Finding Truth in the Dark

In the past, there were monsters in the night; boogeymen underneath the bedside. We hunted them, searched through the shadows, and attempted to eradicate them. By 1947, we had decimated their population, turning their thousands of numbers to the low hundreds. Those left went into hiding, while we brought out the light of the world again. It wasn’t until 1953 when we heard from them again - on the day that I became matriarch of the O’Connor Family. My name is Mary-Anne O’Connor, and I was born into a family of hunters. Many generations of proud monster killers who kept our blood line pure. I was raised to be fierce, independent, and strong-willed. My grandfather, William O’Connor, had taken the lead on my training, while my mother looked on quietly. While he taught me to be blood-thirsty and ruthless, my mother was weak and demure; a disappointment to our family name. I became her replacement, my grandfather’s do-over child, as my skills enhanced and I took the mantle as his heir. It was the spring of 1953, when I was 25 years of age, when the mantle was passed down to me; a coronation, of sorts. Our family garden was in full bloom, styled meticulously to show our family strength in foliage. There were mountainous ice sculptures in my likeness and tiered cakes taller than my eldest cousin, Jeremiah. Our guests convened in the foyer that led to the great hall, chatting idly amongst themselves as the servants walked around with trays of light desserts and champagne. At the noon hour, when the sun would be at its highest and light would be streaming in through the stained glass, the grandiose grandfather clock chimed. Our guests, a mixture of family members and esteemed politicians (local, national, and international), migrated to their seats. They sat and waited for my grandfather to make his announcement. After a breath, he made his walk down the center aisle, accompanied by Father Demetrus, a career practitioner who had been spreading The Good Word for more than 65 years. He was a pillar of the community, a leader like my grandfather, who had dedicated his life to the eradication of demons and monsters alike. “Welcome,” I could hear my grandfather begin. “Today, we mark the passing of our torch and the continuation of our traditions. Today, my granddaughter will take up the mantle as I pass it down. After today, she will no longer be my heir and apprentice, but the matriarch of our great family. Please join me in welcoming Mary-Anne O’Connor, first of her name, Priestess of the Truth and Light!” Polite, but confident applause filled the great hall and echoed across the halls. When I appeared at the top of the stone staircase, our guests rose from their seats, turning towards me as their applause died down. Cautiously, I made my way down, careful to not trip on my heels or step on the ends of the exquisite ball-gown that I wore. Jeremiah stood at the bottom and offered me his arm after guiding me off the final step. Together, we made our way down the aisle and his simple suit was tailored perfectly to his form. I felt dwarven in comparison to his substantial height. Despite what seemed like a long walkway, we were at the front quickly, standing in front of our grandfather. He stood tall, proud in the way that only he could be. While Jeremiah lowered his gaze, I also stood proud, with my head held high. There was an amused glint in my grandfather’s eyes as we locked gazes and he held it for a moment before turning his attention back to Jeremiah. “Lift your head, my boy. Today is the day your life begins in the truth of the light,” he murmured. “Today, you will know your wife and what your purpose is.” My heart rate escalated in excitement, as I realized what was going to happen. “Today is an important day, for it is not only the day that my purpose is handed down to my esteemed granddaughter, but it is also the day that my grandson will be married. Today, we celebrate the matrimony of Mary-Anne O’Connor and Jeremiah O’Connor.” My grandfather’s announcement was met by more applause and encouragement from our guests. In hindsight, I realized that our guests must have been told of today’s events as there was no surprise amongst them. Then, as we began our ascent to the where Father Demetrus stood, but this time we both bowed our heads. I could barely guess what Jeremiah thought, but I prayed hard for the truth to guide me. The answer came suddenly, literally, with a bang. The western wall, facing the blooming gardens, suddenly went dark; the sun eclipsed by the moon. I heard gasps and cries, as multiple windows shattered down onto the floor. A cascade of glass shards scattered across the floor. However, there was no one entering the great hall. “You will not be marrying off my daughter to her own cousin,” a deep, thunderous voice echoed around the room. I jumped when a clawed hand wrapped around my upper arm, and whirled around to only see a hulking man-like beast standing above me. I had felt dwarfed by Jeremiah, who stood at six and a half feet, but this monstrosity towered over even Jeremiah at nearly ten feet tall. Before there could be any sort of breath to fight off the creature holding onto me, bleak shadows cocooned our bodies and we began floating in the air. Large, bat wings spread out from behind the boogeyman as he pushed us through the imploded windows. We flew into the sky, and it was purely from the shock and the need to not die from this height that stopped me from fighting against the arms wrapped around my abdomin. Suddenly, what the monster had said came back to mind. ‘This creature said that I’m his daughter…’ My thoughts only went so far, before everything went black.