Hope of Darkness Chapter 3

The next weeks flew by for the girls at St Mary's. The days, filled with reading, writing, studying and exams, turned longer and warmer as summer encroached slowly but surely upon spring. The girls struggled through the daily grind made much worse with the growing anticipation of the upcoming three month break.

Sarah also wrestled with her work, a rare event for her. She had always been the perfect student, paying attention in class, turning in assignments on time, asking good questions. But now, more often than not, her attention wandered. Instead of listening intently to her instructors, she now would sit in the classroom staring out the window overlooking the street.

Her teachers noticed but they were caught up in the hustle and bustle of the ending school year. Sarah received the normal discipline for staying after curfew; the typical session with the ruler. She accepted her punishment with good grace as usual giving her teachers no reason to suspect something was amiss. They dismissed her inattentiveness as normal for a girl her age anticipating the summer break.

Sarah did think about summer but with mixed emotions. On one hand while she would miss her friends and school she wanted to see her family again. On the other hand she was afraid she would leave before seeing her new friend one more time.

Sarah couldn’t get Alex out of her mind. His blue eyes haunted her dreams. Occasionally she thought she could hear him calling to her. Each time she would tiptoe carefully over to the window, so to not wake up her roommates, and peer out into the dark street. She never saw anything but the street light flickering under the night sky.

Other times she heard a more sinister voice calling to her. “Sarah” it would whisper mockingly, hauntingly, tugging at her, calling her outside to play.

Each time she heard that voice, she huddled beneath her blankets, tears filling her eyes, sweat rolling down her body. Images of that night in the park returned, images of its red eyes, its mocking voice, its hands reaching out to grab her. The call continued for a long time until it seemed the child would go mad with fright. Then it vanished as if it never was. Sarah would then poke her head out of her blankets, get up and tip toe cautiously to the window and peek out. Again, she saw nothing but the street light flickering under the night sky. She then returned to her bed and lay awake for hours wondering if she was losing her mind.

Sarah spent every Saturday walking outside either on the streets or in the park. Walking was her favorite thing to do. In the past, whenever she had issues in her life, taking a good walk always helped her sort things out. Now she needed to try and understand what was happening to her. Her life had turned upside down in the past few months. She was torn between terror of her unseen stalker and her desire to see Alex again.

Sarah knew she was vulnerable outside the secure walls of St Mary's. But she hoped she would be safe in the daylight. Her stalker shouldn't be able to get her when the sun was shining and the streets and park teemed with people. Prompted by images of Ms Feathers with her ruler and by the return of her stalker, Sarah was careful each time to return to the school at least an hour before dark.

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The last Saturday night of the semester was special for the girls at St Mary’s. It was their last night to spend with friends, one burst of freedom before the final grueling week of finals. In the past, Sarah and her friends always went to the movies that night. She always looked forward to those nights, talking and giggling in the theater, skipping arm in arm down the street. But not this time.

“C’mon, Sarah! You promised! We won’t see you for three months. We won’t talk about boys, I promise.” Nicki whined for the hundredth time that Saturday afternoon.

Sarah stood by the window gazing out at the sun soaked streets. The afternoon was fading into evening. Night's shadows were beginning to encroach upon the day. Sarah stared at those shadows, her heart cold with dread.

“Sarah?” Nicki asked coming behind her “Are you okay?”

It's out there, waiting for me Sarah thought I know it.

Nicki gently touched her shoulder.

Sarah jumped startled.

“Whats wrong with you?” Nicki asked

Sarah turned around “Nothing. I..I.. was just thinking.”

“Well are you going to come up with us or not?”

Sarah turned back around her hand clenching. She knew she couldn't live the rest of her life in fear. She noticed the steeple's shadow draped comfortably over the street. Sarah stared into that shadow searching for courage.

Surely she would be safe that night. She would be with her friends, and the streets would be full of people. Her stalker wouldn’t dare bother her then. Besides, she might see Alex again.

Hope blossoming in her heart, Sarah turned to face her friend.
“Okay,” she said “Let’s go.”

Sarah and Nicki met their three friends and the girls set off for the theater, as the sun went down shedding its light over the city for the final time that day. Nicki was true to her word. Instead of talking about boys, the girls merrily discussed their plans for the summer. Sarah walked with them enjoying the beauty of the night and the company of friends. Occasionally she looked behind her to see St Mary’s steeple stretched over the horizon like a beacon.

