by G W Mullins
As Martin rolled down the interstate, he tried to put it all out of his head. He would be fine, he tried to convinced himself. All he could think about was making it home and sleeping in his own bed for the first time in a week. Most nights he slept in the cab of the truck or in a cheap motel if he needed to take a shower or wanted to enjoy the company of ladies which he was willing to pay for services from.
He could see the city limits coming up on the horizon. A feeling of relief entered his tired body just as the pain in his chest grabbed hard at him. He tried to pull the 18-wheeler to the dirt that ran alongside the road. As he grabbed at the wheel, he felt the enormous weight on his chest and the intolerable pain that ran through his left arm. He knew he was having a heart attack.
Martin tried to pull out his cell phone as the pain ripped at his insides. He had to get help, but he was in the middle of nowhere and there were no other cars on the stretch of road. As he screamed for help, he saw the pitch-black void appear. The cold light of fear shone in his eyes. His mind went to so many bad places at once. He was sure he was dying and hell had come for him. The thought of it tore at his insides.
The black void took shape and from itself produced a black figure in the form of a man. The figure looked on, as martin lay there in the cab of his truck. It moved in closer as it watched in fascination. Mesmerized by his dying breathe, the creature studied its prey. The horror was too much for him, and Martin shut his eyes. The shadow creature seemed to enjoy witnessing the final moments of Martin’s life.
The shadow moved to the driver’s side of the truck opening the door. Martin looked out and screamed as the figure climbed in and looked deep into his face. It moved its head around tilting form side to side slowly studying him. The shadow moved a hand up to Martin’s head and ran its slender dark fingers over his lips as if to stop him from screaming.
“What do you want form me?” Martin cried out.
“Not much, just the temporary use of your body.” The shadow creature smirked.
“But I need my body.” He cried.
“Not for much longer.”
“Am I going to die?”
“Yes, and very soon I would say.” The Shadow taunted him.
“Are you a demon form hell? Am I going to the bad place?”
“Where you are going, you will wish you were in hell.” The Shadow laughed.
Just as Martin screamed the Shadow became more gaseous in appearance and made a path in through Martin’s mouth. Inside his body, the Shadow infused itself. In mere seconds Martin no longer controlled his body. He was like a watcher in another room, looking out into what was his life. The Shadow was in control now, and what was left Martin Emery wished he was dead. From that point on he was a willing pawn for the Shadows use.
~~~~~
Daniel and Jen packed a few things they could carry in their backpacks. Jen felt guilty leaving Larry this way after just moving in. His wife Irene wouldn’t speak, she just sat with tears running down her face. Jen tried to comfort her and explained they were not leaving for good and would be back as soon as they could be. Larry just did not understand. He didn’t know what was so important they had to leave. He explained that Daniel was welcome to stay there as well. He wasn’t going to give up easily.
Daniel paced back and forth a couple of times and looked at Jen who was beside herself. There was no way to get around this but to tell the truth. He just didn’t know how they would accept the truth or even understand it.
“Jen, we have to tell them.” Daniel spoke with a pained expression on his face.
‘No Daniel you can’t.” Was all Jen got out before he cut her off.
Daniel breathed a deep sigh and went about explaining what was going on. He started with his death more than sixty years earlier, went on to tell of his trip into the light and how the Shadows had come for him. He told everything up until Elizabeth. Larry just looked at him and his wife stopped crying for a moment. Then she looked at her husband in disbelief, as then Larry burst out in laughter. He didn’t believe any of it.
“Son you are going to have to make up something more believable than that.” Larry blurted out.
“He’s not lying. Look I know it is hard to believe but it is all true.” Jen insisted.
“Then prove it.” Larry shook his head and looked away.
“Ok, then I will.” Daniel became defiant.
Daniel focused and concentrated all his power as he was told by Elizabeth. He figured the easiest way to show them was to do what he had done so many times before. As he closed his eyes, a bright light came forward from within him. As it grew it engulfed him and he looked as if he was dematerializing into it. As the light faded, his body was as sold as it had been just before.
“Now do you believe me?” Daniel snapped.
“Oh my god, you are some kind of angel, aren’t you?” Irene asked.
“Something like that. I shouldn’t have showed you and you can’t talk about this to anyone.”
“I’m sorry son, I didn’t know things like this could be true. What can we do to help you two be safe?” Larry asked.
“We have to go, so the Shadows don’t find us here. I have roughly 30 days to survive them.”
“And what happens after the 30 days?” Irene asked.
“I will be free of them. They will not be able to touch me after that.” Daniel explained.
“Then run and hide and do whatever you have to, to make it through this.” Larry insisted.
“I figure we will go to an unpopulated area to steer clear of people who can be used as these shadow zombies.”
“We decided to go ...” Jen was cut off by Larry.
“No... the less we know the safe you are. They won’t be able to get any information from us this way. Here Daniel, take my bank card use it to get whatever you need to make sure you to are OK.”
“Larry, I don’t know what to say.” Daniel really was at a loss for words.
“Don’t say anything son, just come back to us safe and sound.”
