A Very Long Night

As a preface, this is my first short story, and the oldest thing I have in digital form, as I had a bad habit of deleting all my old writing works. This story began as a dream the summer before I started college. Names, descriptions, places were all established, minus the ending in that summer night or in the following days in boredom while staring into empty water at the pool while guarding.
I finally set down to basically transcribing it at the end of my first semester of college. the final project for English 111 was to write or do something we chose and submit it or present it. Some worked on art, some wrote a poem or a song. Me, I choose to write a 14 page short story. Now, based on my experience now with professors and final projects, if you put effort in, you will probably get a good grade. So I am assuming no one has ever read this work to its completion, but me. I posted it online to a fiction website that summer, hoping for advice, even looking to write again. naturally I have not, and I proceeded to forget where I had put the work, website, title login, everything. Now fast forward 3 years, in a sudden urge when I awoke one morning at 5 am- as is a habit of mine, I decided to look for it. after 3 hours on the website, I found it.
Now, I post or paste it, hopeing someone will look it over, be entertained, and maybe smile or at least think- what the hell kind of dreams does she have?



*~*~
I did not know that this the way it has to be. If I would have known what would happen to me by helping an old lady with her groceries that day, if I would have known all the trouble it would have caused, I don’t know, maybe I would have pushed the lady over, sending her tomatoes and cereal sprawling all over the parking lot. But no, I was oblivious to my fate, and went bumbling into it life a blind fool.

Maybe goodness prompted me, basic human decency. Why couldn’t I just resist, what was stopping me from turning the other way. I know what it was; it was the look the old man nearby gave me, daring me to be a common unwashed miscreant, or a shining example for the youth of the neighborhood. I am even surprised at how I reacted; I felt that I was hit by lighting, struck dumb to accomplish this task. A marionette, with fate at the strings. I walked up next the lady taking her well-laden tote bag from her arms and followed her all the way to her home. She even tried to reward me with a cold soda after, but I could not accept. As I walked home, I saw the old man on his front porch, nodding to me. He had a foreboding air about him, his dank house, oddly silent. Why was he looking at me? What had I done, but help on old crazy lady? Was he criticizing me, or was he just senile. I did not want to stick around there, with him looking at me like that, that piercing gaze, that cold stare. I wanted to get away.I past his house, and sprinted home when I reached the corner.

I bolted to my house, jamming my key in the door, taking forever… why won’t the damn thing turn… I slammed open the door, then shut, bolted to my room, shut the door. I caught a glimpse of my image in the mirror on the door, my face drenched in sweat, gray blue eyes wide and a little bloodshot. My sandy blonde hair damp, pupils dilated, just messed up.

What was going on, I felt like I had the flu, shaking, like I had seen a ghost. But I only saw the old nutter from down the street. Why was this happening??

I woke up late that next morning. I heard my parents leave the house, dishes in the sink, them arguing, the garage door, the cars’ engines start up.

I am not worried that they do not care about me, if I am alive, it makes my life simpler. I like my solitude. It gives me more time to be by my self. I ran my fingers through my hair, it felt dirty, did I wash it yesterday? No, maybe not . I think that I will get a shower.

Great now my hair won’t stop dripping. I was sitting on the sofa, watching TV, talk shows where they end up beating each other, bad music videos, when I heard the mail box open and close, allowing the mail to make a slight thud on the wooden floor. At first I did not want to see what we got. I didn’t care. As time passed, I began to wonder if anyone would send me mail. Doubtful, really doubtful. But what if there was something for me, something that I really should or did care about. Wait that would never happen, no one cared about me. I had no real friends at school, I was an outcast. Who really would send me a letter, my spinster aunt? No I don’t think so. However, became more curious. The monthly bills had come, and been paid. My monthly subscription to Popular Science had already come earlier in the month. Curiosity got the better of me, I got off the couch, and went to the mailbox, the postman with his ridiculous shorts, was only 6 or 7 homes down the street by now. My inner dialogue had only taken a few moments. There was only one letter in the box, a beat up, water-damaged envelope. The envelope seemed very heavy, but the over all weight seemed so light. It had my name on it, in messed and rushed up writing. David Murphy, 858 Charleston Rd. Wow I have never seen anything like it. It did not have a return address. I was a little cautious to open it, but I wanted to know what was going on at the same time. This seemed really odd , but oh well. As I opened the envelope, I though who would send me something without a return address. Only a sheet of thin yellow paper was in side the crinkly envelope. It felt more delicate than papyrus, but thinner than tissue paper. On it a brief message was written:

“ Now that you have read this, things are set in motion, things that cannot be undone, this is you destiny David, and you need to fulfill it. Follow the signs, they will lead you right.”

