Corinthian Roses

Chapter Four: A Close Encounter With Charlie, Named The Darkness

From the dim light of the fire issuing through the tent flaps, I examine the contents of the tent. There is a small chest at the foot of the bed. The bed itself is made up of a silk sheet and heavy pelts that smell distinctly undesirable. I wonder about where these came from. Through the odd bovine smell of the blankets, I detect a small hint of Wilson's own scent.

I'm not going to fall asleep any time soon. Because of all the madness Wilson was talking about, my mind has become restless. I wonder if he has lost his mind. It's hard to fathom.

When I hear Wilson start to snore softly, I rise from the tent. The night is chilly to me, but that is not to say the night is cold; I've always been very intolerant of cool temperatures.

The fire is growing dim, and I look out into the darkness. Nothing could befall me if I just stepped into the night for a moment...

I take a few brusque steps forward and reach my hand into the dark. Why am I feeling such apprehension at such a simple task?

I take one step into the pure blackness of the night and I am instantly hit with the most excruciating, nerve-wracking feeling of dread. Some... creature is circling around me, hissing quietly. My skull feels like it is splitting open.

Another of the Carter family, huh? Another Carter... you're his twin aren't you. His twin?

I let a small whimper escape. The entity circles closer to me and I have never wanted the light more. I know now what is in the darkness.

I'm Charlie. It says. You're in my territory. Do you know what happens to people who get in my space?

Charlie, though I can not see her, lunges toward me in the dark. I feel teeth and nails and an indescribable sensation of pain surge through my body. My very mind feels as if it is falling to fragments and I drop to the ground in pain.

She returns to circling me, encroaching closer and closer, about to pounce again. I crawl as quickly as I can, the dim light of the fire my sanctuary. When I reach the campfire I feel Charlie receding into her territory, hissing like a serpent in the Garden.

I curl into a ball and cry like an infant. My mind is still pounding. I crawl into the tent and bury myself under blankets and pelts. I now know that Wilson is not mad, but the toll this proof takes on me is hardly worth it.

I fall into a dreamless sleep after I pledge never to go in the dark again. Charlie will kill me.