CH #6 - Seeking Answers (Part 2)

RYAN

"AHHHH!" Emily's incessant crying is all that is heard reverberating all over the room.

I can see it clearly as the girl grips the sides of her head, pulling herself into a lateralized fetal position. The sounds are excruciating to hear, and end up pulling me out of my thoughts if only for a little while.

Damn... I have to list my priorities better...! I can't continue in this lack of action for the rest of my life!

Realizing that I'm the only one with any level of ability to think logically left, I rush over to Emily that was crying like a child who has just been badly injured.

As soon as I arrive, I try to look for any injuries, and luckily I don't find any. Whatever it was, that thing in the shadows couldn't have enough time to leave marks on her.

"...Or was hurting her not the intention...?"

Damn it...! Here I am thinking too much again when I should be helping...!

Coming out of this state of unproductiveness, I hold Emily, lifting her purely with the strength of my own body. She doesn't move on her own, so I can only suspect that the impression that thing left on her was largely traumatic.

I hope we manage to be okay... No normal person should be in danger of getting caught in a situation like this.

Even though Emily said it was her own choice – the fact she came up here – I shouldn't have allowed it…! The mistake was mine and mine alone from the beginning.

I make every effort to make my calm show, even if it's a lie. Having someone calm, even if just pretending to be, is a good thing to maintain morale.

"Let's go... I'll get you out of here, Emily."

And considering that we are already so full of problems, there must be someone to take this instance. Using my strength, I try to carry her out of the room.

... ... ...

"AHHHH...!" I'm taken by surprise by an absurdly high-pitched scream, which even makes me a little confused.

Emily's agony intensifies and she begins to thrash in my grip, staring in horror in the direction of the front door. I get the message right away, and even though somewhat stunned by the pitch of the scream, I force myself to act.

"That thing again...?!"

Standing in front of the entrance to the room, that thing seems to watch us for a moment, and when it realizes that we both notice it, it proceeds to attack. At a much higher speed when compared to a normal person, it starts running after us.

The point is there is nowhere to run. There's no way out of here but that same door, and it's not like I could run from something supernatural like that while holding Emily at the same time... Damn, I couldn't escape even if I was alone!

I'm forced to react, remembering what had happened before, when I shone my cell phone's flashlight on it. Fortunately, I still have that light turned on.

Oh, I can only hope this saves us somehow...!

... ... ...

"SHIIIEK!"

The thing screams in a haunting way as the lighting hits it, covering its face in an almost human gesture. The sound produced is similar to that of oil frying mixed with an effervescent tablet being placed in water.

In any case, it seems to have worked, as soon after, the thing is forced to run into a shady place, evading our path for a longer time. It "dives" in the shadow, effectively disappearing in it.

...But even after that helpful discovery, I don't think we can rest... Yes, we definitely can't...

"No! No...! NO...! Ryan...!" Emily points behind me.

I turn in an extremely complicated way as she screams, and get to see that thing once again emerge from behind me this time. It seems to lift itself off the ground little by little, reaching out its long and somewhat disproportionate arms to grip Emily's legs.

"No, you won't do that...!" Once again, it shows painful rejection when faced with the light of my phone.

As soon as the shadow is dissipated and its shape is presented to the light once more, its entire body is forced off the ground, as if it were coming out of it, but not damaging the structure. The thing emerges from the wood, looking for the nearest shadow to return to, which on this occasion is on the wall.

Unfortunately my condition prevents me from chasing it down any further... But most importantly now...

"Come on... I'll get you out of here, Emily."

I use as much of my speed as possible to improvise an escape with as much time as we have before it emerges once more. After these observations, it can be said that I know what to do.

I run out of there, focusing as much strength as possible on both my arms and legs, carrying Emily like a bride out of the dangerous spot. According to my observations, just being out here – away from this dense darkness – should guarantee some sense of security.

And while I'm doing that, I can't stop thinking... I really never can, do I? Even in a situation like this, where actions are worth much more than ideas... It's like something that constantly haunts me!

