Gray Goose Road

October 1st, 2017

My day had been full of multitasking. For the last two days, I had been looking into foundations for houses with basements and I've found nothing like what I had seen. Well... At least there was no other way into the cellar. So I took it upon myself, when Amy and Kellen left to see her folks, to go down to the cellar and try to break into the wall. With a pickax, I set to work. I was tired when I checked my cellphone and noticed that four hours had flown by. But when I looked back at my handiwork, it looked like I had merely chipped into it. Strange, but I took a shower, get dinner, then sleep it off. I would start fresh in the morning.

 That's when I noticed something... At least, I thought I did. When I went back into the cellar, the spot I was working on looked brand new... Or as brand new as it could be. Like I had done nothing last night.

Well, I'd fix that problem. I spent the entire day with that pickaxe slamming into that wall. My hands were nearly numb and my arms trembled, but I found... Something.

It was a book. Old, frail looking, and thick. Musk wafted from it when I opened it. Black ink curled the pages as I flipped through it under the dim light of my cellphone. I couldn't even make out what it was, mostly. I took my prize and exited the cellar before Amy and Kellen were home.

October 13th, 2017

My wife had said something about going to her folks to spend some time with family alone. That was all I really remembered because 'it' was on my mind all day now. At first, it was just fleeting thoughts, but then I started really pondering on it to where Amy was getting annoyed. But I needed to know what that book was saying.

I could find something interesting about the text, the... What was it called? Le Livre de Vhosceagnel? I could translate it to The Book of Vhosceagnel. A book of Death? Some strange, gothic piece of shit? Of course it would be. Of course, this strange book was probably a trick played by some edgy teens. The real question was why they wanted to be so elaborate with their scheme? Stranger yet, I had been thinking about how the wall repaired itself. I knew for a fact that I broke into the wall. I had the aches to prove it!

I sat back, put Le Livre de Vhosceagnel and my cellphone on the glass end table next to my chair, and continued watching Kellen as he played on the living room floor. The t.v. was on, playing some old cartoons while I sat in my chair. I was going through my cellphone, looking up different old books, when I noticed something strange. Mind you, I've seen these old cartoons before; the cat and mouse, the cat and bird, the droopy dog that sounded depressed, the pig and the rabbit and the duck with the hunter. I've seen them all in my son's life. But usually he would watch them with a keen interest for a few minutes, then go off to play with his dinosaurs and cars.

What caught my attention was, on the screen, the gray cartoon cat staring at me. I know it seems strange to claim that, but... That gray cat stared at me. Like diving for my soul.

I sat my cellphone down and looked back at the character. The yellow eyes were realistic the longer I stared. It was like the thing was coming out of the screen.

 "Dada!" Kellen caught my attention, and I tore away from the cat on the screen for a second. When I looked back, the show was back to its original run.

Strange...

"Dada! M'ere!" He looked back at my son, who was sitting in the middle of the floor. He was staring at the darkened doorway to the kitchen. He looked like he had been that way for a while now.

 "Alright, buddy." I humored him and sat on the floor. As I scooted closer, Kellen shrieked and shot at me. This differed from his whining or hurt sobs. He was terrified. He was shaking on me like a leaf! I calmed him as best I could. "There, there, buddy! It's just the dark. It's nighttime. So dark rooms look scary, but there's nothing there." He clutched to me, suddenly quiet, and it was upsetting. "Kellen?" I asked. I held him at arm's length.

 He was giggling! A wave of relief rushed me as I smiled. "Did you learn to play a prank on daddy?" I tickled him for good measure and he was off into our bedroom to play his usual game of hide and go seek. I stood, my knees crackling, and I made a playful roar of, "here I come, ya li'l booger monster!"

 I had just gotten into the room when I noticed something that made my blood go cold.

My son was floating. And he was having the time of his life.

With a frightened scream, I rushed in and caught him by his waist, pulling him to me and rushing out of the room, cracking the door shut.

 The first thought was obvious; was he hurt? I checked and saw nothing at the moment. When I scanned the room again, I saw the curtain by the window shifting from side to side. I took Kellen into the living room with me, closed all the doors, and held him in my arms until he fell asleep. I don't know what happened after he nodded off, because I went right after.