IS

The first thing I can remember was him chasing me through yards and over fences, sometimes so close I could literally hear his breath panting in unison with my own. I don’t know how long I had been running, or how I continued to escape the clutches of his powerful and inhuman grasp, but I had, and at one point I had put enough distance between us that I was able to hide.

It was then that I came across what looked to be a large army blanket, randomly draped over a railing on someone’s deck. I quickly snatched it up, crawled into a corner of the deck, and pulled it over and around me. I felt as though I had regressed back to being a child again, with childish thoughts and solutions. As long as I was hidden under the heavy wool cloth, I would be safe from terrible things. But, I could only hope that terrible things had gotten that memo as I sat there hot and motionless, listening in the stillness for sounds as my heart beat rapid and hard in my chest. That alone seemed loud enough to give me away.

The crickets were playing their favorite song, when I heard someone or something move slowly into the surrounding area. Even the crickets fell silent to the intruder as I held my breath, waiting for him to lose interest, praying for him to leave. And then I heard the same horrifying raspy whisper that I had heard yesterday, at the clearing, by the hole.

“Jo-shu-a!”

I felt ready to pass out. I had no choice but to exhale, and then draw in another breath. Part of me wanted to rip off the blanket and run, while the other continued to believe that as long as I remained quiet and still, he would give up his search and go away. I was reeling with indecision, when through the blanket, next to my left ear, I again heard Randi’s voice.

“Josh! I found you!”

I screamed, swiped the imaginary cover from my body, and bolted from the couch to the floor. Quickly ascending to my feet, I fell against a wall, when I was overtaken by the bright afternoon sunlight that pained my virgin eyes. Laughing and crying at the same time, I felt as though I had finally said goodbye to what sanity still existed.

I accidently tipped over a vase, picked it up, and threw it with all my might at the brick fireplace across from me. Shards of glass came raining down everywhere on and around me, when reality set in that it probably wasn’t the best decision I had ever made. But I did at that moment feel somewhat better. I closed my eyes, tipped my head forward, and shook the pieces from my hair as I continued to step backwards away from the contaminated area, when the back of my ankles were stopped by the six inch elevation of the kitchen floor. I fell back onto the hard tile, reminded of how sore my tailbone still was, and wondering where Midnight had run off to. I wiped saliva from the corners of my mouth. A nervous giggle was still present, at least until I looked to the large clock and saw that it was already 2:17.

A quiet came over me as I began to decipher how much daylight was left. I was Charlton Heston in “The Omega Man” or Will Smith in “I Am Legend”. Only, I wasn’t the last remaining human, and I wasn’t fighting off hundreds of mutants. I only had to deal with one, but somehow that didn’t make me feel any less scared. The one thing we absolutely had in common was that we judged our days by how much daylight we had—that the darkness was where the evil would come out and hunt the good… me!

Although aside from his evil appearance, he didn’t seem to want to hurt me in any way. I had done that several times now to myself. In fact, he brought back my flashlight. For all I knew, he could have carried me home from the woods last night. I certainly don’t remember making that trip back on my own! All I remember was that he touched my forehead, and then I woke up in my bed…

Wait a minute now! My emotions were starting to confuse me, pulling me in two different directions. I wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. But I have to admit, it did feel a bit less scary with even a miniscule amount of possibility that he may not be the evil son of a bitch I originally thought he was. But this didn’t mean I would put my guard down. I mean, it’s not like I was suddenly thrown into an episode of “My Favorite Martian”. I was definitely still scared, and I still had every reason to be. Maybe now, I just wasn’t all that sure that my life was in jeopardy, that’s all.

Venting my frustration was beginning to become quite messy. I climbed to my feet and surveyed the aftermath of my last tantrum. I knew there would be repercussions from what I had done in the basement. Cleaning the mess was going to be a task, but facing my wife with the loss of her valuables? That would surely be a battle. I couldn’t think about that now, but I could clean. And that’s exactly what I did for the next couple of hours. I carefully picked up any large pieces, swept, and vacuumed until I felt that I had gotten every last piece of glass.

