SHORT STORIES

In The Night

Frankie lit her vanilla scented candle in her almost pitch black bedroom, making the orange flare of light an explosion of vision.

The alight wick flickered yellow and orange on every surface, shadows dancing across the walls as she stared intently at nothing in particular on the wall, almost straight through it as she welcomed the thoughts that through the day she barred from entering her conscious mind.

As Frankie did this, her tears swelled her eyelids weighing them down and forcing her to close her eyes and the salty water to forcefully exit and drain down her freckly face.

Static darkness filled her sight, inviting the feeling of anxiety, fearing what could lurk within her room without her vision. Worrying of the invasion of uninvited guests she forces her eyes open, the air stinging her still wet eyes. Safe, only this time she can breathe calmly again.

Frankie used to ask herself on these nights why it was her that had to endure these feelings, thoughts and self torture. These days, she just cries and falls asleep.

She awakes to the smell of freshly cut grass, honey dew and the waxy smell of vanilla as she looks over to her burnt out candle, melted down to a dry wax puddle. Frankie realised she is in the dark again, the hyperventilation started.

'Don't worry, there is nothing to fear, sweet Frankie.' A distanted voice hushed from the end of the bed.

'But you are what i fear.' Frankie replied to the darkness, pulling her doona further to her chest for comfort.

'Ah, but the fear is unjustified, this is our first meeting. How can you be afraid of someone you do not know?' The small voices body drew closer to Frankie, smoothing their hand over the blanket, inches from Frankies leg.

'I don't know you, yet you have let yourself into my home, unwelcomed and have not given me a clue to your intentions, hence my fear.'

Frankie felt the hand brush against the bed until they were at face to face length, and heard a match being dragged across the rough striking surface of the matchbox. What was left of the vanilla candle had been lit and the flickered light gave vision of a short being, hosting green skin, chubby rose stained cheeks and small fingers with stubby, bitten yellow fingernails.

The green being placed the now burnt match into their breast pocket, ragged with rips and wear. The brown of the torn shirt clashing against the green of its skin and bright orange of its worn track pants.

'I am Kattunga, i am here for a talk.' It said, smiling a teethy grin revealing its dirty, diamond shaped teeth and sitting next to Frankie on the bed.

Frankies mind quickly riddled itself with thoughts and questions, her heart still pounding even with the being giving an ora of welcome. Frankie sat up and took a breath.

'Are you real, or just my imagination playing tricks again?'

Kattunga pondered this, pursing its lips and looked up, as if in thought.

'Well, that is a tough one, i could be anything couldn't i? I could be the reciprication of you not taking those pills you have there.' Kattunga poked the box of medication, unopened.

'Or i could be a demon or ghost that head of yours keeps thinking is in that dark cupboard. You just don't know, do you? The thing is, i know.'

'They make me dull. I always feel sick on the pills.' Frankie lowered her head, embarrased someone knew her secret.

Kattunga leaned in to Frankie, tapping her nose and smiling. The scent of grass and honey dew as strong as ever, radiating from Kattunga.

'You, my friend, have issues.' It laughed and layed on its back, leaning on Frankies legs

and found it all hysterical.

After the laughing subsided they sat quiet in semi darkness.

'It's like they're dancing.' Kattunga whispered.

'What is?'

'The shadows, they dance back and forth like its a party in the dark.'

'The shadows are the dark. At any point those shadows can come alive and hurt us they wanted too.'

'Never would those shadows hurt you, sweet Frankie.'

Frankie's tears had come back with mighty pressure. Her heart felt as if it would rip out of her chest at any time.

'You think too much, Frankie. You need to let go of these thoughts.'

'It's not that easy, I've tried so hard. You have no idea how I've tried.'

'I can show you a way, my sweet. Would you trust me to do that?'

Silence filled the room once again. Frankie was seeing this being, whether truly there or not, offering something she has never had, but always wanted. Her heart felt a new kind of pain, one of longing, one of hopeful serenity.

'How could you help me?' Frankie choked back the tears.

'That's what is so easy about this, you just follow me.'

'To where?'

'To my world. One day in my world and you will be given the answers to all, you will feel true happiness, and your mind will be healed.'

'But how do i know you are even real?'

'Another easy one, sweet Frankie, can you feel me? Do i not move the bed as i lay here? I am just as physically here as you are.'

Frankie sat closer and closely inspected Kattunga. It seemed to really be there, unlike any other vision where she could quickly reckognise the imaginary. Frankie placed her hand on Kattunga's shoulder. The shirt definitely felt real, its dust almost falling off. Causing Kattunga's arm to grow goose bumps on its green skin. Kattunga placed its stubby hand on to Frankie's, caressing it and inviting her curious hands to feel its skin. The green skin was surprisingly soft despite the appearance and felt like dewy long grass on an early morning.

'You are real.'

Kattunga sat on the end of the bed as Frankie got ready to leave. Placing a shoe on each foot, tying her hair back into a pony tail, placing her phone into her pocket. She took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders.

'I'm ready.'

'That's good. We shall go then.'

Kattunga stood up, not passing Frankie's shoulders in height, and walked towards the window before pushing it open and standing on the window pane.

'Let us go then,' Kattunga soothed, lifting its feet from the pane and floating backwards into the sky.

Frankie bolted towards the window and looked down to the ground 10 stories below, then looked back in awe at Kattunga, seemingly flying, floating right in front of her.

'Come along then, Frankie, my world awaits you.'

'I will just fall, you can't be serious!' The hyperventilated started up again and she stared wide eyed and the floating green skinned being.

'I thought you were going to trust me, sweet Frankie. You won't fall, not even a bit.' Kattunga was calm and assured.

For a while Frankie just stood by the window, staring down at the far ground, wondering if it was possible for her to even fly with Kattunga, but it was real, she knew it was.

'You will fly with me, sweet Frankie. I know you will.'

'Okay, I'm coming.' Frankie closed her eyes tight and stood on the window pane. The nights breeze flipping her hair across her face and back to her shoulders. Her feet stood half in and half out, un-balanced and feeling like jelly.

'Let us go and heal your mind, Frankie.'

Frankie pulled her right leg forward, weightless in the breeze and took the longest, deepest breath she could muster and stepped forward.

THE END