Encountering Darkness Page 4

  He walked into the bar hoping to find Tom. Tom was right in his usual spot, and when he spotted Pete he turned away.

  Pete walked up to Tom and began talking with him.

  “Hey Tom, so this might sound crazy, but what day is it.”

  “Oh you know Pete, you don't need to get all snobbish about it already. Yes, you destroyed the building yesterday so no one can go the building today.”

  Pete stopped and reflected to himself. This was the morning after. Meaning everything that happened last night only took a night, and he was still here in his town.

  Now Pete had no clue what to think, but he took a seat right next to Tom. A second later Zach entered the bar and looked at Tom and Pete.

  “Hey guys, of course I would see you both here. So, this is kind of sweet.” Zach motioned with his hand towards the window.

  “Yeah,” said Tom. “Everyone is out and about, doing their duty as citizens.”

  “Well,” said Zach, “that's one way to put it, but now we can do whatever we want; we don't have to worry about that building anymore.”

  “And that’s exactly the problem,” stated Tom.

  “What? Tom, weren't you one to support this? At the fair you got on the stage and was all gung-ho about it.”

  “True, but that was only because I was suppose too.”

  “Yeah that's right, it was Pete who really wanted this to be done, and done it is. So, Pete you have been quiet. What do you say?”

  Pete could only look at the table. A few days ago, he would have been so sure about what he did, but now he wasn't. He did not understand what to believe anymore.

  “Yeah, I’m not sure anymore...”

  “What?” Tom made a hard left towards Pete and got right up in Pete's face. “Remember only a month ago when you grabbed me by the throat and threatened me? What do you mean by you don't know anymore?”

  “Well, Tom it's kind of lot to tell you. I mean I had all this crap happen.”

  “I don't get it? Has the great Mayor Pete Pethaford lost it? What happened to you?”

  “Okay, I'll tell you both, but you will promise me not to tell anyone, and we need to go to a more private place. And once I start talking, you cannot interrupt me or ask questions till I am done.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Pete began to take a good hour and a half explaining everything that had been going on with him. He only left out one part, the part he achieved all of his success the past four years from trading his life. After Pete spoke of everything that had happened, Tom was the first to speak and laugh. Tom then looked at Zach and they laughed together. Pete stared at both of them.

  “That was great Pete, the story was really epic. I can't believe you went through all of this work just to get this laugh out of us, but you had us both going.”

  “Um, Pete?” said Zach. “You still have it. You really do. Great story. So, guys I was thinking we should play some golf.”

  Pete stared at the table. He couldn't believe what they were saying. They weren't taking him seriously.

  “Tom and Zach, have I ever lied to either one of you?”

  Both Tom and Zach looked at each other and laughed some more.

  “Seriously Pete, funny stuff, but really, we get the joke now.”

  “No,” said Pete. “You still don't get it. This is not a joke and never was meant to be.”

  “What are you getting at Pete?”

  “Everything I told you is true.”

  Now Tom and Zach had Pete’s full attention.

  Zach, the humorous one in the group, spoke first, “Pete, I think you are going crazy then. I mean stuff like this doesn't just happen to a person. We will have to send you to the psychiatric ward. Come on Tom, let’s strap him up.”

  Zach cracked up at his own joke, but stopped after Tom and Pete weren’t laughing.

  “Whoa Zach, hold on there, I think Pete is serious about this.”

  “No, he can't be.”

  “I think he is…I mean look at him. He looks worried. Honestly I haven't seen Pete like this for years. He is not acting the same way. I think he is telling the truth.”

  “Yeah, I don't know so much. I mean people sometimes just break down and, you know, start to have mental issues. It just happens.”

  “I don't think he is having a mental break down, as you would call it. He just seems worried.”

  Pete listened to them talk, but he finally spoke up. “Okay, both of you, stop. I'm not crazy, this is really happening. I'm not having a mental break down.”

  “Pete, how do I…how do we know that?” Zach was serious.

  “Well,” said Pete. And Pete told the story of what happened four years ago, this time including the part about selling his life.

  After finishing the rest of the story Zach spoke up. “This seems like some kind of crazy movie. This seems like a horror film. This stuff just doesn't happen to everyday people. So Pete, what you’re saying is that you sold your soul to get success out of this life?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, it looks like you got a pretty good deal. I mean you got everything you wanted, and you sure are successful, but really man, this whole selling a soul just doesn't make much sense.”

  “It doesn't make sense to me either; it's just how it is. Listen, I don't like this, but what can I do? I have to figure out what is going on.”

  Tom and Zach looked at each other for the hundredth time and there wasn’t anything they could say. This man is crazy, is the look both of them seemed to be giving each other.

  “So what do you want us to do?”

  “I don't know, I just figured I should tell someone. How about this, you both come to my house and maybe then you can see what happens?”

