....

He couldn't sleep. The night was hot.  The kind where every position was a struggle of sticky sweat and suffocating air.  Felix didn't have an air conditioner.  This city wasn't the type of city where you ever really needed one.  It was rare to have heavy humid nights like this one.  Once you get caught in the frustrating tangle of trying to get comfortable enough to sleep, endless thoughts have already taken over your mind.  He had to go for a walk or else he would lose his mind.

It was after midnight.  It didn't matter it was late, it was the weekend.  He just needed to get out of his sweaty bed. He grabbed some shorts and put on his shoes and closed and locked the door behind him.  he didn't know where he was going.  Just decided to walk until he got sleepy.  Eventually he came across an all night diner.  The kind that had other restless souls eating food or drinking late night coffee.  The kind of place that had neon signs for beer and that said 'open all night.' He decided to go inside and maybe have some tea or something.  

The place had five booths against the windows and a long bar with tavern style stools.  There were only two other people at the bar.  Both minding their own business with their heads low.  Not the types that were looking for conversation.  Neither was Felix.  He just wanted to get tired enough to sleep and go back to his place.  He took a seat leaving enough space so he wouldn't bother any one and no one would bother him.

A waitress came over to him and asked, "what can I get cha?" as she looked at him loudly chewing on some gum.

"Uh, do you have any chamomile tea?" he asked.

"Yeah, we do."

"Uh, yeah.  Can I get that. Thank you." he replied as he dug into his pocket to pull out his phone.

"Sure thing."

He started scrolling through social media posts for a moment before the waitress came back.

"Here you go hun.  Let me know if you need anything else," before walking away to her corner on the other side of the bar where she would lean on the counters and scroll through her phone. 

"Okay. Thank you," he replied as he grabbed the tea bag and slowly dipped it up and down in the hot water. 

He continued looking at his phone for a few more minutes before hearing a voice behind him.

"Hey...Hey you. Over here," someone called out.

He looked up and turned around toward the voice.  It was coming from a man sitting in a booth alone. He was dressed in a heavy black coat.  Dark boots and greasy long hair.

"Hey. I know you.  Come on over. Have a seat man," he said in a joyful way.

"No, it's okay," Felix replied trying to just get back to his tea and turn around.

"Come on man.  It's Felix right," the man said. Well now he couldn't ignore the man.  He did know him.  He had to at least say hi or pretend he wasn't who he was. "I'll buy ya a drink," the man said.  Well, now how can he ignore that. "Hey waitress, umm, Daphne right. Can you get my friend a beer.  Same thing.  Put it on my tab. Thanks babe."

"Sure thing hun," the waitress replied from the opposite end of the bar.  No one else even looked up.  No one else even cared what was going on. It was a series of small events that happened so fast that he felt obligated to sit down with this man.  So he got up and walked over to the booth where the man was sitting.

"Hey man. How long has it been?" he asked with a large smile.

"Do I know you?" Felix asked.

"Yeah man. You don't remember me?" the man replied with a disappointed look on his face. "Come on man. You know me," he continued as he gestured his hands towards his face as if the gesture itself would somehow help Felix's memory. It didn't.

"Uhhh...."

"Come on.  It's Julian.  Claude's brother."

"Oh yeah. Julian," Felix replied.  He did remember him.  He also remembered that he didn't really like him. "I remember now.  I haven't seen you in ages.  Probably since college.  How you been?"

"I've been good.  I mean I've been better right?" Julian said in a half joking kind of way. "I mean who hasn't. The world has gone to shit and all the good days seem to be behind us right."

"Yeah. I know what you mean," Felix said as he lifted his tea and took a small sip.

"I mean, shit, at least I'm having a drink with an old friend, right."

"Sure, yeah," Felix replied not really agreeing with him but he didn't want to cause any kind of tension.  He remembered Julian being kind of a loose cannon in college.  Always getting into trouble.  Doing dumb things when everyone was telling him not to.  Like one time, he jumped off the roof of a frat house into a pool right in front of some cops.  They didn't do anything but that was Julian.  Always doing something dumb and somehow getting away with it.

