Return of Wraiths

"Matilda!!"

"Matilda!!!"

Susan and Robert looked far and wide, seeing no signs of their daughter. No voice, no laughter, and no footsteps. Just eerie silence.

They were starting to wonder if she had gone back to the car at this point.

"Matilda, this is your father, get your ass back in the car, you're in a lot of trouble, young lady!"

"Matilda, when Wonderland opens back up, then maybe we can return, so c'mon baby doll, it's cold outside!"

There was still no answer…

"Where the hell is she?" Robert walked towards Susan, scratching the top of his head, "Let's split up. Babe, head towards the Ferris wheel while I make my way down the food aisle-"

"Aahhhhhh! Daddy, daddy!"

"Huh? Matilda!!"

A scream came from the direction of the carnival rides, alerting both parents. They mustered up all their strength, running towards her echoing voice of terror.

"Oh my god, oh my god…" Susan panicked, frantically pacing herself, but Robert was still faster.

He outran her, leaving Susan behind in the dust.

"Daddy, Mommy, help!!"

Eventually making it to the carnival rides, they looked up to see their daughter hanging from the Rollercoaster tracks, holding on for dear life.

"Oh God… Robert, do something!"

"Shit… shit! How the hell did she get up there?!"

She was hanging from 150 feet, slowly losing her grip.

"Hold on baby girl, daddy's coming to get you. Don't panic, stay right there!"

"Daddy, the boogeyman put me up here! Watch out for the boogeyman Daddy!"

"Sweetie, there is no boogeyman. Everything's gonna be okay, just hang on, your father is coming to get you!"

Believing that Matilda had some mental issues was the most logical thing a parent could think of in this situation.

Matilda could've been suffering from some schizophrenia, or a vivid imaginary friend that's making her do these things.

It only made sense.

It was reasonable and scientific.

But, humans only knew so much.

They don't even know half of their ocean, yet they believe to be the most superior intelligence in the cosmos.

Some even believe to be the only lifeform in an infinite cosmos.

A ridiculous belief.

"Daddy, look out!"

But there was more.

More than they could imagine.

Behind the drapery was a spiritual world where we ascend to after we die. In this spiritual world, it's called the Shadow Realm, or the Shade Realm.

In this realm, creatures were different. They weren't formed from the collective consciousness of humanity but rather existed eternally.

And now, the weaklings seeped into the material world, wreaking havoc.

"Daddy!!"

Matilda shouted in horror. Not from hanging from such an elevated height, but rather for the safety of her father.

Before Robert knew it, he was flung across the food aisle, as if hit by a truck.

"!!!!" It sounded like his bones had shattered as he was thrown dozens of feet into the air.

"Robert!! Oh my god!!" Susan looked in dread, watching her beloved slam into the pavement, head bursting open.

Matilda screamed, cried, and kicked her legs back and forth.

It all seemed… unreal.

Every bit of it.

"Darling, darling!" Running towards her husband, she stopped a few meters in front of him, covering her mouth as tears rolled down her cold rosy cheeks.

"Mommy, watch out!"

Matilda frantically kicked her legs back and forth, alerting her mother.

But to Susan, her daughter's voice faded in the background. She felt dizzy, staring at her lover's bleeding head; brains scattered on the ground, with soulless eyes.

Robert twitched a few times, spasming as he slowly met his demise.

Susan crouched down, crawling over the blood and brains, picking him up to rest his head against her lap.

"Oh… Robert… Oh… God!"

Tears couldn't stop falling. She felt cold, pale, and clammy in her skin.

She went in shock.

"Mommy!!!" Matilda yelled again, witnessing another horror.

The invisible "boogeyman" lifted its imaginary arm, and ended the mother's life.

Crushing her flat.

* * *

"Child, do you feel that?"

"Hm? Feel what?"

Apotheosis's voice sounded spooked all of a sudden. That was a drastic change from her assertive attitude a moment ago.

"This presence… we must leave, immediately! A Wraith is nearby!"

"Woah, woah woah! Slow your role. A what? What the hell is a wraith?!"

I was confused. At first, it was Phantasms, and now we're talking about some Wraith.

But… it was unnerving.

The way apotheosis was acting did kinda scare me.

Considering she was supposed to be all-powerful.

"The way we're now, you cannot handle a Wraith. They're spirits that exist beyond the Drapery, in the Shade Realm. You humans normally call it the spiritual world, and you have no means of defeating one!"