I finally got a clear sense of its shape... That thing is like a shadow, something black, made of a material that seems to have the consistency and cohesion of smoke. A vaguely human form, covered in that oil-colored mist. It's like solid steam grouped into a shape. A true nightmare, the monster that every child imagines existing in their basements. It doesn't have eyes, ears, or anything that distinguishes it from a black spot, and that only makes it more frightening.

It clung to Emily's body with a strength I wouldn't have thought it had... I clearly underestimated that thing, precisely because I assumed that its body, which looks so thin and fragile, wouldn't be able to generate that much force.

Still upstairs, I forcibly break one of the windows, using everything in me to make the nails that hold it shut give way. With great effort, the window opens, and the strong afternoon light invades that part of the corridor.

I leave Emily under the light. Before that, she kept hugging me tightly, shaking.

Wherever it goes, whenever it is affected by the light, the thing hides in a place where it cannot reach, as a kind of weakness, so staying in an illuminated place is a more than obvious solution. Well, at least one useful detail has been discovered, it seems to me...!

But that doesn't answer the main question... What the hell was that...?

I quickly kneel down to offer some care to the girl on the floor. Tears form rivers in her eyes, and the whole being of Emily trembles with shock. No wonder. She was attacked by something we are completely unknowing of.

How am I supposed to explain this to her? I cannot find a way to approach the subject in an appropriate manner. She was introduced to this underworld that should belong to few in such a traumatic way...

"Ryan… What… What was that…? Answer me… What was that thing?!" She continues to clutch her head, displaying trembling lips and fluttering eyes, all while also spurting streams of tears as she leans against the wall.

"It's gonna be okay. I will get us out of here. We're going out, okay? I can guarantee that." I try to reassure her the way I think I can.

I capture Emily in a hug. In this gesture, I can't help but think how much doing this feels so unnatural to me. I'm not usually a hug person or tend to offer any other kind of body comfort, so doing that ends up feeling awkward.

But that doesn't matter at the moment. All that matters is trying to bring her mental state as close as possible to what could be considered "normal".

"Answer me… Please tell me what that was…" She says, sentences being cut off by more tears and sobs.

"Okay, okay." I ruffle her hair, running my fingers down the girl's straight, brown fringe. "That thing won't get us anymore. We are safe here."

Now, a new challenge has just emerged. We have to get out of here somehow. Staying in this place is like a death sentence.

Still hugging Emily, I take note of the light level, and notice that the sky is already a little grayer, indicating that the natural lighting won't last that long.

Knowing of its aversion to light, a good strategy would be to try to light the upper floor sufficiently. That shouldn't follow us down there, considering it's a much better lit place.

With all this I know... What can I do...? Now would be the most appropriate time to think.

... ... ...

"Ryan…Ryan…! No, no...! No!"

Emily panics again when she realizes that sound fills the previously mostly silent environment. In an almost instinctive reaction, I keep her face closer to my chest so she can't see.

"We're going to die… We're going to die here, Ryan…! I... I shouldn't have... I should have listened to you... I shouldn't have suggested coming here... I shouldn't have...!"

I keep Emily's head pinned to me, watching the thing's strange pattern of movement. Looking at it now, it's much more bizarre...

... And at the same time, it seems to make more sense.

"It was all my fault... I was the one who suggested it... It was me!" She continues to cry. "I'm sorry Ryan… I'm sorry…!"

This thing... Wait...

Oh. I think I understand now.

"Emily, stay here. I'll be back soon."

I get up, much to the surprise of the girl accompanying me. As a last reassurance, I look deeply into her emerald green eyes until I can see my own in them. I wipe the tears off her face with one hand, giving the best smile I can muster.

"You're not to blame for anything, Emily. It's not your fault."

I have to bring all my courage to what I'm about to do, as every instinct tells me I'm making a crazy decision, and I know it myself.

"Where… Where are you going?! I don't want to be here alone... I want to go home...!" She screams as she sees me walk away, heading towards it.