After showering, and tending to my wounds, I sat with a new sense of curiosity, egging me to take a short trip, a trip that would inevitably take me to my least favorite spot, the hole down by the river. But as I said, my human nature would let me think of nothing else. It was a hot sunny day, and I couldn’t help but imagine him submerged within the protection of the cool, dark earth. A little something to fill my hole, and I would be on my way.

As I stepped out into the bright afternoon sun, my street appeared quiet and vacant to any movement whatsoever. Not one child riding a bike, not even the sound of a dog barking. I glanced over to find the Gust’s gate closed and latched—surprisingly unusual. I was still alone as I moved along the sidewalk, and through the well-kept and manicured ghost town that was my neighborhood.

A few minutes passed, when I was in awe that I had made it to the end of my street without so much as a familiar voice or face. It was just as well, since I had no desire to get caught up in a lengthy conversation about trivial stuff while on a mission that had all my attention. Though, if someone would have stopped me to do just that, I would have been very receptive, taking advantage of real human contact. But like I said, I was on a mission and focused on one thing. I was weird that way.

I had finally reached the boulevard, where I once again faced the long narrow path which ultimately led to his place of hiding. It was as if I was stalking Dracula, or some other creature of the night that was closely related. Impatiently, I would wait several minutes for the frenzy of traffic to subside, allowing me to finally get on with why I was here to begin with.

Even though I could barely contain myself while waiting to cross, once I set foot on the asphalt path and raised my line of sight to the adventure ahead of me, intense anxiety flooded my chest once more. “Fuck it!” I said out loud, as two old women walked past from behind me. It wasn’t until one of them looked back at me in disgust, that I realized it was the same two ladies from the other night.

“Good afternoon!” I smirked. “Beautiful day!”

With that, they both looked back. One was smiling until the other gave her a nudge. They continued on their way with a pace that had picked up dramatically. I dropped my head and smiled, letting them gain some distance before I would also head that way. A few minutes later, I continued on, myself. My smile had long since passed. The anxiousness had never left, it was only temporarily interrupted. I proceeded down the well-shaded path, anticipating what the river’s edge would hold for me.

The air was warm, but the large oak trees provided a comfortable shelter from the hot August sun as I traveled further, only seeing maybe a handful of people in passing before I realized that I had caught up to the two old women. I’ll call them Betty and Wilma; Betty being the smaller, more passive one. While Wilma, well let’s just say she had the persona of someone a bit more dominating in character. My warped, but imaginative mind instantly envisioned her in a leather clad dominatrix outfit, cracking a whip with that same look of disgust on her wrinkled face… sometimes, I was weird that way. That mental picture forced me to stop walking, as I bent over with both hands on my knees, laughing hysterically for several seconds before finally tapering off to a mild giggle. And just when I thought I was finished, I looked up to see her face once more, as they had made a turn to head back the other way, her eyes straight forward. When they passed, I desperately tried to contain myself, only letting out a small giggle. I then lifted the bottom of my shirt so that I could bury my face into it, letting out one last muffled scream before blotting my eyes dry. Letting my shirt fall, I took a deep breath and then let it out, moving forward once again with my mission.

There would be no more laughing, as I could faintly hear the river’s rushing flow, now only a short distance away. This was what I had bravely anticipated–-up until now. My knees grew weak, and I was finding it difficult to breathe comfortably, wondering what I would find once I reached the clearing.

This time there would be no guessing when it came to time, as I slid my cell phone from a pocket and found it to be 4:32. I was the epitome of organization, as I had also set an alarm for 7:00… just in case. I guess a weapon would have been nice, something small and stealthy that I could have concealed in a pocket opposite my cell phone.

I suppose, if I had really thought this out, I would have brought my Smith and Wesson extreme ops four inch lock-blade with me. I had gotten it for Christmas from my brother two years ago, and even though it was very cool to have, I had a feeling I might never find a use for it. Well, I finally had a use for it, and I blew it.

No matter now. I was almost there and probably wouldn’t need a weapon anyway. I guess I just would have felt cool with it on me. I stood nervously, pretending to stretch, while waiting for the path to clear once again before making my way through the tall brush and to the clearing one last time. Patiently, I waited for a couple on roller blades to move further on down the path, and then it was time.

