A Phantom Passion

by Jon Athan

  The other robber joined, “Eat the damn food or eat a bullet, it's that simple. It's up to you, alright? You can eat and leave or bleed and die.”

  As chaos erupted in the diner, Lee remembered why Gina had sent him there in the first place: the scoop of a lifetime. Lee subtly moved his hand to the camera dangling around his neck to capture the robbery. A photo here, a photo there, and a few seconds of video to top it off – it was pure gold. Yet, Lee felt an overwhelming guilt. I should be calling for help, he thought, why the hell am I still holding this door open?

  The two robbers continued to torment the patron as they chanted, “Eat! Eat! Eat!”

  One of the robbers continued to push the barrel of his handgun to the back of the man's head, forcing him downward toward the food on the floor. The man reluctantly ate bits and pieces, his eyes watering from the fear and humiliation.

  Abruptly, one of the older men at the bar stood up, his hands peacefully hovering forward as he said, “Calm down, boys, I've been through this, I've been through all of this. I know you're type, I used to be like you. So, take what you want, no one has to get hurt tonight.”

  “I know, I will take what I want,” the man with the shotgun said as he turned his attention to the older man, “I know that already, I can take anything. You see, I've got this shotgun here, and it lets me do what I want – anything I want. This cowardly man eating his food off the floor isn't going to stop me, the police aren't going to stop, and some old man isn't going to stop me.”

  The robber chuckled as he aimed the shotgun at the man. Lee continued to capture the event as secretively as possible. Shit, he helplessly thought.

  “Young man...” the older man murmured as he clasped his hands, “You don't have to...”

  “What the hell is going on out here?” the presumed leader returned, pushing the young cashier to the floor in front of them.

  The man with the shotgun laughed, “It's nothing. You hit the stash?”

  “It's done, I got everything,” the leader responded as he snapped his fingers at their other associate, “You hold the bag, don't let it go for anything. You understand?”

  Their associate simply nodded and tossed the bag over his shoulder.

  The shotgun-armed man continued, “So, what are we waiting for? Let's get out of here and wait for Alfonso's call.”

  The leader stared contemplatively at the cashier as he said, “You know... I really want to leave. But... I have a strange urge, I can't explain it.”

  “What are you talking about,” his associates simultaneously asked.

  The cashier shrieked as the leader of the band of robbers forced the barrel of his gun into her mouth. Lee ran his fingers through his hair in frustration as her muffled cries echoed through the diner. The tears rolled down her cheeks like a waterfall as she knelt down and hopelessly pleaded for her life. Yet, Lee continued to capture the event, he couldn't help himself.

  “What the the hell...” the man with the shotgun murmured, “You said no bodies...”

  “Yeah,” the leader responded, “I lied.”

  The sound of the gunshot swept through the room. The cashier's muffled cries abruptly stopped. Blood was splattered across the floor and tables. The patrons were either crying or trying to shield themselves behind the furniture. Lee covered his mouth as he gasped, his legs were trembling uncontrollably.

  “We can go now,” the leader said as he motioned towards their exit with his head.

  The men walked past Lee, who blankly stared forward as he held the door open. The leader stopped in front of Lee and stared directly at him, contemplating his next move until he finally noticed the camera around Lee's neck.

  The man continued to tap Lee's camera with his gun and said, “You go ahead and keep that, okay? It's... It's complimentary.”

  The man chuckled as he followed his associates into the alley behind the diner. Lee could hear them bickering and snickering as they departed. It was sinister, they acted as if nothing had happened. Finally, Lee sighed in relief and stopped recording. He slowly stepped into the roaring rain, lost in a plethora of perplexing thoughts: what do I do now? Is this what you wanted me to see, Gina? Should I call the police?

  Lee sat in his car as he ran through the possibilities, while also trying to dry himself off. Before long, the somber trance of contemplation was broken – Lee realized he had little time to waste. He frantically pulled out his cellphone and called Georgie.

  “Come on,” he whispered as the phone rang, “Pick up, Georgie.”

  “Hello,” Georgie said in a hoarse whisper.

