello?” Stefani repeated, this time with more force.
No response.
Stefani’s heart started to race as she imagined the figure standing in the street, waving to her.
“Listen. I don’t know who you are or what you want, but please just leave me alone.”
Suddenly, there was a booming, high pitched, robotic laughter that barreled out of the phone. Stefani screamed as she slammed down the receiver. To her amazement, the laugh continued to echo throughout the room. Stefani’s stomach churned as she covered her ears, the laughing as loud as the front row of a rock concert.
“Stop!” she screamed with all her might, her vocal cords straining from the effort. “Stop!”
The laugh ceased just as the phone rang again. Stefani hesitated before picking it up.
“Listen you psycho. I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but I’m calling the cops. I’m–”
“Uh, Miss Maple?” a meek, boyish voice asked.
Stefani froze in embarrassment. “Yes?”
“This is Ricky at the front desk. We had a complaint of a loud female scream coming from your room?”
Stefani cleared her throat. “Ah. Yes, I had my television on too loud. Sorry. Won’t happen again.”
She hung up the phone and dove under her covers. What is happening? she thought. She lay still with the blankets pulled up to her chin, staring at the closed curtains covering the window.
Just relax, she thought. You’re stressed. It was just a prank call. Probably Jimmy from Accounting, that asshole. He’s always pulling juvenile pranks. She settled down and began to doze off; her dreams once again filled with horrific images of violence and gore.
-
“As you can see, if we are able to pivot and streamline these inefficiencies across all workstreams, we’re in line to save the company upwards of two million dollars on the project. Any questions?”
Stefani stood tall in the boardroom, holding a small PowerPoint clicker and putting on her best business executive smirk. Her presentation was in front of fifteen people, including the COO, and she knew she had knocked it out of the park. All the prepping, all the late nights had paid off, and a feeling of pure bliss coursed through her body.
Aaron, a young, pompous up-and-comer, raised his hand. “A quick question. If you scale back on resources, how are you going to hit our timeline? I don’t think-”
Every noise in the room disappeared and Stefani brought her hand to her heart. Oh my god, she thought.
Sitting directly in front of her, still as a statue, was the figure. It looked freakishly large in the normal sized chair. It sat erect, its long arms resting on its legs, which were firmly planted to the floor. Stefani could finally make out the details, and it petrified her even more. The body suit stuck to its skin as if it were painted on. Upon closer inspection, her eyes widened.
It didn’t look like a suit. It looked as if the jet-black color was its skin. Stefani felt her mouth open in horror as the figure’s white head tilted slightly to the left. It raised its arm, waving its fingers at Stefani ever so slowly. Stefani fell to her knees as her head tilted back, screaming bloody murder at the ceiling.
-
“So what did you tell them?” Tracey asked, shaking her head in disbelief.
Stefani sat on her hotel bed, hands resting in her lap. She had come back from meeting with her boss, who was surprisingly understanding of the whole ordeal.
“I said I had a panic attack. Which is the truth,” Stefani said, staring at the ground. “My manager was fine with it. He actually didn’t even care, he was just happy the meeting went well.” She gave a half-hearted chuckle. “I spent a lot of time on that presentation. I think I went to bed at two in the morning every night this week. My brain is… it’s fried.” She took a deep breath, trying to convince herself this was the truth.
Tracey nodded her head. “It was just so… scary. To see you like that.” Tracey cleared her throat. “I’m worried about you.”
Stefani looked up at Tracey. “Can I tell you something? And you won’t think I’m crazy?”
“Girl, do you know who you’re talking to? My middle name is Crazy.” Tracey cackled at her own joke.
Stefani picked at her cuticle. “I… I’ve been seeing someone.”
Tracey looked at her confused. “So? You ain’t married.”
Stefani half-smiled. “No, not like that. I mean… someone’s been following me. I keep seeing them. For the past two nights now.” Stefani looked down towards the floor. “I saw him at work today. He was sitting in the empty chair. Staring at me.”
Tracey opened her mouth to speak but immediately shut it.
Stefani’s shoulders drooped. “I know what you’re thinking. But- there wasn’t anyone sitting there.”
