DELANCY: Secrets in the Shadows

CHAPTER 47

The town was snuggled peacefully between two small mountains. It contained one road with one stoplight at the center of town with charming brick houses south of the light and to the north, a single gas station and a few essential businesses. The 122 residents lived simple lives, going to their nine-to-five jobs and spending time with their families and neighbors.

Nothing happened in this town. It was quiet, with few visitors and even less crime. The people of the town knew each other well and had for generations. Everybody loved the seclusion, having no desire to grow or progress. They were simple people with simple lives in a simple town.

Every house was occupied. Every house but one, the biggest house in the neighborhood. A vibrant red-brick mansion with a tall, rusting black gate guarding it rested at the farthest south lot. Vines clung to it and the grass grew tall around it, hiding the front steps up to the bolted-shut door. Contrary to its outward condition, the inside was well kept, the furniture in pristine condition besides the layer of dust. It comprised two stories and a basement. A balcony from the master bedroom displayed a beautiful view of the mountains and a stream flowing down into the valley. It was, by all accounts, a wonderful place to live.

But it remained vacant for as long as the town people could remember, or at least that’s what they told the few people that asked. Few went near it, and even the kids and teenagers avoided it. They steered clear, moving to the other side of the street, and when people would drive into town, they always had the urge to speed up when passing the property. Nobody knew why, but it felt like the mansion was watching them. Nobody tried to move in and nobody tried to tear it down. The few people who ventured near the front gate felt intense horror at the sight of it, either freezing or running away. Those who froze would pass out and somebody would have to come retrieve them and take them to the town clinic. But nobody would speak about these things. After each occurrence, the people would seem to forget and move on with their normal, small town life.

One summer afternoon, a visitor drove into town. A man in a 2001, black Honda Accord stopped at the gas station. He stepped out of his car, sporting a high end baby blue suit coat, white undershirt and a Stetson hat pulled low over his eyes. He walked across the parking lot and into the Shell. He lifted his wrist, the time on his Rolex showing three-thirty. Mr. Benson, the cashier, stared at him. What was a man like this doing in this town? His outfit certainly didn’t match his vehicle, either.

The man went straight to the back of the store and returned a few minutes later with a monster energy drink and sat in on the counter.

“Is that all?” Mr. Benson asked, still unable to see the man’s eyes.

“Yes,” the man grinned, “Just a little monster to keep me going.”

Mr. Benson scanned the drink, and the man handed him a ten-dollar bill.

“So, where ya headed??”

A smile grew wide across the man’s face. “Here,” he said as he grabbed the monster.

“Visiting family?”

“You could say that.”

The man turned and exited before any more questions could be asked. Mr. Benson couldn’t contain his curiosity, so he stepped outside just as the Honda pulled onto the main road, heading south at a leisurely pace. Which house would he stop at? The Honda drove past the Carlsons, the Tysons, and the Manheins. It continued on, passing house after house, and Mr. Benson wondered if the man was lying. The car grew smaller and slowed as the houses ended and the mountain tunnel began. Then the car stopped. It stopped next to the mansion.

The man stood at the entrance, smiling up at his old friend. He retrieved a black key from his pocket, unlocked the gate and strode up to the front door. He slipped another key into the lock and the door creaked as it swung open. The man stepped in and disappeared into the darkness.

Little Bobby Selton watched wide-eyed from her bedroom window across the street. People weren’t allowed to go into that house, so why had that nice-looking man gone in? She jumped off her bed and tiptoed into the hallway, past her sleeping sister, and peered around a corner into the living room. Her mother faced away from her phone to her ear. Bobby slid across the living room entrance to the front door and slipped on her shoes. Maybe the house was safe to go inside. She closed the door calmly and meandered across the street.

The mansion loomed above her, mysterious and enticing. It would be a perfect place for hide and seek. She reached for the lock, but it slid open before she touched it. Was this a magic house? Bobby leapt across the threshold and onto the cracked brick sidewalk and skipped up to the front door. She didn’t feel like the people in all those stories her mother told her. Her heart beat faster, but instead of fear, she felt excitement. She hopped onto the porch and rapped her fist against the door.

“Bobby! Where are you?” Bobby’s mother stepped onto the front porch and froze in horror. The mansion door opened and a tall shadowy figure bent low, grabbed Bobby’s hand and pulled her into the house, slamming the door shut. Bobby’s mother turned and walked back into her house and redialed Mr. Benson.

The town hall filled with residents, all huddled together with doom written on their faces. Mr. Benson detailed his account of the man entering the abandoned mansion, causing a stir. Then Bobby’s mother stood up and recounted what had happened. “I have a terrible knot in my stomach about this man. I’m afraid for my only daughter, Sandy. I don’t want her or any of the children near that house.”

The townspeople dispersed, rushing to their homes and peeking behind closed curtains at the mansion at the end of the street. It grew more dangerous in their minds and infiltrated their thoughts. The peaceful, small town became one with hushed voices and untrusting thoughts. Something bad was going to happen, something that had happened before, but nobody could remember. Nobody would speak of it, but they all dreaded the day that man reappeared.

