The Darkness Within

by Taylor Henderson

  The figure was standing against the wall, unmoving. I knew that if it were actually a person they would have already seen me by now. Despite the rationalization, I remained still for a moment longer just to be sure. When the shadowy figure remained immobile, I reached my hand out to the side, brushing my fingers against the wall in an attempt at finding the light switch. When my finger finally touched the switch, I flipped the light on quickly, happy to see that the figure from the shadows was just a robe hanging from a hook on the wall. I balanced myself on the sink, taking slow, deep breaths to calm my rapidly beating heart. When I opened my eyes, I continued my search. This bathroom was the same as the en-suite in David’s room had been, except worse. There was hardly anything in the cabinets or drawers. When I finally mustered up the courage to open the closet door in the bathroom, there was nothing inside except a few towels and washcloths. The other bathroom only had a sink and toilet, while this one had a large tub and showerhead.

  After once again finding nothing, I began to feel discouraged. Time was running out and I still hadn’t found anything to use as evidence against him. I flipped the light off and walked out into the living room. The only other place I could think of that David might hide something in was the basement. I made my way to the door, trying it only to see that it was once again locked. I wasn’t surprised considering how secretive he was about what was down there.

  I jiggled the knob, tugging and pulling to no avail. I pressed my ear to the door, listening for any sound. If Holly was down there, I needed to find a way to get her out. I was skeptical that she would be hidden down there after her attempt at escaping. David knew I’d seen her trying to get away. If he was as much of a mastermind as the media said he was, then he would have moved her somewhere more secluded. Holding my breath in an attempt at silencing my breathing, I listened for any little sound, but I heard nothing. So I waited, listening for a while longer before I dropped down to my knees and turned my mouth to face the crack between the door and the floor.

  “Holly?” I said, my voice coming out in a whisper, cracking as I said her name. “Holly Martin?” I called out louder. I had to be sure she wasn’t down there before I left. I didn’t see myself finding any evidence, but if I heard her down there then I would try to break the doorknob and get her out. “Holly, if you’re down there make a noise. I’m here to help you.” My heart was in my throat as I waited, listening hard.

  No sound came.

  I let out a shaky breath before standing up again. The gloom in the house seemed like it was getting thicker every moment. I shook out my hands, shaking out my nerves. I just wanted to check the kitchen before I left. I walked to the kitchen table, gingerly lifting up the papers on top and squinting down at them. It was too hard to see what any of them were without light. I shoved my hand into my pocket to grab my phone to use the flashlight, but my hand came up empty. I checked the other pocket, but it wasn’t there either.

  The sound of a car pulling into the driveway caused my head to snap to the left. Light flooded in through the windows framing the front door and the small windows in the kitchen and living room. I hurried toward the window in the kitchen, going to peek and check to see if it was David. If it was, then I had no choice but to get out quickly, but if it wasn’t then I was going to risk running to retrace my steps and find my phone.

  I pulled back the curtain just a crack and peered out the window to see David’s gray sedan in the driveway. My blood ran cold when I looked at the windshield, seeing David staring right back at me.

  I let go of the curtain quickly. Moving faster than I ever have before, I sprinted towards the back door. I was out of the house in a hurry, not even bothering to close the door behind me. He already saw me, so what was the point? I jumped the fence quickly, entering my house through the back door; the same way I had exited it. Once I was inside, I had to fight my urge to slam the door behind me. Instead, I closed it slowly and quietly, making sure to lock the deadbolt into place.

  Bracing myself on the kitchen island, I kept myself from falling down. What would happen now that he saw me? Would I be his next target? Would I be girl number seven of his collection?

  My thoughts continued to run rampant, making me feel dizzy. What was worse was that I didn’t even have my phone anymore. Now my only evidence was in David’s possession. What the hell was I going to do now?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Buried

  I knew it was going to be a nightmare as soon as my dream began. Somehow I always knew. My nightmares began slowly, like my mind was hesitant to throw me into the bad dream. Normally they started with me doing some normal activity and then something horrific happened to change the whole course of the dream. This one was different though. It started off slowly, like I was in a daze, but I wasn’t doing anything normal.

  Instead, I was standing at the front of an alter, staring down the aisle in anticipation. My hands were at my sides, tightened into fists, clutching the sheer material of my dress in two balls. I gnawed on my bottom lip, my teeth digging into the skin so deeply that the taste of blood filled my mouth. Sweat dotted my brow and my heartbeat was erratic, beating almost in tune with the song that began to fill the church. As the wedding march began, everyone in the rows of pews stood to their feet, turning to face the back of the church just moments before the doors opened. At the end of the aisle, dressed in a beautiful, lace gown was my mother. Her veil was short and was tucked into her red hair, which was twisted into a stylish up do. She looked like an angel as she floated down the aisle towards the altar. All eyes were on her.

