Peter Answers

The day had slipped into evening, realizing I slept it, but then again, I was awakened by a chubby finger poking me on the cheeks. My groggy eyes fluttered open to find Robin grinning down at me, his excitement barely contained.

"Hi, Eli," he said with a wide, innocent smile.

"Hello, Robin," I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Look what I just built!" he declared, his excitement palpable as he thrust his iPad towards me.

I sat up and took the iPad from Robin. Although I tried to show interest, I was genuinely impressed by what I saw. Robin had built an elaborate Minecraft castle complete with turrets, bridges, and a moat. For someone his age, his creativity was impressive. I looked through his creation, offering feedback as I went.

While I was absorbed in the Minecraft world, I received a notification from my phone:

"New Message Request

From Jake Simmons"

My heart raced, and I felt a familiar knot of anxiety.

I handed the iPad back to Robin, who continued building and opened the message.

Jake Simmons: Hello Eli. Can we talk?

I hesitated, caught between curiosity and guilt. Jake was with Caroline, and I didn't want to complicate things further. But the unresolved feelings between us were strong. I had to find out what he wanted.

"Is Caroline home?" I asked Robin, trying to sound casual.

Robin shook his head, still focused on his game. "No, I think she's staying with Jake tonight."

I took a deep breath and typed a response, my fingers trembling slightly.

Eliza Harper: About what?

Jake's reply was quick and urgent.

Jake Simmons: Us.

I stared at the message, my mind racing. What could Jake want to discuss about "us" when he was with Caroline?

I struggled with how to respond, knowing our situation was complicated.

Eliza Harper: What are you doing? You are with Caroline. How can you do this to her?

Jake responded almost immediately, his words tinged with frustration.

Jake Simmons: I don't know. I can't stop thinking about you and I need to talk to you.

I felt a pang of guilt and confusion. I was drawn to him, but knowing he was with Caroline made everything worse.

Eliza Harper: We can't keep doing this. It's unfair to everyone involved.

Jake Simmons: I know. But I want you Eli.

I closed my eyes, caught between the urge to respond to Jake and the nagging sense that this might be a mistake. I knew I needed to deal with my feelings, but I wasn't sure how. Setting my phone aside, I took a deep breath and looked over at Robin, who was still engrossed in his game.

"Do you still want to play?" Robin asked, breaking the silence.

I nodded, hoping that losing myself in the game would help distract me from the tension with Jake. We spent some time playing Minecraft, and I even downloaded the app onto my phone so I could join him. Just as I was getting into it, my sister stormed in.

"Robin, it's time to eat," she said in a sweet tone before turning her attention to me. "And you, Elizabeth—still in bed at this hour? Aren't you embarrassed?"

Her comment stung, but I kept quiet. What was her deal?

We headed downstairs for dinner. The house was quieter compared to the night before, with just my parents, my sister, grandpa, Mico, Robin, Uncle Rick, Astrid, Oliver, and their mom gathered around the table. The muted chatter provided a backdrop as we sat down to eat, but my thoughts kept drifting back to the message from Jake.

After dinner, as we were waiting for my parents to finish chatting with Grandpa and Uncle Rick, Mico sidled up to me with a mischievous grin.

"Hey Eli, Florence, ever heard of Peter Answers?" he asked, barely containing his excitement.

"No, what's that?" we both asked, noticing that Robin had turned an unsettling shade of pale. "What's wrong with Robin?" I asked, eyeing him as if he'd seen a ghost.

Robin scurried behind me, peeking out with wide eyes. "You know Peter Answers?" he whispered, clearly spooked.

"No," I replied, puzzled. "Why do you keep asking?"

Mico leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. "Peter Answers is a ghost who can answer any question you ask him. He's sort of creepy."

Robin's eyes widened even more. "He can see you," he added, looking like he was about to bolt.

Mico took out his phone and pulled up a website called Peter Answers. "Watch this," he said, typing in: "What is the color of Robin's shirt?"

Peter Answers: "Blue."

Robin's shirt was indeed blue, which was impressive but also a bit eerie. My curiosity was piqued. "Ask him about mine," I suggested, trying to mask my own unease.

Mico typed: "What is the color of Eli's shirt?"

Peter Answers: "Red."

I glanced down at my red shirt, feeling a chill. This was getting weird. We asked more questions, and every time, Peter Answers got it right. I even tried covering Mico's phone's front camera, suspecting he might be pulling some kind of trick, but it didn't work. I tried asking a question myself, but Peter Answers only seemed to work correctly for Mico.

Mico, sensing our growing fear, decided to escalate things. He typed: "Where are you right now?"

Peter Answers: "Behind Robin."

Robin let out a terrified scream and ran straight to Uncle Rick. I was spooked too, but I didn't want to show it. I tried to act brave, even though my heart was racing. Astrid, meanwhile, had turned into a human shield, hiding behind her brother Oliver. Oliver was laughing, but you could tell he was just as scared as the rest of us.

Once Mico sensed that everyone was properly freaked out, he dropped the final bombshell. "By the way, Peter says that because we all played with him, he'll haunt us at 3:00 AM."

A shiver ran down my spine. "Haunt us?" I echoed, trying not to let my fear show.

"Yep," Mico said with a grin. "You better watch out. He'll be visiting us."

I tried to shake off the creepy feeling as we finally got ready to head home. The night was dark and chilly, making every shadow seem a little more menacing. The drive felt endless, and I couldn't stop checking the clock and staring at the window, each minute dragging on.

When we finally got home, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread. As I climbed into bed, the clock ticked closer to 3:00 AM. With every creak of the house, cats jumping from house to house, the wind of the night seemed louder, and the dark felt thicker.

I pulled the covers up to my chin, trying to block out the heavy silence. My heart pounded as I stared at the ceiling, the house creaking and groaning with every tiny sound. The clock ticked loudly, marking each second with unsettling precision. When it finally hit 3:00 AM, I was still awake, clutching my pillow and hoping Mico's ghost story would stay just that—a story.

The air felt suffocating. Suddenly, my phone rang loudly from the nightstand. The sound jolted me, and I froze, my hand hovering over the phone. The ringing grew louder and more insistent.

I was too scared to answer, dreading who or what might be calling. The phone rang again, slicing through the silence. I covered my head under the blanket, shivering with fear.

A cold draft then swept through the room, making my skin crawl. I looked around, half-expecting to see something in the shadows. The phone's ringing continued, deafening and relentless, as if something was trying to get in.

I was too tired to stay awake any longer. I shoved my face into the pillow, trying to block out the ringing. As sleep finally pulled me under, the phone's noise faded into a distant buzz, and I was left to toss and turn in a nightmare-filled haze.