That was it. Is this some kind of joke, who sent this. What was going on, why did it think that I had a destiny, things I needed to do. Right now, all I needed to do was sleep, and watch stupid shows. I didn’t know what to do next, what did it mean follow the signs, was I supposed to walk around and find street signs or something??

What did it matter, in my new found apathy at life, it didn’t care if I had a destiny or not, what a bunch or rubbish. Me a fated life, yeah right.

The next day, while hiding from my parents again, I decided to go for a walk around the block. I had no intended destination, just a chance to get out of the house. I couldn’t stand being cooped up any longer. Staring at my feet, watching the gym shoe strings fly back and forth across my feet, clicking on the pavement. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going or what I was doing. Suddenly, I saw a flash of purple, and heard a loud thrash. I looked up, realizing I was in front of the crazy nutter’s house. Another crash came, but his time, I knew from where. I could hear the old man cry out, screaming, but I couldn’t make out what he said.

Not knowing what I was doing, I bounded into his house, smashed open the door. What was going on? This place was known for strange noises, sudden lights, but it was believed to be relatively normal, tonight did not seem normal. It seemed as if the house was on fire, it was amazingly hot, and bright, but I couldn’t find the source. There wasn’t any heat or smoke. It seemed that the house was emitting this strange energy. It was consuming itself. I turned to look for the old man, but he was laying spread eagle on a recliner. I dashed over to him, and tried to shake him awake. He didn’t budge. I knew he was dead, but I couldn’t leave him in this house of strange fire. I looked at him, an I saw his lifeless eyes, glassy and black. Even a crazy old nutter didn’t deserve this. I looked away and saw a large rectangular box lying next to him. It had the same strange script as the note. On the cover on dark paper was written “leave me be, take this with you.”

So I followed his instructions. I didn’t even call the fire house to let them know that there was some pretty weird fire over here. With another loud bang, the house shrank into it self. I took the box, which was surprisingly heavy, and ran, ran until I felt dizzy. The neighborhood turned into a park, and then to woods. I sat down on a log, near a stream. The moon shone through the trees. I opened the box, ripped the paper off, and in inside was a dagger. It gleamed in the moonlight. It was so delicate, yet so light. It seemed to be spun of spider silk. The designs so intricate, the blade it self a swirl of metal. Loops of steel. It was amazing. Wow what a sword. I looked up and I could see stars, a rarity for around here. Usually the city lights drown the stars out. It had been years since I had really seen them. It felt so calm. So unearthly, so strange, but good. Then….

There was a rustle behind me- damn, now what, it went away, but the branches of the honeysuckle branches were still fluttering and there was no breeze. I turned around and took a deep breath. As I opened my eyes I saw the strangest face I have ever seen. Bright green eyes, wide set, with huge pupils stared into my own blue ones. A muzzle like mouth was set inches away from my face. I was in shock- I could not react.

“So you’re the one I was sent to look for”

It talked.

“Well I must be honest, I was not expecting this”

It could talk, my mind just couldn’t register the fact that this thing was blue, and was an inch away from me, and to boot was talking to me!! I didn’t know what to do. Was I really seeing this or was it a hallucination…

“ I am not a figment of your imagination, David I am very real”

It knew my name!

“Well of course I knew your name, it says it right there on the paper, nice dagger by the way”

I nodded to the creepy creature, did it read my thoughts, or was it just me thinking it read my thoughts, or I did it read my thoughts because I thought it was reading my thoughts….

“Where is it?”

Startled, I said, “Where’s what”

“You know what, now just hand it over and it will be fine”

“ Hand what over?”

