The Red Light

The sun shone through the window as I woke up with the sweet smell of peonies and fresh linen hanging just outside my window. Streams of sunlight faded in and out of my room as clouds passed in front. I stretched lightly and heard pans banging and rattling in the kitchen. Slowly getting up from my small bed with tattered linens and my grandmother’s home made quilt, I walked across the cold wooden floor towards the door. 

The kitchen was full of dishes and my grandmother was pulling more from her cupboards. My grandfather was sitting in his chair smoking a pipe watching the morning news. I stopped to listen briefly. A short stout man with thick eyebrows and a magnum PI mustache was holding a mic in front of an old apartment building. He was reporting on an attack that happened in the early morning hours. I dismissed it and went to sit at the kitchen island on one of my grandmother's comfy stools.

“Good morning my love,” she said as she turned around smiling, holding a heavy pot and placing it on the counter.

“Good morning nanna,” I smiled back at her yawning.

“Would you care for a small cup of orange juice?” She asked.

Without hesitation, I nodded, “Yes, please.” Looking around at all the dishes, I asked, “What are you doing?”

She retrieved the cup from the hook, poured some fresh orange juice and set it down in front of me replying, “Your grandfather is going to make his famous popcorn balls and I’m retrieving the large bowls and pots he needs for it.”

I looked over at my grandfather, “What’s the special occasion Pap?”

He took the pipe out of his mouth, “Nothing special about it really. I just thought it might be a good time to share some family recipes with you.” He looked over his shoulder at me and smiled briefly before returning his gaze to the television. Sipping my orange juice, I listened to the T.V. carry on about the attack of a man that was released out of prison the day before. Apparently, the man was serving time for child molestation and after his release he returned to his roach infested apartment where someone had beaten him to death. Serving justice is what my first thoughts were as I turned back to my grandmother who was returning most of the pots and pans back into their rightful place.

“Better go get dressed if I’m going to be slaving away in the kitchen,” I grabbed my juice and headed towards the spare bedroom. I was staying with my grandparents for the weekend. I was in eighth grade and loved to spend every moment I could with them. They really enjoyed having me, since I was their only grandchild and male heir. I was their heir to some old recipes and of course some good old life lessons. I loved my grandparents, they were like my real parents, but less invasive and more trusting. I remember when I was 10 years old my grandfather snuck me some wine in a cup and winked at me when he gave the annual Christmas toast. My grandmother never said anything when she caught me smoking pot for the first time. In fact, she sat next to me and told me about her mother who died a horrible death from lung cancer. She was very visual about it and it got the point across rather well.

Pulling on my jeans and tshirt from the day before I lazily went out to the kitchen with my empty cup in hand. My grandmother was gone and in her place stood my grandfather. He was a large man, his clothes were always neat and tidy, and he smelled of his cherry tobacco that he kept in an old leather pouch. He was placing the oil and butter in the popcorn maker that sat on the stove when I approached and without turning around said, “Could you go to the pantry and get me the bag of kernels and the molasses please?”

“Of course Pap,” and turned immediately to walk down the small corridor to the pantry that sat on the large wall. Opening the doors to these built in cabinets, I searched for the items he had requested. The kernels sat on the waist level middle shelf way in the back. As I stuck my hand back there I noticed a cold draft hit my hand. I bent slightly, stuck my head closer, and peered into the darkness of the shelf. I saw a faded red light softly glowing from behind the back of the pantry boards. I stood up and it disappeared. I grabbed the bag of corn and molasses and closed the doors returning to my grandfather.

“Here you go,” I handed them to him looking a little bewildered.

“You okay?” He asked.

I shook my head and smiled. Not knowing if I was going crazy or if I was still a little tired from staying up late last night. I ignored the light and went back to helping my grandfather with the thought of the red light looming in the back of my mind.

We made popcorn balls most of the morning and afternoon. Being Saturday night, my grandparents have always held the tradition of Saturday ‘Date Night’, even when my father was younger. I thought this was cute. The fact that these two still got dressed up and my grandfather would knock on the front door with flowers. He opened the door for her still and complimented her even before they left the house. They had quite a beautiful relationship. Before they left, they provided visual and verbal directions on where to find emergency numbers to include where they were going to dinner. They also notified me that the neighbor was going to keep an eye on the house while they were gone.

As they left I sat on the porch waving them off. I waited until the lights disappeared before I returned to the panty. I turned the lights off in the hallway and it provided an eerie quietness to the house and the pantry hallway area. I opened the door and faintly saw the red light. I pushed slightly and nothing gave way. There was a small old german stein that sat in the back and I placed my hand around the handle and pushed on the thumb lift to the pewter top and I heard a latch that swung the pantry outward. I stopped and looked around as if I were going to get caught doing something I shouldn’t be. In fact, I actually was snooping around my grandparent’s house.

I opened the door very slowly and entered to find a small hidden room with no windows. The room was dark except for a faint red circular light. Moving closer I noticed it was hooked up to monitors. In the dark I slowly found my way to a lamp that was placed in the far left corner of the room. Running my hands up and down the lamp, I found the switch and clicked it on. The room was filled from floor to ceiling with drawings of one object, a triangle with a dot on in the middle. These drawings were drawn with charcoal, pen, pencil, and lastly a few were drawn in what it looked like blood. The whole scene bewildered me. I did not know what I was looking at. Then there came the monitors. I turned the monitor on and pressed play. I saw a video of this world with large beings that were the size of giants walking the city streets, smiling, and waving to the camera. The towers were white and looked like crystals. Beings walked through walls as if they vanished. The camera turned and it was my grandfather smiling and giving a thumbs up. I turned the video off looking around confused. There were books scattered around and papers that had articles of recent and past attacks that spanned over 150 years. I heard a car door and turned the light off and closed the pantry quickly. Running out to the kitchen I opened the fridge door as my grandfather came in quickly.

