Hope fills my heart and flutters around in my guts like a butterfly. They're going to find us. Skylar got the message. It is a sort of code word: SAVY. We were nine years old and technically it means “Skylar and Vanessa Forever” but SAVY sounded cooler than SAVF. I still don’t understand why nine year old girls think like they do and I was one.
My dad appears through the trees followed by Skylar's dad, my mom, Jason, and a few other people I can't make out. “She's here!” Skylar repeats excitedly. “I dropped my flashlight and when I looked down there was a word written in the dirt! I know it wasn't there before! Positive. It's Vanessa. She's here, I know it and we are going to find her.” My hope butterfly flutters faster and I almost gasp out loud at the giddy feeling in my guts.
I feel the mood suddenly darken. “Where's Annie?” Jason asks.
About nine heads swivel around trying to see in the darkness. Flashlight beams are darting around all of the trees. Mr. Marsh and I are frowning. Annie had just been there but she had gone into the trees past us. Skylar explains this to them.
“You let her go on alone?!” Someone I don't recognize exclaims. Mr. Marsh stiffens.
“I-I-I....” Skylar stammers. I can tell she's really confused. “I thought she was here with me. I can't remember now. We were...we...what am I doing in the middle of a forest?” She looks at the search party with complete nonrecognition.
“Skylar? What's happening to you?” My dad asks carefully.
“Who's Skylar?” Jason.
Oh no, oh no, no, no, no! I cry in my thoughts. What's happening to them! What's going on?! For the first time in a while my thoughts feel even less foggy. I still don't have all my wits about me, but they're better than before.
“Jason, sweetheart,” my mom is walking up to him cautiously. “It's your mother. Remember? And Skylar is Vanessa's best friend.”
“Nessie?”
“Yes, your sister. Remember her?”
“I think so. You're my mother.”
“Yes.”
“Just making sure.” He shrugs.
It's the shadow man. I know it. He's messing with their minds. He's using the dark against them.
“Wait,” my dad says. Everybody turns to him—not all of them act like they recognize him. “We never found Annie.”
Ironically, at that instant, there's a scream from the direction to where Annie disappeared. They all turn around. I instantly shut my eyes and think solid thoughts. I can't let illusions take hold of my mind.
The shadow man is not torturing Annie. I know he isn't. He definitely would not kill her and he is a man of his word. He promised me that Annie would always be safe. He is just tricking her into screaming so that everyone else will freak out. He is tricking us too. Me and Mr. Marsh. He wants me to freak out so that I will take the necklace and free Annie's father. I can't let that happen. I can't let either of us become the next shadow man. I can not refuse because he will force it on me. That means—
“Vanessa?”
I snap back to reality and flinch. There's no more screaming though. I was right. I have to be right. I look at Mr. Marsh; he appears to be in pain. I cock my head to one side, not saying anything.
“You know something don't you?” He's hesitant now.
“Yes.” Long pause. “He didn't hurt her. He just wanted to freak everyone out and get me to be the next shadow man. I won't fall for it. She's safe. He promised. We have to believe that!” I yell the last line. Everyone in the small clearing seems to be frozen in time. I hear bemused laughter and know the shadow man is slinking out of the woods. My face twists into a snarl. I hate this man.
“Ssssso brave, sssssso smart. Too badz youz were wrongz. I would have broughtz Anniessszzz to youz...but I canz notz touch herz. I am a man of my word after allssssss!” I suddenly imagine him rising up like a giant vampire or something awful like a werewolf and towering over us cackling as he eats us for a snack. I squeeze my eyes shut and wait for death to come. It seems to be a bit delayed. Something hits me. Two things actually; one of them being a rock.
“Wait, if you can't touch Annie then you really didn't hurt her! So I'm right and she's fine!” The cackling stops. There's a dull thud and then shooting pain hits my ribs. I black out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I blink my eyes groggily. They're covered in that gross, crusty sand-goo. I try to reach up and rub it off but I can't move my arms—it hurts. I try to sit up and drop back down onto my back. I gasp and feel tears start to rise into my eyes. I don't know where I am. It's still really dark.
“I think it broke your rib. The rock that is. It was fortunate it didn't hit your head.”
The events of the night hit me. Well, it's still the same night. Sort of.
“Where's Annie? And Skylar? We have to get away from the shadow—” I feel like I can't breathe. My right lung feels smaller than it normally is and I desperately try to suck air into my lungs. It's so hard when you're lying down. I drop my head back, and as I take rough, scratchy gasps I realize that I'm lying on wood, not stone.
Mr. Marsh seems to read my mind. “We're in some old abandoned shed with thorns smothering the walls. I don't know how we got here. I don't know what happened to your friends either...or...Annie....” his voice trails off pitifully.
I shut my eyes, cry. There's really no more point. One of us will be taken; one of us will be set free. All my friends and family are probably being tortured by the shadow man. He might even kill them. I don't know how to care anymore. With these thoughts my mind slips into delirium. I squeeze my eyes shut and succumb to the shadow man's dark power that he dangles over me. Slip it around my neck... Feel its cold, pointy surface against my chest... Let it rise and fall as I sigh... It's all over now.
YOU ARE READING
The Endless Night
Action"...never walk out alone..." Rumors have haunted the property around the little cottage for years. Vanessa Görtz and her family have just moved in and her parents are taking these rumors seriously. Vanessa decides to take matters into her own hands...
