I grunt as Nessie kicks me in the stomach. Annie is still crying in her father's arms and Skylar and Nessie are practically tearing each other apart. The past five minutes have got to have been the freakiest moments of my life. Nessie tries to kick me again but I grab her left ankle tightly and firmly push it onto the ground so she can't move her leg. Skylar has Nessie's shoulders pinned and is trying her best to dodge her flailing hands. Dad pins Nessie's right arm and gently, but firmly, presses her right leg down just below her knee. Mom holds her left arm.
Somebody has to do something or else Nessie is really going to hurt someone, bad—probably herself. I swallow. This isn't right. You can't do this to her now! Not when she's in this state! She'll hate you forever! Or at least a long time... Despite the doubt raging in my mind I reach up with my left hand and closing my eyes slap Nessie's broken ankle hard and shout: “Snap out of it!”
I hear a strained and gargled gasp from her. Then I let go and back away as I see the accusing looks of everyone that's crammed into the suddenly small foyer.
The shadow man is still standing in our doorway with one transparent foot on the door that's lying half in and half out of the house. He lets out a wretched, gurgled laugh and hisses, “Youzzssss are notss weakz like the otherszzsz... youz arez strongerszzssz... bwahazhaszhazHAZ!” Something grips my arm tightly. It must be a hand. It must be his hand.
I jerk away and plant my feet in the ground. “Let go!” I yell. I use my right hand to try and pry those cold fingers off of me. I shiver at their touch.
“Jusssstz surrendersszz to meeezzz, Jasssson!”
“No!”
“Do it.” Oh no. That's my sister talking. Her voice sounds strained. She has stopped struggling and now lies on the ground staring half-consciously at the ceiling. “Just do it Jason.” She has turned. “Or I will,” her last words are through gritted teeth and end in a vicious growl.
“I won't let you do this Nessie! I won't let him take any of us!”
Our parents are looking uneasy. I can't see Skylar's expression; she's still holding Nessie down in case she tries to surrender again. The weirdest thing happens next. Mr. Marsh pushes Annie into the arms of one of my crazy, fat aunts that had tried to help us find Nessie in the woods. Annie's eyes get wide, and her face changes from confused to scared to anger to hurt. My heart hurts for her.
“Please...” she can't even cry anymore, “Please no... Daddy...”
Mr. Marsh had been fiddling with something around his waist, I can't tell what it is. Even the shadow man seems to be waiting to see what is going to happen. Mr. Marsh kisses Annie on the head, whispers something to her, and then turns to where the shadow man stands. He walks with a confident stride right toward me. He places the rough end of a rope into my hands, behind his back. How he thinks he can fool the shadow man like this, I don't know; but it's worth a shot, I guess. I can tell Annie wants to look away, but she can't bring herself to do so. I carefully loop the rope around my right hand a couple times and secure my grip on it.
“Take me.” Still battered and bruised and cut up, he stands tall. I find a new respect for this man I don't hardly know.
I gasp and sink to my knees as the cold hand releases me. Pain wraps itself like a bandage around my arm, and I watch as a bright red, rash-looking splotch crawls its way up my flesh. I clamp my teeth together until they hurt as well.
Mr. Marsh grunts as the shadow man grabs him. His forearms disappear, then his upper arms, chest, body, head, and legs. His feet are the last to go. I hardly remember the rope in my hand until I feel it pull taut; the shadow man's presence is gone but the pain remains. I feel myself beginning to be dragged across the floor and outside when thick, meaty hands grasp my shoulders.
“I got ya son,” one of my fat uncles, Billy, says.
Billy's brother, Marty, grabs onto him, and then all my fat aunts grab onto them. Wow, I have a really fat family. So glad we all took after the German side...
My arm feels like it is going to be pulled out of its socket. I have no idea what this is going to accomplish when suddenly—
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm blinded. I don't know how or why. I try to maintain a good flow of solid and real thoughts. My mind wanders back to my college days and how I first met Marietta. She was gorgeous. I think of our first date, my proposal, our wedding, and how happy she was... Then I think of the news of her pregnancy. How psyched and nervous we were at the same time. We were never truly ready. Then the big day came, Annie was born, and Marietta got sick. Her immune system broke, the white blood cells in her body diminished, and Marietta didn't make it. She only got to be with her child for two days. I've raised Annie ever since.
My came back to the present and what I am doing. I am fighting the shadow man. I'm not fighting just for Annie right now either—I'm fighting for Marietta. I won't let anything happen to Annie. She has to grow up and live the life that we had always dreamed for our child. Surprisingly, tears start running down my face. I yell and swing my fist. I'm shocked when it hits hard flesh. Before I can retaliate searing pain shoots through my jaw as the shadow man strikes back. Anger surges through me at what I have lost.
I swing my left fist around and feel more hard flesh. This creature used to be a man; still is in his own way. He still has weaknesses of a man too... I shout as kick him hard between his legs, and then knee him in the stomach.
He howls in pain. Feeling triumphant, I fight harder. I swing punch after punch, blood dripping down my hands and running onto my arms. The shadow man still manages to get in a few blows and warm blood starts to run out of my nose at some point.
“This is for Annie! And this is for Marietta! For all you've taken from me! From all you've taken from them! And for all the world has taken from me!” I shout as I continue to beat him. Just when I think I'm about to win this fight for real—a heavy, cold blow lands on my head, right in the temple.
All I can see are stars; bright, little, cold, sharp, flickering stars. Blackness swamps me, and I sink to my knees in pain. As consciousness starts to slip away from me I wonder if all of this has been for nothing. If I was being a fool to fight the shadow man. The battle is surely lost now... Hot tears burn tracks down my face as I realize what has happened. I have lost. Not this particular battle, but the one I was fighting for Annie ever since I lost Marietta. I try to yell one last time but find that my voice has left me.
The last thing I hear is the shadow man cackling somewhere above me.
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...