"Speaking of which, where is that beer?" he said as he jerked his head around seemingly looking for the waitress. "Ah, here she comes."
"Here you go hun. You still keeping your tab open?"

"Oh yeah.  I have an old friend here now," he said flashing a huge yellow smile. "We'll probably have a few."

"Oh, I'm just have the one, thanks," Julian added.

"What. No way man. Come on.  We haven't seen each other in years. Nah.  You have to have a few with me," he said as the waitress walked away.

"Look man. I'm only really out tonight because it was hot as hell in my apartment and couldn't sleep. I'm not trying to stay out too late."

"That's fucking lame man. Can't even have a fucking few drinks with me. I'm even fucking paying. What the fuck is that?" he said as his tone turned more serious.  To avoid any escalation Felix just said okay, he'll have a few.  The last thing he wanted was to make a simple night into a complicated mess.  He would just finish a beer and hopefully Julian wouldn't make a big deal when he left.

"Alright man," Julian said as he took a huge gulp of his beer. Felix only took a small sip.

Wiping his mouth dry Julian continued, "so what you been up to all these years? You get married? You have kids?"

"Nah. No kids," Felix replied looking down avoiding eye contact.  He didn't really want to touch that subject.

"Fuck the kids, am I right," Julian replied as he let out a gargled, wet sounding laugh. It made Felix want to clear his own throat. "Who the fuck wants kids anyway."

"Sure," Felix replied.

"How about a woman? You got a woman?"

"Had. I had a woman," Felix replied hoping Julian wouldn't ask too much about it.

"Ah, no way man. I'm sorry. Did she cheat on you? Or what did the bitch do?" Julian asked as he took another drink from his beer.

"No. No. Nothing like that.  We just fell out of love." Felix said with some vulnerability in his voice.  He didn't know why he just said that.  Fell out of love? Why was he sharing anything at all with him.  He needed to keep this conversation more simple. He didn't really know this man.  Maybe ten or twelve years ago they would hangout but a lot can happen in a decade. Hell, even he changed a lot in a decade.  He's barely the man he was all those years ago.

"Fell out of love?" Julian replied with a look of dismissal. "Fell out of love? That's some gay sounding shit right there. Yo. Are you a fag now because she left you? It's okay if you're a fag. I got no problems with fags but you gotta know I ain't trying to fuck you or anything because I bought you a beer or nuthin' like that."

"What?! No man. I'm not gay," Felix replied recoiling in weird shock.  That took a turn he wasn't expecting.

"Okay, phew, haha," Julian replied wiping his hand across his forehead in a playful manner.

"Do you have to say fag?" Felix asked and immediately felt like this was going to cause some tension.

"Oh man. Don't tell me you're one of these fucking snowflake types of fucking people where everything fucking offends them. God, that shit pisses me off so much," he replied with his tone turning very serious now. There was no playfulness in his words.

"Nah. I'm not. I'm just saying..." and before Felix could finish Julian interrupted, "You're just saying what? Huh? What? That I'm wrong? That I can't say the shit that I want to say? Now I can't say fag because it hurts your feelings? Fuck that shit."

"Look maybe this isn't a good idea.  Maybe I should just go."

"Nah. Sit down. Finish your beer. Don't be such a pussy. I don't remember you being so soft man."

"Honestly I barely even remember you Julian," Felix finally said. "What have you been up to?" he asked trying to change the subject.

"What have I been up to?" Julian replied as he moved his eyes upward seemingly giving it deep thought. "Oh you know, drugs. Alcohol. Fucking bitches. I got into all kinds of shit pretty heavily. I developed a real hard addiction to cocaine.  Started doing it in college.  Dropped out. Never finished that shit. Then I got into harder stuff like meth. You ever have meth?" he asked being genuinely curious.

