The Shifting Darkness

           It was all dark now. Narcissa, with her mother, had moved into this house just two weeks before. They had left the city house because the doctor suggested that a change of air might be helpful for improving her situation. Bellatrix was getting addicted to drinking, and it was affecting her liver very much. Whenever she was tired, she would empty the bottle down her throat and then fell like a log. Since she and Narcissa, neither could be left alone, they tried to change their residence.

           The house was a small safe haven. Although the house was beautifully made, no one inhabited it after Mr. Flanders’ death. It was on a solitary pathway, and was surrounded by shrubberies. The closest neighborhood house was about two miles away. Bellatrix and Narcissa found this a comfortable place to live in. The tree surrounding the house made it look like a tree-house. Narcissa often spent her evenings in the lobby listening to the chirping birds, and the rustling leaves. She was ready to do anything it took to make her mother healthy, but she felt very lonely, at times. Yet in the matter of the past fortnight, there was no improvement, however slight, in Bellatrix’s health.

           It was just like the past nights, both of them had eaten food, and Bellatrix, despite Narcissa’s requests and threats, downed a full alcohol shot, and then went off to bed. Narcissa was reading her book in the torchlight, as Bellatrix was trying was asleep, and she didn’t want to disturb her peace. Since the day they moved here, Narcissa was having a great difficulty falling asleep. Mostly it was past midnight when she dozed off to sleep. She was quite accustomed to it now. The neighborhood was quiet. A soft breeze rustled through the trees now and then. She left her book, got up from her bed, and stood in the window. Narcissa was wondering if she would find any friends in the locality. She had myriads of questions going on in her mind. What would her friends be like if she had any? Which school should she get admitted into? She was pondering over these thoughts when she heard Bellatrix say, “Cissy darling! Close the window and get back to your bed. I can’t sleep if I’m worried about you not being in your bed”.

           Narcissa was a magnificently obedient child – always following her mother’s commands, helping her mother do the house chores, and running errands for her. In a period of just two weeks, she had gained a reputation in the neighborhood. She was an exemplary figure of a daughter for the children in the neighborhood. Being that obligatory little girl, she left the window, kissed her mother goodnight, and sitting on her bed grabbed the book again.

           Jack had been looking for shelter for three days now. He had a glimpse of this solitary house and found it best to rest there. It seemed to him by the appearance of the house that it was unkempt, desolated and uninhabited. Without wasting any more time in looking for a better place to rest, he immediately paced up the road to reach the house. He was immensely hungry, for he had not eaten a morsel of bread after running from the bar. He had enjoyed spending his time at the bar, staying with others who were just like him. He hadn’t had any idea of the threat, and when he was informed by Taylor, he did not lose an instant before coming out of the bar and running wildly on the road. In these three days, he had been dreaming of strange events whenever he dozed off, and before he woke up by the dread of his dreams – the uneasiness of the rocks beside him woke him up. He was unable to understand and comprehend his dreams, so he just wiped them out from his thoughts, and focused on looking for a shelter somewhere. And now he stood facing the very door of this house.

           Reaching for the door, he found it locked. In order not to make a fuss or leave a mark, he jumped into the house through the window. Hearing the thump, Narcissa rose from her bed and went to the window. Jack got a hold of her even before she could blink. He placed his hand on her mouth to keep her silent.

           ‘I reckon you are alone here, looney. Well, even if there are others, I don’t care. I won’t harm you if you let me do what I want.’

           Narcissa was trying to set herself free and in doing that, she bit his hand. Jack slapped her hard, and she fell off close to the kitchen table. Picking her up, Jack said, “I thought you were a wee little kiddy, but noooo, you try to fight with me. Now stay quiet or you don’t even think what I’ll do to you.” He slapped her again and filled her mouth with the hem of her dress. He moved his hands blindly to reach for the fridge; he grabbed hold of a bottle and drank it. Just when he was about to turn, Narcissa attacked him from behind. Even though he was drunk and senseless due to the lack of sleep, he was able to avoid a brutal injury, but attacked Narcissa with the same knife. He did not let her lose lest her cries should wake the others, if any.

           ‘Hahahaha!! stupid brat! Reckless stupid brat! Dares to stand up against me! Brave, eh! Tries to attack me! The J.R. Yeah, that’s me. J.R. The Jack Remus, The butcher!.

           He went over to the kitchen, turned on the light, and ate whatever he found. After eating rapaciously, he slept at the table near Narcissa’s blood-loathed, pale, cold body. It was about quarter to six, when Bellatrix opened her droopy eyes, and not finding Cissy around, got up. Her throat was dry, for she often slept with her mouth open. Not finding Cissy, she got up from her bed to fetch herself a glass of water. But just as she stepped out of the corner, she started screaming and shouting.

           Jack was stunned upon seeing Bellatrix, not because she had discovered her crime, but because she, his wife whom he had left alone with a daughter in her hands six years before, was standing in front of him. She looked mad, even hysterical when she grabbed his collar and shouted abuses at his face.

           “I didn’t believe them, you know. I didn’t believe them when they said you were not worth it, that you were a killer. I didn’t. And now, you’re a monster, look…. You’ve killed her…… you’ve killed my Cissy… my daughter… your own. Oh, you’ve killed her”.

           Jack was caught up in disbelief; he didn’t trust his ears, or his eyes. He felt as if the earth had been pulled from under his feet. He felt as if someone had buried him, even before he was dead. Though the sun was up, though it was a bright day outside, yet nothing could illuminate the darkness in their lives. The darkness created by their own hands – it engulfed them, it destroyed them. They had ruined their lives themselves.