Secrets of the Willow

Chapter 8 - In the dark

“I think it’s gone”. Conall whispered as we kept our eyes firmly at the small windows and for the last ten minutes we hadn’t seen it again.

“What the f**k was that?” I said as my voice trembled from the shock of what just happened, although, my head was still trying to fathom what that was.

“I think we both know exactly what that was!” Conall replied as we both slowly stepped away from the doors.

“I guess”. I mumbled thoughtfully as I tried to get a clear picture in my head of what I saw, but it was all so blurry.

“Well, I guess I’d better get back to my room. I don’t want to get caught lingering in the girls dorm”. Conall said as he walked over to the door and hesitantly put his hand on the door knob.

“Wait!” I exclaimed as I grabbed his arm. “You can’t go out there!”

“It’s ok, I think it’s gone”. He said as he glanced back at me before peeping through the glass.

“You don’t know that! It could be waiting. It’s too dangerous”.

“Well I can’t just stand around in the corridor”.

“Then we’ll wait it out in the common room. As soon as it’s light out, you can go then. But while it’s still dark out there, you’re not going out that door!” I persisted sternly.

“Ok”. He relented with a shrug. “So long as none of the other girls here rat me out”.

“Everyone’s asleep. We’ll be fine”. I assured him as I led the way to the kitchen to get us both a glass of water before we headed to the main sitting room.

“Are you ok? You still look a bit shell shocked”. Conall commented as we sat opposite each other on the plush couch.

“I… I don’t know”. I muttered as I tried to shake off the same images of that thing in the dark playing on my mind. “I just… I don’t even know what I saw. It was too dark to really make out anything”.

“I think that’s the whole point. It only ever comes out at night so that you don’t really see it coming”.

“I guess. But I… I know it was big! Like, really big! And so fast, it just kept flashing from one spot to the next… and the growling”.

“Exactly. We might not have seen it properly, but the sound of it was enough to know it wanted to hurt us”.

“I just wish I’d seen it properly. Known what it is that we’re all so afraid of”.

“Be careful what you wish for”. He stated with an eyebrow raise.

“Yea, I know I probably would have freaked out even more if I’d seen it up close or in the light, but no one knows what it is. No one, that’s alive has ever really seen it. All that’s ever known of it, is it’s a giant dark shadow”.

“Well, maybe one day someone will figure it out. We just need to be glad we got away from it”.

“Yea, we’re very lucky. And thank you by the way”. I said with a grateful smile as the orange glow from the fireplace flickered around the dimly lit room.

“For what?”

“For not leaving me behind”. I chortled. “I… I probably wouldn’t be here right now if you hadn’t gotten us away from it”.

“It’s fine, it’s nothing”. He stated with a slight bashful look.

“Its not nothing. I wasn’t fast enough to get away from it, but you! You were so quick, and even carrying me, you outran it. How did you manage to run so fast?” I asked with intrigue.

“Uhh, I guess I’m used to running. I do it a lot”. He replied as he seemed to nervously glance around the room.

“Well you should apply for the track team here, you’d be so great at it. I’ve never seen anyone run as fast as you did”.

“I don’t know, maybe I was just that fast because of the situation”.

“Well, I was in the same situation, Conall, but I was nowhere near as fast as you!” I pointed out with a chuckle.

“Well, maybe you just need some practice”.

“I think even with practice, it’s rare to get as fast as you are”.

“Ok, I get it! Now will you just drop it!” He scolded with a frustrated expression as he breathed out a loud exhale, and his sudden outburst stunned me.

“Ok. I didn’t mean to pressure you, I just thought…” I paused as I noticed his jaw clenching with irritation. “I guess it doesn’t matter”. I relented as I felt the awkward atmosphere pass between us.

Minutes passed by in silence as we both just stared at the fire and listened to it crackle and snap. I couldn’t understand why he’d become so sensitive and annoyed just from me encouraging him to put his skill to good use, but after he’d practically saved my life tonight, I decided just to bite my tongue and not press him any further.

Two coffee’s, three waters and a sandwich later, we still hadn’t spoken as we passed the time just sauntering around the room and flicking through the pages of some of the old books sitting on the shelves. I didn’t bother to break the silence, and just figured he was in one of his sullen moods again. We spent four hours waiting around until the sun was finally peeking out from the clouds and lit up the room.

“Well, I think it’ll be fine for me to go back now”. Conall said with a sigh as he got up from the couch.

“Ok”. I agreed as I got up and walked out with him to the main doors.

He creaked one of them open slightly as he glanced around at the peaceful and empty camp grounds before opening it wider to step outside. “Well, I’ll see you around then”. He said as he turned around to face me.

“Ok, well, thank you again, for… well, you know”. I responded with an awkward half smile.

“Like I said, it was nothing. See ya”. He replied as he turned away and headed back to his dorm as I locked the door behind him and looked out toward the campus wall, feeling a slight shudder go down my spine.

Neither of us may not have seen this thing properly, but what we heard, the flashing dark shadow and the eery sensation it brought with it, was enough to know it was something evil and sinister. We had become too close to the monster that haunted the Willow forest and our streets.