"Nope. Never had meth," Felix replied.  He was actually a little surprised Julian was being so open about his addictions.

"Man, its fucking awesome but it's hardcore shit. It will fuck up your life. It fucked me up hard. I don't even speak to my family anymore. Shit, I haven't talked to my brother in years. That shit fucked me up."

"What happened between you and your brother?" Felix asked.

"I fucked his bitch. She was a meth head too. She would fuck anyone that would give her a fix. Shit if anything I did him a fucking favor. That bitch was a fucking whore."

"Was your brother on meth too?"

"Nah. Not him. He was too good for that shit. He did do coke though. He never turned to meth. Shit. I don't know anymore.  Maybe he did.  I wouldn't fucking know would I? I haven't talked to the bastard in years. Shit, maybe he's dead. I don't fucking care..." he said taking another drink from his beer. "Anyway, did a lot of drugs. Still do, haha," he said letting out another one of his wet, gargled laughs.

Felix was becoming more uncomfortable with the conversation. He just wanted to finish his beer and leave. He was just looking for an opening that wouldn't cause any arguments. It was starting to feel like at any moment this guy would just fly off the handle and get angry. But then he said something that finally grabbed Felix's attention.

"You know I died for real once. My fucking heart stopped.  I literally died for like five, ten minutes. Who the fuck knows. But it felt like a fucking lifetime. I O.D.ed."

"Oh shit.  That's scary man," Felix replied with real interest.

"Yeah. But that's not even the crazy part. They brought me back and shit in like minutes but it was what I saw. I felt like I was gone for hours. And I saw it man. I saw Hell.  I know I ain't no good Jesus boy or nuthin' and if there is a heaven I ain't going there. I saw Hell and it was fucking scary. I saw demons and shit," he said taking a huge gulp of beer.  "And let me tell you they don't look like how the movies show you.  Every demon looked different. No one tells you those are demons. You just know when you see them. Something in your soul," he said as he tapped his chest hard with his fingers, "tells you they are demons. There were fucked up ones that had eyes all over.  Some were a squirming mess of muscle and tentacles," he continued as he moved his arms into wild gestures mimicking what it looked like.  " Some were just these grey looking people things with tiny red eyes and no nose or mouths or ears.  Just holes where those things should be," he said stopping only to take another drink. 

Felix liked this type of stuff. He liked reading horror novels and watching horror movies. He didn't really believe in those types of things but he left enough room in his beliefs that he could be wrong about it all. And admittedly enough, all this kind of stuff was terrifying just by itself even if it wasn't real.  He knew enough people believed this stuff and that was enough for him to be cautious about it.

"What did you do?" Felix asked with genuine curiosity.

"I'll tell you man, when you die and you're a wicked motherfucker like me you get covered in darkness. Like a blanket being wrapped around you.  Everything becomes silent.  You are still completely aware of your own consciousness or whatever.  Like you still know it's you.  So like, you hear complete silence in like infinite darkness, right. But then you start hearing screams and moans of pain from far away like you're moving closer to it. Then you start feeling it. This pain. But not like pain you feel on your body. Not like physical pain. It's like this stabbing pain you feel in your mind. It's hard to describe the fucking thing. But it's constant. It's all the time. Almost unbearable. It's like enough for you to know it's there and it hurts like hell but not enough for you to fall to your knees pain, know what I mean. Anyway, so then the darkness kinda goes away almost like opening your eyes from being asleep. And you fucking see it. Pandemonium.  The fucking capital city of Hell man. I saw it. You wake up covered in ash. I sat up and there was ash in my mouth. In my eyes. In my ears. It was in my fucking ass too man.  It was everywhere kinda letting me know that my idea of my body was still with me.  But that it's only there as a vessel to cause me pain. I was way outside the city. I could see buildings that stretched up to the sky so far you couldn't see the top. I saw people getting skinned and their skin growing back. I saw demons do violent sexual things to men and women. It was like nature but horrific.  Kinda how you see a lion rip apart a gazelle.  That shit is graphic but we all see that shit. Humans do this type of shit too.  But this wasn't like porn mixed with devil shit.  This was punishment and something about it felt wrong.  Or right.  Shit. I don't know. Maybe those people deserved it.  I don't know how to explain it.  It hurt to see. My brain was trying to understand what it was seeing by making it like things I've seen before.  But this was like, a feeling inside me.  Like my punishment was waiting for me."

