An ominous feeling hangs in the night air, so silent yet filled with evil. A man dressed in a trench coat and a hoodie huddles under a street lamp. In the distance sits an abandoned house that used to belong to him. This house was once the home of his wife and daughters. The more he stares, the more he saw his home engulfed in flames and hears the cries of his wife and kids. The man mutters "I should've been there" as tears roll down his cheeks.
Being lost in the world is a feeling so new to Alec. A man that used to have it all is now gone. A broken man, empty, he is left with only himself and these dark thoughts. Alec walks through the caution tape shutting off the scene of the crime, walks through the still-intact white picket fence. His heart starts racing as he hears whispers, "Come inside, Daddy."
Alec froze as he stood outside the house, slowly looking up at the house. White and green paint peeling from the sides, broken glass from the windows, Christmas lights hung loose dancing with the wind, and a burnt stuffie that Alec once gave to his daughter, Julia.
Alec used to be a pilot; he would travel to different countries and cities around the world bringing home little gifts from his journey to gift his kids. It was rare for him to be home; the kids would be excited to be with their father, Alec would tell his stories as they gather around the living room. Alec holds up the burnt stuffie, remembering the time he surprised Julia. A tear falls down his cheek as he holds it close to his heart, his head drifting off to his last memory of the stuffie. He remembers opening the door to Julia screaming, "Daddy's home for my birthday!" A smile lifts from his face and a hug that brought two hearts together singing in harmony. "Happy birthday my little angel," he said, "I got you a little surprise!" Alec handed Julia a box with a little bow, and as she opened the box an enormous smile takes flight. "Thank you, daddy! This is the best birthday ever!" Julia said as she hugged her father.
Alec places the stuffie inside his trench coat and slowly walks up the crinkled staircase, steps splitting from every step up. As Alec stares at the door, his heart slams its breaks and he takes a deep breath before diving into his pain. As he opens the door, he shines a flashlight walking through the burnt living room where he shared ten Christmases with his family, the Christmas tree still standing with ornaments decorated by his wife and kids. The photos of a happy family now sit empty in a burnt home.
As Alec looks through the house, a soft whisper echoes through the empty void: "Welcome home daddy, we missed you." Alec looks around the pitch-dark hall to see nothing but the pain this house brings. He tries to talk back expecting a response: "I missed you too," he says, as he stutters in fear. Alec started to feel a heavy presence; someone else is in the room with him, a dark evil presence saying, "Join us, Alec, you have nothing to lose."
The voice sounds loud and full of demand. Alec flashes his light around the room, panicking at the voice. Alec looks around and says "I don't know who you are but this is my home." A loud laugh echoes down the hall and a slightly visible figure appears, with horns for ears, no pupils for eyes, a tall and strong muscular built yet floating with no feet hitting the ground. The figure moves closer to Alec and said with a vicious grin, "I am the demon that took your home and your family and now there is one thing I am missing. You."
Alec starts running up the stairs. He finds his room that he shared with his wife, the room was still intact like nothing happened. Alec closes the door and hides in the private bathroom locking the door and panting, and as he sits in the dark panting, he hears the little whisper: "It's okay daddy, he won't hurt you. He will bring you back to us!"
Alec whispers back, "I can't do that; I need to set you free." He softly sobs to himself, thinking that he's in a dream and needs to wake up.
"Are you scared of the dark?" the little whisper says to Alec while he sobs. He shakes his head and wipes his eyes. He is afraid of the unknown; the fear of losing someone, the fear of his dark thoughts, the sound of unknown voices that haunt him, the dark eerie places with no one in sight. His fears are coming to life. He is afraid but didn't want to admit it. As he sits with the question and his thoughts, he says to the little whisper "How can I face him?"
The little whisper says to Alec "You got to let go of the pain and face your fears. If you beat him, our souls will be free. We will rest peacefully and you will be free."
Alec didn't quite like the response; he was expecting his family back if he fought back. Alec feels misplaced and hopeless. "I lost my family, why should I fight for my place?"
The little whisper responds "Fight for your family, we would've wanted you to." Alec took the stuffie out of his trench coat. He looks at it and hugs it thinking of his little girl. Alec jumps up and leaves the room. He finds a floorboard and uses it as a sword. The demon sees Alec swinging the plank of wood and screams "You cannot get me for I will take your soul." Alec screamed and swings the plank of wood at the demon but the demon would block every swing Alec swung, and with every swing, the demon took the more blood he drew from Alec. The demon zaps Alec, leaving him with a mark on his eye, but the flames in Alec's eyes didn't stop him from swinging at the demon until he gave up. The demon lifts himself from defeat, looking at Alec deep into his soul and saying "You won Alec Hemmings. Your families' souls will be set free. But I will come after you."
***
It was two in the morning. I woke up screaming and crying from a nightmare. My parents rushed in like paramedics to an emergency. They sat by my bed holding me in their arms. "Is everything okay little Julia?" says my mum. I nod at her. My dad ran his fingers through my hair and asked "Was it a bad dream?" I nod and look over at my father with a mark on his eye and asked "Are you afraid of the dark?" Dad just smiled and said, "I have nothing to fear when I have all I need."