"This is my entire fault and that's for sure!" I speak. "I was the one who came up with the idea to come here, so I have to take responsibility for it."

In an attempt to somehow self-motivate myself, I crack my fingers while doing some stretching exercises for the back of my neck.

"Just stay there please, yes? I won't go far. I'll just..."

I put one of my feet outside the light. It may not seem like it, but that's because I'm holding on with all I have... In fact, I'm shaking with fear, and can barely move without an insane amount of effort!

Moving one leg at a time has never been this difficult...! And it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that even my automatic breathing is starting to fail.

One of my tricks for not giving in to fear is to try to hold on to that single thread of rationality that my observations ensured. Something tells me that this thing has an explanation, and that such answer is far from being just a mere ghost or something, and what causes me think so are three questions.

First, why are all the windows shut and locked if no one is supposed to life in this house? Second question, why are there clear signs of human habitation in this place, a house abandoned seven years ago?

And third, why did the "ghost" flee when hit with light?

Not to mention that this pattern of movement intrigues me... The reason? Simple. It's just that the way this thing "walks" through the darkened regions of the hallway seems to me to be nothing but way too dumb.

I step into the shadows, leaving the area lit by the window where Emily remains motionless and trying to recover from her shock. She won't get up from there, no matter how much she wants to. Her knees are now shaking like jelly, and she can't even stand, let alone walk.

I didn't want to have to think about it in those words, but it is actually better that way. Having her run in the opposite direction while pressured by fear wouldn't help.

"Ryan…Ryan…! No, Ryan... No!" She screams, terrified as I step into the darkness.

Getting to my feet, I look straight ahead. From a dark room on the left side of the hallway, the shadows slowly take shape, molding to shape that thing. Seeing the black smoke condensate never gets old...

"Alright, little shadow. We're running an experiment here. Would you please cooperate?" I speak, calling upon myself the utmost courage.

Behind me, Emily's scream travels across the corridor. The same desperate scream as before.

The creature soon tries to make its way to me; however, I retreat back into the light before it can reach me.

"Ryan...! It will kill us...! That monster is going to kill us!"

She screams with all the potency of her vocal chords as she tries to get away with great difficulty. Before she can, I grab her wrist tightly, preventing her from stepping out of the light.

"Let me go...! Let me go...! I don't want to die! Let me go...!" She screams harder as tears flow even more.

I really didn't want resorting to this, but there doesn't seem to be any other way out. Having her out of the light would mean the end of this whole little plan that is starting to form in my mind.

Sorry, Emily.

"Ryan...!"

"It won't kill us. It can't."

After a second of silence, she questions me.

"How can you say that...?! Of course this thing wants us dead!"

I breathe as deeply as I can. Looks like I'll be making a lot of apology requests today, huh? I hold Emily's entire body, immobilizing her and forcing her to face the creature.

"Look at this. Can you perceive it?"

"Perceive what?! Why are you acting so weird?! Why are you so okay with all this and act like it's routine for you?! I can't understand...!" She starts crying again. "Answer me! I just want to know... Answer me already...!"

"Pay attention to the where it is, please." Sadly, I'm forced to ignore her ever-increasing suffering.

"I don't want...! I don't want to look...! I don't want to see this thing... I don't want to be here...! I want to leave! I want to leave...!"

"Just look, okay?" I try to be as subtle as I can with my tone.

"No...! No...! Let go of me, Ryan...! Let me go...! I don't want this anymore…! Let me go!"

Seems like I don't have a choice... Emily is struggling harder and we can't trust this place's stability. I didn't want to force myself to do this either.

Guess I already lost count of how many times I need to apologize, huh?

I touch Emily's forehead, calling to that power I know so well. I look straight ahead, keeping my purple eyes glowing at the thing.

If you don't want to see it for your own eyes, take mine to borrow, Emily.

... ... ...

"Huh…? What is that...?! What are these images in my head?!" I can tell she feels the difference right away. "I'm not looking… I'm not looking…! But I still see... Why am I still seeing?!"