Felix was surprised by how articulate he was in his descriptions but also in his insights about what he felt and saw.  He's heard people describe weird hellish things before but something about the way he talked about it felt like a suffocating dark cloud had covered their small diner booth. Something felt  different in the air.  The paranoia you get when you're afraid was thick in the air.  Something was off.  He couldn't quite put his fingers on it so he just brushed it off.

"I saw some shit," Julian continued a little shaken in his voice.  "Like I know I was only there for not very long but there was something that came back with me. When they revived me, some of that shit stuck on me.  Like dipping your finger in black oil or something. Or getting sick and you carry it around with you.  You get back and I shouldn't have and it sticks to you like a sickness and it spreads. Infecting others," he said before taking a moment to take sip from his beer. "Like you," he said looking at Felix with fierce eyes.

"What do you mean?" Felix asked, "Like I'm infected? Nah man.  It's cool and stuff but I don't really believe in all that."

"The thing is, is that you don't need to believe.  It doesn't give a shit.  It infects you anyway.  One thing I realized when I got back was that there are a lot of infected.  They maybe didn't die the way I did but they got close to someone like me or you, and now the shadows, shit maybe demons, follow them," he said as he looked over his shoulder before looking back at Felix. "I see them. They're fucking everywhere. I think they're demons. They move like shadows though.  Sometimes they show their true form but usually they like to move like shadows."

"Nah man," Felix replied trying very hard to brush it off.

"What? You don't fucking believe me? Fine. Fuck you," he said taking another gulp of his beer before continuing.  "The thing is, you're probably already infected now."

"Oh yeah? Me?" Felix replied.

"Yeah. You might not believe me right now but you'll see them without even knowing it.  You'll try to let your brain explain it somehow but you'll know.  You won't see them directly. Not like I do.  It'll be out of the corner of your eye.  You'll see movement. Or you'll see a shadow move that shouldn't.  You'll think you hear something.  It gets worse at night, believe me. You'll see them in the corners of rooms or standing in the doorway of a room.  But you'll just ignore it at first.  That will be enough.  But eventually something will spook you.  It will be something you can't easily explain away.  Shit, why do you think all these people alive who never seen shit or been spooked by anything all of a sudden start experiencing weird shit.  It's because they get stained.  They come too close to people like me and now you.  Shit, I see them right now. I died.  I went to Hell. So I fucking see them all the time. I'll tell you, if you smell like something rotting or maybe like smoke when there shouldn't be.  Then they're close by. Really close by.  If you wake up at 3 am and you smell smoke or something stinks, then they want to hurt you."

"That's good advice.  Thanks man," Felix replied trying very hard to dismiss the uneasiness that was growing in his stomach.

"I'm not fucking kidding. I'm only telling you all this because we go way back."
"But then you shouldn't have called me over because then you, how did you call it? Infected me, right."

"Maybe you're right. And I shouldn't have. Oh well, right," Julian replied letting out a wet, gargled laugh.

"Yeah. Oh well," Felix replied finally taking a large gulp of beer. He was trying to brush it off but a cold shiver crawled up his spine and something about the diner had changed.  He looked around to see if anyone else felt it. 

"You feel it, don't you," Julian said with a slight wicked smile. "Wooo, goddamn! I knew you would."

Fuck, Felix thought. He was right. He did feel something and he isn't easily spooked.

