The Shadows That Lurk Inside

I opened the door and went up the stairs to my room. After finishing my homework, I came down to get some food. On the fridge was a note from my mother saying that she would be working all night at the hospital. I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and went back to my room. I played video games for a while until I saw that the sun was going down.

Before it got completely dark outside, I turned on all of the lights in the house. I suffered from Nyctophobia, the fear of the dark, but unlike most people, I can see in it. I can see the creatures no one was ever supposed to gaze upon. Things that make Texas chainsaw massacre look like a picnic. Some were twisted humanoids, while others were more animalistic. The worst of all the creatures, though, didn’t even look close to something from this reality.

They are all around us, but people hardly ever notice them. The only time I see anyone show any awareness of them is either as a child or when an adult is on psychedelic drugs. I suppose as adults their minds have learned to suppress the ability to see them. Each creature tends to fixate on one person only. They get agitated whenever there’s any kind of aggression around them.

I call them shadowers because they follow you like your shadow, get it. Anyway, my shadower is kind of a wolf corpse creature thing. There is only one way for me not to see these things. I have to keep the area I'm in completely lit up. I know it doesn’t get rid of them, but it keeps them out of sight. It’s preferable that I do this to maintain my sanity so I don’t get sent to a mental hospital. The last time I saw one them I nearly had a mental break down. I’d wager smashing in your principal’s car windshield and using the excuse that “I saw a shadow monster on it” would not go over well. Using the “I saw a spider” didn’t go that well either, but at least it kept me out of the nuthouse.

Now the house was nice and bright, just how I liked it. I was sitting in my room reading when the lights began to flicker. Already prepared for a possible blackout, I went for my flashlight and phone. Equipped with two light sources, I took a seat. The room went dark and everything went silent. I tried turning on my phone to no avail. Next, I tried the flashlight and that didn’t work. Now that I think about it, buying batteries would have been a good idea. 

A moment later, I noticed my shadower staring me straight in the face. Its eyes were pitch black. A dark liquid oozed from its mouth and rot was rampant across the creature's body. Pieces of rib jutted out of its chest cavity. Its breathing was heavy and slow. My heart pumped fast and hard. I held as still as possible, trying not to provoke it with any movement that might set it off. It didn’t move a muscle. The creature just sat there and stared directly at me.

After a few minutes, I got the feeling it was not going to leave anytime soon. So I decided I was going to make a run for the door. I counted down from five and sprinted for my door, slamming and locking it shut. The creature howled, making a sound more like nails on a chalkboard than anything else. I rushed downstairs and hid in the living room behind the couch. 

All of a sudden I heard a window break somewhere in the house. I peeked around the corner to see a man unlocking the back door in the kitchen. He entered silently and stood in the kitchen. I was fairly sure he couldn’t see me. Otherwise, I would have probably been dead by now. I pressed my back against the wall and attempted to breathe quietly. My senses sharpened from the adrenaline pumping in my veins. Every vibration going throughout the house rang within my body. Waiting while he slowly moved forward was agony. 

In front of me, a dark mist began to accumulate, forming my shadower, the wolf corpse which sat staring at me, yet again. Two dangers threatened my life now. One could kill me on the spot or possibly kidnap and torture me. On the other hand, there was a shadow wolf who could most likely devour my soul. Although, the wolf had never actually tried to harm. Could it maybe be friendly? I thought, contemplating what could be the best option. No way. Right? The man kept creeping forward. I didn’t have a lot of time to decide. Even if I did go for the shadow wolf option, what would I do? Pet it?

Against all of my better judgment, I reached out. My hand approached the wolf and I patted it on the head. Its tail began to wag and happily panted. The shadow wolf started to transform. It no longer had any rot, nor did any of its ribs poke out of its chest. The dark liquid from its mouth receded and its fur became a shiny stark black. Now, what to do about the man in my house? The floorboards creaked under his feet and I winced. My heart began beating faster as he quickly came around the corner. 

The wolf, sensing the danger, turned into the dark mist and entered my body. My muscles felt like they were on fire. A moment later, I tossed the man across the room. He got up and pulled out a knife slashing at me left then right. I dodged his attacks and knocked him into the kitchen. I slammed him into the kitchen table, shattering it. He got to his feet and went for a jab at my chest with the knife. I grabbed it and snapped the blade clean off. Left with no weapon, he stumbled back. I gave a howling screech like the wolf. The man dashed out the backdoor into the darkness. Exhausted from the fight, I closed the door, locked it, and headed upstairs where I passed out on my bed.

Early in the morning, I could hear my mother open the front door and then yelling. I rushed to see what’s going on. 

“ What the heck happened to the kitchen.” She screamed at me. In hindsight, I probably should have at least cleaned up.