  “Georgie, it's Lee! I need you to meet me at Gina's apartment now.”

  “What? Are you kidding? It's almost 3:30 in the morning, I'm not going...”

  “No, you need to go to Gina's apartment now. Right now. There's something I have to show you, you're not going to believe this.”

  Georgie coughed and croaked loudly before continuing, “What is it? Just tell me now, I'm tired.”

  “No...” Lee whispered, “You've got to see this for yourself, you have to see all of it. Just meet me, alright?”

  Lee hung up before Georgie could answer. His eyes were locked on his camera – he had the scoop of a lifetime. There were emergency sirens blaring from afar, he could barely hear them over the rain, but it was safe enough to assume they were coming to the diner. Without hesitation, Lee sped off towards Gina's apartment.

  Chapter 8 – A Friend In Need

  Lee arrived at the Hill Apartment Complex at 3:35 AM. The rain continued to pour harshly. Lee briskly jogged through the soaked parking lot. The vacant police vehicle was still parked up front. Where is this guy, Lee thought as he entered the main lobby of the apartment building. He shrugged it off and continued to the elevator. Before reaching the elevator, he noticed the security guard was still missing. He gulped loudly as he tried to shrug it off, as well.

  The third floor of the apartment complex was still unusually quiet. Lee moved quickly past his own apartment and his neighbors' home. The eerie silence was unnerving and ominous, but Lee continued to rush towards unit 304 – he was anxious to report his findings. Lee entered the apartment, slammed the font door shut and immediately stumbled towards the middle of the living room.

  “Gina!” Lee shouted as he tried to catch his breath, “Gina, I caught it. I caught everything.”

  The apartment was silent, though. Lee looked at every corner of the dimly-lit apartment.

  “Gina, are you there?” he asked, “You can answer me, I'm back.”

  Lee stood up and started snapping photos of the apartment. The flash once again illuminated the violent crime scene. It didn't startle or frighten Lee, though, he felt more comfortable than ever before. As long as he had Gina, none of it mattered.

  “Where are you, sweetie?” Lee said as he continued his search, “At least give me a hint.”

  As Lee traversed towards the kitchen, a lamp fell over near the couch in the living room. Lee contemplatively stared at the shattered lamp. He aimed his camera at the couch and finally illuminated the area. Gina sat on the sofa, smirking childishly as she giggled. She was still wearing the white sundress.

  “There you are,” Lee whispered as he sat on the single-cushion sofa perpendicular to the invisible Gina.

  “Here I am,” she playfully responded.

  Lee gulped and coughed loudly to clear his throat, “I... I got the scoop, Gina. I got all of it.”

  “I know. It was a good one, right?”

  “I've never seen anything so brutal,” Lee said as he caressed his hair, “I've never... I've never seen anything so violent.”

  “That's the business you're in now, right? You take 'taboo' photography, then sell it on the internet?”

  “Yeah, but...”

  “Don't stress about it too much, Lee,” Gina interrupted, “This was exactly what you needed. This is exactly what I needed you to see.”

  “Was it the cashier?” Lee nervously asked, “The cashier's fate w
as yours, too?”

  After a moment of silence, Gina simply whispered, “Yes.”

  “I'm so sorry, Gina. I could have stopped him, I could have stopped this and saved you,” Lee murmured, “But... I promise, I'm going to find him and I'll avenge you. I'll find a way to save you.”

  “Who are you talking to?” Georgie interrupted as he stepped into the living room.

  Georgie wore baby blue plaid pajamas with a large black coat. His old house slippers were torn at the seams, but he didn't seem to mind. His eyes were crusty and his beard as grizzly as ever. Lee silently sat in the single-cushion sofa facing the other couch, his face like a tomato from the embarrassment.

  “No... I'm... No,” Lee stuttered, “Here's the... the video I was telling you about. Check it out.”

  “Hold up... Who were you talking to? You're sitting here in the dark and you're talking to... Who?”

  “I was kidding, it was a joke,” Lee said, “Here, look at this.”