"Listen man," Julian continued pulling out a pack of cigarettes.  He pulled one out and quickly pulled out a lighter from his side pocket, "don't worry about it," he continued while holding the cigarette with his lips. "They don't do shit most of the time.  Whatever these things are, they're pussies compared to their Hell brothers. They mostly just stay in the shadows. Sometimes they do shit, like move some stuff.  I don't know the rules.  But don't worry about it."

"I'm not worried," Felix replied in his most convincing tone but in actuality he was getting a little spooked and he didn't know how to react to it.

"Sure man," Julian replied cupping his hands around the cigarettes as he lit it.  He took two or three drags and the tip was an ember red.  Silky lines of smoke snaked out of this mouth and into the air. He grabbed the cigarettes with his two fingers, pulling it away from his mouth and asked, "hey man, you want to do some coke? I got some. It'll be fun."

"No thanks man.  Remember I'm trying to get back to my place to sleep."

"Oh right, right. Sure. Yeah.  I forgot,' he replied before putting the cigarette back inbetween his lips. "You know I like this diner.  Because they don't give a fuck that I smoke in here.  It's like the good ol' days, right.  This is like my third time coming here and it's open all night."

Felix just sat silently.

"The food is shit though, hey, how's your mom and...." and before he could finish there was a tapping on the window from the other side of the glass. It was a tall pale man also wearing a long dark coat. He wore glasses and his eyes were a weird yellowish green color.

"Ah shit man. I'm sorry. That's my cue to go.  Here," he said throwing down a pile of cash.  "Pay for this shit with this. I gotta go."

"Alright," Felix replied with some sense of relief that this conversation was finally over.  He was glad to be done with it. And glad Julian left money.  "What about your change?"

"Keep it man. Thanks for talking to me," he said as he grabbed all his things from the table. "Hey, swing by again if you're nearby. Or not.  Whatever."

"Yeah. Maybe," Felix replied with no intention of ever returning.

And just like that Julian was gone. Left through the front door and walked away into the dark city with that tall pale man.  Felix sat there with a half beer left and though about the things he said.  That dreadful dark feeling didn't leave with him.  It lingered in the diner.  It lingered everywhere he looked.  He was beginning to get uncomfortable again but now he was alone.  No one to distract him from the dread that was building.  He waved the waitress over and paid the tab.  There was a lot of change left.  He appreciated that at least.  Tonight wasn't a complete waste. He got some free cash.  He got up from the table and left the diner.  The night felt different from before.  Different than when he left his apartment.  

...

He was having a relaxing night when his phone rang.  He usually ignores any phone calls after 10pm but it was his buddy John.  He wouldn't be calling this late unless it was important.  He pushed the slider over and answered.

"Hey John, what's up?"

"Malcom! I'm freaking out man. I just needed to call you."

"Why? What's going on? You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. So get this. I was just chilling in my living room right.  I was eating some spaghetti and watching TV when I heard a voice coming from outside my kitchen window. You know how that window faces out to the back yard."

"Yeah, I know."

"Okay so, there's nothing out there.  It's just grass and then just dirt and weeds for miles. But I know I heard a voice. Even Abie heard it.  Her tail dropped between her legs like she was scared of something.  She just stared at the window.  Completely silent."

"John man. Just sounds like you're trippin'. Were you watching a scary moving and scared yourself."

"Shut up man. I'm not finished. So I got up right and stared out the window from where I was in the living room. And then I heard it again Malcolm.  As clear as day. I heard a voice saying, 'Hey.  Come outside. I need your help. Hey. John."

"That's freaky man.  I would have shit my pants."

"Yeah.  That's not even the end. So, I walked up to the window and tried looking out but I couldn't see shit. You know how dark it gets out there. So I went to the glass sliding door and turned on the porch light and Abie was just staring with me like she also knew something was out there."

"Oh man, and this all happened right now?"

"Oh yeah. Just now. Right before I called you. It freaked me out. But get this. I know this is stupid but I opened the sliding door and walked out on to the porch."

