The Sixth Night

      Memories of my Dad shouting at me kept replaying in my head after he found the fresh bruise marks around my veins. His reaction was to ship me off to stay with my brother and his family way down South in a small town surrounded by an abundance of oak trees and overzealous religious beliefs. The community seemed like a close-knit group of people, everyone with plantation-style houses spread apart by large acres of grassy lawns.

      When I arrived at his house, I was puffy-eyed and lethargic from the red-eye, my brother Kenneth guided me to the guest bedroom where I'd be sleeping. I first noticed the walls had been covered in wooden crosses and large paintings of the Messiah in a white robe glaring down at the position of the bed.

      "Ben, I know it's not much, but it's got A/C if you need it. We have an old console and TV in the closet with a couple of video games."

      I had almost tuned my brother out from staring at the portrait. The man in robes had eyes so large they felt like they were burning into me.  

      "What about the WIFI?" I asked. "I'm gonna be bored to death."

      "C'mon, man. You know I gotta do what's best for you." 

      "What's behind the small hatch?" I pointed to the corner of the room.

      "I ain't gonna lie to you, that's where the router is, but it's locked."

      "This is stupid." I rolled my eyes. 

      "I know, I know. But, I don't want you to get any ideas. You know the more you work with me, the easier it gets. If you let the Lord in your heart just a little bit, I promise he won't disappoint you." Kenneth smiled excitedly almost as if it was on my behalf. "Just give it about a week, man. You'll feel like a weight off your shoulder."

      "Not even for a couple of hours?" I begged.

      "No," Kenneth said sternly. "Please get some rest. Tomorrow's Sunday."

      *****

      The next day, we went to a Southern Baptist Church. 

      With the humidity levels at the high 90s and the suffocating air, I was ready to open the door and jump out onto the moving traffic. I watched the same large trees passing by through the windows of the car and one 20-foot sign that welcomed us, "REPENT, SINNERS. YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!"

      My brother in his Sunday best introduced me to at least half a dozen families in the church. They guided me to sit on the benches while we watched the live performance on-screen. They were playing Rock songs with bible verses. And I got to witness 8 baptisms, each with people of varying ages and a 10-second recording of themselves recalling why they wanted to give themselves to their Lord.

      The first girl walked up to the stage with her pastor, smiling big in her purple floral dress. We all watched a recording of her sitting crisscross in her bedroom. "I'm Anabelle. I'm 9 years old and I feel that I'm ready to get Baptized because..." she said looking a little shaken while her bright blue eyes darted off-screen where there was a shadow in the corner blotting out a portion of her room. She continued, "I- I believe our Lord and Savior will protect me and cleanse me from those disgusting corrupted thoughts that lurk inside." She paused for a moment, and then a bright big smile painted her face again. "And I give myself fully and truly to our almighty God."

      The video ended and we all collectively clapped while the pastor gently pushed her down beneath the pool of holy water. She rose catching her breath, trembling from the temperature. She smiled again and waved to the crowd as she walked to her Dad's arms who wrapped her in a dry towel.

      The rest of the day had been spent thinking about Church and I had spent a nice day with my brother. But, my eyes had still been red with dark circles around them. Later that night, I woke up at 2:00 am again. I've always found it difficult to sleep in stranger's beds, even Hotel rooms made me feel uncomfortable. I kept tossing and turning while I closed my eyes but, suddenly I felt something warm on my face. The sensation was like warm breaths of air on my forehead. When I opened my eyes, all I could see was a blinking white light in the corner of the room. It was the camera my brother had set up that made me feel a bit uneasy. 

      This is Bullshit. Why do I need to be watched? 

      I tossed my shirt at it but it slid back down.

      I kept trying to sleep by focusing on the rotating blades of my fan, but the sound of faint rumbles coming from the small attic hatch in the corner distracted me. 

      I laid back down on my bed and tried to ignore it. 

      Then I felt something, pressing down on my chest.

      I knew there was nobody else in the room. I stood up covered in sweat, and walked over to crack the window open for some fresh air. 

