The Misunderstood

The Darkness

Levi's POV

As he walked into the kitchen he was met with his mother's smile. Before he could ask her where his hoodie was, he noticed the tears. "Mom, what's wrong", he asked her, his voice heavy with concern. "Oh, nothing son. You know I'm just having a hard time believing that you are fixing to be thirteen. I was just thinking about my little boy. Time passed so quickly. I'm just in my feelings this evening. What did you need dear?", mom had replied. "Do you know where my black hoodie is? I want to wear it to school tomorrow." He asked his mother. Levi watched as his mother walked through the kitchen and disappeared into the laundry room. He could hear the sound of the dryer door open and close before mom reappeared in the kitchen, black hoodie in hand. "Thanks mom." Levi said as he reached to take the hoodie from her. As he did he was hit with a sudden hunger pain. The kitchen smelled so good, "So, is supper ready to eat?", He asked surveying the kitchen table. "Almost. Dad will be home any minute. Go wash up and get ready to eat." Mom instructed as she turned back to getting everything ready for their meal.

Levi took his hoodie and headed down the hall to his bathroom. Opening the door and flipping the switch, he was startled for a second. There standing in the shower was the old man. A white haired fellow with a green ball cap, a brown leather jacket, blue jeans, and a pair of worn work boots. Levi slowly let out the breath he'd been holding in. He wasn't afraid of this spirit, he just hadn't expected him to be standing there when he walked in. The older fellow looked at Levi with a very apologetic expression. Then spoke, "Sorry Levi." He said as he stuck his hands into his pockets. "No problem, Sam." The boy replied and turned to the sink to wash his hands. When he was done he turned around and wiped his hands on the hand towel hanging there on the wall. "Later Sam.", Levi said as he started to leave the room. "Levi, wait. Please? There's something I need to say to you boy. Won't take but a minute. I know your mother has supper ready. But I've got to talk to you son. It's important.", Sam had such an urgent tone, that Levi stopped short his hand resting on the door knob. His body shivered as he felt a quick chill. He already knew what Sam would have to say to him. "Sam, if I take to long mom will start calling me." He was trying to delay the old man's speech. But it was clear Sam wasn't going to be put off when he started speaking anyway.

"Levi, my boy, things are getting out of whack around here. Lately, I've noticed the air gets heavy and cold. Sometimes when you sleep I can't enter your room. Something dark and menacing it seems, won't allow me too. I've been on this property a long time boy. I lived and died on this property. I've never come across anything like this thing we got here now. I can tell your mother is stressed. She's worried about you son. I think you should try to talk to her about everything that's been going on." Levi listened to what the old man had to say. Things were off lately. But there was no way he could possibly think of trying to talk to his mom about it. It would break her heart to hear it. She'd think he was crazy and that he just couldn't bare to put her or himself through.

Twice in the past week he had woken up and his room had been impossibly black, dark. Completely void of any light. It had also been freezing cold. He remembered laying there shivering so much that his teeth had literally chattered. He laid there feeling so completely alone. He had laid there both times unable to move, silently willing himself to ignore it and go back to sleep. He had learned that ignoring something from the otherside eventually made it lose interest in him. A few days ago as he approached his house, coming from the bus stop, he had seen something. It appeared to be a dark shadow of a man sneaking around to the back of his house where his bedroom is. He had stopped short in his tracks at the sight. He stood there for a moment trying to convince himself that it was just his imagination.

Once before, when he was 8 years old he had seen something like it at his old house. His mom had gone to a doctor's appointment to see a specialist an hour and a half away in Tallahassee. His dad was supposed to get home in time to get Levi off the bus. Dad had forgotten and worked late. It was late fall, so not long after Levi got off the bus, it was dark. He would have gone down to Ms. Angie's house til his parents came home. But Ms. Angie and her family had moved in with Mr. Gary. They now lived in Nashville, Ga. That was almost an hour drive from their old trailer. So Levi used the hidden house key on the porch and let himself into the cabin. At first everything was fine. He did his homework and fixed himself a snack. But then it got dark and his parents still weren't home. He sat in the living room by himself watching tv when he heard it the first time. A scratching noise on the far side of the room. He turned his attention from the television and looked in the direction of the noise. He watched, frozen with terror as the shadow of a man walked along the far wall. It walked past the fireplace and along the next wall before turning and walking along the wall in the hallway and disappearing. Levi couldn't stop shivering as the temperature dropped in the house. Then every light went out at once. Levi stood up and took a few steps back. Which put him right at the entrance of the hall way. Very dim light was coming in through the window of his bedroom from the security light outside. There in his bedroom door way was a dark figure. Like the shadow he had witnessed crossing the living room earlier. But this time it wasn't on any wall! This time it was standing freely in his doorway!! It slowly started coming up the hall towards him. Levi tried to scream, but his voice caught in his throat. Frozen with fear, unable to move or scream, he watched as the figure made it's way slowly up the hall. It felt like he was stuck for an eternity watching this thing creep towards him ever so slowly. when he heard stomping outside on the porch and the sound of keys turning in the lock. As he turned towards the noise, from the corner of his eye he saw the shadow flying towards him. Suddenly his legs moved and his feet flew across the house to the front door. He flung his arms around his mother's waste as she walked through the door. He held onto her for dear life, eyes closed tightly, trembling. He expected to feel the shadow man grab him any second. His mother dropped her bags and held him close. She asked him what the matter was, her voice filled with concern. When he finally quit shaking as much and found his voice, he told her what he saw. His mother's eyes flew wide. She had raced through the house turning every light on as she went. Once satisfied they were alone she grabbed her cell phone and called Dad. And boy did she let him have it! Carlton had apologized over and over when he got home. To both Levi and Mom. Mom barely spoke to Dad the rest of the evening. However, she didn't stop talking to Levi for days afterward. She kept asking all kinds of questions. Levi couldn't tell whether she believed him or not. He just knew she was very upset. He thought maybe she was so upset because he might be crazy or something. After all, what he had seen was just impossible.

Sam shifting in his peripheral brought Levi back to the present. He took one more look at ghost before turning and leaving the bathroom. "No", he thought to himself as he headed down the hallway to the kitchen for supper, "There's no way I can talk to mom about all this. It will only scare her. She wouldn't understand. "