  Despite how happy she looked, I felt queasy like I was going to hurl. A salty taste filled my mouth, and there was a lump in my throat that wouldn’t go away no matter how many times I swallowed. My palms were moist and rubbing my hands on my dress did nothing to fix that. The closer my mom got, the worse I felt. Finally, when she reached the altar, coming to a stop below the two steps where the priest was standing at the top, I noticed him. David was dressed in an immaculate black tux with a sinister grin curving his lips upward. My mom was smiling at him, but he was smiling at me.

  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony,” the priest spoke, looking between David and my mom.

  I clenched my fists tighter, my nails digging into the flesh of my palms as I watched the scene unravel before me. My mom surreptitiously swiping tears from her cheeks and smiling like this was the happiest day of her life. David taking her hand in his, but keeping his eyes trained on me. It was like my own personal hell. When it came time for them to read their vows, David went first.

  He held my mom’s hands in his, pressing their intertwined hands to his heart as he spoke. “Jasmine, when I first met you I knew you were the one. Everything about you was perfect. You were a single mother, you were attracted to me, and you had a daughter who was the perfect age. I couldn’t have asked for a better neighbor.”

  As he mentioned me, Mom glanced over her shoulder and winked at me before looking back to David. She didn’t even understand the true meaning behind his words. My blood boiled. How could I let things get this far? Why didn’t I tell her about him?

  David continued spewing bullshit about his and my mother’s relationship, but I couldn’t listen any longer. I’d had enough. I needed to come clean.

  “Stop!” I screamed, throwing my hands into the air in frustration. “You can’t marry him!”

  “Claire,” Mom spoke, an expression of disapproval lining her features. Her cheeks began to flush in embarrassment at my outburst, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t let this happen.

  I pointed a finger at David, scowling as I yelled, “He’s The Collector. You can’t marry him because he’s a deranged serial killer who preys on innocent, young girls. He kidnaps them, brands them with a number, and then slaughters them like animals!” My chest heaved as I screamed the truth, revealing David for who he really was. When I was finished, I stood there, trying to control my
heavy breathing.

  My mom looked from me to David with an eyebrow raised, then she did something I didn’t expect. She burst into a fit of laughter. David actually laughed too, clutching his sides as he bent over at the waist. When my mom finished she said, “Oh, Claire, honey, please stop being such a drama queen.” She waved me off before turning her attention to the priest. “Please continue,” she told him.

  I was horrified. “Don’t continue! This isn’t a joke, Mom. This is the truth!”

  Mom turned around and fixed me with a glare. It was obvious she didn’t believe me. She probably thought I was trying to ruin her special day.

  “Tell her!” I demanded, screaming at David.

  Now it was David’s turn to look annoyed. He raised an eyebrow and gave me a skeptical look. “I already did, Claire. You’re just making a fool of yourself.”

  There was snickering behind me and I spun around with the intention of telling off whoever it was, but what I saw made my breathing catch in my throat. Sitting in the first row—all dressed in morbid, black dresses—were Hadley, Rachel, Dakota, Tracy, Gwendolyn, and last, but not least, Holly. They were all staring at me, their lips twisted into smirks and their foreheads dripping blood down their faces. Holly was the one snickering. She raised a thin hand, covering her mouth to hide her laughter. Next to her, Gwendolyn leaned into her ear, whispering. I could hear her words loud and clear. It was almost as if she had whispered them into my ear.

  “She’s worried about her Mom when she should be worrying about herself.”

  Holly cupped her hands around her mouth as she whispered back, “She doesn’t realize she’s next.”

  All of the girls erupted into fits of giggles as I watched, my mouth agape. My breathing grew heavier as I watched them. Then I felt a searing pain on my forehead.

  “It’s happening,” Hadley spoke, raising her finger to drag it down the line of her number one. Blood gushed from the wound as she touched it.

  The other girls joined in, twisting their faces in pain as they dug their fingers into their numbers, tracing them slowly.

  I screamed as the pain in my forehead grew more intense, like someone was cutting into my flesh. I raised my hand, touching my forehead and pulling it away to see crimson blood smeared across the tips of my fingers. I spun around quickly, my eyes wide as I looked at my mom and David.

  “It looks good on you, Claire. You look...complete,” David said with a grin on his face. His dark eyes bore into me, his expression filled with lust.

  I have to get out of here, I thought, turning quickly and running down the aisle. I slammed into the double doors at the back of the church, stumbling into the hallway as I clutched my forehead with one hand. The pain was so intense that I couldn’t think straight anymore.

  I ran as fast as I could, finding a bathroom and hurrying inside. When I finally came to a stop in front of a mirror, holding myself up by the sink, a scream tore from my throat at the sight.

  Carved deep into the flesh on my forehead was a crooked number seven.

  I woke up screaming. Screaming so loud that I scared myself. My mom was up in a split second, grabbing my shoulders and staring into my eyes.

  “Claire, baby, it’s all right. I’m here. You’re safe,” she spoke, pulling me to her chest and smoothing my hair down. I had been sleeping in her room with her for the past few nights, afraid of being alone in mine, and also afraid of being so close to David’s house. The thought of only a wall separating me from his house was almost enough to make me tremble in fear.

  Mom held me close to her, rubbing my arm and kissing the top of my head. I felt so bad for waking her up, but she didn’t seem to mind at all. She just let me cry while she did her best to console me.