**

I looked in the mirror, brushing light pink eyeshadow over my eyelids. A bristle from the brush poked my eye. I blinked several times, trying to get the powdery dust out. My eye stung badly. I turned on the faucet and splashed some fresh cold water in my eye. I wiped my eye with a towel, but a cold mist washed over me, making me feel cold and forgotten for a few long seconds. I shook off the feeling and blinked some more, but all of a sudden the light above me flickered. I stopped blinking and closed my eye to look up. The light stopped flickering and was blaring at me.

Weird.

My eye felt normal again so I continued putting on the eyeshadow until my right eyelid was filled with a small explosion of light pink to go with my teal dress. I moved on to the left eyelid, blinking a few times.

The lights flickered again. They flickered in rhythm to my blinking.

Extra weird.

I ignored it. All I needed was to get through getting ready. I continued, brushing my golden brown hair, making it silky and smooth. My lipstick matched perfectly with the rest of the look, a nice brick red.

Still, every few seconds, the light above me would flicker. I convinced myself it was just an old bulb, though it still blinked to my blinking.

I put one last clip in my hair, then looked at my full self in the mirror. I have to admit, I looked good. My teal dress had skimpy noodle straps and a fitted waist, then it flowed down to right above my knees. I had wedges on that made me look four inches taller. My hair flowed down my back. My long bangs clipped on each side.

I batted my eyelashes and blinked as I walked out the bathroom door, only to find every light in the house blinking with me.

I panicked. My breaths were hot and fast, my heart was beating so hard I thought it was going to jump right out of my chest.

I blinked back tears, but that only made the lights blink even more. Then, all of a sudden a light from the kitchen burst and shattered on the ground. The once whole bulb was now in millions of pieces.

My tears stopped so I stopped. I stopped blinking, I stopped breathing so hard, and my heartbeat was back to normal. I took a deep breath and reached out a shaky hand to turn the lights on for real, but I didn’t have too.

When I started blinking again, the lights started blinking. Even the fallen light. The glass was shattered and broken, but the light still flickered with me.

I screamed only to find the hallway light shattering too. I didn’t know where to go. The lights kept flickering and stopped me from focusing. My only thought was to go outside. I crossed my arms over my head and ran for it.

I fumbled for the lock on the door, only to realize that I had locked it, not opened it. Once I slid the lock out of place, I swung the door open and ran outside. My eyes were squeezed shut and I stifled a sob. Eventually I opened my eyes. What I saw made me scream.

Last I knew it was 9:00 p.m. Now the sun was up. I blinked rapidly. The sun blinked rapidly. It flickered from day to night, night to day. I was trapped. Trapped in my own world.

I looked around, trying to find something, anything. I was tired of seeing the sun come and go. Popping up one second but being gone the next. I slowly got up, wiping my wet teary eyes with the back of my hand and went inside. I didn’t know what time it was, but I went to bed. Once I touched the soft bed with the soft fluffy pillows, my eyes were closed.

I had a dream.

I was in my bed, though I wasn’t myself. I was something else. I was hungry. Hungry for more. Hungry for more power. I moved closer to the bed. I needed her. She was my way to what I needed. I moved even closer. All I needed was her. She would be my way.

I locked my eyes with her closed ones. I am Shormist. Sizing up my prey, I jumped into her body, making us one.

My eyes bolted open. I was sweaty but cold. I was also very hungry, but not for a meal. I got out of bed, and steered my way to the front door. It was early morning, still naturally dark. I was willing to let the people keep their sunrise, so I kept my eyes open and alert.

I started walking through the neatly trimmed grass, striding down to the sidewalk. I let the people wake up and start getting ready for the new day. More cars made their appearance, along with tired people drinking their morning coffee.

I stopped walking at an electrical tower. It stood tall and in charge of all light. I started my climb to the top of the tower, my eyes still open. When I reached the top I saw the eyes of people staring and doubting. I turned towards the tower. It would have to end its power in ruling all light. It would have to work for me. I stared at the tower, willing it to do as I say. I turned to face the town. My hunger was slowly being satisfied, but there was one thing that would make me full. I would be in full rein of all power. No daylight would ever be seen again.

I closed my eyes.

One fast, cold, hard blink. And that made all dark and all ruled by me, Shormist.

I heard them screaming and yelling. Shouting at a teenager to get down, and other harsh words. But this was how it was going to be. Darkness forever.

My eyes were still closed as I climbed down the tower, letting my senses carry me. At the bottom some came immediately to see if I was ok. Others thought I was the cause of the eternal darkness, and they were right.

“What did you just do?” said, what I sensed was a tall man.

“Bill, this girl was not the cause of that!” said a lady with a shrill voice.

“Why are your eyes closed? Open them!”

“Did you do that?”

“What is the cause of this?”

And then I spoke. One simple word.

“Darkness.” I let my senses make my way up the tower, And when I got to the top, I stayed there for the rest of eternity. I stayed there for eternal darkness. And I stayed there for me, Shormist.