They grabbed their backpacks as and hugged good-bye to Larry and Irene. Heading downtown, their first stop would be the bank to get enough money out to but bus tickets and food.
As they walked into the center of the city area, people were going about their business as with any usual day. There was quite a lot of traffic in the town square, which was usual for a weekday. In the center of the town square many people had gathered for a celebration rally. Quite a few of the side streets were blocked off and the congestion of the main roads was evident. It was all becoming more unbearable due to the arrival of an 18-wheeler truck driven by the local Martin Emery.
The police flagged the truck down trying to stop it from entering the downtown street but it kept moving, plowing through barricades that were set up for just that situation. Daniel and Jen walked down the side street towards the bank not knowing the 18-wheeler had accelerated and was heading in their direction. As Daniel stepped out into the road, he heard the engine revving louder and louder. Turning towards Jen, he shoved her backwards.
As Jen landed on her backpack, she was becoming painfully aware of what was happening. She looked up at the cab of the truck as saw the face of the man driving. He had a sinister look on his face, as he plowed through the street. Then the truck aimed at Daniel. As he turned to see the face of the driver, it changed into a dark shadowy distortion. It was at that moment Daniel was sure the driver was not in control. As the huge truck flew at him, Daniel had no other recourse, he had to use his powers in public. He turned and focused on a car beside him and let loose with a blast that slid the car into the way of the truck.
The 18-wheeler lifted off the road as it soared over the car in its path, slamming down several feet from Daniel. He ran to Jen and grabbed her hand. As they watched the police surround the truck, they overheard the conversation. The man inside was dead. They believed he had been dead since before the truck veered out of control and down the city street. Daniel realized they were in the clear
and could not be linked to the accident. He knew then, he and Jen had to get money and get on a bus as fast as they could. There were still six Shadows still waiting for him.
6 It’s in the Cards
As they prepared to board the bus, they noticed the driver. He apparently had gotten into a mood long before reporting to work. As they stood in line preparing to board Daniel made the mistake of letting his foot slide slightly over the line in front of the bus. This immediately drew the driver’s attention.
“Now you people gonna have to learn you can’t just stand wherever you want to. It’s dangerous to be over the line. The bus could hit you and such.” The driver shouted while looking at Daniel. “Now I’m not trying to single anyone out”, he continued while dropping his dark sunglasses and looking Daniel straight in the eyes. Daniel shrugged his shoulders and pulled his foot back the six inches that had slid forward.
As they got seated on the bus the driver’s ranting had no end. It was obvious he was ex-military and the dog tags he wore around his neck proved it. He had been a bus driver for more than 25 years, but still had his military personality intact. Daniel just smiled at him as he walked past. There was a power struggle going on. The driver wanted to tell everyone what to do and how to do it and Daniel was having none of it.
“Who does this man think he is?” Daniel whispered to Jen “We’re not in the army and he is not a drill sergeant.”
“Let it go Daniel; he is just trying to keep control of his bus. Besides with this crowd, I am glad he is staying on top of them. I don’t want to get mugged before we leave town.” Jen laughed smugly to herself.
As the last of the passengers made their way onboard the driver returned. As he stood at the front of the bus trying to get his microphone to work, Daniel watched him intently. He was a tall skinny black man who had sideburns from the 70’s. He shaved his head and with the glasses in place looked like he should have been on an old cop show from the past.
“Now listen up. Since my microphone is not working” he said as he slammed it against the wall of the bus, “I will do this old school. There will be no smoking on this bus. Not in your seat or in the latrine. There will be no alcoholic beverages. Now the company gets a lot of complaints about cell phone calls. There is a message posted behind the driver, you have to use cell phones as little as possible.” As the driver finished the line, two thirds of the bus pulled out their cell phones and started to dial. “Also listening devices, that is your music, gotta keep the sound as low as possible so you do not disturb the people around you. Because that person sitting in front of you, beside you behind you or around you may be trying to rest, relax or sleep. And your music may be a dis-turb-ance. Now if any of you feel you have been disturbed please let me know and I will gladly take care of the problem.” As he finished the line the driver turned and looked Daniel in the face. His tone changed as he mumbled on his way to his seat, “I’ll throw somebodies ass off in a second. This is my damn bus.”
The bus ride was quieter than they had anticipated. The driver may have been a bit out of control, but he drove fast and they were out of the city in no time. Jen snuggled up next to Daniel and tried to sleep but the constant hitting of pot holes and the driver blasting the horn at people who cut them off did not allow it.
In two hours’, time they reached their destination. As they climbed down off the bus Daniel was glad to see the last of the driver. He had decided the man had anger management issues and someone would learn this the hard way in the future if this man owned a gun. They grabbed their backpacks and walked down the road towards the local motel.
As they checked in, Jen paid for the room. Daniel hung in the background hoping the man did not ask him for ID. Daniel made a mental note to himself that this was something he had to figure out. How did a person who died decades ago, who came back from the dead get an ID card? He shook his head at the thought.
As they walked down the passageway to their door, Daniel looked hard at the place. He knew that there were cheap motels in the world but this was really bad. He looked around at the decrepit state of the outside and was scared to think what the inside would be like. His worst fears were justified as the door opened.
