Agnostophobia
By Iris Safehaven
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It happened in a suburb outside Atlanta. The moon was full, the stars shined, crickets chirped, and sirens rang in the distance. A haggard mother startled awake at the sound. Somehow, she just knew. She jumped up and frantically searched the house for her 7-year-old son.
“Joey!” she said as she ran through the house. “Oh my god, Joey!”
He wasn’t in his room or any of his normal hiding spots. She ran out onto her back porch and yelled into the darkness. “Joey!”
She grabbed at her hair as her mind swam with the horrifying possibilities. A shadow loomed over her and before she could even think to be afraid of what she’d see the haggard mother jerked around with a terrified scream.
That was the unfortunate end of one family’s story, an encounter with the shifting man. But this isn’t the story of that haggard mother or her son. It’s the story of the Saunders’ household. When the shifting man came into their home, Jim Saunders, man of the house, police detective and loving father, had no intention of letting his family come to a tragic end.
The first night Jim noticed something strange, he was arriving home from work, far later than his family liked. He walked in and headed toward the kitchen when he heard a noise behind him. He turned around and saw his daughter, Cora, 7-years-old.
“What are you doing up so late?” He asked.
Her expression got sly. “I mean, why sleep when I can watch TV?”
Goodness, she sounded just like Jim had when he was her age. He mirrored her expression. “Why get grounded when you can go to bed?”
She pursed her lips, looking far less amused. “Fine,” she said, “but I’m going begrudgingly.”
She walked up the stairs and Jim rolled his eyes with a chuckle. She may act like him, but that vocabulary came entirely from her mother. The light from the TV still flickered in the living room so he went to turn it off, but when he got there, he found Cora curled up on the couch watching the screen.
“Hey, how did you… I told you to go to bed.”
Cora jolted at his words. “Nuh-uh. I’ve been here.”
“Very funny. I’m taking you to your room myself.”
“But why sleep when I can watch TV?”
What? “I… just told you why. You know what, come on.”
Jim grabbed her with a growl and Cora laughed as he carried her to bed. He tucked her in and wished her goodnight.
“Goodnight daddy,” she said. “And goodnight shifting man.”
What the heck was a shifting man. He shook his head as if to dislodge the thought and kissed her cheek. She was probably just deliriously tired.
The second night Jim noticed something strange was just a few days later. He was arriving home very late again but this time his wife Melanie had left some dinner out for him. He smiled and sat down to eat when he noticed a shadow looming over him. He jolted around and saw that it was just Melanie. Of course. Why had he been scared for a second there?
“Hey there,” he said, “thanks for leaving me dinner.”
Melanie smiled. “How was your day?”
Jim huffed. “Long. I can tell you about it while I eat.”
“No, I’ll wait for you upstairs.”
“Oh… alright.”
Melanie went up the stairs and Jim ate. It wasn’t long though before Melanie returned, looking drowsy.
“Cora was fine,” she said. “Out like a light until I walked in.”
“Then why did you?”
“You asked me to check on her.”
“No, I… you must have just been half asleep and dreaming.”
“Oh, uh. I guess so. My bad.”
“It happens. But oh, speaking of Cora I keep forgetting to ask you, what’s a shifting man?”
“Ah,” Melanie chuckled. “Her magical imaginary friend. She apparently likes to play with it on the playground; talks about it every day after school. It’s so adorable to hear her describe the games they play.”
“Okay but why’s it called shifting man?”
“It’s weird, right? I tried suggesting other names, but she just said that shifting man is ‘what he wants to be called’.”
Jim tried to view the whole thing as adorable but something about it set him on edge. “Maybe she watches too much TV.”
Melanie shrugged. “Maybe. I did catch her watching TV past bedtime earlier.”
Jim scoffed. “Again? Geez.” He got up and walked to the living room. Melanie followed and watched as he put the TV remote up on top of a bookcase. “There,” he said, “no more TV without our help.”
The third strange night was the last. Just like the other times he was arriving late. As soon as he walked through the door his phone rang. It was his partner, Tom, so he answered.
