Prologue

I heard a noise from Annie’s room...laughter? I put down my book, and slowly began to climb the stairs. As I stepped onto the landing outside her room, I realized that I not only heard her laughing but...she was talking to someone? Yes, she was definitely talking to someone. Thinking someone had broken into the house, I silently grabbed the paperweight off a nearby table. I stretched out my hand, grasped the knob, and yanked the door open.


I peered out the windshield through the pouring rain, straining my eyes to glimpse a barely visible sign. “Ah!” I exclaimed. “Here we are; Elliston.” I flicked on my turn signal, and soon found myself on a winding road that seemed void of life. Almost as if someone had read my thoughts, a sleepy town came into view. Small mercantiles and cars lined the cobbled streets, and mothers were busily rushing their children in out of the rain. A group of elderly men were clustered in front of a shop, talking vehemently. No one even seemed to notice as I turned down the next street to look for 701 Maple Avenue.

From the backseat, I heard a soft rustling. Looking into my rearview mirror, I smiled to myself. “Good morning, sleepy head,” I said. “Are we there yet, Mom,” asked a small voice. Annie was more than a daughter to me; she was all I had left in this world. Her curly, black hair framed her face as she rubbed the sleep from her beautiful blue eyes. She looked so much like her father. “Yes, dear, we are,” I replied. The eager child pressed her face against the window trying to take everything in at once. “659...700...701 Maple Avenue,” I stated, more to myself than to Annie.


I pulled the car into the driveway in front of the most beautiful house I had ever seen; two stories high, with a balcony jutting out the side, and pale grey shutters that matched the stone body. It towered upward, seemingly piercing the sky. “Wow!” I heard from behind me, and I quickly snapped out of my trance-like state. “Can we go inside, Mom, please?” Annie pleaded. “Of course...” I said, still slightly awestruck. I turned the car off, and we both stepped out into the shadows of the house.

As I climbed the stairs onto the front porch, Annie was intently awaiting me. I pulled out an old, antique key, put it in the door, twisted and pulled. No sooner had the door opened, an eerie chill swept over my body. I quickly dismissed, though, as I crossed over the threshold. “Which room is mine?” Annie asked, excitedly. “It’s the one at the top of the stairs, dear.” I said with a smile, and she darted up them and out of sight. “There must be some mistake…” I thought to myself. “This house is worth so much more than I paid for it.” As I looked around at all the space, I felt relieved we had sent the furniture over beforehand. Everything had already been arranged, and it seemed as if it had been waiting for us to arrive.


After hours of exploring the various rooms of our new home and unpacking most of the boxes, I realized I was starving. Above me, I could hear Annie busily preparing her new room. She was such a brave little girl…especially after what happened to Paul. At the thought of my late husband, an almost instantaneous pang of pain shot through me. When I had first met Paul, he’d just joined the local police force. We immediately fell in love and got married shortly thereafter. Barely two months had passed when I told him the happy news; we were going to be parents.

The day our daughter was born was the happiest day of both our young lives, and we loved her with all of our hearts. Then, after nearly nine wonderful years, a tragedy occurred. Paul was killed in the line of duty. He had been returning to the station when they received a call about a drug bust that had turned violent, and the officers on scene were requesting back up. Paul was the responding officer.


He was fatally wounded pursuing one of the criminals. Paul died on the way to the hospital, only two weeks before Annie’s ninth birthday. I thought it would be best to take Annie away from all the memories that haunted that neighborhood, but with little money, I could hardly afford it. Then, one morning, I went out to get the mail, and there was a business card taped to our front door.

As you can imagine, I was quite curious to find out where it came from. I went inside and dialed the number, and as it turned out it was a realtor. Intrigued, I began to explain our situation to her. I told her about how my husband had just been killed and I only wanted what was best for our young daughter. When I had finished, she paused for a moment and hesitantly said, “I believe I have the perfect house for you and your daughter.” It was right in our nonexistent price range and far away from any unpleasant reminders of Paul’s demise. A month later, we arrived here in Elliston. “Mom...?” I looked up from where I was sitting. I must have drifted away in thought. “Hmm?” I replied. “I finished unpacking my room. Can we go look around town, now?” Annie asked. “Sure,” I said, suddenly remembering my hunger. “And we can grab something to eat, too.”


By then the rain had let up, and the sun was peaking down through the trees. We decided to walk into town, because we lived such a short distance away. As we walked, Annie looked around, admiring the scenery. The rolling hills, a deep, crystalline lake, and the immense trees that lined it jumped out at us. This change of scenery was quite different from the urban neighborhood where Annie had grown up in, and we both became immersed in it’s beauty. We barely noticed we had entered town until I became aware of something strange. Do you rememeber how no one had noticed us earlier as we drove through? That definitely was not the case now.The people weren’t just looking at us; they were staring. It was almost as if they were trying to read our thoughts...I looked at Annie, but she hardly seemed to notice anyone else.