The five girls arrived at the theater to face another line that stretched back for miles.

“Not again,” Nicki groaned.

The other girls issued similar complaints. But that was all show. They really didn't mind. The night was too pretty and the conversation too enjoyable. Sarah couldn't remember the last time she had such an enjoyable evening.

Midway to the theater, that changed.

“There's Bobby!” Nicki suddenly squealed.

The girls turned around to see Bobby, the brown haired blue eyed Adonis that Nicki had a crush on all semester. She waved him over trembling with preteen excitement.

“You promised!” Sarah said grabbing her friends arm.

“I’m sorry” Nicki whispered “I will make it up to you, I promise.”

Sarah nodded without comment. She knew she shouldn’t get mad at Nicki, that was just her way. She groaned inwardly as the boys, ignoring the protests around them, cut in line to join the girls. Sarah knew what would happen next. She wasn't disappointed. The wonderful time between friends was hijacked by giggling and flirting.

She tried her best to participate. Her heart, however, was not in it. The night, once open and pleasant, now became lonely and uncomfortable. The line dragged on and on. Sarah fidgeted wondering if she made a mistake.

A cold hand brushed against her back without warning. Startled, she spun around only to see two older women talking together. Neither of them even noticed her. Sarah turned back, breathing heavily, her chest constricting.

“Sa...rah,” a familiar, sinister voice floated in from the crowd.

Her heart pounding, Sarah turned her head, back and forth, scanning the crowd. A dark shadow slipped into the alley across the street. Sarah stared at it, transfixed. A hand brushed her arm. She spun around letting out a startled yell.

“Sarah. Are you okay?” Nicki asked, concern clearly etched in her blue eyes

“I’m fine” Sarah lied.

“Then, C’mon! They are waiting!”

Sarah groaned. The weight of the crowd pressed in on her taking more of her breath. She definitely wished she hadn’t come.

“Sarah, c’mon!” One of her friends waved from the theater entrance.

“God, please get me through this night,” she prayed before following her friends inside the theater hoping her stalker would stay outside.

Sarah sat on the far end of the middle aisle. Her friends sat next to her, with the boys, talking and giggling. She tried to concentrate on the movie shutting out her friends. Before the movie even started, Sarah felt as if someone was watching her. She turned around craning her neck. She saw them in the back, red eyes filled with malice and hatred boring into her. Sweat pored down her skin. Again she felt the walls close in on her. She shivered.

“Sarah! What’s wrong?” Nicki whispered turning aside from her flirting.

“I can’t stay here.” Sarah replied her voice shaking “I got to go. I’m sorry.”

“I’ll walk back with you,” Nicki said.

“No,” Sarah whispered, grateful for the gesture. “You stay here, have fun. I’ll be okay.”

With only a cursory farewell to her other friends and their boyfriends, Sarah practically ran from the theater. Outside, she took in the night air in deep breaths, feeling its warmth run through her. The dark, terrible eyes had vanished. All she experienced now were the normal street sounds, cars honking, people laughing, music in the background as a door to a nightclub opened.

Sarah didn’t relax, however. She knew the danger hadn’t passed. Her stalker may have temporarily lost her but it would find her again. She looked for the reassuring steeple but the dark, night sky hid it from her view. Trembling, Sarah made her way down the street.

She was one block away from the theater when she felt that familiar sensation. She stopped, her heart thudding. She felt those awful eyes on her, two dark circles of hate. The wind whistled through the temporarily empty street.

“Sarah,” its voice whispered to her.

“No, please,” Sarah whimpered. She looked around for help but saw nobody. The street was empty. She heard nothing but the wind whistling.

“Sarah,” the voice called, beckoning, enticing.

Why did she leave the theater? She was safe with her friends. Sarah knew that leaving early was a huge mistake that could cost her her life.

“Oh God, Jesus. Please help me.” She whispered, her eyes leaking tears. It was coming, closer and closer.

“Hello Sarah,” Alex said emerging from the nearby alley, his face flushed with life as if he had just enjoyed a good meal.

Sarah startled, staring at him eyes wide in fright.

Alex bent down capturing her frightened eyes with his calm blue ones. “What’s wrong, honey?”

“Alex!” Sarah cried relieved. “Please help me. It’s back.”

“What’s back?”

“My stalker, from the park.”

“Sarah, there was nothing in the park,” Alex whispered soothingly “It is all in your imagination.”