“ You don’t know, you don’t have it?”

“No”

He, well I guess it was a he, looked at the ground, this was the first time I looked away from his creepy, but hypnotizing eyes. I looked once more at the dagger. Did he want this? I looked at him. He was crouched in to a crooked ball, all huddled, balancing on the balls of his claw like feet. He had leather chap- like pants, torn and dirty, set with what looked horribly like bones at the clasp. He had a scabbard at his side but it appeared to be empty. As I gazed, amazed at this creature in front of me, I felt the sweat return. A thin t-shirt and old jeans did not stop chills from the night air. He had scared skin, large blue welts, across his chest, and arms. What had done that to him? Was he violent? And if so, did I have to be worried about my own safety? Wait, too late, already worried.

He looked up suddenly, and I was once more dawn into his gaze. He said, “ Well what do you know?”

I gulped, and them stammered, “ I know I got this from my dead neighbor, and he disappeared into his house. It self destructed!”

“Really”, he said “ Fascinating. So I imagine that you were close to Ezekiel, he was a great visionary, really gave us hope”

“ What? Who is Ezekiel?”

“ That was your neighbor right, the one who gave you the dagger.”

“ I didn’t know that was his name”

“He was vital to us, he saw the future, not what will happen, more of what could happen. Ezekiel led us, the Reisoluto. ” He added after seeing my confused look. Ahh So Ezekiel was the name of the old nutter- no not old nutter- dead nutter ahhh, stop calling him nutter; I’m the nutter for talking to my self, again! Trying not to offend the blue creature, I said, “ What did he do, and why does he trust me to do what ever it is I need to do”

“ This is bad, you were supposed to be ready” he looked at the ground again; I felt my heart fall, like I was missing out on something now.

“ You should have found the cle before now, well, okay I will start at the beginning. My name is Tomas. I am a demon.”

“WHAT!”

“ A demon, but only a lowly servant, in fact I am on a mission, I need to send a message to the next one, that means you”

“ Who sent you?”

“Duvin, he is my master. He is a vile and monstrous creature. He associates with the most awful and violent sub creatures and demons. He is power mad and convinced that he must control the upper world, this world, as well as has dominion over the underworld. He has seen the signs; he felt Ezekiel’s demise. His extreme old age spells finally caught up with him. He self destructed you said” I nodded meekly “ That is what happened. He could not continue any longer. I am amazed that he did not inform you of this. It is important. You must defeat Duvin. He cannot control this world, and must lose his grasp on the under. If the two worlds were united together, it would create the apocalypse. He sent me his servant and slave to give you, the next fighter, and leader of the Reisoluto, this message: ‘He knows that you are coming, and he is waiting for you’ ”

“Really what does he want with me?’

“ He thinks you have the cle, but obviously not, if all Ezekiel gave to you was that dagger.”

“ Tomas, why do you want your master to be defeated?” I asked.

“ If he brings the apocalypse, nothing will survive, not human, or demon, or snargleicks or wefeerds. Everything would perish.”

“Does Duvin know this?”

“ He does, but I think he believes that he can control all that power”

“Okay where will I find this thing?”

“The cle, no one knows” convenient huh?

“However, it is very powerful, it is the key to his downfall. It would cause the separation of the demon and human worlds” That is just perfect.

“Really, how do you kill a demon?” I asked, not really caring that much, this made no sense and seemed to be utter rubbish.

“It is not so much as killing a demon, as returning them human. Demons were once humans, the oldest turned by evil. Others forced into submission by asmithric acid. The only real cure is sunlight, but it is poisonous to demons” so that must be why you don’t see them walking down the street. He continued “ But it is a very delicate and dangerous process. No demon has so far been fool hardy enough to try to change, to find out how, or what kind of light, to risk their death, the only real thing that can kill a demon “Okay, well that is just great. I mean really.

“Well we should get going?”

“Where?

“To see Duvin, to beat him”

“But I am not a visionary, or a leader, I don’t even have the clay thingy”

“ Cle, not clay, and that is not what I am here to do, I am here to take you back,”

“I thought that you were here to give me a message Tomas. “

“ That too”

I reluctantly got off the ground, thinking every minute that this was a bad idea.