  “Do you want to tell me what your dream was about?” she asked softly.

  I shook my head no, snuggling deeper into her embrace.

  Mom sighed, but didn’t push me for an answer. When it finally hit me that my dream was just dream, I pulled away from Mom and excused myself to the bathroom. The hardwood floors in the hallway were cold against my bare feet, and I welcomed the warmth from my plush, bathroom rug when I entered. I flipped the light on, breathing a sigh of relief when I looked at my reflection in the mirror and saw that my forehead was still the same; tan, and a little pimply, but free of any gruesome numbers. It was irrational of me to think there would be something there, but the dream had felt so real. I could still feel the pain searing my skull as if someone had actually taken a knife to my head.

  Filling my lungs with a deep breath of air, I let it out slowly, trying to collect myself. It was just a dream, I found myself repeating in my mind. I needed to remind myself that to keep from getting too worked up. Turning the cold water on, I cupped my hands under the faucet, splashing the water on my face. The cold only served to wake me up more. Honestly, after that dream, I didn’t expect to get anymore sleep for the duration of the night. I was going to sit in my room and read, or watch a movie—anything but sleep. I didn’t want to bother my mom anymore than I already had so I decided to stay out of her room for the night to let her get some more sleep before she had to go to work.

  A glance at my bathroom clock told me that it was a little past three in the morning. I only had three and a half hours left before I needed to get ready for school anyway. I splashed my face one more time before turning the water off. Then I stood over the sink, letting the water droplets drip from my face, down my neck and onto my pajama shirt as I stared at my reflection. There were small, dark circles beneath my eyes from my lack of sleep. My eyebrows were unruly from the water, and my wild curls were pulled back into a messy bun. Normally I thought I was pretty. Nothing over the top, but at least a simple pretty, what with my unique hair texture and my honey brown eyes, but right now I looked ghastly. My usual olive complexion was now washed out and my eyes were rimmed in red.

  Stepping away from the sink, I grabbed my towel from off it’s hook and dried my face before turning out the light and exiting the room. Once the lights were out, an all too familiar fear swept over me—dread about what, or who, could be hiding in the shadows. Once I made it to my room, I flipped the light on and closed my door, locking it behind me. Then I hurried toward my bed, jumping onto it and tucking myself under the covers. The book on my nightstand was an old horror novel I’ve read multiple times before, but tonight I just wasn’t in the mood. It’s different when your life is average and you can get a good scare by reading a book, but when you’re practically living in a horror novel yourself there’s no time for added fear.

  I pulled out the drawer of my bedside table, rummaging through my random novels, DVDs that were missing their cases, and sheets of loose-leaf paper until I found what I was looking for. I pulled the worn paperback from my drawer and settled into bed, bending the cover back as I began to read. Though it was hard to focus on the book with my thoughts racing and eventually I found myself climbing out of bed to peek out my window. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stay away. David’s house petrified me, but I had to admit that it also intrigued me. I wanted to know what was going on in there and why David was the way he was. The thought terrified me, but I was curious.

  I pulled the curtain back slowly, peering out of my window. To my surprise, one of the lights in David’s house was on. I squinted down at his little eyesore of a home, my gaze flitting all over until I saw a movement come from the backyard. I gasped at the sight that lay before me. David had a shovel in his hand and was digging. Lying next to him was a large black, trash bag. Considering the distance, and how his yard was enveloped in shadows from the night, I couldn’t quite make out what was in it, but what really registered with me was that the bag was big enough to hold a body.

  I leaned to the side, trying to get a better look, but my curtain shifted and a long rectangle of light casted down below. David stopped digging instantly, snapping his head up toward my window. I jumped back, closing the curtain quickly. This was too much.

  I ran to pic
k up the landline in my room, dialing 911 as quickly as my fingers would allow it. David wasn’t getting away with it this time.

  “911, what’s your emergency?”

  My hands shook as I held the phone to my ear.

  “Hello, I’d like to report a murder.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Cold and Dead

  As soon as I got off of the phone, I began working in autopilot. I sprinted down the hallway, bursting into my mom’s room like I had no home training. I flipped the light on and then ran to the side of the bed she slept on and began to shake her awake, which didn’t take long considering it had only been about half an hour ago from when I had woken her up with my screams.

  Mom rolled over, shielding her eyes from the light with her arm. “Claire, have you lost your mind?” she asked, sitting up slowly. She rubbed her eyes, smudging the remnants of her makeup from the day before on her upper eyelid.

  “No, Mom, this is serious. David’s a murderer.”

  Mom raised an eyebrow before she opened her mouth slowly. I expected her to laugh, as she had in my dream, but instead she let out a loud yawn. Then groggily repeated my words. “David’s a murderer?” She fixed me with one of her ‘I don’t condone lying’ stares. “Claire, you had a nightmare. That’s all. You can stay in here with me, but I really need to get some sleep. I have an important meeting in the morning.” She patted my hand, and then attempted to lie back down, but I wasn’t allowing that.