Darkly Rising

by J. D. Matheny

  He yanked her through the back door, but he didn’t stop at the patio, he kept propelling her across the grass, through the gate of the cyclone fence surrounding the pool. Then she was airborne.

  The water was frigid and when she hit the surface it was like passing through the door of a walk-in freezer. Icy liquid shot up her nose and, after a moment of flailing, she broke the surface choking and coughing. Before she’d even cleared the blurriness from her eyes she was on the move, intending to climb out from the other side, opposite where she anticipated her father to be.

  Before she had taken two full steps a firm grip clamped onto her shoulder and pulled her back. Both of her father’s arms wrapped around her and she was pulled tightly into his bearlike chest. It was then that she relaxed, giving herself over to the inevitable, whatever that might be. Maybe he was trying to scare her. Maybe he was planning to kill her.

  Just like mother, she thought. Drowning in the pool, only this time it won’t be an accident.

  Dennis brought her arms up over her chest and crossed them, giving her the look of somebody hugging themselves for warmth and comfort. She looked up at him then, lying in his arms like a vampire in a coffin, wanting to say something. To beg or plead, to curse, maybe spit, but nothing came. She could only stare at his wavering form. He appeared to be crying, but she couldn’t be sure with the water pooling up and stinging her eyes. His details couldn’t be seen, but his voice she could hear plainly enough. It boomed out above her like a great voice coming from the Heavens.

  “Lord, my God, Keeper of Heaven and Earth, Shepherd of souls, Light in the dark, fill us with Your spirit in this, our great time of need. Wash this young woman with Your Holy fire and burn away her sins and misdeeds. Prepare for her a place in Your Kingdom and light her path.”

  Jenny blinked madly and shook her head to clear away the residual water. Then she stared up at her father, who was finally coming into focus. She gave out a pitiful cry. He didn’t look angry or distraught, he looked peaceful and half-mad. It was then that she got truly scared.

  “Daddy, please let me go.” She pushed her hands out against his, testing to see whether he would relax and acquiesce to her request.

  Instead, the hand pinning her arms to her chest pushed down harder, compressing her lungs and making it harder for her to breathe.

  “You should see how beautiful you look right now, daughter. With God’s light shining down on you and your hair spreading out over the water like a fan of flames. What a gift He gave me when you came into this world. Don’t cry, my love. You’ve strayed from Him, from me. That’s all. It’s time you returned.”

  Then she was being plunged under the water without warning and without a chance to take in a breath. The hand on her chest was like a great weight pushing down on her and she saw the dark figure of her father bending down over her. She twisted and kicked, tried to scream out, but there was no chance for escape. Nobody around to hear her muted cries.

  The figure bent over her, blocking out the light, trying to peer down at her in the depths. A great sense of peace settled on her then. It encapsulated her more completely then the water ever could.

  She closed her eyes and gave herself over to it.

  27

  Thomas and Sophie sat out on a wood bench in the front yard beside a white skinned Birch tree shedding yellow leaves all about them. Thomas was a summer child, but it was impossible not to appreciate the spectacular array of reds, oranges, and yellows that peppered the landscape at this time of year. He had asked Sophie if he could drop by for a chat and had found her there, looking radiant under the golden lemon birch, smiling down at her cell phone. It wasn’t until he’d seated himself next to her that she finally acknowledged him.

  “I’m not used to seeing you so enamored with that thing,” said Thomas, nodding at her phone. “Is there some exciting news I should know about?”

  She responded with a smile and silence, then looked out over the lawn.

  Thomas leaned over, bumping her with his shoulder. “C’mon now, spill it. Tell your big brother what’s going on.”

  Her smile widened, her teeth straight and pearly white, flashing out against her bronze skin. “It’s just a friend, Thomas. I think that’s all I want to say to my big brother for fear that he might puff his chest and start cleaning a shotgun at my dining room table.”

  “Oh, c’mon, that’s not fair. I haven’t done that since you were, what, twenty? If you’ve met somebody, I’ll be happy for you. It’s been too long.”