We walked for a little while in silence, the trees passing shadows over me and Tomas. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. What was really going on, where was I going?

I was just letting this blue dog faced guy lead me to my doom, I knew it. Did this have anything to do with the old lady and the tomatoes?

“Here we are”

We had walked to a rock wall, partially hidden by the trees, the stars where still so pretty. Tomas parted some branches and reveled a large and deep cave. It seemed to on for fathoms down into the darkness. I looked at Tomas, and said, “Are we going down in there?”

“ Yes we are, that is how we shall get to Duvin”

Wow, all this time, and the portal to the underworld was in walking distance. “Okay then” I said, taking deep breaths. I walked forward, and was enveloped into the darkness. It felt kind of creepy, like cold jelly, thick and sticky in the air. We walked in silence. The cave walls began to softly glisten as my eyes became adapted to the dark. I saw amazing formations in the rock. I marveled at great stalagmites and stalactites. I was in awe of the cave, all the passages we took lead deeper and deeper into the dark. My feet began slightly slipping on the moist surfaces. Suddenly, I felt like I was drawn like magnet, to the black ahead, I could not see anything. Then, I was falling, tossing in the air. I was cold, and scared. I landed feet first with a splash into cold water; at least I think it was water. It was so penetratingly cold. I felt myself sink into the depths I can’t remember what happened next.

The real next thing I could see was a face similar to Tomas’ hovering over me . It was a dark muddy brown. The eyes were squinty and yellow. It said:“ Is this one alive?” It poked me with the butt of a spear much too large for its size .

“ Yeah, I think so”

“Okay then”

I felt a sharp kick, then I was yanked from my back, where I was laying on the edge of an underground water lake. I was flung onto someone’s back, and carried.

My head hurts, stars floated in front of my eyes, and where is Tomas? Was he alright?

“ Duvin will be happy to see him.”

That fact I had repressed, and was not happy to have it back. The fact that I would need to turn Duvin, challenge and change him or the world would end. I needed to get away form these creatures. I wanted to fight, but I hurt so much. I tried wiggling my hads, but they were tightly bound. My head spun it was hard to focus on anything for long. Where was my dagger? I wanted to really use it now. Was this why I had been given it? To not have it when I needed it?

I watched dizzily as I passed pathways, three rights, one left, once down the center, I don’t know why I was trying to keep track of the rough-hewn rock tunnels. Oh where was my dagger that the old nutter Ezekiel had gave me, it would be useful about now. Not that I would know what to do with it. Then the demons carrying me put me down with a grunt, it hurts, and this floor is cold and hard. “That’s enough of this stuff, he’s walking the rest of the way”

My hand was laying over a part of strange shaped object. It felt different than the rest of the floor. I grabbed on to what ever it was. “ Here you, get up”, the other demon said. I obliged, while still holding on to the shape. I looked at as soon as the guards were busy. It was a black key. It felt warm in my hands, as if I had grabbed a mug of hot coco. I hid it from view.

“ Grog, what will his lordship thinks of us?”

“Oh he will be pleased, Burg,” said Grog.

I ignored them while they imagined all the great things that Duvin would give them for handing me over. Things like camel spleen, augh. I concentrated my attention on the warm key. I wanted to use to gouge the sick yellow eyes of Duvin’s goons. I looked ahead, and I saw a bright light, in the hallway, it opened up into a great chasm. In the center, was a great figure in the centre. Duvin, I just knew it.

“Ahh, he is here.” He was tall as the hall, taller than the average house. He was a burgundy wine color. He had a face like a bulldog, and small beady eyes. He had a great cloak; the clasp was as large as my head. He carried a battle-axe, rusted and worn. This can’t be good….

“Bring him here” oh no..

“Is the one that my adversary, my worthy opponent chose and has sent to defeat me?" no, not really actually I was hoping to go away, but …

“ Yes, sir” said a familiar voice,

Tomas!! He was groveling in the background, cowering in the shadows. Was he working for or against me? I didn’t know, so I just acted like I didn’t know him.