"Can you see now why you don't need to be afraid?"

I use my ability to transfer a copy of my own visual memories into Emily's brain, so in a way it's like she's seeing through my eyes.

"This thing can't catch us. In fact, I doubt it can even see us here." I speak in a lot of confidence. "You can open your eyes, okay? Nothing is gonna happen."

Quite hesitant and still scared, Emily looks at the wooden floor.

"This thing is incapable of attacking us here. It can't cross the light."

... ... ...

After that discovery, Emily remains silent for the next two minutes. Meanwhile, the dark creature just paces up and down the hall, back and forth in the darkness, not making a single sound other than footsteps or even trying to attack us again.

"I... I don't understand... I don't understand a single thing... I don't understand what's going on, I don't understand this whole situation... I don't understand... You."

Somehow she manages to calm down after having the truth thrown so shockingly before her eyes. Emily and I are now just sitting with our backs against the wall, watching the creature pace back and forth in the shadows, completely aimless.

"You don't need to understand. I'm going to get us out of here, but you gotta trust me. We can talk about it later."

She looks me in the eye. I can see all the insecurity reflected in the two green stones.

"Just who the hell are you… Ryan Savoia?"

I stand up. I dust off my clothes in a gesture that I'm aware is a little excessive. Let's call it "confidence showdown".

"Now that's a really good question, you know? That's what I want to find out too!" I try to smile once more. "And I don't plan on losing my live here - until I find the answer to that!"

We cannot go on like this forever. At some point, the sun will cease to illuminate this place and we will be vulnerable. We have to get out of here, and now.

"First, let's remember what we know about that thing."

I look around, picking up one of the iron nails from the floor.

"What will you do...?" Emily asks, still sitting.

"Test something and make that idiot a fool one more time. Watch and be sure to crack a laugh when you see it."

Again I analyze what I have to use there, this time to pick up a thin piece of wood from the floor, about two feet long. I hold it up in the air, casting a shadow in the light coming through the window. Soon after the formation of this "shadow bridge", the dark creature has an immediate response, and tries to approach at great speed.

... However, when it is absurdly close to us, I pull back the piece of wood, generating a small and almost insignificant gap of light between the shadow of the environment and the shadow of the wood. The creature stops trying to chase us on the spot, reverting to its routine of pacing the hall like a guard.

Now for the second test. This one is pretty simple. All that is needed is a chance to taunt it.

"You didn't want to catch us so bad? Why don't you come here and do it?! Wow, man… Who could have said you are so scared of a little light!" I try to call for it and lead it to chase us.

After that, I hit the piece of wood on the floor, generating noise. In both cases, the reaction is the same. There is no response to the noise, and the shadow being continues to ignore us.

Now for the final test...

I throw the nail into the darkness. As soon as it touches the ground, the living shadow reacts, "attacking" the nail with a wave of powerful punches and kicks, strong to the point of breaking easily through the wood, which even though rotted, is still meant to provide some resistance.

"That thing is dumber than a door." I mean, in a very comfortable tone, smiling with a mix of fun and sheer sass.

Emily stands up, approaching me with some hesitation.

"Kind of funny, right? Just look at how pathetically it moves! This piece of shadow is more of a sucker than a dog that insists on chasing its own tail. Look! Throw this right there in the shadows."

I hand another nail to Emily, who throws it away into the darkness. The shadow readily chases the small object.

"Oh my... What a stupid monster...!"

Good to see she tuned in the same frequency as me. Now, we can calmly overcome this situation.

"This is not a ghost. It's too stupid to be one. Can you see how it acts like a machine, following pre-programmed commands? It can only perceive darkness and can't attack us unless we're in a place with no light, not to mention the light itself is his weakness... Make your phone screen reflect the light coming through the window!" I laugh a bit, further motivating her to join the "joke" I just created.

She takes the phone out of her pocket, and uses the screen as a reflector in order to redirect the light towards the creature. The instant it is hit, the being of darkness lets out a high-pitched, hoarse cry, and starts to writhe in pain, as if it had been heavily wounded.