  Lee showed Georgie the pictures and video he captured from the robbery at the diner. Lee nervously smirked as he showed off his work. Georgie furrowed his brow as he watched. He wasn't frightened or disgusted, he had seen it all before. Instead, he was baffled by Lee's peculiar behavior.

  “What are you doing,” Georgie whispered as he directed his attention towards Lee.

  “What? I want to sell it. You said this stuff is worth a lot, so I want a lot,” Lee replied.

  Georgie contemplatively stared at Lee. Lee looked like he had been to Hell and back. He was drenched in sweat and rain, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was still wearing the same clothing as the day prior.

  Georgie shook his head and said, “No, man, what are you doing? What are you doing shooting this shit?”

  “You told me this shit sells...”

  “No!” Georgie roared, “I told you to come in here, shoot this crime scene, and leave! That's it! I didn't tell you to go looking for crime and stay in Gina's apartment. And, what the Hell are we still doing here? You live next door! Why are we still in Gina's damn apartment!”

  “I... I'm just...” Lee struggled to explain himself.

  “Lee, this isn't like you. It's not like you at all. What's going on?”

  “I found her,” Lee bit his bottom lip and nodded, “She's still here, I found Gina.”

  “Her body's still here? The cops didn't take it?”

  “No, no, she's still here. She's... she's sitting right there.”

  Lee pointed to the empty sofa as he nervously smiled. Georgie stared at the sofa and continued to stand in silence – he was speechless.

  “She's probably laughing at us right now, Georgie. You know how she liked to joke around.”

  “Yeah?” Georgie nodded towards Lee, “Well, I don't see or hear anyone.”

  “That's the thing, you can't actually see her all the time,” Lee anxiously smirked as he explained, “You spot her with the camera... the flash of the camera, then you just, you know, talk. She's there, though, I know it. I've been talking to her all night.”

  Georgie continued to stare deeply into Lee until he finally murmured, “Show me.”

  “Sure, okay.”

  Lee began to photograph the apartment, illuminating every corner of the ominous area. He shot the sofa, the kitchen, the bathroom, the hallway closet, and he even returned to the dreadful bathroom – but to no avail. Georgie watched with his arms crossed and his brow scrunched, he was equally amazed and frightened by Lee's determination to prove Gina's existence in the apartment.

  After a minute of helplessly watching Lee, Georgie interrupted, “Lee, come on...”

  “Shut up!” Lee snapped, “I know she's here, you're putting her off. She only likes me, okay?”

  Lee directed his attention to the disembodied Gina as he spoke to the ceiling, “Gina, sweetie, you can talk to me. I don't want to hurt you. Georgie doesn't want to hurt you, we just want to talk... Please...”

  Georgie lightly grabbed Lee's shoulder and continued, “Lee, let's go. Let's get you out of here.”

  “No!” Lee bellowed, “I'm not going anywhere! She's here! Gina! Gina, please answer me!”

  In that instant, Georgie snapped. He grabbed Lee in a chokehold and quickly dragged him back towards the front door. Georgie's grip was too powerful for Lee to break away. Miraculously, though, Georgie lost his footing and stumbled over himself, allowing Lee the ability to fight back. The wrestling evolved into a brief fist fight. Thanks to Lee's slightly greater height and speed, he was able to gain an advantage.

  “Stop!” Georgie shouted, frantically looking towards his feet to find the object he stumbled over – there was nothing.

  “Then get out...” Lee whispered as he caught his breath, “Go...”

  “Come with me. Let's go, let's leave.”

  “I'm not going anywhere, I'm not leaving Gina! I can't leave her, I won't leave her!”

  Georgie ran his fingers through his hair as he stared at the deeply distraught Lee. Lee stared back with a grimacing expression, bent forward with his hands to his knees as he continued to catch his breath.

  “Okay, Lee, wait here,” Georgie gulped as he started walking towards the front door, “You wait here, alright? I'll be back with a friend, he'll help us with everything.”

  “I'm sure he will...”

  Georgie started to dial on his phone as he jogged out of the apartment, warily staring over his shoulder at Lee in the process. Lee fell to his knees in the living room. He blankly stared up at the ceiling as his eyes swelled with tears.