  “I never thought I’d live long enough to hear that come out of your mouth! Fine. His name is Blaine. We’ve started seeing each other recently, but kinda-sorta seeing each other for a while. He owns the float shop in Wandermere.”

  Thomas stood and put on his jacket, which had been lying across his knees.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to this float shop to pay this fella a visit. Explain a few ground rules.” He made to leave, taking a stride toward his truck.

  Sophie grabbed him by the arm. “Tommy! Don’t you dare. I will never speak to you again.”

  He laughed and sat back down, the lines around his eyes and mouth deepening into a mirthful smile. “Just messing with you, sis. That’s good to hear, it really is.” He flinched as she gave him a playful smack on the arm. “Hey, if you’re fond of him, I’m sure he’s a good guy. When do we get to meet?”

  She gave him a sly look. “If you stick around for dinner then you can meet him tonight.”

  Thomas grunted, stretched his long legs out before him, leaning his head back to look up through the trees and into a clear blue sky. “There was a long time where I didn’t feel like life would ever be normal. It was like the boogeyman was hiding behind every corner, in every shadow, just waiting to pounce. Then there’s moments like these where I can almost get there. Back to normal, I mean.”

  “What about Kai? What about James?”

  He sighed. “You know what? Ever since that day that I ran you a bath, and heard that god-awful scream, saw you in a bathtub full of bloody water . . . I swear, Sophie, being decisive has never been a problem for me, but ever since that day I’ve felt like I walk with one foot in another life entirely. It’s like I can’t decide if that other life is real or not. I go from believing one moment, to wanting to laugh at myself the next.” He looked at her again, this time there were no hints of a smile. “There’s times I’m absolutely sure that something is off with Kai. That there’s a hint of the you-know-who in there when I look at him. Other times I feel like I’m seeing the boogeyman in the shadows and I almost laugh at myself.”

  “Don’t you think that it’s projecting? There’s some things about Kai that make me think sometimes, but if nothing of the island had ever happened, do you think we’d even wonder?”

  He considered it for a moment. He’d considered that idea for many moments. “I just don’t know, but one thing I keep telling myself, it’s better safe than sorry.”

  “What does that mean? What is playing it safe, exactly?” She sounded nervous and it almost broke his heart.

  “I have no intention of doing anything to harm Kai, sis. I hope you don’t think that. What I came over here for was to ask you about the lamp. The old lantern that you brought back from the island.”

  “Oh my god, that old thing? I almost threw it out with the trash not long after we got back, but Kai was so fond of it. I swear, he was so fascinated with the light that he never cried when that thing was around. I put it in his room and brought it out at night. By now it’s probably buried under a mountain of odds and ends in the bottom of his closet. What do you want it for?”

  “Just a theory. Do you think he’d miss it?”

  “He’s seventeen, I doubt he cares about a rusty old lantern. We can ask him about it at dinner tonight.”

  Thomas nodded, satisfied. “Where is my strapping young nephew, anyway? He hasn’t come out to say hello.”

  “He’s out on the back forty,” she sa
id, waving a hand toward the house, “doing a building project with a group of buddies. He didn’t even come to the house after school, just went right to work back there.”

  “Yeah? Bit old for a tree fort, isn’t he?”

  “He talked me into financing more than a fort. They’re building a cabin. Something simple, no water, no electricity. Just a place for the fellas to hangout and look at dirty magazines and sneak some beer, I’m sure.”

  “Impressive. I wish mom had been more like you.” He smiled and gave her knee a squeeze. “Does that mean he isn’t aware of your guest this evening?”

  Sophie laughed and covered her face briefly with both hands. “I was going to tell him when he got home, but then he didn’t come home. He just text me that he was getting right to work. I did text him back, let him know that Blaine was coming. He never responded. I’m sure it will be an adjustment, but he’ll be fine.”

  Thomas shook his head. “Sure, he likes new men visiting the house. Went great last time.”

