“Mrs. Campbell?” the young lady whispered as she rapped lightly on the door.
No one answered.
She knocked again and waited. This time, someone called out from the other side.
“Yes? Come in.”
The young lady gently nudged the door open and stepped inside. The room was square and white, with scuffed linoleum tiles and long fluorescent bulbs that hummed overhead. A set of creamy lace curtains hung above a singular sliding window. Against the back wall was a hospital bed. Laying in it was Mrs. Campbell.
The young lady smiled and walked towards her. “Good morning, Mrs. Campbell. It’s so nice to finally meet you. My name is Trisha—I’m from Hope and Happiness.”
Mrs. Campbell sat propped up in the bed, her head resting against a stack of pillows. She smiled at Trisha, and it made the old woman appear a decade younger.
“Oh, yes! Hello dear. Please sit,” she said, pointing a shaky hand toward a small chair across from her. “The nurse said you would be stopping by today. And I’m so glad you did. I swear, they’re trying to bore me to death in here.”
Trisha giggled politely before sitting down. “Now, that can’t be true. I saw a sign in the lobby listing all sorts of activities and stuff to do. It said today was bingo?”
Mrs. Campbell sighed. “Yes, bingo, arts and crafts, puppy play—it’s like I’m back at summer camp. The only difference is that my hip bones grind together every time I stand up...”
A light thump echoed down from the ceiling.
Trisha looked up. “Is that the air conditioner?”
“No, deary,” Mrs. Campbell murmured, a wiry smile spreading across her wrinkled cheeks. “That’s my boyfriend—Mr. Turner. Now, if you would be a doll and grab that broom for me…” she said, motioning toward her left.
Trisha shrugged, stood up, and retrieved the broom for Mrs. Campbell. The old woman held it vertically by the bristles and, in an indiscernible pattern, began tapping the ceiling with the handle.
“This is how we communicate,” Mrs. Campbell stated, still very much focused on the ceiling. “I just told him I loved him.”
“That’s very sweet,” Trisha cooed. “Maybe I’ll get to meet him later.”
Mrs. Campbell set the broom down. “Now wouldn’t that be lovely…”
The rest of the morning moved swiftly. Trisha and Mrs. Campbell went through a couple of her photo albums, watched 30 minutes of a cheesy romance movie, and chatted about her favorite foods. Every so often, they’d hear a thump from above, and in those cases, Trisha would retrieve the broom and hand it to Mrs. Campbell.
A few hours later, the nurse came in, and Trisha said her goodbyes. “It was such a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Campbell. I hope to see you soon.”
“Oh, likewise, deary. Come back and visit any time.”
Trisha blushed. “I will. And give my best to Mr. Turner.”
The nurse thanked Trisha for her time and walked her out. She stepped outside into the warm autumn air and took her time meandering through the parking lot toward her car. Before getting in, she turned around and gave the nursing home a final look.
Then it dawned on her. The building was only one floor.
Watch out M. Night Shayamalan, Michael Serrrur is the new king of the spooky twist! 😱
Getting us warmed up for October SPOOK FEST USA 😛 just what I needed this Monday morning