"S-Spiritual world? I thought Phantasms were the big bad guys- and what about my family?! I just can't leave them!"

No way in hell.

There's no way in hell I'm leaving my family behind.

Ignoring Apotheosis' claim, I stood up and ran into Wonderland, jumping over the fence that blocked it off.

I felt superhuman, casually leaping dozens of meters into the air, before landing perfectly fine.

Without hesitation, I ran into the fair, calling out for my family.

"Matilda, Mom, Dad!"

Cupping my hands over my mouth to make my voice echo, I was waiting for a response.

Any response?

But maybe they were too far away.

I ran deeper into Wonderland, calling out their names again.

"You fool! If the Wraith finds us, we're as good as dead! There's nothing we can do against it, not even the weakest of Wraith!"

"Shut up! I don't care if I'm running towards a minefield, that's my family!"

"Tsk… witless child!"

I kept running… and running, until my feet started to hurt.

I was barefoot, sprinting on solid ground. Despite my enhanced durability, I could still get cramps in my ankles.

"Big sister!"

I heard a voice on the right of me.

Stopping in front of the rollercoaster tracks, I looked to my right, noticing Matilda.

But she was floating?

"Matilda? What's… going on?"

I just stood there, glancing at Apotheosis for an answer.

"It's far too late. The Wraith managed to capture her"

"W-Wraith?! What Wraith? I don't see anything!"

"Focus your Ether into your eyes."

"My… Ether? I don't know how to control that!"

How could I focus something I barely know about into my eyes? Apotheosis had a lot of faith in me for something I had zero clue about.

"Ether is consciousness energy. It's formed from the brain, focus it into existence, and take control of it! You have the potential, so use it, child!"

It's worth the try. Whatever is holding my sister, I need to see it in order to fight it.

"Consciousness energy? Alright… if you say so."

Closing my eyes, I focused, keenly.

It was hard, but since I was around Ether, like Apotheosis, it was easier to manifest.

It flowed from my brain, into my body like a river of energy. I could feel it connecting with me.

My body, my muscles… and even my blood were being empowered.

This was an otherworldly feeling.

"Now, focus it on your eyes."

Focus… I must focus it on my eyes.

In a matter of seconds, I did exactly that.

All of my Ether was focused on my eyes, allowing me to see the unknown creature standing in front of me.

I witnessed it holding onto Matilda like some toy, laughing to itself.

"So… this is a wraith?"

It looked like those creatures you would see from HP Lovecraft's works of fiction. What's their name again?

Outer Gods? Maybe Ultimate Gods was the original name.

It was grotesque, filled with squirming tentacles, and its arms looked human-like, created from some dark substance

"I can't hear it, what's it saying?" I asked.

"Focus your Ether into your ears, you'll be able to understand it."

Was Ether really this useful?

It was hard to focus this energy in both eyes and ears, but once I did, I could hear it.

This creature was laughing, and speaking in my language.

"Gerherherher! Human meat, human meat! I'm gonna have some human meat!"

It danced back and forth on its legs as its demonic voice pierced my ears.

I was scared… honestly, it felt like I was gonna pass out from fear alone.

But it had my sister in its grasp.

So… I did what any other good sibling would do.

"Put her down, you wannabe Outer God!"

God, despite my immense fear, I cringed at my comment.

Though, that changed once it went quiet, focusing all of its attention on me.

"Big sister, the boogeyman hurt mommy and daddy!"

Matilda took my attention away… as my heart felt like it stopped.

What did… she mean?

She was so young, only seven. Her words were vague because she didn't understand the meaning of death or any of that stuff.

Matilda could've meant anything when she said that.

Anything!

"Hurt… Mom, and Dad?"

"Child, it's going to attack us! Be on guard!"

I could hear Apotheosis, but my body went numb. I couldn't even feel the cold air anymore.

Was Mom and Dad, dead?

"Emmeline!!!"

This time Apotheosis called me by my name, snapping me out of my thoughts. The Wraith appeared in front of me, throwing the first punch.

"Shit!" I didn't have time to prepare.

I didn't have time to do anything!

"I thought we told the authorities to close this place off. What a pain in my ass, but maybe I'll get a raise from this."

But out of nowhere, a blonde woman appeared. She looked relatively tall, with a cigarette in her mouth.

She stopped its fist, with her bare hand!?!

"A wizard!" Pronounced Apotheosis.

"A wizard?" I asked in awe.

"I thought we sealed off your kind long ago. Why the hell are you Wraiths back already?"