  It didn’t go great, though. Not where Kai was concerned; he wasn’t at dinner. Blaine had shown up at 6:30 p.m. on the dot, just as she had requested but Kai had yet to return from his building project. She hadn’t thought much of it then, but assumed he would show up shortly. Kai never missed a meal.

  He didn’t show up shortly, though. Not for some time, in fact. Instead, the two of them, along with Thomas, enjoyed a nice meal of Manicotti and green salad.

  Sophie was delighted at the ease with which Thomas and Blaine settled into casual conversation. There was no sizing up on Thomas’s part and no outward nervousness or unrest on Blaine’s part. She felt almost like a third wheel, barely able to keep up with their conversations regarding football and martial arts, action movies and sport cars. Instead, she laughed where she deemed it appropriate and kept their drinks full and food warm. It didn’t bother her to be on the outside of this conversation. She was overjoyed to see her big brother, who’d always been a bit overly protective, get on so well with her new love interest.

  Of course, Blaine seemed as though he could get on charmingly well with anybody. He never let the conversation lull, always asked interesting and pertinent questions, and exuded a warmth that seemed to be fully genuine. After some time, the conversation did turn toward something should could partake in.

  Blaine, absentmindedly stroking her hand, glanced down first at his dinner plate, then at the dish with the Manicotti. “Man, I’ve been running my mouth and filling it this whole time, I didn’t even think about leaving food for Kai. Do you think there’s enough left? I could run out and get something.”

  The genuine look of concern for her son filled Sophie’s tummy with a dozen fluttering little butterflies. “That’s sweet of you, but there’s plenty. I was preparing for three giants. There’s a whole other dish warming in the stove. Strange that he’s not here, though.” She slipped her phone out of her pocket, seeing that it was nearing 8:00 p.m.

  “It is getting late,” Thomas said, “maybe I should walk back and check up on our young builder. It was getting dark before we started.”

  Just then, the sliding door off the dining room opened with a rush of chilly air, and Kai, having removed his footwear outside, stepped in and slung the door shut behind him. He was in only a T-shirt, smeared with dirt and mud, and wearing also an enormous smile on his face. That changed as he surveyed the room and noticed the tall stranger sitting next to his mother and holding her hand.

  He watched their hands as he spoke. “I’m starving. You’ve already eaten?”

  Thomas bounced up and moved in front of his young nephew, who just happened to be half a head taller. “Boy, look at you! I can remember looking like that every day when I first started in construction. Tough work, but some of the best times. How is it going out there?”

  The smile returned as his uncle Tommy’s enthusiasm reignited his own. “Oh man, Tommy, it’s amazing. We got materials staged, lot leveled, and a foundation started. Took a while for everybody to get in their roles, but once we got moving, it was a whirlwind!”

  “Oh, honey, that’s great! I’m so proud of you.” Sophie speaking up drew Kai’s attention back to the table, and to the stranger, who had stood and seemed to be waiting for an introduction.

  Kai pulled off his pants, which had dirt and flecks of mortar caked a foot up along his pant legs, and left them crumpled on the floor. Dressed then in only a T-shirt and boxers, he strode forward on two very long and muscular legs, and stuck his hand out.

  The stranger smiled and grabbed hold, showing no sign of discomfort in Kai’s state of undress or intimidation by his physique. “Hey Kai, I’m Blaine, it’s a real pleasure to meet you. Boy! That’s a helluva grip you got there. You’re really warm, been working hard, huh?”

  Kai did his best to retain a friendly smile on his face and nodded his head in agreement. Letting go of Blaine’s hand, he bent over and planted a kiss on Sophie’s cheek.

  “Sorry I’m late, mom. Guess I got caught up in the project. Smells amazing! I should get cleaned up before I eat.”

  “And dressed,” Sophie said with a tolerant smile.

  “That too.”

  “And I should really be on my way. I’ve got a part-timer closing up shop and I need to check things out before I can sleep tonight. Kai, you really should drop by and get in for a float sometime. I bet you’d really like it.”