"See how stupid it is? Well, thing is I'm feeling kind of bad for bullying it. Time to put an end to that thing… And I need to stop calling it 'thing' already."

I pick up the piece of wood, placing it like a line on the floor. The catch is that I leave a small gap of light.

"Don't step out of the light, okay? Remember it can't attack you if you're in the light."

Emily nods in confirmation. That's nice to see.

I then undo the light gap, connecting the two dark sides, before and after the window, with a shadow bridge, and immediately run to the other side. The response doesn't even take a full second.

Using the measly shadow generated by the wooden pole on the ground, the thing crosses the illuminated region, planning to chase me... Little does its programming know that I already know what to do to in order to beat it.

Before I make it, I grab the sides of the window hatch, and it tries to pull me away with its supernatural strength.

"Do it…! Keep pulling me like that, you mindless thing! Open the windows of your own destruction!"

Without delay, the window ends up giving way. From one second to the next, the beam of light makes its way through space. I take this short time to tightly hold on to the shadow, and… It feels so weird... That body is like touching smoke in a solid, cold state that seems to escape your hands. I'm holding something and I know that for sure, but the feeling is like I don't have anything between my arms.

Knowing I'm going to need all the strength and support I can make use of, I wrap my legs around it, pinning its arms over my shoulders. I prepare as best I can for whatever overpowered display of strength it can possibly show.

"It's time to get some direct sunlight...!"

Fortunately, my plan is successful. I expose the shadow to sunlight, and in hellish screams that sound completely inhumane, it fades away little by little, as if it were being burned by intense flames, until there's not a single dark cell left.

***

"Well, today was quite a day..." He said, stopping in front of the place where they met.

Elderlog's night lights gradually turned on, and the sun slowly made its way to the other side of the world, giving way to others of its kind, with more distant and smaller lights.

She still hesitated slightly, but overcame her fears to ask what she wanted to know. All those confusing questions still hadn't received a single valid answer, and she wasn't going to leave until she heard them.

"Ryan... What was that?" She asked, looking down. "We… We're not going to act like none of this ever happened, are we? I... I can't ignore that thing...!"

Gradually, the girl's voice rose, letting her doubts flow with an almost violent impetus.

"What was that all about, and why did you seem so relaxed about that thing?! What were those visions I had and what did you do to me so I could have them?! And above all... Who are you? Because, in that house... In that house I convinced myself that you are not a normal person...!"

Ryan looked a little to the side, smiling a little shyly as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Looks like you really got me, don't you...?"

"You better start talking. I won't let you out of this street until you tell me! Try to run away and I'll make a scandal so huge that everyone around will run after you until they catch you, be it alive or not!"

Ryan faked a look of surprise at that, parting his lips and widening his eyes.

"You really want me to say it, don't you? No need to make a fuss or anything like that! I'll tell you everything." He nodded, waving his hands up in a comical gesture.

Ryan then took a breath, and assuming a serious posture, prepared to explain. The build-up of anticipation on Emily's face became more and more intense.

"The truth is that I..."

then, in a swift and gentle movement, the Savoia touched the girl's forehead with the palm of his right hand, calling for that power once more for the day.

... ... ...

"You said you had something to ask me... What would it be?" Ryan asked.

"I... Can't remember... I really did, but now it doesn't come to mind."

He closed his eyes, putting his hands in the pockets.

"Since it doesn't come to mind, it shouldn't be anything important, right?" He asked, smiling. "Just try not to remember. Ironically, doing that makes the memories come back like magic."

Emily paused a moment, bringing her hand to her chin in the characteristic "deep-in-thought" gesture. Try as she might, the girl of emerald eyes couldn't get even a subtle hint as to what she wanted to ask.

"Yeah… I think so. In the end, there wasn't really anything inside that old house that wasn't a pile of expected garbage... It was pretty boring, honestly!"

