Light Switch

Early mornings were a cinch to me. It was the simple grind of going to the store across the street, picking what I needed for breakfast and coming home. The best part about this is that I saved money in the end. No needlessly buying extra food just in case. Unfortunately it meant leaving my home unattended which seems to create a whole set of mysteries on its own. Whenever I come home, not matter if I was gone for just a minute, something changes in my home and never for the better.

The first time this happened was a month after the day I moved in two years ago. At that time it began with something strange, but not threatening. Like finding my cups arranged on the floor. I wouldn't trip, but I was afraid that I would step on them by mistake and the glass would shatter. Today, it was something far more serious.
After buying some over-priced yogurt I opened the front door to my home and my eyes widened at the sight of my chandelier drastically lowered and swinging towards my head. It was an old, cast-iron piece and without a doubt would brain me at that speed, but nevertheless I had the ability to step out of its swing. It swung up into the top of the door frame with a life-ending thunk and stuck in the wood.
At this point I realized it foolish of me not to make my house safer. I could afford stepping on a glass or two or even finding my clothes piled on top of me, but what I needed was a complete overhaul of the house to make sure it was safe. I began collecting anything and everything I didn't need. Anything that wasn't nailed down I removed and placed on the front lawn. My chairs, my sofa's, the chandelier, the knives and anything else that would prove a risk to my well-being.
With that down I was living in a form of child-proofed house. What furniture I had was cheap plastic, so light it could barely scratch me. Anything else I bolted to the ground, such as my refrigerator. Eating food of course became difficult, but you do what you can. I felt the house was trying off me in some way or another, so this was my solution.
Of course, it seemed to understand what I had done and started doing something else to frustrate me. A week later I came home from work to find an unusual difference. The light switches panels were missing. The buttons remained, but no paneling around them. I shook my head for a moment as I stood there in the dark, but was immediately surprised by flashing lights to my left. I turned to see the living was lighting up and then falling into darkness. It was steady, turning on and off every second, not faster or slower. I walked towards the living room and just as the tip of my foot entered the lights remained on.
I was surprised by the occurrence. Whatever affected my home never did anything while I was in it. I never saw a strange occurrence or heard one. As far as I understood the rule I had to be away for it to change something. I looked around the living room some more and examined the light switch. No different from the others, Paneling missing, but the button remained.
I took it for what it was. A message from the ghost or spirit that it was growing impatient with me.
"Alright, listen," I spoke loud enough for the whole house to hear. It was easy considering the lack of furniture, which made my voice echo. "Whatever it is you want, now is the time you told me. I have tolerated this long enough, If you want me to leave, I will, but if there is a way I can get you to leave I want to hear it."
To this I received no response, but another sound of clicking further in the house. I turned off the living room light and walked towards it. It was the entrance way light, flicking a little faster than the one in the living room. I stepped into it and the lights stayed on. I heard more clicking coming upstairs, this time I just walked up, leaving the entrance light on. There was no time for being concerned about electricity bills. The hallway light was flicking and the moment my foot hit the second floor it stopped, although I was sure I saw something in the moments between the light turning on and off. That split instant something flashed into vision, but went away just as quickly. More clicking.
It came from my bedroom, so I entered and stood int he bare room. Everything was as I left it, the bed made and my clothes put away. I could appreciate the ghost for not throwing them around as per usual. Finally, I heard a strange clicking from the hallway I had just left. It was metallic, not like the flicking of my light switch. Stepping back out I saw a figure at the end of the hallway, standing against the wall. From what I could see he was male, cloaked in shadows as if the light couldn't touch him. The metallic clicking came from his lighter, which he held in his left hand, flicking the cap on and off.
I didn't know what to say or do, so I watched, paralyzed and a tremendous feeling of vulnerability took over. The flicking was fast at first, but it slowed down to a crawl. Click, clack, click, clack...click...clack...click...
He flicked the lighter closed, in the time the cap hit the lighter the lights went off and I heard the clack behind me. Nothing happened to me in that instant. but I do remember passing out. I fainted from fear and woke up in my apartment the next day. Only one thing was different, aside from me waking up in my hallway where I fainted I noticed the light switches were completely removed, disabling me from turning the lights on and off. The message wasn't so clear, but clear enough for my common sense. I packed my things and left as soon as possible. As I closed the door the lock clacked a farewell.