“No!” Sarah exclaimed “There was somebody in the park. He, it, has been stalking me ever since. It has been outside my window calling to me. It followed me to the theater. Now it is after me!”

“Calm down.” Alex said

Sarah stared into his eyes feeling them draw away her fears.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered “I was at the movies with my friends. I got scared so I left.”

“There is nothing to be scared of,” Alex said “Look, we can call the police and tell them your story if you want.”

Sarah looked around, her heartbeat calming. She could see people walking down the street, she could hear their laughter. The night appeared peaceful again. She still couldn’t see the steeple, however, the starless sky blocked it out.
Sarah turned to her friend, blushing not wanting to be seen as a scared, little girl.

“Thank you,” she said.

“We can call them from my house.” Alex said. “I only live a couple of blocks away. It would be much closer than your school.”

The traffic around them slowed down as the evening ran down. The people walked by not paying any attention to the man and little girl on the sidewalk. Occasionally, someone shivered as if the warm, summer night air had grown chill.

Sarah hesitated, “I don't know. I shouldn't be out by myself.”

Alex bent down and looked into her eyes. “Sarah, you can trust me.”

“No, It's not that,” she replied “It's just I am not allowed to be out by myself.”

Alex said “We will walk to my house. I will call the police and then I will walk you to the school. There is nothing to be afraid of.”

Sarah looked into his blue eyes. She saw his sincerity in them and in his smile. She returned his smile.

“Thank you,” She said again.

Alex stood up and she took his hand. They started down the street, together.

“I am so glad to see you,” Sarah said. “I wanted to see you before I left for the summer. I looked for you but I couldn’t find you.”
“I don’t go out much.”

They walked in silence for the next couple of minutes. Sarah remembered something she wanted to ask him since the last time she saw him.

“Why don’t you like God?” She asked, her little face turned up to him.

“I don’t like God because He doesn’t like me.” Alex answered still smiling down at her.

“God loves everyone, Alex, even you.”

“No, God doesn’t love me.” Alex said, his serious tone a contradiction to his warm smile.

“Why do you say that?” Sarah asked

Alex stopped in the middle of the street. “I am bad,” he told her, his voice a soft caress.

“You’re not bad.”

“Yes, I am,” Alex said looking at her, his smile gone, his face intense.

“You’re not bad,” Sarah whispered lowering her eyes. “You’re my friend.”

His eyes bored into her. She squirmed under them uneasiness slowly creeping over her. Then they lifted.

“I am sorry,” Alex said.

“It’s okay.” Sarah looked up into his smiling, twinkling blue eyes.

“This leads to my street.” He said pointing to a road branching off to the right.

Sarah grabbed his hand and they continued walking.

“I am glad I got to see you before you leave. Are you going home for the summer?“
“Yes,” Sarah said smiling. Then she started telling her friend all her plans for the summer.

“I had a family once,” Alex interrupted her.

“Oh? What happened to them?”

“There dead. They died a long time ago.” Alex said in a strange tone.

“Oh, God. I am so sorry,” Sarah whispered.

They walked down the street a couple of blocks away from St Mary's but running parallel, to the school. The sounds of the city grew more distant the further they walked. After several minutes, Alex turned into a dead-end circle. Houses brooded on three sides with no cars, no lights or any other evidence of life. The wind whistled mournfully through the dark trees covering the lawns. One branch brushed Sarah’s back as they approached the house in the center, causing her to jump.

“It is spooky here,” she said clasping Alex’s hand tighter

“Don’t worry. It will be all right. That is my house right there,” he said pointing to the house in the center, a two-story structure hunched over the street.

They walked through the old weed-choked yard; surrounded by huge trees, towards the front porch, the wind stirring the leaves and trees all around.

Alex opened the door and motioned for her to precede him. Sarah walked in to find herself in a room completely empty except for an open window with brown curtains rustling with the breeze. She immediately wrinkled her nose. The air smelled awful, rancid and rotten, bringing back memories of a dead cat Sarah found under her house when she was a child.

When, she mentioned this to Alex, he gave her an open smile. “Oh the people who lived here left a huge mess when they left.“

“Oh. What did they do?” She asked.

“It’s not what they did. It was what happened to them.”

“What happened to them?”

“They were murdered.” Alex said coldly.

Sarah gasped. “Why.. “she paused, cleared her suddenly dry throat, “Why did you move in?”