I saw a small diner, and ushered Annie across the street. Once inside, all my insecurities faded, and I thought how silly I must have looked to the townspeople. I was just paranoid because we were new in town. “Can I help you, ma’am,” came a low, gruff voice. I looked up; an older gentleman dressed in a blue flannel shirt, and tan slacks was behind the counter. To be quite honest, he could barely see over it. I approached as Annie slid into a booth on the other side of the room. I could feel his beady, black eyes surveying me. Nervously, I glanced to a chalkboard nailed on the wall that stated, “Today’s special: Potato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, $3.25.” “Yes,” I said. “Can I have two specials, a glass of milk, and a cup of coffee, please?” “Nine dollars,” the man grunted. I handed him a ten-dollar bill, he gave me my change, and he shuffled off, disappearing into the back of the diner.

"People here are quite odd...” I thought to myself, as I sat down opposite my daughter. By the time we had finished our lunch, and our tour of the town (despite intense stares from onlookers) darkness had begun to fall. “We’d better start home, honey.” I told Annie. She nodded her approval, and off we went.

When we got safely back to the house, I sent her upstairs to brush her teeth and get ready for bed. Exhausted, I plopped into the nearest chair, and slowly glided into a deep sleep. I was running down a long, dark hallway...running away from someone...something. It was no use, I could hear it coming closer and closer, and then...“Mom? Mom, wake up!” Annie was standing beside the chair where I had fallen asleep. I was drenched in my sweat. “I’m ready for bed; will you read me a story?”

"Sure.” I said, groggily, and pulled myself up from the chair. I wiped the sweat off my brow, and followed her upstairs to her room. After reading and re-reading her favorite fairytale to her, I tucked Annie into bed and turned off the light. She asked me to leave the door cracked and I obliged. I descended the stairs, crossed the living area, and went down the hallway to my own room, fully intending to take a shower and go to bed myself.

It was twice as large as the room Paul and I had shared, and came equipped with its own bathroom. The bathroom itself had a full-length mirror, shower, a huge bathtub, and a sky light. I maneuvered around a few boxes I had yet to unpack and went to my dresser to get some clothes to sleep in. Once inside, I turned the water on and undressed. I grabbed a towel and a washcloth, tested the water temperature with the back of my hand to make sure it was warm, and stepped inside.


As I rinsed the shampoo from my hair, it was as if all my problems were washing down the drain with the water. After my shower, I climbed under the blankets, and welcomed a peaceful night’s rest. As morning broke, sunshine poured in through the window and into my room. I opened my eyes, and unwillingly tore myself from my bed. I stumbled out of my room and into the kitchen to make breakfast, but soon realized I hadn’t done any shopping yet.

Annoyed, I went back to my room to get dressed, muttering obscenities under my breath. As soon as I was ready, I went upstairs to see if Annie was awake yet. “Sound asleep.” I thought, peaking through the crack in her door and smiling to myself. I looked at my watch: 10 A.M. She’d had a big day yesterday, so I decided not to wake her.


I was still too tired to walk into town, so I took the car, and parked outside one of the larger, more promising looking stores. I hurriedly grabbed everything I needed and went to pay for the items. Just as I finished paying the cashier (an oddly friendly young woman), I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, ready to confront this unwelcome tap, and nearly screamed. “Do you need help with your groceries?” asked a soft, kind voice. “He looks just like Paul...” is all I could think.

I was numb with shock. “Excuse me, ma’am, Are you feeling alright?” he asked. “Y-y-yes. I’m fine.” I said, my voice shaking. Before he could say another word, I snatched up all of my bags and practically ran out. I saw the puzzled looks of both he and the cashier as I sped away. I’m not quite sure how I managed to drive home, but I did. I pulled in the driveway to see Annie outside playing among the trees. I shook off my thoughts and convinced myself that my mind was playing tricks on me.

“Stay close, honey, breakfast will be ready in a few,” I yelled as I exited the car. She gave me a short wave as a response. I took the groceries inside, placed them in their proper places, and began to make some eggs and toast. I made Annie’s plate, and called her in; I had completely lost my appetite. “Where’s Joey’s food?” she asked. “Joey? Who’s Joey?” I inquired. “He’s my new friend”, she smiled, “and he’s sitting right beside me.” I stared at the empty space beside her, and returned the smile.