As I moved off the hard asphalt and felt my first step push down into the soft earth, I knew there would be no turning back from the very spot that I had only yesterday, escaped with my life, or so it seemed. I moved forward, never looking back, reveling in anticipation, when my left foot crunched down on something, ending with a snap. Reaching down into weeds, I came up with Alley’s sunglasses, or rather, a disfigured representation of what they were. “Awesome!” I sarcastically whispered, and then tossed them aside.

I was closer now, maybe ten feet from where I would push through the tall barrier of foliage that had kept this place a secret from practically everyone who passed by here. But, there was a secret within a secret, and as I dissected my way into the clearing, I felt strongly that some secrets were never meant to be discovered, that a secret and a burden could be one and the same. Again–-my ugly cross to bear.

No time was wasted making my way to the proverbial opening in the earth, as the heroic craving that had brought me here slowly began to dissipate, leaving me with only a mild curiosity at best, which had no choice but to fade away to the now consuming fear. There was no protection from the sun’s seething rays either.

I slowly spun my body around to scan the area for a large branch, or something long that I could stick down into the hole. With a little effort, I soon found one. It had been dead for some time, but it was approximately ten to twelve feet long and had some girth to boot. This was how I would determine if he was there, or not. This was how I could finally move past this moment and possibly, hopefully, back to the safe sanctuary of my home once again.

Aside from the rush of cold water only yards away, the quiet was stifling, making it feel as though I were the only living and breathing thing here. Staring down into the black abyss before me—I was counting on it.

As I raised the large, dead branch into the air, glimpses of haunting scenes past flashed through my head, feeding my ambition, and giving me the courage to complete this menial task. I took one deep breath, and as I exhaled, I yelled out nothing that made any human sense, drove the branch hard into the hole, and felt the end stick violently into the dirt below, maybe six feet from where I stood.

He wasn’t here! I guess the absence of his smell should have been my first clue, but if not here—then where? I sat down in the weeds that surrounded me, leaving the branch to protrude from the ground like some prehistoric antenna. A nervous calm swept through me as I continued to look over the entire area for anything out of the ordinary, anything that didn’t belong here-–much like myself. I was now beginning to sweat profusely. I rose to my feet and made my way to the cool, inviting river. I felt that maybe this was my reward. I dropped to my knees at the river’s edge and took one last look behind and around me, before cupping my hands together to splash the cold reward of what the river had to offer over my face and neck. The change in temperature was shocking. I dropped my head and tried to focus my eyes again, ready to scoop more water, when something in the water grabbed my attention.

I stood up, and tried desperately to make it out, but there was no focusing through the churning current of sediment, not to mention that this part of the river was well shaded from the bright sweltering sunlight that only seconds earlier, had made my life a heated hell. I thought for a moment, never taking my eyes off the object that was maybe four feet from the bank, and however deep.

I left and returned with the long thick branch. Standing at the very edge, I drove the end into the water, and into the light colored object, poking and prodding at it until my staff became hung up or stuck on something. At first I tugged lightly, and then pulled harder still, until the object began to rise to the surface. I was struggling a bit with the current. I was able to finally pull it closer, before coming to terms with the fact that I was once again staring into his white demon face—smiling at me, just barely below the water’s surface. And even though I had seen it several times before, this episode was no less frightening than the first.

I looked to find that he had been holding onto the branch. I tried pushing him off and away from me, before letting go and turning to run. It was my second or third step that caused me to slip, taking my body out from under me, and driving my head into a smooth, but hard surface.

I would once again dream, only this time of blinding white sandy beaches. I saw Corey’s smiling face coaxing me into the water, with suggestive body language that could only prove rewarding for me in the end. As I followed her deeper into the ocean, I briefly turned my head back to find Shane on the shore, flexing his muscles to an entourage of beautiful women maybe twice his age.

When I looked back to my wife, she had her back to me, now naked and moving seductively through the water. I looked one last time to the shore again, and there was no one there. I was beginning to feel as though I were in a pornographic/aquatic version of “Alice in Wonderland”.

I turned back to find Alley sitting on a surfboard farther out past Corey, yelling for me to go back to shore, screaming for me to leave. I was alarmed, but even more so at fact that Corey had stopped moving.

“Corey! What’s going on?”