“Because the rent was cheap,” Alex said, his blue eyes glittering in the dark.

Sarah stared at him, uneasy. She backed up a step as the wind blew through the open door.

Alex shut the door blocking out the wind. He smiled at her.

“The phone is upstairs.”

Sarah relaxed. This place was creepy but his smile put her at ease. He was her friend.

“Shall we go up?” He asked gently.

They walked through the rest of the first floor heading to the stairs, hand in hand. No furniture appeared except for a ragged, torn carpet with stains revealed by the moonlight flitting through the windows. The smell continued rancid and stifling. Images of that long dead cat swam in Sarah’s mind. She remembered its hard, crinkly body with the foul odor. Bile rose in her throat at the memory. Her stomach churning, Sarah clenched Alex’s hand tightly staring up at him. He smiled at her, his blue eyes shining in the dark.

They walked up the stairs, wood creaking under their feet. Sarah tensed as she heard something scrape against the outside walls. Trembling she stared at the window as a skeletal branch claw up and down the window-pane. Crying, Sarah clutched Alex’s hand.

“It’s okay,” Alex soothed her “We’re almost there.”

They walked down the hall to a room at the end of the hallway.

Alex pushed open the door “Here we are,” he said, his voice ringing with good cheer.

Sarah entered the room and stopped, staring. The room was also completely empty except for a single window letting in the moonlight. There was no phone.

Sarah turned, uneasy. Alex stood by the door smiling.

“Didn't you say you were going to call the police?”

“I will.” Alex said. “My phone isn't here. It is in another room. I'm sorry. I just wanted to talk. It gets lonely here.”

“I want to talk to you, really I do” Sarah said hoping he could see her sincerity “It is just that I will get in trouble when I get back. I shouldn’t be here with you.”

Alex walked past her and stood at the window staring into the moonlight. Sarah watched, troubled.

“I understand,” he said “I guess a young girl like you wouldn’t want to be friends with a guy like me.” He bowed his head, his shoulders trembled.

Sorrow rushed through Sarah’s heart at the lost, forlorn tone in his voice.

“No, that isn’t true. I care about you, really I do.”

She walked towards him.

“No, you don’t. Your love just like God’s is a lie.” Alex said, his voice grating through the air.

Sarah walked up to her friend putting her hand on his tense shoulders.
“It's okay. We can talk for a little while. God loves you and so do I.

“I am a bad man” Alex said.

“It doesn’t matter. God doesn’t care. I don’t care either.” Sarah said
tears filling her eyes.

“No, Sarah. You don’t understand. I am truly evil. Do you want to see how evil I really am?” Alex whispered.

Sarah faltered. Her touch on his shoulder trembled for a second. She swallowed several times before she could speak.

“You are not bad” She whispered.

Alex turned slowly around. Sarah gasped. His eyes, no longer gentle, no longer blue, burned with a red flame that sought to devour her. His gentle smile had vanished as well replaced by a cold leer that spoke of death. He was a shadow radiating darkness.

“I told you I was” he sneered, his voice a low hiss

“Alex?” Sarah whispered.

“Alex…” he mocked “You looked so sweet in your room, Sarah. Oh it was so much fun watching you at the window. Did you enjoy my midnight serenades? Did you enjoy our little park encounter?”

Sarah backed up a step.

“No... It cant be.”

The shadow took a step forward. Sarah shivered as the very air chilled in its presence. She couldn't think. She couldn't react. All she could do was whisper again “It can't be..”

In a blink of her eye the shadow was gone. Alex stood there smiling at her, his clear blue eyes twinkling. He bent down and took the frightened girls hand.

“Don’t worry Sarah it will be okay.”

Sarah trembled, his blue eyes taking away her fear. Peace filled her soul.

His grip tightened. She gasped in pain. His eyes turned blood red.

“Actually, I lied. It is not going to be okay, not at all.”

Sarah wrenched her hand away the truth finally hitting home. Her dark stalker had finally caught her. Except that it had here all along completely fooling her, hiding in the guise of a friend.

“No.” She whispered stunned “It can’t be.”

“Repeating yourself a little aren't you? Poor, stupid Sarah. What were you thinking? Going out alone with a stranger? I wonder, what happens to little girls who go off with strangers? I wonder, why would you do something like that?"
The trembling girl retreated as Alex advanced on her.

"I wonder didn't your precious nuns teach you any better? Or your parents?" his mouth twisted with hate at that word.

