Haunted

Corwin sat alone in the room, yet not alone, faded evening light filtering through the bay windows and collecting in golden pools on the hard wood floor. He sat with his eyes closed, but he knew what he would see if he opened them, his surroundings so familiar to him that he could walk around blindfolded. The small room sat on the second floor and it used to be the office when he lived here. The chair he sat in was the high-backed easy chair with elegant fringes along the bottom of the seat. The dark wood desk with it's clustered and detailed drawers sat over there against the wall. A tall, ornate book shelf stood beside it, filled with books and a cabinet with whiskey and glasses sat to the right of him.

None of those things were here now, and he breathed a heavy, mournful sigh as he opened his eyes and looked around. The floor was covered in a plush, mauve carpet now, wall to wall, and a baby crib with tall sides sat to the right of the window, with small hanging toys dangling above it and a blanket draped over the edge. The window had soft, satin curtains, the same soft shade as the carpet, filtering the diluted light even more than it already was. Below the window was a changing table and the faint smell of baby powder came from it. To his right sat a small toy chest full of soft plushies and smoothly rounded colorful toys, jumbled together within it. And he sat in a rocking chair which he moved a little with pressure from his foot.

There was no baby in here right now, although faded whispers echoed briefly around him - his memories repeating as they always did - before dissipating and leaving him alone. More voices, louder yet muffled by the floor, could be heard from below. It was them. Those people who started living here one day and changing everything. Everything he owned being dragged away and sold, and he was unable to stop any of it. None of them heard him and none of them felt his touch. That had progressively changed and he'd gotten better at affecting the world that no longer acknowledged him. But he still couldn't leave the house and that meant, THEY had to.