  Zach looked right at Pete, smiled and said, “it's a date; we’ll come over tomorrow.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  It was a quarter to whenever Tom and Zach were suppose to come over. Pete was concerned he would be transported to the new world before either came over and was concerned because it seemed to happen when he fell asleep. The crazy thing was, when he went to bed last night, he didn’t go to the other world.

  He paced around the house. Looking at his watch every ten seconds; he was hopeful they would show up early.

  When it was fifteen minutes before they should show up and their was still no sign of them, he looked out his window every few seconds, hopeful they were just around the corner.

  Finally he heard a knock at the door. Pethaford sighed, being very thankful and walked over to the door and opened it.

  There in front of him was Tom.

  “Hey, so I was gonna bring flowers over for you, hoping that it would help you feel better.”

  Tom laughed at his own joke, but Pete was not that thrilled.

  “I'm just glad you are here. Come in.”

  Tom continued to look at Pete.

  “You know Pete, I don't think I will.”

  “What. Why?”

  “Well, why would I when you are still asleep?”

  “Tom, you’re making no sense, and this isn't very funny.”

  “No man, I'm serious, look over there.”

  Pete looked over to where Tom pointed and sure enough, someone was on his chair, sleeping.

  “I don't remember him being there.”

  Pete and Tom walked over to the chair to see who was there. When they got to the chair they were shocked at what they saw.

  “Zach? But Tom, this doesn't make any sense at all.”

  Sure enough, Zach was on the chair sleeping away.

  “This doesn't make any sense. Tom, I swear, he wasn't in here before you got here.”

  Tom looked at Pete in odd bewilderment.

  “So, what's going on then? Wait, this is just a joke you are both playing. Happens all the time in movies.”

  Pete went over to Zach and shook him. Zach did not move. He once again began to shake Zach and started to yell in his face.

  “Wake up Zach! What the heck are
you trying to pull?”

  At this point Pete was exhausted from not sleeping, and even when he did, it was not sound rest. Therefore, Pete was not sure if he was in a dream.

  Around this point Pete was hitting and punching Zach, but Zach still did not move. Eventually, Tom stopped Pete and said to him, “He will not respond, can't you tell?”

  “What the heck are you pulling Tom? A person does not just fall asleep and stay asleep like this. I don't know what's going on, but this is what I was talking about. There have been a lot of crazy things happening at this house.”

  Pete’s nerve broke again, and he started to personally attack Tom. It began as yelling and having it out at each other. Then the argument escalated to fighting. They began to struggle with one another, and were bumping into things all over the room, breaking things. Tom got the upper hand on Pete and picked him up and threw him against the window. Pete landed against the window and hit the floor. He went unconscious, but this was not what got Tom's attention.

  “What the heck?”

  He walked over to the window. There was no way the window should be intact after that, thought Tom. Tom doesn't think much more about it, but instead walks over to the door.

  He reached to open the door, but it would not budge.

  “Now what's going on?”

  Tom walked around the rest of the house and tried to open every door and window. He then proceeded to Pete to wake him. Pete woke up after a few moments and began staring right into Tom's face.

  “Get up! Get up! Get up!”

  Pete moved and shrugged his shoulders. He grabbed his right shoulder with his left hand and massaged it.

  “I told you, I'm not playing a game.” Pete said, as he was still on the ground, covering his eyes with his right hand.

  Tom, still frustrated, squatted in front of Pete and said, “I cannot get out of the house. The doors are locked and nothing will open.”

  “Yeah, we are now going through what I went through a few days ago.”

  “Well, what do we do?” Tom sits down on the floor.

  “Die...”

  “Haha Tom,” said Pete sarcastically, “no need to be funny.”

  Suddenly, Zach was right in front of both Pete and Tom. Zach then began to speak.

  “Hey guys. How are you doing? What are you both doing over here? Why are you both on the floor? Are you okay Pete? What happened to you? Hey guys, I had the best sleep ever. Why are you looking at me like that? What is your problem?”

  Tom spoke first, “Zach, you were completely asleep just a little bit ago.”

  “Hmm, what are you talking about?”

  Pete and I found you asleep just a little bit ago. You were on the chair and you didn't respond to me at all.

  “Oh? Well, that's odd.”

  “Yeah it is, so what do you remember?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Really? So what happened before you got to the chair Zach?”

  Both Tom and Pete were looking at the ground during most of the talk, but now Tom turned towards Zach, but Zach wasn't there.

  “Wait, now where did he go?”

  Pete, in pain, strained to look over at where Zach should have been and he didn't see him either. Pete's head felt like it was ready to explode and he blacked out.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Pete wakes up and quickly stands on his feet, but stumbles to the ground. Pete is once again in pitch black, and his ankle kills him. It felt like forever since he had been in the world and he couldn't remember what he last did. He sits and tries to clear his mind. What was I doing before I was on the ground, thinks Pete? He sits in silence for the longest time. He could not remember what he had been doing.

  “Door…”

  Pete freaked out for a second because the sound came out of nothing.

  What about a door? he thinks. He tries with all his might to remember what a door has to do with him being in here.

