The Red Candle

Chapter Two

I woke up gasping and my whole body sweating. It was already morning, the sunrays shining through the window of my bedroom. I rose from the bed and glanced at the clock. It was 9:03 AM, just more than an hour for me to prepare for my friend's trip today. I stood up and fixed my bedroom before I took a bath. That dream that I had. I must tell this to grandma Lourna. We must avenge them. Your family must die.
I faced myself in the mirror of the bathroom. I washed my face, brushing eye boogers off my brown eyes, wiping my nose, and drying my long black hair by wrapping a towel around it. I am Sandra Jefferson. We live in the town of Jourman, found in the countryside of Mandriom. I grew up with my mom and grandma, but most of the time mom is always occupied with her work. Being a city bank auditor makes her life scarcely idle, that's why we barely bond in our home. But don't get me wrong. I didn't hate my mother for that. It was just...complicated to explain. On the other hand, my father died in a car accident, back when I was eight years old.
Outside my room, I saw that my breakfast was already prepared. I went to the dining table and the smell of freshly cooked egg and crispy toasted bread wafted through the table as I got nearby. Grandma was nowhere to be seen. The sink was clear and the dishes were already washed. She was always prudent in doing the chores. I sat and ate my breakfast while it was still hot.
"What time will you leave?" Grandma asked me while she passed behind me. She carried the laundry basket with her. "Or will Lucy pick you up?"
"Lucy will be here at 11AM." I replied. "Are you busy today?"
She was in her late fifties, her face resembled my mom's. Her kind brown eyes, pointed nose, and black hair. It was just in the middle of the morning, but I can tell that she was quite exhausted and her hair was slightly frizzy. "Yes, dear. Why do you ask?"
Should I tell her about my dream? Right now? No, I don't think so. "Nothing. I will update you later when Lucy is here."
All the exhaustion in her face has vanished with her smile. "Okay, then. Enjoy later." She went out to our laundry room to continue our clothes. She was too busy, and the thought of me asking her about my dream might bother her, too. I remembered three weeks ago, June 3, 2021. It was evening when my grandma and I were having our dinner together...
—————
"When will mom be at home?" I asked.
"Later at midnight, dear." She replied before drinking on her glass. "She texted me just a while ago.
She texted me? She wasn't even replying to my messages. I didn't know what was colder; my spaghetti or my relationship with my mother? "Why? Is she working overtime again?"
"Probably." Grandma stood, her plate was already finished. She went up to get some water in the fridge. In an instant, the lights have shut down, our electric fan has died. The electricity has blacked out in our house. She grunted in frustration. "I'll just check our electricity above. Wait for me. Light some candles, for now."
It was dark, but I can still see the silhouettes around our dining room. I grabbed my phone beside me and turned on its flashlight. I swayed its light on the table. All I heard was grandma's footsteps marching upstairs, until I heard drops dripping from the faucet of our sink. A weak current, as if someone has just opened it. I stood and went to our living room to look for another set of candles and matchsticks. Why did our electricity go out? We were always paying our bills on time.
I took a single candle and lit it up, leaving it in our living room, right in the middle of the table. I headed back to the dinning room to place another candle on the table. Our plates were seen, again, over the faint light of the candle. I wasn't able to finish my food for I've already lost my appetite. As I brought my phone's flashlight with me, I walked to the sink to turn off the faucet. When I got nearby, I noticed that something was strange about it. The flowing water was in a shade of dark brown. Or was it still water? A contaminated one, perhaps? I was curious and touched its flow. I took a closer look and it wasn't even brown. It was crimson red. I quickly turned off the faucet and stepped away from it. I did not want to smell it, but all I thought was that it wasn't contaminated water. It was blood. I was about to wipe my hands but I heard something from behind. It was a soft cry of a woman.
Help me. Help me. She cried. I would never forget her whimpers of torment, as it was ringing inside my head every single moment whenever my mind had a glimpse of this memory. Slowly, I turned around. The candle on the table was colored red by then. No blood, but it wholly turned red.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! I was surprised and dropped my phone on the floor, turned to my left and noticed the knocks from our washroom's door.