“What’s up?” Jim said.
“Didn’t you tell the sarge you’d take our new case home to work on over the weekend?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, I got the case file in my hand right now.”
Jim didn’t even know why he was surprised. He was just that tired. “Can’t believe I just did that.”
Tom snickered. “No worries pal. Y’all’re on my way home. I’ll drop pit off.”
“I owe you one.”
Jim hung up and only then noticed the light from the TV on in the living room. He went to investigate and found none other than Cora sitting two feet from the screen.
“Cora Marie Saunders, what are you doing up?”
Cora jumped at the sound of her full name and whipped around to face her dad’s angry expression. “uh…”
“How did you even get the remote?”
“The Shifting Man got it for me.”
“I’m not joking. Did you climb on the bookcase. You know that’s dangerous.”
“I didn’t! The Shifting Man—”
“Zzt! I don’t want to hear it. You’ve lost all TV privileges.”
“No! I’m going to bed.” Cora dashed out of the living room and stomped up the stairs.
Jim shook his head and followed her. When he got upstairs, she was already in bed.
“I’m serious,” he said. “No more TV.”
“What? But I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s final. Good night.”
Cora’s shoulders slumped. “Night.”
Jim closed her door and started walking to his own bedroom when there was a toilet flush from the bathroom. He turned to look and saw Cora walking out.
“I’m going to bed,” she said, “I just had to pee.”
“How did you get there?”
“What do you—”
“You were just in bed.” Jim yanked Cora’s door open, but the bed was empty.
He looked back at Cora who only looked confused for a second before realization dawned. “You met the shifting man,” she said. “Now do you believe me? He can turn into anyone. I told you I didn’t climb on the bookcase.”
Jim’s blood ran cold as he finally put the pieces together. There was something in the house. But before he could think about what to do the doorbell rang. He was downstairs before he knew it, pulling Tom into the house.
“What in the hell are you—”
“There’s something supernatural in the house.”
“Uh, what?”
“I know it sounds crazy but it’s a monster or something.”
Tom shuffled on his feet. “Now, Jim…”
“Don’t look at me that way. Have I ever—”
“Hey there Melanie,” Tom interrupted.
Jim jerked around, instinctively reaching for his holster. He let go when he saw Melanie walking down the stairs wiping the sleep from her eyes.
“Hi, Tom. What are you doing here?”
Jim spoke first. “There’s something in the house, baby. The shifting man isn’t just some imaginary friend.”
Melanie hesitated. “Oh…”
Tom cleared his throat. “Sorry about the doorbell. I’m so used to being up this late I didn’t think. Anyway, I was bringing something to Jim but I think he’s overworked.”
Jim growled. “I’m not crazy. You gotta trust me on this.”
“I’m taking the file, Jim.” Tom turned to Melanie. “Make sure he gets some rest.”
As Tom left, Jim tried to grab him. “Hey, wait.” Melanie’s hand on Jim’s shoulder made him stop.
“I think you should lay down,” she said.
Jim brushed off her hand. “I think you should listen to me.”
“Honey…”
“You know how good a detective I am. Don’t you trust my instincts?”
“It’s not that. I trust you. It’s just…” Melanie sighed. “Let’s just go to bed.”
“Not when there’s some sort of monster or creature or something in the house. It can look like us, act like us. It could even be—” Jim cut himself off as realization hit. It could even be Melanie right now. He drew his firearm and leveled it at the person who looked like Melanie.
“Jim!”
“Get in the living room.”
“What are you doing?!”
“Living Room!”
Melanie complied and started toward the living room with her hands up. Jim noticed Cora peeking down at them from the upper landing. “That means you, too.”
Cora squeaked but didn’t move.
“Now!”
Cora rushed down the stairs and into her mother’s arms. “What’s going on?”
Malanie stroked her head. “It’s okay. Daddy’s just very scared right now.” Then she glared at Jim. “Don’t you point that gun at her.”