  Kai only smiled politely and watched him put on his jacket. He lingered as Tommy sat back down at the table to clean up what little was left of his pasta and watched while Sophie walked Blaine to the door. There were some quiet words, then a kiss. Nothing passionate, but not a friendly peck on the cheek. It was on the lips. Kai’s blood began to boil.

  He called out. “Blaine!” He waited a second for the man to pull away and turn his sickeningly charming face back toward him. “That floating stuff, it sounds interesting. I’ll call you and make a time.”

  Blaine smiled and nodded, gave Sophie’s hand one last squeeze, then slipped out into the night.

  Thomas sat back in his chair and groaned while trying to massage his belly into a retracted state. Despite the time bomb sitting like a bowling ball in his belly—he was fit to burst now, he knew in an hour or so, he’d be in a coma—he eyeballed the glass dish with the Manicotti and thought how delicious one more bite would be. Then, in an impulsive act of sanity, he grabbed the dish and walked it into the kitchen where Sophie was rinsing dishes and loading them into her dishwasher.

  “Sis, that was amazing, you got a container for this stuff? Sooner it gets put away, the better.”

  She smiled as she scrubbed at a fork and tapped a drawer to her left with her knee. “There’s tinfoil in there. Just wrap it and toss it in the fridge.”

  The smile remained on her face and Thomas felt confident it wasn’t due to him performing a small domestic chore. He felt a sudden swell of love and happiness for his little sister. He bent to give her a scratchy kiss on the cheek. “That Blaine, seems like a really nice guy. Wouldn’t mind seeing him around again. You deserve somebody like that, sis.”

  She flashed him a full set of teeth and dropped the fork in the dishwasher before starting on a plate. Steam billowed up around her face as she worked, giving her the appearance a sweatshop laborer, though she’d only been at it for a few minutes.

  “He is a really great guy. Seemed like even Kai warmed up to him pretty quickly. Didn’t you think so?”

  “Sure,” said Thomas, dropping the dish on the bottom shelf of the fridge and scanning for anything that might have cherries or chocolate. Disappointed, he decided he needed to sit back down for a few minutes. “And speak of the devil. You’re lucky, kiddo. Your food was starting to get cold, and I couldn’t let that happen in good conscience. Another few minutes and I would have been licking the plate.”

  Kai sat in front of a plate Sophie had dished up for him and began spearing bites of pasta. His previous satisfaction of a job well done for the day seemed to have passed and no
w he simply ate in silence, though now with damp hair and clean clothes.

  Realizing he wasn’t about to get any response, Thomas forged on. “Say, Kai, do you remember that old lantern your mom gave you as a kid? The brass looking one, real old?”

  Kai paused and looked up at him, chewing slowly and finally swallowing before giving an answer. “Yeah, sure. What of it?”

  “Well, we were just reminiscing and talking about that old thing. Got me wondering whether it was still around. Your mom says she hasn’t seen it in years.” Sophie was closing the dishwasher lid now and watching them. “Do you still have that thing? Stuffed away in your closet or something?”

  Kai put down his fork and gave his uncle an appraising look. “Maybe. Why are you asking about my lantern?” Once the question was asked, he waited for a response, food no longer an interest.

  “No big deal, really. It was a cool lantern, really old looking from what I remember. I started wondering if it wouldn’t be worth getting it checked out, you know? If you still have it.”

  “Checked out?”

  Thomas tilted his head at Kai, showing the first sign of impatience. “Yes. Checked out. Is there a reason you’re being so guarded about the thing? It’s just an old oil lantern. Not exactly the type of thing that most seventeen-year-old boys covet.”

  Kai frowned. “I guess it’s not a big deal, but I’m not interested in selling it. I like that old oil lamp.”

  “No problem with that, I’m not interested in selling. I thought it might be cool though to take it to an antiques dealer or something. Get an idea of how old it is, where it came from, that sort of thing. That lamp came over from Fiji and I’m pretty sure the natives didn’t make it. For all we know, it came over on the Santa Maria.”

  Finally cracking a smile, Kai speared another bite and hopped up from the table just as Sophie was sitting down. He swept off to his room, and ten seconds later, came strolling out with the lantern.