The Darkest of Creatures

Creak, says the door, despite my attempt to open it smoothly.

Sweat floods my cheeks and a sense of heaviness forms in my gut, but I do my best to press it down, for I cannot afford to let the fear win. I would pay the ultimate price for such a mistake.

Get moving or perish where you stand. Die cowering in fear, without even attempting to escape this nightmare. That’s not me. I will not allow that to be me. The fear inside is growing in strength, but I am stronger. I will prevail, and I will survive this, Gulp.

I push the door wide open and attempt to move outside the safe zone, but my hand won’t let go of the door handle. With great effort, I pry away one finger after the other until, at last, I am free to enter the hallway.

Armed with nothing but a flashlight, I move across the old floorboards, stepping lightly and sharpening my senses. Inside my head rings the words my father told before he was consumed by the unnerving darkness. Words of courage that I cling onto like a baby to his mother’s breast.

“The darker the creature, the greater is its susceptibility to light.”

I almost slip on a piece of rotten wood.

Creak. Sweat intermixes with tears running down my face. I clench my teeth while moving toward the stairs. Courage!

“The darker the creature, the greater is its susceptibility to light.”

I reach the stairs and take hold of the railing with one hand, tightly clutching the flashlight in my other.

“GROWL”

I bolt down the rest of the steps, throwing myself at the ground and hastily pointing the flash of light in the direction of the unnerving sound.

Silence.

I allow myself shallow breaths as I try to regain my composure, and at last, I stand up to walk toward the door, which is but ten steps away.

Slowly, I creep forward. Eight steps. Five steps.

“GROWL!”

It’s even closer this time, hurry for god’s sake! I place my hand on the handle. But just as I am about to open the door, I feel a sharp pain erupting from my right shoulder. I turn around swiftly with the flashlight in hand, screaming with the last of my breath.

“The darker the creature, the greater is its susceptibility to light!”

However, it is my father’s face that is looking down on me. Twisted and ruined, but still my father’s face.

My distress is palpable, and I see on his wicked grin how he relishes in my shocked and fearful expression.

The last I hear before joining him in the abyss is:

“I Lied”