"Grandma!" I called desperately out of dread, my hands and legs shaking restlessly. There was no sign of her. She was still probably upstairs to check for our house's electrical switches. I screamed for help. I was about to run to grandma and approach her downstairs, not until I heard the door of the washroom creaking open. I glanced at it and saw nothing but absolute darkness. The cries have silenced. A cold breeze of wind brushed my face. I felt that the surroundings had fallen silent, as all I heard was the racing heartbeats of mine. I felt a cold prickling sensation on my chest when my eyes spotted a pale-skinned hand reaching outside the door. I do not know who was that or what was that. As my gaze fixed on the washroom door, another voice whispered repetitively. "A descendant of Al'Dor... You must die!"
I started to run away but after a second, a loud scream echoed from behind. My footsteps halted and turned around. Suddenly, a bald and pale-skinned woman crawled out and dashed towards my direction. My veins froze, my horrified eyes locked on the woman, who was wearing a tattered dress. "You must die... you must die!" She continued. My legs stumbled in fear, seeing only a glimpse of her withered face and reddish eyes. Her yellowish teeth and frenzy mouth were the only last thing I saw before I closed my eyes as I knew she was about to lunge towards me. Once more, I screamed helplessly but fortunately, the lights went on. Our house has regained its electricity. My eyes still closed tightly, until I heard grandma's call from behind. "Sandra!" She rushed towards me. Her hug consoled me from the terror that kept me frozen. "What happened, my dear? Are you alright?" She asked, gently brushing my hair with the touch of her soft fingers.
"I...I saw someone. She almost had me." I replied, my voice stuttering.
"Who? There's no one here. It's only me and you."
My heart was still racing yet I managed to open my eyes and looked around. The woman was gone. "I... don't... I don't know..." After what I witnessed, I felt that my entire body was drained out of strength. My vision went fuzzy and nauseous. Eventually, I passed out.
Grandma let me rest for the entire night and in the morning, we had a conversation about what happened the night before. I told her everything I saw and I heard.
"Al'Dor?" She wondered. "Maybe it was just a lost spirit that visited our house."
A lost spirit? My perplexed mind couldn't perceive what was happening. "How is it possible? Have I done something wrong against them?"
Grandma leaned closer to me and gave me a stern look. From her eyes, I can see that her mind is formulating a theory. Finally, she asked me a question. "Can you tell me how old you will become in the next coming month?"
Does my age have something to do with this spirit? I answered her anyway. "I'm turning nineteen." I was nervous. My birthday was every 25th of June. I was bothered when grandma sighed, staring blankly at the floor.
"Oh God, I almost forgot." Her sight shifted at me. I can sense the restlessness in her eyes. "It's the time of the year."
"What do you mean, grandma?"
"This happens to everyone in our family. Especially when we enter the age of nineteen." Before I could ask more questions, she stood. "We must go to church now. We have to talk with your uncle."
I nodded. Uncle Henry Allison was a priest in a church, a few blocks away from our home. Perhaps he could help us from this haunting spirit. As my grandma drove our way to the church, we just found out that uncle was not around the church and was on some important meeting with the bishop. Nevertheless, we still went to the church to offer prayers to our Lord. Inside were the usual and spacious columns of pews. Statues of patron saints, angels, and of course, the sacred altar of our Lord Jesus Christ. The smell of incense drifted through the air. I found its scent so relieving as we also believe that it repulses evil spirits. There were some people who we met, their faces brushed by the sternness of their faith.
My grandma and I reached one of the pews and knelt. We closed our eyes and prayed for our Lord's adoration, thanksgiving, and asking for forgiveness, the usual and everlasting belief of Roman Catholic in offering prayers. Prayers were a very essential practice among our lives. We believed that by devoting a prayer, it helps us to live a peaceful life. It was also a form of protection from the evil spirits for I believed it was true. Throughout that day, and in the following weeks, we haven't encountered anything horrifying again. Not until I've dreamed about it three weeks after. A nightmare that ensnared me in a dream, witnessing the horrors of the lurking spirits in the shadows of dawn.