“ So you are to defeat me mortal, you hardly look threatening. Can you even hold your head, let alone a sword? ” Great, I was intimidated and insulted by my future murderer

“Yes, I can, and I..” I was looking to be brave, but only outrageous lies came to mind … “ and I will defeat you. I am no mere mortal, I am David of the Surface!” I finished by shouting, probably not a good idea, considering what was in Duvin’s hand, swinging idlely, but I felt somewhat foolhardy in front of a massive creature. I could never believe that this thing was at one time a human.

“So you have a name, names are powerful things, they keep our power. Why do you give me power over you with a name David?”

I was silent, I couldn’t think things like ‘Where is the cle?’ or ‘ How the hell am I gonna get out of here?’ I just went blank. Huh, oh no not that again

“I think that I can stand to surrender that power” great answer dummy. He appeared to not like my answer, I thought, as he swung his axe menacingly close to myself. I decided to speak up once more. “Sir, I have no idea what a cle is or why I have it or where it is”

“Well, we will change that”, with that, he picked up a vial, glowing an eerie purple,” I think we will have to jog your memory”. He poured the smoking and bubbling substance on my head. Tomas, screamed out, it stung as it flowed down me. I felt like I was going to shed my skin, if it was possible. My skin tingled and bubbled. I looked down, and saw my skin had turned a motley and sickly green. It was really disgusting. My vision grew foggy. My eyes glazed over. I lost my hearing. Some body lifted me up and threw me in to a dank cell, the walls sloped and sharp. Time passed with out my knowledge. My body seized and stung. I was left desensitized to my own thought. Thoughts that filled with horrific images and blood curdling screaming.

Later, as my fog began to lift...

“David”

“Hmm…”I responded groggily. I felt awful, I had the shivers, I felt weak, my body still felt over sensitive to everything. I could hear the guards garble, the steady tink tink of water from above hitting the floor. I felt the warm key that my fingers were still coiled around.

“Are you ok?”

“I think so, I feel so … odd” I was not able of thought right then.

“ David, they turned you into a demon, Duvin doused you in asmithric acid.”

“What?’

“Yeah”, said Tomas, “ David, you still need find the cle”. As I listened to him, my head began to clear, and I felt more despair. How was I ever going to beat Duvin locked in his cells? I bet Ezekiel was never locked up.

“No, I don’t, “ I said “because I don’t know what it is.”

“We need to find it” I wasn’t listening; I was staring at my hand, it stung, and hurt. I opened it realizing that the key was staring to burn in my hand, but it wasn’t just black, it glowed a soft blue from within. A crazy idea just floated into my mind

“Hey Tomas,”

“Yeah”

“ I think I found something, listen I need to get out of here”

“Yeah, I brought the keys” Within seconds I was out, stretching my demon legs, now much longer than normal. I showed Tomas the key.

“ Yeah, if that is not the cle I do not know if it even exists.”

“Tomas,” I started to say…

“Yeah”

“ I thought you were with the Reisoluto. Why did you help Duvin, I mean…” I broke off lamely

“ It is my job, he will kill me otherwise, keeping cover for now allows me to the jailors station and retrieve the keys”

“ Thanks Tomas” I really had nothing more to say, I just needed to say thanks.

Now I needed to find what this cle went to. I asked Tomas, He responded, “it must be the key to the portal, the cave we entered. We can only close it.”

“ From the outside or inside,” I asked tentatively.

“ I don’t know,” said Tomas, “it needs to be found witch way. If we close the portal, we will end Duvin’s way of entering this world, we can stop him from causing the apocalypse. It is this that Ezekiel worked all of his life for. I am still amazed that you found the cle. I though that since you had been changed, that you would never find it, and would need to wait for another. “

“ Hey, where is the dagger?”

“Here it is, you left it there, above”.

“What happens when…” I paused “ when we go above? ”

“We will wait and see what happens”.