Being lost in the world is a feeling so new to Alec. A man that used to have it all is now gone. A broken man, empty, he is left with only himself and these dark thoughts. Alec walks through the caution tape shutting off the scene of the crime, walks through the still-intact white picket fence. His heart starts racing as he hears whispers, "Come inside, Daddy."
Alec froze as he stood outside the house, slowly looking up at the house. White and green paint peeling from the sides, broken glass from the windows, Christmas lights hung loose dancing with the wind, and a burnt stuffie that Alec once gave to his daughter, Julia.
Alec used to be a pilot; he would travel to different countries and cities around the world bringing home little gifts from his journey to gift his kids. It was rare for him to be home; the kids would be excited to be with their father, Alec would tell his stories as they gather around the living room. Alec holds up the burnt stuffie, remembering the time he surprised Julia. A tear falls down his cheek as he holds it close to his heart, his head drifting off to his last memory of the stuffie. He remembers opening the door to Julia screaming, "Daddy's home for my birthday!" A smile lifts from his face and a hug that brought two hearts together singing in harmony. "Happy birthday my little angel," he said, "I got you a little surprise!" Alec handed Julia a box with a little bow, and as she opened the box an enormous smile takes flight. "Thank you, daddy! This is the best birthday ever!" Julia said as she hugged her father.
Alec places the stuffie inside his trench coat and slowly walks up the crinkled staircase, steps splitting from every step up. As Alec stares at the door, his heart slams its breaks and he takes a deep breath before diving into his pain. As he opens the door, he shines a flashlight walking through the burnt living room where he shared ten Christmases with his family, the Christmas tree still standing with ornaments decorated by his wife and kids. The photos of a happy family now sit empty in a burnt home.
As Alec looks through the house, a soft whisper echoes through the empty void: "Welcome home daddy, we missed you." Alec looks around the pitch-dark hall to see nothing but the pain this house brings. He tries to talk back expecting a response: "I missed you too," he says, as he stutters in fear. Alec started to feel a heavy presence; someone else is in the room with him, a dark evil presence saying, "Join us, Alec, you have nothing to lose."
The voice sounds loud and full of demand. Alec flashes his light around the room, panicking at the voice. Alec looks around and says "I don't know who you are but this is my home." A loud laugh echoes down the hall and a slightly visible figure appears, with horns for ears, no pupils for eyes, a tall and strong muscular built yet floating with no feet hitting the ground. The figure moves closer to Alec and said with a vicious grin, "I am the demon that took your home and your family and now there is one thing I am missing. You."
Alec starts running up the stairs. He finds his room that he shared with his wife, the room was still intact like nothing happened. Alec closes the door and hides in the private bathroom locking the door and panting, and as he sits in the dark panting, he hears the little whisper: "It's okay daddy, he won't hurt you. He will bring you back to us!"
Alec whispers back, "I can't do that; I need to set you free." He softly sobs to himself, thinking that he's in a dream and needs to wake up.
"Are you scared of the dark?" the little whisper says to Alec while he sobs. He shakes his head and wipes his eyes. He is afraid of the unknown; the fear of losing someone, the fear of his dark thoughts, the sound of unknown voices that haunt him, the dark eerie places with no one in sight. His fears are coming to life. He is afraid but didn't want to admit it. As he sits with the question and his thoughts, he says to the little whisper "How can I face him?"
The little whisper says to Alec "You got to let go of the pain and face your fears. If you beat him, our souls will be free. We will rest peacefully and you will be free."
Alec didn't quite like the response; he was expecting his family back if he fought back. Alec feels misplaced and hopeless. "I lost my family, why should I fight for my place?"
The little whisper responds "Fight for your family, we would've wanted you to." Alec took the stuffie out of his trench coat. He looks at it and hugs it thinking of his little girl. Alec jumps up and leaves the room. He finds a floorboard and uses it as a sword. The demon sees Alec swinging the plank of wood and screams "You cannot get me for I will take your soul." Alec screamed and swings the plank of wood at the demon but the demon would block every swing Alec swung, and with every swing, the demon took the more blood he drew from Alec. The demon zaps Alec, leaving him with a mark on his eye, but the flames in Alec's eyes didn't stop him from swinging at the demon until he gave up. The demon lifts himself from defeat, looking at Alec deep into his soul and saying "You won Alec Hemmings. Your families' souls will be set free. But I will come after you."
***
It was two in the morning. I woke up screaming and crying from a nightmare. My parents rushed in like paramedics to an emergency. They sat by my bed holding me in their arms. "Is everything okay little Julia?" says my mum. I nod at her. My dad ran his fingers through my hair and asked "Was it a bad dream?" I nod and look over at my father with a mark on his eye and asked "Are you afraid of the dark?" Dad just smiled and said, "I have nothing to fear when I have all I need."