He looked at Jen and then hung his head. “I’ll make this up to you one day, I swear.”
“Oh come on, it’s not that bad. Believe it or not, I have lived in worse.” She sighed.
“In my day, people did not stay in places like this. No one would have allowed it to exist.”
“In your day... how old do you think you are?” Jen laughed at him.
“Well if you are going chronologically, I am either 77 or less than one. You choose.”
“I would rather believe you to be around 17. I think we need to stick with the believable.”
“So, what do we do now? We are here and settled. I haven’t had any other signs that they are coming.” Daniel shrugged his shoulders.
“On the desk at the front counter there were advertisements for a carnival. Do you feel like having some fun?” Jen asked.
“Sure, a carnival, what could go wrong there?” He said rolling his eyes.
They went back into the main office and got directions. The carnival had set up just a couple of miles down the road and they both agreed it was within walking distance. They tried to stay off the road and not be too visible. Neither realized they were being watched the whole time. As they walked down the side of the road the raven circled above them. It had been on their trail since the moment they left the motel.
The evening was approaching, allowing the raven to blended into the darkness of the sky. As they walked, it moved from tree to tree intently watching their every step. As they approached the last bit of road, they were sure they were near the carnival. The loud music and noises blasted through the cool night air. The carnival was spread across a large field on an old unused farm.
Daniel took it all in as they approached. There were colorful tents, lights from gaming booths and crowds of people eating, laughing at clowns. He had not been to a carnival since he was a child, and back then they were a bit of a taboo, but his father loved them. Daniel cleared his head for a second; he had not thought of his father for so long. He had pushed his old life out of his head for the most part since he learned how he died. There was too much pain to deal with. It was nice to finally remember a happy time from his former life.”
Jen grabbed Daniel’s hand, as she pulled him through the carnival looking at stand after stand just like a child. She too, had found a happy place, even if it was just for a moment. She was able to let go of the fear. As they walked along past the stands, they tried different foods and road a couple of rides. Daniel even showed off his pitcher’s arm from back in his baseball days and won Jen a stuffed bear.
As they walked to the end of the row of stands, they noticed there was a weird looking booth. Jen got excited when she saw it was a fortune teller. “Daniel, we have to go in. Oh, Danny please, what could it hurt?” She insisted. “That remains to be seen. And don’t call me Danny.” He did not have time to object as she grabbed his arm and pulled him in through the curtain that protected the doorway.
“Hello, is there anyone here?” Jen called out, as they walked towards the table.
“Jen let’s go, the stand is empty.” Daniel insisted.
“No...do not go. I am here.” A voice came from nowhere.
From behind the back wall of hanging fabric, an older woman appeared. She was dressed for the part of a gypsy. She wore large oversized earrings and flowing scarves. Her hair was braided, and had light reflecting sequins in it. As she came closer to them, she sat down at the table. Waving her hand in a gesturing fashion, she invited them to sit as well.
“I am Madam Organa. Would you like a card reading or your palm read? I am a psychic and can see into your future or past. Who will it be the beautiful young lady, or the handsome young man?” She smiled as she spoke to them.
“Daniel you do it. I want to hear your future.” Jen ins
isted, wanting to see how real it was.
“OK, but I don’t know about this.” Daniel whispered.
“I will read the cards for you. The cards know all. They can tell you who you are, where you came from; about the people in your life and what will lie in your future. With every person they work differently. Sometimes the information is specific, other times it is a bit cloudy. Now touch the cards and split the deck in two stacks of your choosing.”
Daniel looked hard at the cards. He didn’t know if he believed in all this, but he was willing to try to make Jen happy. He reached out to take the cards from the woman’s hand, but as Daniel’s hand brushed hers, the woman jerked back. Her mind filled with a vision of Daniel in the days when he was undead and lived in the cemetery. She pulled her hand back and looked down at it in fear.
“Are you OK?” Daniel asked.
“Yes, I am fine, I just had a chill is all. I will continue. Now shuffle the deck and cut it.”
Daniel did as she asked, and returned the cards to her. She looked hard at him, as she reached out to take the cards back. She had not had such a powerful vision in years. In recent years, she had begun to question her abilities. The vision of Daniel was still fresh in her mind. She saw him orb. The image was one she would not soon forget.
As she dealt the cards, she told them what each meant. “This is card is your past. How strange...it is the card of death.” She continued to lay the cards out on the table. “You are surrounded and accompanied by one who loves you. Yet there is danger...darkness follows you, there are shadows. The darkness has attempted to claim you once already. It will come again, many more times. The darkness will not stop, until one close to you has died. I see death in your future. How can you start out of death and end in death this does not make sense? If I didn’t know better, I would say you died already once.”
The old woman laughed, she knew it was not possible. Daniel breathed deep; he didn’t understand how she could know so much about him. His mind raced to her prediction of the future. It couldn’t all end in death. He was gripped in fear that the loss of someone close to him could mean Jen. Breathing deeply, he turned to look at her and his heart sank.