I jumped, “Oh my gosh pap, you scared me.”

“Sorry about that kiddo, I got all the way to the restaurant and noticed I forgot my wallet,” he smiled and picked up his wallet from next to his chair.

I smiled at him, “It’s okay, I didn’t even hear the door open.”

My grandfather walked over and leaned over the kitchen island and peered at me, “Is everything okay here?”

“Yeah, of course, just grabbing a cup of milk and a cookie. I was going to watch some t.v.” I smiled at him as nonchalantly as I could.

“Do you have anything you want to ask me?” He peered at me looking as if he knew I knew something.

“No, nothing I can think of. Is there something you want to ask me?” I asked him back feeling very bold.

He sat back and smiled, “Have a good night kiddo, we will be seeing you in a few hours, lock the door behind me.” I did as I was told, followed him out and locked the door.

That night, I fell asleep on the couch and the visions of the triangle and circle plagued my dreams. I felt as if what I had seen was familiar and it scared me. I woke the next morning as I had the day before, the smell of peonies and fresh linens filled my nostrils. I swear I fell asleep on the couch watching t.v. I did not know how I ended up in my bed. I lazily walked out to the kitchen to find my grandfather seated in his chair smoking his pipe and my grandmother pulling pans out of the cupboards. Eerie, I thought to myself.

I sat on the stool at the kitchen island. “What are you doing nanna?”

“Your grandfather is going to make his famous popcorn balls and I’m retrieving the large bowls and pots he needs for it.” She said in the same fashion and movement as the day before. The news played in the background with the same information about the man being beaten after his prison release.

“What day is it today?” I asked my grandmother.’

“It’s Saturday, my love,” she stopped and looked at me confused, “you okay kiddo?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” I went back to my room to find my clothes in the same spot they were the day prior when I put them on. ‘Weird’ I thought to myself. 

I returned out to the kitchen and played out the day as I did previously. This time I waited in the kitchen for my grandfather’s return from forgetting his wallet. He walked in and I sat on the stool.

He looked at me, “Forgot my wallet. You okay kiddo?” He asked.

“Actually Pap, I’m not.” I explained the dreams that I had and how the day seemed to be exactly as the day before.

His poise changed and he went from relaxed to standing upright and rigid. When I told him about the hidden room in the pantry, I don’t even remember when the lights went out. I woke up feeling groggy with my body feeling lighter. I tried to open my eyes and noticed I was under water. Tubes were in my mouth and my nose helping me to breathe and the room was bright and very large. The cylinder I was in was also large and as I reached out my arms to feel for anything around me, I felt glass and thick fluid. I noticed beings outside the tube and there with them was my grandfather who looked like a child next to them. He looked up and spoke to them and I could not hear what they were saying. I started to freak out and started to bang out the glass and try to plead to my grandfather to help me, but he did not. He shook his head and looked at the being. Lights out again.

I woke up and was laying in my grandparents' spare bedroom. I walked out and greeted them as I had every morning. My grandmother was cooking breakfast and my grandfather just returned from mowing the yard. They were sitting at the breakfast counter with their cups of coffee. I sat down on the stool and smiled, “good morning.”

They both returned a loving smile, and my grandmother asked, “Would you like a cup, Honey?”

I looked at her bewildered and replied, “Mom and dad would kill me if I were to start drinking coffee this young.”

She looked at me confused, “Honey are you okay?”

“Of course I am nanna. I just don’t get how you are going to offer your 13 year old grandson coffee, that’s kind of weird.”

Both my grandparents looked at each other and then back at me, my grandfather replied, “Did you go out drinking last night kiddo? The last I knew you were 24 years old.”

I looked at both of them and got up from my chair and went into the bathroom. I locked myself in and looked into the mirror. They were both indeed correct. My pimples were gone, the tousled messy hair was now tight and neat, and I had a masculine older face. I washed my hands and threw water on my face before walking back out to them.

Both grandparents looked concerned as I entered the kitchen. I quickly walked past them and towards the pantry to find a cut out where the pantry doors once had been. There was a small tiny office that was neat and orderly. A library of books occupied one whole wall while a small desk and chair occupied the right side of the room. This was so confusing, maybe it was all a dream. But how did I not remember my teen years into adulthood? Was I in some kind of accident? I walked back out to sit at the kitchen counter and drink some coffee.

“I had one heck of a dream last night. Maybe it confused me somehow.” I took another sip and smiled at my grandparents. “I don’t mean to worry you, I’m sure I’m just over tired.”

They both looked at me and smiled, “Well, I am glad you feel okay Kiddo, because we have date night tonight and I was hoping you would finish painting that fence out front for me.”

“Of course Pap, anything for you.”

I went out after breakfast and finished painting the old wooden fence that outlined the front of the yard. Towards dark, I could see my grandfather bringing his flowers up to the front door and I followed him in where I could hear him comment on how beautiful my grandmother looked. They went on their way and I took a shower. After my shower I returned to the living room and sat down in my grandfather’s chair. Something was poking my hip and I reached down and pulled out a black leather book, on the cover was a golden triangle with a small circle inside. I opened the book up to find equations and drawings that I could not understand. I dropped the book and ran into the small office. I turned the lights off and searched the walls. There on the wall that was outlined with books was that faint red light beaming between two books. I found an old german stein and pulled on the handle. As the door opened, I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder and the world faded to black.