THE LIGHT FROM THE ATTIC

An Episodic Series of Short Stories

By

Darlyne L.


WGA REGISTERED



EPISODE TWO: SHADOWS



I was staring down at my feet as I balanced myself slightly over the edge of the sidewalk. I caught my reflection in the puddle and ignored myself. "Let's go, the light is red," my father said to me. I followed him as we crossed the street. He seemed in a rush, a big hurry. It was a cold and dreary night. The chilly breeze was uncomfortable.


My 35 year old mind recalls the night filled with a sense of foreboding and danger. Even though I was only eight years old, even back then I knew I was going to experience some pivotal event that would change my life. The velocity of the energy intruded my path. It was clear and concise.


My father grabbed my hand as we approached our destination. We were meeting someone. My father had said that it was very important and to be sure that I stay by his side the whole time. We came to the front stoop of a house. It was like any other Brooklyn home. It was a modest two-story red brick house with an attic. The light from the attic was strange, almost ethereal. It wasn't bright nor was it dim. It also looked like it was vibrating somehow, maybe pulsating. Strange'¦it wasn't a white light.


I noticed a man coming towards us from inside. We did not move from the stoop. They greeted each other and began to whisper in low voices. I was distracted from the water droplets that were falling from the window sills of the house. I overheard my father say that the order was in trouble. They had to find a solution before the time came.


My eight year old mind was clueless to the impact this little event would have on my destiny. I was confronted with my future and did not have the capacity to understand it then.


I was sharply attuned to the hairs on the back of my neck begin to rise. I felt a chill begin to vibe through my body. It began in my toes and went to the top of my head'¦you know, that roll. The kind you will eventually feel when you grow up and begin to experiment with the hot drug of the day. The drug of choice for my generation would eventually be ecstasy.


I felt eyes staring at me, burning through my soul. I looked around'¦at the door, then the windows. Nothing stirred on the street. It seemed to get eerily quiet all of a sudden. Strange for a New York night to be so still, I thought to myself. A cold gust of wind swept through the street and I pulled my coat closer to my body. I felt a harsh intrusion as I glanced up toward the attic window. The ethereal light was no longer glowing. But there he was'¦a dark shadow seemingly grinning down at me. I couldn't see the features of his face. His body looked more like a silhouette. It was surrounded by what seemed to be a dark cloud. It was the shape of a human form, I am sure of it. I noticed the eyes, the penetration of the eyes. They were somehow very clear. Black pupils filled with malevolence, staring right at me, piercing my psyche and looking straight through my soul. The energy was so strong.


I took hold of my father's hand and forced myself to look away. The adults didn't notice this moment that had passed between me and the shadow. I was terrified, as a matter of fact I was petrified. I didn't say a word. I was oddly attracted at the same time to this figure. The duality confused my thoughts and decided to instantly bury the memory. For awhile I thought that I had imagined the whole event. So, what does any child in a situation like this do? I did what any other rational human being would do, I forgot about it. My memories betrayed me into believing it was a childhood hallucination for many years.


But you know how buried memories go'¦I really never forgot. I always met him in my dreams.




Next Episode: DEGRADATION


Next Chapter Coming Soon'¦'¦

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