Paranormal Hicksperience

The unexplained happenings continue.

Last week, we noticed a renewed surge of activity in Genius’s room. I say WE. The Pony is in denial. As we sat watching TV, the thumping began.

“Oh. Somebody is walking around Genius’s room again. Did you hear that?”

“No.”

“There! Hear it now?”

“Do not speak to me of such things!” The Pony held up the NO palm at me. I know he heard. He had looked up when it started.

“I don’t know why this has started again. I was texting Genius about coming home for Thanksgiving. Your grandpa’s birthday was the 17th…”

“Isn’t there a picture of him on the wall in Genius’s room?”

“Uh huh.”

“I always felt like the eyes were following me. That’s why I was afraid to go in Genius’s room.”

“There were better reasons to fear going into Genius’s room. Besides, there’s a picture of Grandpa in the hall between your rooms. And you used to say he came in your room at night to make sure nothing was going on.”

“Yes. But I don’t want to hear about it.”

Pretty sensitive for a kid who was dying to read The Exorcist.

On Monday night, I was enjoying a wonderful deep sleep in the downstairs recliner, most likely with my mouth hanging wide open.

“What?”

That was a fine how-do-you-do.

“What do you mean, 'What?' I didn’t say anything.”

“Yes you did. You said my name.”

“No I didn’t. I was asleep.”

“You said, ‘Pony.’”

“No. I did not. I was asleep.”

Let the record show that this is not the first time The Pony has accused me of saying his name. A while back, he kept coming upstairs when I was in the kitchen, saying that I had called his name. It happened a week or two ago while I was in my dark basement lair. I told him he was imagining things. But then…

Wednesday morning, as I was getting up at the alarm at 4:50 a.m. because SOME of us teacher people had to work that day until 1:00…Hick said the most interesting thing. Yeah. I know. You’ll never read THAT here again.

“Here’s something funny. After you guys went to school yesterday, I slept in. But a woman’s voice woke me up, calling my name. Then it poked me on the shoulder. Once. Like this.”

“It said your name?” Let the record show that Val does not even call Hick by name. He has complained about it before. Like in our early years, when that song came out, ‘You Never Even Called Me By My Name.’ It’s country. David Allen Coe maybe. And not sentimental in any way. Anyhoo…

“I come awake real quick! It was a woman’s voice. Around 7:15. Saying my name. And it poked my shoulder!”

“You said that. I don’t know what to tell you. A long time ago, something said my name. I was laying right here by you in bed. In the middle of the night. And it tapped me three times on the side of my neck. Tap tap tap. I don’t know what to tell you. I usually don’t have those kind of things happen at this end of the house.”

“I got up. I couldn’t go back to sleep.”

“The night before, The Pony said I called his name downstairs. I was asleep. I don’t know what you guys are hearing. You never should have wound up those clocks.”