Tracey nodded her head.
“But Tracey. I saw it.”
Tracey placed her hand on Stefani’s knee. “Stef, I believe you. I believe you saw what you saw. But girl, it’s in your head.” She sighed. “I think you need to take a break from work and talk to someone. You’ve been working so hard in this new role. Long nights, little sleep. Are you drinking water? You’re having a… a breakdown.” She continued, looking her friend in the eye. “Listen, we leave tomorrow back to Denver. I have a great therapist I’ve been seeing for years. Call her on Monday. It’ll be okay.”
Tears streamed down Stefani’s face. A breakdown would explain the dreams, too, she thought. “Thank you, Trace.”
She felt hopeful for the first time in three days. This is all in her head. A nervous breakdown caused by a high-demand role. Therapy. A few weeks off. She’d come back well rested and with a clear mind.
She hugged her friend. “I was so scared,” she said, wiping her eyes. “Ugh, this thing… it was like seven feet tall and super creepy. It had this pure white face.”
Tracey disengaged the hug and looked at her friend. “Girl, and it didn’t cross your mind that maybe you needed some rest?”
They both laughed.
“And,” Tracey continued, still laughing. “Say he was real. You’re getting on a plane tomorrow. He’d never see you again. Peace!”
Stefani gave her a death stare.
“Oh, you know what I meant. It was a joke.”
Stefani smiled. She glanced over towards the window, and her heart almost stopped.
Feet. Pure black feet, the color of night, protruded out from underneath the tall curtains. It was standing behind them. It was in the room. Unmoving.
Stefani stifled a gasp then took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. You’re not real, she thought. You’re not really there. You’re all in my head. She took one more deep breath and opened her eyes.
Nothing.
The feet were gone.
“Stef? You okay?” Tracey asked.
Stefani turned her head and smiled at Tracey. “Yeah. I think I am, Trace.”
-
Stefani wrapped up her last email and closed her laptop. She glanced at her watch as she stretched her arms overhead. 10:22pm. Ugh. Time for bed, she thought. Her flight back home departed at 7:45am. Both her body and mind were filled with fatigue, and she decided to wake up early to finish packing.
She brushed her teeth, feeling much better after her talk with Tracey. How could she of let her mental state spiral this far out of control? Was her job really worth going through what she was experiencing?
She spit into the sink, looking at herself in the mirror. Time to make some serious changes, she thought. You must put yourself first. No more breakdowns.
She took a deep breath as she exited the bathroom and hopped into bed. As she lay, she started a mental checklist of tasks to complete upon arriving home. Call the therapist. Take up yoga again. Start eating healthy.
She smiled, as she started to drift off. You’re okay, she thought. It was all in your head. She pondered on how powerful the brain was as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
-
Stefani’s eyes shot open as she felt something heavy sitting on top of her. She was lying on her back and realized she couldn’t move. After a few seconds, her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she cried out in horror. The figure was straddled over top of her body, using its weight to pin her down. The dark outline of its long torso stretched towards the ceiling and Stefani could see its pure white head looking down at her. She attempted to move her arms, but the figure’s legs held them fastened to the bed.
“No!” she screamed. “No! You’re only in my head! You aren’t real!”
Suddenly, the figure let out the same booming, high pitched, robotic laughter.
“You’re only in my head,” Stefani whispered as tears streamed down her face. “You’re only in my head.”
The figure reached down with both arms and Stefani could see the outline of its freakishly long, slender fingers in the moonlight. She let out a blood curdling scream as the figure wrapped both hands around her neck, squeezing with the force of a thousand men. Complete darkness began to overcome Stefani as her consciousness slowly faded. Nothing exists.
RJ Kiss is a writer based in the foothills of Colorado. He is the author of numerous published short stories and is in the process of editing his first full-length novel. His typical genres are Horror, Weird Lit, and Science-Fiction. When not writing, he enjoys thinking, collecting records, mountain biking, and reading. His favorite books are The Demon by Hubert Selby Jr. and 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. Check out his site www.rjkiss.com.