“Yes,” he whispered “You girls are all the same, trusting and stupid. Do you know how many I destroyed? How many girls I tore apart?”

He revealed his hands grasping and clutching. Except they were no longer hands, but claws sharp as knives. He hissed revealing a cavernous mouth filled with sharp fangs.

“Do you have any idea of what is going to happen to you? ” Alex smiled “No, well I guess I get to tell you. I get to describe in detail.”

Sarah backed up against the wall. She didn’t need any description. She had heard stories about perverts who preyed on little girls.

“I am going to abuse you. Then, I am going to hurt you. Then, I am going to break you and finally I am going to destroy you. I will crush your body, your heart and then your soul.” Alex said his cold voice leaving no doubt to his sincerity.

Faced with the certainty of horrible pain, than death, or perhaps even worse, Sarah looked out the window.

Where is it? She thought frantically trying to ignore Alex leering over her.
At first she couldn’t see it through the dark sky. But then, she saw it, peeking through the clouds, St Mary’s steeple.

God is in control, she thought as she felt Alex’s claw like hands grasping her drawing her up to him. She could smell his awful, gangrenous breath.

“Lord, please save me,” Sarah whispered choking on his breath and her fear.

Alex sneered. “Pray all you want to. I feed on your kind, girl.” He whispered his voice crawling down her spine teasing of the torment to come.
Time froze as Sarah hung inches away from an awful fate. Without warning an image entered her mind. She saw Alex standing on an unfamiliar street, with torches flickering in the wind. He stared at a radiant, beautiful woman with dark hair and dark eyes. His eyes were filled with tears as he pleaded with her to notice him. The woman gave him a cold, pitiless smile then turned away in disdain.
Sarah experienced his heart ripping in two that night, one wound amongst many. She saw his hunger now, an emptiness that could never be filled. Sarah’s fear vanished as compassion filled her heart. Closing her eyes, salty tears warming their insides, she prayed again.

“Please Lord Jesus, save him. Save my friend.” She whispered over and over again.
The hands pulled her closer. Sarah squeezed her eyes as saliva dripped on their lids. She tensed expecting the pain as he tore her flesh.

Then, she was violently thrown across the room. Stunned, she heard a voice roaring in protest.

“NO!” Alex screamed.

Sarah looked up, startled, to see him standing, his eyes flaming red, his claw-like arms extended towards heaven, as if he were trying to ward off an unseen foe. Sarah looked at the window to see the steeple bathed in silver light.

“STAY AWAY!” He screamed.

He stood there his entire form rigid, his mouth open, hissing at the ceiling, his expression one of profound horror. Sarah saw for a brief moment the light from the steeple surrounding him, an intense light so bright she shut her eyes seeing its glare pass through her eyelids. Then it was gone, vanished as sudden as it came.
Sarah lay against the wall stunned, uncomprehending. Slowly she opened her eyes. Alex lay before her, collapsed, an unmoving corpse.

Sarah stared at him, her eyes still wet from her tears and his saliva. More scared than she had ever been in her life, her only thought was to get out of this awful place. Unfortunately, Alex lay between her and the door. Trembling all over, she got up and inched her way across the room. The next few minutes stretched for an eternity till finally she made it to him. He lay there, his face frozen in an awful grimace, his red eyes mercifully closed.

“God, please give him peace,” Sarah prayed.

Then she stepped over his corpse, expecting him to spring to life at any moment. He didn’t. She made it to the door and down the stairs before she took off running to St Mary’s as fast as she could.


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The stranger woke up to an empty room except for a pair of curtains rippling in the breeze.

Where am I? He thought. How did I get here? Who am I?

He searched his memory for some answer to those questions. Instead, all he found was darkness, cold and empty, with no light in sight.

He got up, trembling. Somehow in the dark depths of his consciousness he knew that someone was after him, an invisible force, ancient and potent. He had to get out of there before he was caught! Panting, barely holding back his screams, the stranger disappeared down the street into the night.

Hope of Darkness Chapter 1  (18+) This is the first chapter of a book I am writing, any comments will be most appreciated #1153615 by werden

Hope of Darkness Chapter 2  (13+) the second chapter of my book...any comments would be appreciated #1158964 by werden

Hope of Darkness Chapter 4  (13+) This is the 4th chapter of my novel, any comments will be greatly appreciated #1268386 by werden