She didn’t answer. She only dropped her head and turned her naked body to face mine, with the water’s surface cresting just above her pubic area.

“Daddy, no!” Alley continued to cry out. She seemed even farther from me now. I moved closer to Corey.

“Honey? Are you okay?” I asked, as I was almost close enough to touch her now.

“Josh, I need you!” she spoke out in a strange and disturbing voice that chilled me to the bone.

I moved to push back the long hair that covered her face, when her hands clamped over both my wrists and she looked up at me with a pasty whiteness and large black doll eyes that resembled his.

I screamed as I sat up on the dark and quiet river bank, head aching in unrivaled pain that made me vomit from nausea several times before I was even able to address my situation. Aside from the unbearable pain, I was also dizzy and unable to stand, at first.

It also took a few minutes to understand what had happened. I glanced down at the large smooth stone, with the help of my cell phone’s light, to find it spackled with blood—my blood. I then reached up with my free hand to touch the sticky wetness of my injury, as I painfully and slowly turned 360, scanning the area while holding my cell out in front of me for light. Much like the dream I had earlier today, the crickets were again singing with praise to the night. Only this wasn’t a dream. I didn’t think so, anyway. As far as I could tell, this was real, and I was in real trouble!

I turned the phone around and found it to be 9:48pm. The pm was important to see, since I was that confused and unclear about so many things, pushing through the pain, and now also through the blackness, trying to make my way to the asphalt that would lead me home. The moon would give no assistance to me tonight though, as I felt my way through the brush, playing the role of some lost, blind soul.

“Josh!”

I wasn’t sure if I was losing it, or if I actually heard my own voice call my name. I felt as if I were going to be sick again. I dropped to my knees in the tall weeds and angrily answered my own voice. “What?” I called out, as I was not only on my knees, but now on my hands as well, in anticipation of having to surrender yet again. “I said, What?” I yelled out into the darkness. The pressure from my aching skull made me wince in tears, throwing up once more, and falling onto my left side. I then rolled over and on to my back, staring up into what I could only imagine was the sky. No moon, no stars. Only black. I laid there for several minutes, trying to regain some sense of normality, when I became aware of the fact that I probably wasn’t alone.

I raised my head and look down the length of my body, past my feet and into the darkness. Not wanting to make any sudden movements, I slowly lifted my phone in the same direction, aiming the screen as best I could towards the sounds which were becoming louder and closer to me—when the tension of the moment was split by the sound of an incoming call.

I focused my eyes on the screen to find Corey’s name and a low battery sign repeatedly blinking at me. I tried hard to answer it as normal as possible. “Hi hon. This really isn’t the best time.”

“Dad?” a small timid voice spoke into my ear.

“Alley?”

“Run Dad! Run now!”

Every part of me froze except my right arm, which had already flipped the bright screen back in that direction, scanning through the tall weeds and trees. I could hear Alley’s voice screaming though the tiny speakers an arm’s length away.

“Dad! Get out of there! Get out of there now! Run Dad, run!”

I rose to my feet and began to do just that. I was running and swiping my way through the weeds, never bothering to look back at what could have been chasing me. I was sure that I had to be close to the path by now.

“Alley? What’s going on? Are you all right? I could hear you screaming down here from the house!” Corey yelled out.

She was approaching Alley on the beach, where her little girl had fled to warn her father of yet another terrible dream. Only now she had succumbed to the idea that this was something much more, since she had experienced it while being awake this time. Somehow, and for whatever strange and unexplainable reason, she was connected to her father and all the evil that seemed to envelope him.

“What the heck were you screaming about?” Corey asked. She was now standing over little Alley, who was still shaking a bit from the recent vision. “And is that my phone?”

Alley stood up, placed the phone in her mother’s hand, and gave her mom half of a smile, as a single tear streamed down her right cheek. She began to trudge through the thick, white sand back towards the house without so much as a word, passing her bewildered grandparents who were on the beach as well. Alley reached the door and slammed it shut behind her.

Corey’s parents both looked to her for an answer. “Don’t ask me!” was all she had to come back with. After a few seconds of staring out onto the moonlit ocean, Corey turned to say something to her parents, who had already begun their walk back to the house. She then looked down and opened her phone to check the last number called… “What the hell?”