  One candle by itself is useless. The same can be said…

  After remembering this, it came to him. He had jumped off of the candle stand and landed on the door handle. That's why his foot hurt.

  He begins to search around for the door. After a few moments, he found the door, and then the door knob. As he turns the doorknob, he half expects the door not to open. The door doesn’t open.

  “Darn it,” says Pete out loud.

  Then he realizes that he is sitting on the door and proceeds to move of it.

  The door did not budge easily, but eventually the door swings open. Pete isn’t sure what to do now. The door is open, but how can he accomplish anything in the darkness?

  Pete sits down, not sure of what to do.

  A light peeks from inside the door. He can’t be sure how far the light is, but one thing is for sure: the light moves towards him.

  As the light continues to move closer he can tell there is someone holding a light.

  “Who is there?”

  The person did not respond.

  “Stop! Don't come any closer. Who are you?”

  The person holding the light still did not stop. At this point, he is only a couple hundred feet away from Pete.

  Pete strains to see who this person is. He can’t see his face. He then notices there is blood on this person, and that is enough for Pete to shake.

  Pete's heart jumps out of his chest. He panics and, unsure of what to do, slams the door close.

  He then hears a knock on the door.

  “Who is it?”

  “A friend”

  “Who?”

  “Your friend.”

  Pete still isn’t sure what to think, but something about the voice gives him enough reason to trust this person. All Pete knew is that he is beginning to dislike doors.

  “How do I know you’re a friend?”

  “Because you need me.”

  “Why should I trust you? How can I?”

  “You can only open the door to find out. I cannot force you; I can only invite you.”

  The more the bloodied man speaks, the more Pete isn’t sure, but maybe he is trying to talk himself out of opening the door.

  He sits in silence for a while, thinking and trying to figure everything out. The same whisper he heard awhile back suddenly came through his head.

  He feels the same peace, even though he is afraid, and so he opens the door.

  Light blasts through and blinds Pete. He quickly lost his balance and fell into the door which opens. He expects pain because of landing on the ground, but he did not.

  He opens his eyes. He is in a large corridor. The ceilings stack a hundred feet high and reddish light come from all around. He sees large beams holding up the ceilings. On those beams are intricate carvings of various creatures.

  Pete tries to look around, but he can’t. All he can do is look ahead.

  In the left corner of his eye, he can see a figure. Someone is with him. They begin to walk. Who is this? That is all Pete can think.

  As Pete continues to walk, he finds himself in front of an extremely large door. The door is made of wood and has the same types of images that are on the beams.

  The large door opens. Pete and the person to his left walk in. Pete stands at the entrance to the door watching what happens.

  There is some kind of creature in the middle of the room. It is the same type of creature that is on the beams and the door. The creature took one look at Pete, and the creature has a wicked smile on his face.

  Everything thereafter appears to happen in slow motion and feels surreal. The person who came with him, jumps a good twenty feet in the air and suddenly has a sword in his hand. The blade pierces down into the creature and both of them continue through the floor. It seems like endless noise, but finally there is silence.

  Pete walks over to the edge of the hole and looks down. All he sees is an endless black. Nothing as far as the eye can see. As Pete continues to look down he has shivers run along his spine.

  I need to get out of here! Thinks Pete.


  He walks around the room and sees no way out.

  “This seems to be a theme in my life,” sighs Pete.

  He decides to backtrack the way he came from, along the corridor and past the beams. He walks up the stairs to the door. Half expecting the door not to open he hesitates for a second and then opens the door.

  While still traveling through the door, he hears a voice.

  “Hurry!”

  “Who? Me?” says Pete.

  “Be quiet! They will hear you.”

  “Who will hear me?”

  “Stop with the questions and follow me. We are not safe here.”

  Pete notices the whisper has a body. A pleasant, but fearful smile is found on the face of this person. This person turns around and begins to walk.

  “We don’t have much time. Follow me.”

  Pete follows the footsteps in the darkness and did everything this person speaks. After a good amount of walking they pass from the ash, dusty ground to grass. Right before they arrive on the grass, this person told him to step up.

  Now they pass along trees and Pete can hear a stream in the distance. Then Pete stops, because he could hear other noises in the distance as well. It takes him a while to realize what they are, but he hears crickets, an owl, a wolf, and even the sound of the wind blowing through the trees.

  Pete realizes he is once again alone.

  “Hey! Where did you go?”

  Pete looks around and notices he could see a little in this darkness. He looks up. The moon is full and very bright.

  Now what? Thinks Pete.

  At this point he isn’t sure which way he should proceed, but he didn’t want to go back to the dark area, so he sits down next to a tree. This tree, like the tree before, is bare, but Pete did not give it much thought. Soon Pete falls asleep.

  Chapter Eighteen

  He awakes to the sound of laughing.

  “You can’t catch me. I’m way too fast for ya! Haha!” says what sounds like a girl.

  Pete panics and jumps to his feet.

  “No way! You’re too slow!”