The Alyn Hendrix Trilogy
Journey to Cedar Ridge
By: Henry Nash
I woke up to the sound of the howling wind. I sat up, I looked at the clock on the bedside table, and it blinked 8:00. I looked over at my wife, she was fast asleep. I got out of bed and went to take a look outside the window, and what I saw was rather odd. Even though it was 8:00 A.M. it was pitch black outside.
I didn't put too much thought into it, so I went back to bed. As I slept, I dreamt I was back in my college dorm room with my roommate. "Al, this has been one strange year hasn't it?" Kale said, sitting on his bed I laughed, "Kale, we both know this year's normal compared to last year. “Kale nodded, "True."
I began to think of the previous year, our battle with The Darkness and all the things we had learned. And as I kept on thinking I could see Kale look at the door, "Al, when do you think we’re going to see Than and Vang again?" I smiled and said, "Vang said we could come down to DC during Spring Break, so soon Kale." And with that I woke up to my wife yelling my name.
“"Alyn, Alyn, wake up, look outside!!" I sat up and said, "Carolyn, I already did dear, so it's dark at 8:00, so what?" Carolyn shook her head, “"No dear it's noon." I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. Sure enough it flashed 12:00. I grabbed my flashlight, Okay, that is weird.” I flipped on the flashlight, its light illuminating the room. I got up and got dressed.
The whole house was completely dark. Even if I tried to turn on a light, it would still be dark. This made me nervous. I kept walking around my house. I tried to turn on another light and I realized what had happened, the last light I had tried to turn on had a burned bulb. I turned on the radio and the man on it was talking about the weather, “today it will be cloudy, if you take a look outside of your windows, the clouds have made day into night.”
I slapped my forehead, damn my paranoia, I thought. I yelled to Carolyn, “”It's alright dear, just a cloudy day." I heard Carolyn yell back, "Alright, dear."”
I went up to the bedroom and lay back down on the bed. "Are you going back to sleep honey?" I looked at Carolyn and replied, "I might dear, but I think I just need to lie down and realize how freakin' paranoid I am.” My wife laughed, "We're both paranoid." I kissed my wife on the forehead and closed my eyes and fell asleep.
In the dream I was back in my friends’ and mine hangout: The Mansion. I was standing in the doorway of the living room and sitting on the couch was Vang and Thanatos McEwan. "Well, how are you two doing?" I asked, "We're good." They said in unison. I smiled, it had been a while since I had seen them last. We had met many times like this, we all had an ability to speak to dead people (and each other) through dreams.
Than and Vang had gotten their ability from their father, who had been killed twice, once by Than on Christmas with a hunting knife, and once by me with a butcher knife. And I had gotten mine from being The Angel (or Glean as The Darkness calls me)
Zane McEwan was a crazed mad man, who was for the entity that was The Darkness. Than, Vang and myself were not, we were for The Light, Than had killed Zane when Zane tried to force Than to join the Darkness and I killed Zane when he put Carolyn (who was not my wife at the time) and Vang in danger.
I was now sitting on the loveseat across from Vang and Than, "So Than, how's your job in DC working for you?" Than smiled, "It's pretty good, Alyn, if you want to I could easily get you a job with me." I smiled, "Thanks Than, but you know I can't leave for months, like you. Man, if I could I would love to join you."”
“Okay Al, but if you ever change your mind let me know, I'll set it all up." I nodded, "So Vang, how are you doing in DC?" Vang looked at the floor, "Fine I guess." I looked at her, "Something wrong?" Than placed a hand on her back, "The women of DC are bitches to her, just because she isn't like them." I shook my head, "Don't let those girls get you down Vang, your amazing and don't let them tell you otherwise."