  “Gina,” he whispered to himself, “Gina, are you there?”

  Silence once again dominated the room. Lee was in sheer disappointment as he grunted and sobbed loudly.

  “I know you're there, Gina,” Lee continued, “I'll find you again, I promise.”

  How do I find Gina, he thought, why isn't she here now? Lee continued to contemplate the possibilities until it finally rang through – a light-bulb above his head sparked.

  “Georgie asked about Gina's body when I told him, right?” he whispered to himself, “He thought Gina's body was still here... but it isn't... she should still be in the morgue.”

  Chapter 9 – A Visit To The Morgue

  Lee quickly rushed out of Gina's apartment, slipping and sliding down the hall and towards the elevator. He rapidly tapped the elevator call button as if it would make it arrive faster. The overwhelming anxiety was twisting in his stomach, it was creating an adrenaline-rush unlike anything he had ever experienced. In the elevator, Lee thought, the morgue, she has to be in the morgue.

  It was a thought that echoed in his head as he walked through the empty lobby and past the police vehicle in the parking lot. Lee took a moment to peek into the vehicle once again.

  “Nowhere in sight,” he whispered as he continued walking towards his own car.

  Lee sped down the unusually empty streets, splashing through the pools of water the rain had materialized – rushing through the harsh rain that continued to pour against him. The hospital was located a few blocks north on Main Street – relatively close to the Hill Apartment Complex and up the street from Alfonso’s Diner. Despite the relatively short distance, Lee sped to the location – he had no time to waste. As he drove, he noticed the streets felt less active than his usual nighttime drives. He tried his best to shrug it off, but the thought lingered: where is everyone?

  Lee took a hard right turn into the hospital parking lot. After parking negligently, he looked down at his phone – 4:35 AM. Directly to the morgue, Lee thought, don't look at anyone, don't talk to anyone. Lee hopped out of his vehicle and briskly walked through the ankle-high pools of water that flooded the parking lot. As he approached the hospital, he could feel an ominous presence. He looked up at the towering hospital – it was unusually creepy, like if it was alive and waiting to swallow him.

  There were police vehicles parked around the corner and near the emergency entrance. Civilian vehicles were also scattered through the parking l
ot. It was reassuring to a point. Civilian vehicles meant life, police vehicles meant trouble.

  “The police are here,” Lee whispered as he continued to tread onward, “Why?”

  Lee entered the lobby of the hospital – it was as desolate as the Hill Apartment Complex, except for the nurse at the reception desk. A young male nurse with short blonde hair and a standard blue nurse uniform – nothing out of the ordinary. Wooden benches created a square towards the middle, pottery at each end of said benches. A glass table with magazines on top sat in the middle of the square-forming benches. A vacant flower stand stood near the entrance. The receptionist desk sat at the furthest end of the lobby, directly in-between two halls – one to the left, one to the right.

  Lee looked directly at the receptionist as he stood at the entrance. He inhaled loudly and quickly started walking towards the right hall. He slipped over himself due to his soaked shoes, but quickly recomposed himself – the slick tile flooring was more difficult to traverse than initially expected. From his lifelong experience in the small town, he knew exactly where the morgue was located – he had seen life and death through his hospital.

  “Sir! Sir, you can't go down there without checking-in! Sir!” the receptionist shouted as he started calling for security.

  Lee ignored the calls and started jogging down the narrow halls. The only thought that ran through his mind: Gina, I have to find Gina! As Lee approached the double-door entranced to the morgue, nurses and hospital staff chasing after him, he was stopped by a patrol officer standing near a water fountain.

  “Hey, stop!” the police officer demanded as he wrestled with Lee, “What the hell do you think you're doing? Huh? What are you doing?”

  “Please!” Lee pleaded, “You have to let me through! You have to let me see her!”

  “Sir, did we call you out here for identification?”

  Lee ignored his question and continued, “You have to let me see her! Please!”

  The police officer directed his attention to his radio, “Daemon, did you call someone for identification?”