Tomas unlocked the door, the bars swung with and eerie whoosh. I held my breath, what if someone heard that? I stood up, my legs shaking, and head spinning. I flexed and stretched my hands I felt rather peculiar. They still tingled, but I could fell something else, something new. I felt a real power in my limbs. I was kinda scrawny before, but now, I was just lost as to what was going on. I had powerful arms, deadly arms. We stood silently, waiting for some sign of trouble or of notice of my escape. I was getting used to the new me. We crept slowly down the dank halls, sneaking around every nook and cranny. We hid in the shadows and sulked against the walls. We came to a flight of stairs, that I had not remembered seeing on my way down, but than I had changed from in the process. Along with my height and strenght, I had improved vision in the eerie blackness.

We tried to be silent, but as we were scurrying up the steps I slipped on a patch of slime, unsteady with my new claw like feet, I went tumbling. I banged my head against the wall, and blood came pouring down my face. Amidst the bloods and tears in my eyes, I saw shapes, shadows fast approaching. “David” Tomas shouted, “ Catch”. He threw me the dagger, in my new hands it positively hummed with power. I knew what I was capable of, and conscious of what I could do. I stood up ready for the attack. I held the blade singing in my hand ready and loose. When the first demon showed up, he ran at my full force, I was ready for him. Tomas appeared at my side with a spear. The demon became an impaled and sliced mess on the stone floor. Duvin and three more guards appeared on the scene. Apparently dying and fighting makes a lot of noise. Tomas went for one guard, I went for another. They joined their comradeon the stones. Duvin and one guard were left. No one else was showing up. Neither of us wanted to take on Duvin, His eyes were smoldering with an intense hate at Tomas, seeing his betrayal. The other guard was loaded with a wicked looking scimitar. We both turned tail and fled up the stairs. I know that I have never run so fast in my entire life. I could hear Duvin’s massive breathing. We reached the top, were I had fallen into the lake, as we emerged from the tunnel. Now the room seemed strangely bright with early morning sunlight penetrating from the entrance. “Tomas, run!” I shouted. We ran for the entrance, and made it. As I ran into the grass I could hear Duvin over my shoulder. He ran out of the cave followed by the guard, just as the sun crept over the horizion. Duvin, froze staring at the sun, amazed and horrified at what he saw. I could not imagine the last time he saw the sun. He began to sieze and shake. Hidden in the shadows of the trees, we watched the ensuing misery.The guard dropped his sword and ran back into the cave. We began to emerge to see Duvin. His massive form seemed already touched with rigor mortis. Suddenly his body, inflated, and the collapsed upon itself. It was a heap of rotting flesh.

I looked at Tomas, he… he looked normal. He lost the muzzle. He lost the blue skin. He was actually small, not muscular. The leather pants lose on his frame. He looked no older than 17. He was looking at me with his eyes wide. Fearing the worst, I looked at my hands. They were no longer the motley green; they were normal size and color. How could this be? Tomas looked at Duvin, and then looked at me, he said, “ David, you did it, you beat Duvin, I didn’t think that anyone could do it.” I was a little flabbergasted. I looked at my hands again, I saw the bloody dagger, now heavy in my hand, and still clutched, was the cle. “ I need to seal the cave,” I said. We explored the surface of the rock, and soon found a black hole, that when the cle approached glowed blue with the key. I inserted the key, and turned. The earth began to rumble, and the cave, the stone wall, and Duvin were swallowed into the earth.

I turned, still carrying the dagger. I regretted the fact that I couldn’t turn the others, and that I had helped to kill three others.

“Tomas, how are we turned?” I asked .

“I believe it was the morning, the dawn that saved us. After all it is the beginning of a new era, one of peace. What better way to change and return whole?”

We parted ways, I was to return home, he was to try to find his old life, or what could be found . I knew that I would never forget Tomas, and truly I knew that I would find him again.

As I walked home, I saw the plot that was Ezekiel’s home. He really wasn’t so much of a nutter, but more of an influence than I would ever know. A car came fast up behind me, a car that flashed it lights and sirens. Cops came out of the car, and arrested me for carrying the dagger. So great, now I am sitting in jail facing assault charges on an unknown victim, they did not believe the demon story. I am waiting for my parents to come to the station. Though I don’t know if they are even around. Some things just may not change, who knows, May be Tomas will help me bust out of this jail cell. But all I know is this was set into motion by a little old lady with a bag of tomatoes.

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