"That I agree! I was hoping to see a ghost or something." Ryan said. "Haunted houses always leave that kind of expectation, and it's a little frustrating once you remember it doesn't exist."

"Yeah, me too... But I'm glad there wasn't anything there, or I'd run a lot!"

"It's what anyone would naturally do!" He concluded, sharing a light laugh with her.

***

"I'm back."

On the ornamental clock in the living room, the time of 19:30 appeared.

"Dang… I actually arrived quite late."

Hannah, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room, looked down the hall with a fullness of anticipation. Already knowing what to expect, Ryan prepared all the answers.

"And to think that your first date would take this long to end! You spent almost six hours away from home!" She soon displayed the characteristic light that indicated what she wanted to know. "And how was it with her? Did you have fun somewhere cool? Or maybe..."

Ryan swallowed a mouthful of saliva, solidifying his expression for the next comment – one he could literally feel as it emerged from the depths of his sister's creativity and urge to tease.

"...You went to her house and were left alone there all this time?"

Biting the tip of his tongue, soon the familiar gesture of raising an eyebrow was made in his face.

"Seriously… What kind of idea do you have of me, Hannah?" He asked, sighing.

It didn't take long for him to make his way over to the couch. Ryan lifted his hand, causing the base of the plastic bag he'd brought to gently make contact with the top of Hannah's head.

"Stuff for you."

"What is this?" Hastily, Hannah took the plastic that appeared to contain something in her hands.

"The lady who owns the cafeteria had this prepared for you. She said it's a 'thank you' for helping to contain her dogs that ran down the street the other day. She thought I looked like you and asked if we were related."

Without further ado, Hannah unpacked what she had received, and it wasn't long before Ryan saw his older sister's eyes gleaming like those of a child who has just acquired a new toy.

"Wow, she really didn't have to! But I really wanted something to share with the hospital staff!" She said, holding up the small chocolate cake she got as a present.

"Will you take to the hospital? Aren't you going to eat?" Ryan asked, aware of how much Hannah liked sweets too much to just decide that she's going to share it with others.

"It's just that next week is the birthday of one of my co-workers. It would be nice to give at least something simple and that is meaningful, right?"

Ryan found himself a little taken aback by the answer, but he quickly shook off the feeling. That was just Hannah's natural character.

"Ah, now I get it." Ryan confirmed. "I'm sure they will like it."

Making his way up the stairs that led upstairs, Ryan said one last thing, before allowing himself to be absorbed by the darkness.

"I'll be down soon. Want something for dinner?"

"I think I'm too full to think about any food for the next hours…" She said, sprawling on the couch to make her point.

"…Maybe that's why you didn't want to eat the cake, huh?" Ryan smiled with a tired sigh at the thought. "All right. When you feel hungry, yell at me and I'll prepare something. I'm not hungry right now either."

"Will do!"

After hearing this confirmation, the boy quickly went up the stairs towards the bedroom. He closed the door, making a point of turning on the lights, given the impression that the whole situation had put on his mind.

He took a few minutes to analyze the madness he saw in the abandoned house. In his mind, Ryan knew there was no way that could be natural.

"Maybe I should tell Cast and Lira about that…" He wondered. "They could help me find out more."

... But soon that premise fell apart the moment he remembered how his individualistic actions had been repudiated by both of them. Knowing those two, telling them something like 'I went to an abandoned house and fought a shadow monster' would only lead to punishment.

"So it looks like I'll just have to shut up, huh...?" He thought out loud. "Fortunately I managed to successfully alter Emily's memories, but I can't allow myself to forget about that."

It was the first time Ryan had ever seen anything so terrifying, and as calm as he appeared to be, the mere act of staring into the darkness under the bed made him shiver.

"If today were Saturday, I would neglect sleep…" He complained. "But that's not an option, thanks to classes... Damn."

He got up from the chair, going to the window. In the distance, nothing but a sea of trees obscured by darkness and night, and in the background, a few street lights, illuminating a distant spot on a road.

"Oh boy." He spoke rather tiredly. "I'll never get used to all this 'calm'."