Jim’s voice got low. “This is my house. I won’t have some monster threatening me and my family. Get. In. The living room.”
Melanie nodded slowly and led Cora along. Jim walked behind them, keeping his gun trained on their backs.
“Alright,” he yelled to the house, “whoever else is in here better come out now.”
Melanie led Cora to sit on the couch, and turned to her husband. “Jim, please.”
“Shh! I know you’re there. Just come out.” Jim waited but when nothing happened, he growled. “Stay here,” he said to his family. “I’m going to find this thing.”
Jim didn’t turn his back on his family as he backed out of the living room. When he was out of their sight he turned and led with his gun, stalking though the house. He toed up the stairs taking slow breaths, whipping around corners, barrel first.
Cora peeked her head out of the bedroom. “What’s all the yelling about?”
Jim turned suddenly and pointed his gun at the girl. “Get in the living room.”
Jim pushed Cora along with the gun to her back. The two Coras locked eyes.
Melanie held her Cora closer. “Oh my god.”
Jim pointed his gun at the Cora in Melanie’s arms. “Get up.” The two just held tighter together. “Get up!” He yanked that Cora away and put her with the other one across the room from the couch. Melanie tried to get up but Jim put up a hand to block her. He stood strong in the middle of the room, facing the girls. When either of them flinched, Jim followed with his gun.
Melanie cowered back down but spoke. “Honey, please put the gun down.”
Jim scoffed. “Am I the only one who cares that there’s a goddamn monster right here?!”
“I don’t like this,” one Cora said
Jim trained the weapon on the girl who spoke. “Is it you?”
“No!” said the other Cora.
“So it’s you.”
“No, just… I don’t like this.”
Melanie reached toward Jim but didn’t touch for fear of startling him. “Please stop this,” she said. “No one has to get hurt.”
“It’s a monster! What about that don’t you understand?”
“But it hasn’t done anything.”
“Besides lying and presenting itself as something it’s not? Trespassing in our home and getting close to our daughter? I’m not about to give it the chance to do anything worse. “
“I’m scared,” said Cora.
To the other Cora, Jim hissed. “That’s right. You don’t seem very scared at all.”
“No, daddy, please. It’s not that.”
“Don’t you call me daddy.”
“No, I’m sorry. I… please don’t.”
“Jim, stop!” Melanie lunged at Jim and tried to get the gun from him. Her shoved her off and smacked her in the head with the butt of the gun. Before she could get back up, he aimed at one of the Coras. He knew which one is the imposter, and he wasn’t about to let it harm his family. That Cora only had enough time to gasp before Jim fired. She collapsed to the ground.
Melanie screamed. “No!”
She tackled Jim and wrestled for the gun. The other Cora bolted to the back door and into the night.
The wind blew furiously, whipping at her hair. The moon was full, the stars shined, crickets chirped, and soon sirens would ring out. The person who looked like Cora morphed into a tall man in a trench coat and ran into the trees.
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The haggard mother searched frantically for her son. He wasn’t in his room or any of his normal hiding spots. She ran out onto her back porch and yelled into the darkness. “Joey!”
She grabbed at her hair as her mind swam with the horrifying possibilities. A shadow loomed over her and before she could even think to be afraid of what she’d see she jerked around with a terrified scream. When she saw who it was though she breathed a sigh of relief. The looming shadow was the man in the trench coat.
“Thank god, where have you been? Were you shifting around other people? I’ve told you time and time again…”
The man transformed into a crying 7-year old boy, Joey.
“Oh my god, what’s wrong?”
The boy fell into her arms. “I’m sorry momma. I didn’t mean to. I was just playing.”
“It’s okay. Honey. Everything’s going to be okay. Just tell me what happened.”
“I, I d-didn’t m-mean-n to.” He could hardly get his words out between sobs.
“I know, honey. It’s alright. Aren’t you my big strong man? A superhero, right? What was that cool name you picked, huh?”
“I, I’m the… the…”
Joey wailed, unable to say… he’s the shifting man.
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