“She has an imaginary friend; how cute!” I thought. “What would Joey like for breakfast?” I asked her. “He says a glass of orange juice would be nice.” She retorted. I opened the fridge, got out a glass, and poured the juice. “Well, here you go, Joey.” I said, talking to the empty space. While Annie and “Joey” ate their breakfast, I decided to go for a jog to calm my nerves, but instead of going towards town I sprinted the other way down the road.


I passed three other houses, each as seemingly vacant as the next. There were no children playing on the well-manicured lawns, no cars parked in the driveways, there was absolutely no one in sight. The warm summer air blew through my hair, and I was suddenly grateful Annie didn’t start school for another two months.

Assuming there were no neighbors to socialize with, it would be very lonely once she did begin school again. I turned around after about another mile and began home. I got there around one o’clock, but Annie was nowhere to be seen. “Annie?” I called as I walked through the doorway. There was no response. I began to look around the house for her, to no avail. I was becoming frantic. “Where on earth could she be?” I asked the empty house, half expecting an answer.


I ran outside. “Annie? Annie? ANNIE?” I cried. I heard giggling above my head, and looking up I saw her in a tree. “You get down here, RIGHT NOW!” I yelled, enraged. She quickly scrambled down from the tree, and I grabbed her by her shoulders. “Annie, don’t you ever do that to me again! It wasn’t funny; you scared me half to death!” I screamed. “Joey said it would be funny!” she wailed, tears streaming down her face. I let her go. “Joey’s not real, Annie. He doesn’t exist.” I said calmly. She stood there for a moment, her lip quivering. “He told me you’d say that...,” she muttered, and then she ran inside. I heard her bedroom door slam shut as I followed. “That’s exactly what I need right now.” I thought.

Later that night, I sat in a chair engulfed in one of my favorite novels. Something made me look up from the sentence I was reading; I heard a noise from Annie’s room...laughter? I put down my book, and slowly began to climb the stairs. As I stepped onto the landing outside her room, I realized that I not only heard her laughing but...she was talking to someone? Yes, she was definitely talking to someone. Thinking there was an intruder, I silently grabbed the paperweight off a nearby table. Stretching out my hand, I grasped the knob, and yanked the door open.


Then, I saw it...or didn’t see it. A black shadow remained imprinted for a moment in the middle of the room. As if it realized someone else had just entered the room, it flickered out. “Get out, Mom! You scared Joey!” Annie said angrily. I stared at her, trying to take in what she said. Joey was real. But what was “Joey”? I had no time to consider the possibilities because at that minute Annie was pushing me from her room. As she slammed the door behind me, I remembered a story my grandmother used to tell me when I was a child. I thought it was just a story made up to scare children into behaving...evidently not.

I found myself back in the chair, my book left forlorn on the floor. “How did that story go...?” I asked myself. I closed my eyes, and delving into my mind, I slowly began to remember. It was almost as if I could hear my grandmother’s voice as she said, "The Shadow People work for the Devil.


They come up to search for little boys and girls to take back to Hell with them. It doesn’t matter how loud you scream, or how hard you try to get away, if they want you they will take you. First, they will lure you in, and try to make you think they are your only friend and no one else cares about you. You must not believe them, child. If you do, once they have you where they want you, they will take you, and once you‘re gone there‘s no chance of survival.” Everyone had said she was senile, and in reality, she didn’t make it very difficult to believe.

What if she wasn’t senile? Had she been telling the truth all along? Then there had to be a way to get rid of “Joey”...to save Annie; but how? All at once, I remembered another part to the tale. The only way to banish these “Shadow People” was to deceive them into thinking they were welcome in your home. Once you’d done that you had to capture them, but you only had one chance.

You had to imprison them in something that ‘was always kept pure in your heart’, by taking and holding the item in front of the entity and chanting an ancient Latin banishment charm. Just the thought of condoning such an idea made me question my own sanity. Nevertheless, I remembered the book my grandmother had left me when she passed on. It was a book of words I hadn’t understood when she died. Quickly, I sprinted to my room and rummaged through an old box I had left unpacked.


Lying at the bottom was a careworn red velvet book. I picked it up and flashed through its dry, cracked pages until I came across a page with my grandmother’s scrawl at the top. It read: Shadow People. In the margin, she had written instructions of the banishment process...almost as if she’d known it would be needed someday. The tiny inscription clearly stated the words of banishment. To capture the Shadow in it’s vessel, you had to chant “EGO reprobo vos ut sedeo huic vas insquequo EGO solvo vos.” Once it was imprisoned, you must end the charm by invoking the words: “EGO solvo vos in lux lucis of sol solis ut vos may pereo quod nunquam vulnero iterum”, and release them into the sunlight at the exact moment the sun appeared over the horizon. Something that ‘was always kept pure in your heart’...“What does that mean?” I asked myself angrily. I knew I didn’t have time to try to figure it out, and I was wasting what little time I had left sitting there, doing nothing. I rose from my seat, and began the climb to Annie’s room. I would save my daughter.