      The katydids and crickets were active at night making a cacophony of ticking sounds and obnoxious soft buzzes that sounded deafening.

      I regretted opening it instantly. 

      Then suddenly, I heard footsteps coming from across the street. I saw a small black figure approach, I thought at first a jogger. I then realized it was far too small to be human. The hairs behind my neck quickly pricked up when it waddled on four legs and then stood up on its hind legs for a moment. As it walked closer to the streetlights, I could make out a bit more than its sharp prickly hairs. It was a small creature with a peculiar face, it arched its back up while on all-fours. It looked almost like a smiling dog-man. It looked straight up at me with its rows of teeth stretched to the side of its boney cheeks. 

      It didn't make any sounds but just smiled at me. 

      My arms started to shake 

      "Ben!" someone called out. 

      I let go of the window as it clamped down on the tips of my fingers

      "Shit!" I jumped. "Ow. Ow. Shit. You scared me."

      My brother had been standing in the doorway in his pajamas. 

      "Everything OK?" he asked concerned about why I was up so late. 

      I looked outside of the window and there was nothing there. "Yeah, everything's fine," I said gulping my saliva. "I thought I saw something."

      "You really shouldn't be up this late, Ben."

      I had agreed with him for once. Tomorrow morning I'll try to get some food in my system that I hope will help with this lack of appetite. I felt too famished and sleepy throughout the day.

      "Good night, Ben. Tomorrow we'll try some good sweet tea. It's to die for."

      *****

      The next morning, I sat on a couch in my room where there had been a copy of the Bible, in the Chapter called "The Book of the Beginnings." I ran my finger through it speed-reading some of the paragraphs when I stumbled on a passage that caught my interest. 

      "Uncle Ben?" My niece knocked on the door and asked me to come to have Breakfast with everyone at the table. Before eating, we all held hands and my brother offered a prayer on our behalf thanking God for the meal in front of us. 

      It was a great next few days, I felt the jitters of withdrawal were subsiding and for the first time in a few weeks I felt truly nourished and I had no bad cravings. I even played a couple of tennis matches with my brother and a friend.

      "Ben, you look a lot chipper these days," Kenneth said while we were out in the courts.  

      "Eh, I feel like I'm getting used to it here."

      "Tonight's a special night, Ben."

      "Whys that?"

      "Tomorrow completes one whole week of you being here. Today's the sixth day."

      "Time flies," I said.

      "You look healthier and more active. Tonight before bed, we'll go eat wherever you want to, doesn't matter the price. You let me know, Ok?"

      Kenneth and I went to eat at a really good Southern fried chicken place, I was so full that I figured I would knock out right away.  

      I had been sleeping a lot better the last few days anyways, and I almost forgot about the creepy hallucinations outside of the window the second night.  

      It was 3:00 am when I woke up again to loud banging sounds. 

      "Whose there?!" I called out almost yelling. I ran over to my door where I tried to turn the doorknob but it had been locked from the outside. 

      "Kenneth! Are you up?! The doors stuck! Anyone?!" 

      I banged on the door but nobody had reacted. The light had been flickering on and off until it was completely shut off. The loud bangs through the walls continued and kept getting louder. It was something behind the hatch in the corner that was making that noise. Something was trying to force its way out.  

      "Kenneth?" I leaned back against the wall paralyzed and slid down until I was sitting on the carpet floor. Under the doorway, I could see two shadows, as if someone was standing behind the door. They were unresponsive to my cries for help.

      "Open the door!" I yelled. Tears formed down my cheeks and I kept looking out towards the little corner in the dark room until the small door ripped open.    What made itself out was like something out of my nightmares.

      "Get the hell away!" I pleaded trying to toss things at it. I slammed my back into the wall with such force, it tilted one of the crosses upside-down.

      "Please! Please!!!" I pleaded.

      The creature kept walking with one dense foot over the other until it was unnaturally close. It disjointed its jaws open far wide as it could, while the Messiah in the portrait smiled and beckoned for the creature to cleanse away my sins.

"Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." Genesis 1:24–31