I could hear the laughter echoing from within the room. Mentally preparing myself, I gently knocked on her door. “Sweetie, are you there? Can I come in? I have something I’d like to say to Joey.” I said, trying to sound convincing in case Annie had been fully manipulated. After a slight pause, I heard her say, “What do you want to tell him?” She didn’t sound like herself at all. “I just wanted to tell him that I was sorry if I frightened him earlier, and that I’m so glad he’s befriended you. He can stay here as long as he wants to.” There was yet another, longer pause. “He says you can come in.,” she said reluctantly. I slowly opened the door, still unsure of how to rid us of our houseguest.

I stepped inside the room, which had somehow become colder than the rest of the house. Looking around, I saw Annie sitting in the floor playing with her stuffed animals. Except...she wasn’t touching them. They were moving of their own accord. “Joey.” I thought in my head. Annie looked up at me; her eyes were no longer a deep, beautiful blue. They were cold, grey, and empty. I had to save her...I loved her with all my heart. “That’s it, why didn’t I see it before?” I thought. To save Annie I had to risk losing her, but if I didn’t try to do this, I would lose her anyway. Annie was the one thing I had always kept pure in my heart; she had to be the vessel in which I would capture Joey.


I looked out the window and saw a pink tinge on the horizon. I had to act while there was still time, and I knew where Joey was at. I seized Annie, pulled her to her feet, and restraining her in front of the floating stuffed animals I belted out, “EGO reprobo vos ut sedeo huic vas insquequo EGO solvo vos!” I had only looked at the charm once, but it was as if I knew its words by heart. At first, I thought it didn’t work. Then, Annie’s whole body began to tremble intensely, and she tried to run away. She almost slipped through my fingers until I realized what was happening. “I’ve got you now, Joey.” I said. I began to carry Annie out of the room and down the stairs, which took much longer than I expected with all the thrashing about she was doing.


I finally made it outside, Annie becoming as violently possessed as ever to escape. I only had a few precious seconds. Dragging her into an opening through the trees I screamed, “EGO solvo vos in lux lucis of sol solis ut vos may pereo quod nunquam vulnero iterum!” The last syllable passed through my lips just as the sun burst over the horizon. I knew I had succeeded when its rays fell on Annie’s skin. She instantly stopped struggling, as if paralyzed, and once her whole body was engulfed in the sun’s brilliance...she collapsed and fell limply to the ground. She looked so pale, almost...dead? Quickly, I bent down and fervently felt for a pulse; nothing. “No...NO!” I wailed in fury. My Annie was gone.


I started to cry, pulling her limp figure into my arms. My world...my everything...gone. This couldn’t be happening...my little girl was gone forever. It was too much for me to handle. I must have sat there rocking her lifeless form for hours because as long as she was in my arms she couldn’t really be dead. Then, all at once, I felt her take a shuddering breath. “Annie?” I asked, my heart full of hope. “Please, be alive...” is all I could think. Her eyes opened, her beautiful, sparkling blue eyes, so full of life. “Annie!” I rejoiced and pulled her into a bone-crushing embrace. “Mom...!” Annie managed to whisper. “You’re choking me!” I immediately released her. “I’m so sorry!” I muttered through my flowing tears. After the shock wore off, Annie began to ask what happened. The last thing she remembered was unpacking her room. All that time Joey had her in his grasp, but it was unimportant now. Joey was gone, forever. Joey had perished and he would never torment anyone again. “Don’t worry about, honey. Everything’s going to be okay now.” I said, reassuring myself as well as her. As we walked back inside, Annie asked, “Mom. What’s for breakfast? I’m starving!” We laughed.


Epilogue

As it happens, the people of Elliston were wary of us things that had happened in the house we had bought. Apparently, many children had disappeared there over the year’s, which explains why we got it at such a reasonable price. After I explained to them that the entity had been banished from this world and destroyed, they completely accepted us into their community. If you recall the young man who had offered to help me with my groceries, his name is Steven, not Paul. Steven and I have been married for two wonderful and shadow-free years. Although Annie and I have both grown older, we have also grown that much wiser. Annie is still the one thing I keep pure in my heart.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 26.04.2010

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