"Fuck man. Do you want to die? That's how the first person dies in a horror movie."

"I know. I know. But something was just compelling me.  I needed to know. It felt like something was pulling me. I can't explain it. Something about that voice was pulling me."

"That's super weird. Obviously nothing happened. Right?"

"Well.  Something else happened.  That's why I needed to call you."

"What happened?"

"I stood out there and Abie wouldn't come outside with me."
"Smart dog."
"And I heard a rustling in the bushes just passed the grass.  Around where the dirt starts. Then I heard the voice again."

"I would have ran inside. What did it say?"

"It said 'Hey. John. Help me. I'm here. Help."

"Whoa. No fucking way dude. I don't believe you."

"I swear to you man.  That's what it said. And the weirdest part is that it sounded exactly like you. That's why I needed to call you."

"What?! It sounded like me?"

"Yeah. I swear to you man. It sound just like you."

"Okay. So what. You think I was pranking you?"

"That would be better than what happened."

"I'm not pranking you man.  If anything, I think you're trying to prank me."
"Just had to make sure. The other weird thing is that I felt compelled to go toward the voice. It was like I had no control over my body. A part of me was saying I need to help Malcolm and another part was like What are you doing stupid! Stop moving that way!"

"Shit man. That's crazy."

"It wasn't until Abie barked over and over that I stopped moving and kinda got out of my trance. I was all the way into the grass before I stopped. I couldn't believe it. I ran back inside and closed the sliding door. That's when I called you."

"That's fucking crazy man. I've been here all night.  There's no way I could prank you. Plus, you don't even live close.  You think I want to go all the way out there and waste my gas just to scare you. Nah man, that wasn't me."

"I know.  I just don't know what that was."

"Sounds like something was mimicking me. Like a lure. To get you out there. You know. Like fishing."

Then a silence fell on the phone call. It lasted unusually long and then Malcolm asked, "You there?"

"Yeah I'm here."

"What's wrong?"

"This. IS. YOU. right?"

"What? Of course man. Don't be stupid. You want to come over so you can see and I can tuck you in all cozy and tight."
"Okay. Okay."

"How's Abie?" Is she still freaking out?"

"She's fine. She's a little spooked but she's right next to me. She's gonna get a great treat tomorrow. Aren't you girl. Yes you are. Yes."

"That's good.  She's a good girl."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Wait. Wait. Shhhh."

Malcolm sucked the air out of his words and stayed silent. There was just empty digital air that lingered on the phone call. John was listening to something that Malcolm couldn't hear through the phone. There was an otherworldly eeriness in the sounds of shuffles and movement that John was making. All Malcolm could do was just listen.

"John. What's going on?" he asked in a soft whisper.

"Shhhh. I can hear something." 

"What? What is it?"

"I'm not sure. It sounds like tapping. But I can't figure out where it's coming from.  It's like....." then John took a pause seemingly listening to the sounds.  "It's like 3 taps and then it stops and then 2 taps and then stops and then 3 taps again."

"Maybe a tree branch in the breeze?"

"Nah. There's no breeze and what tree branch? You know there's no trees around my place."

"Then what is it? Is it that thing again? You're just trying to mess with me now. You're trying to prank me this time."

"Nah man. Shhhh. I can hear it in multiple places.  Like all around the house."
"Call the cops man. It's someone fucking with you."

"Oh yeah right. We live in a small town. They all know me.  And what would I say. That I got scared because I hear tapping and a voice in the dark that sounded like my friend? Come on man."

"Okay, you're right. But what if it is someone messing with you?"

"Fuck. I hope it is.  If it's something else I think that would be worse."

"Oh yeah like what? Something supernatural?"

"Shit, something like my tia used to tell us about when we were growing up. She used to tell us stories at night when we would visit her.  All kinds of weird stuff. But I remember one about naguales.  They're like witches or shaman that could shape shift into animals or even into other people.  Or like chaneques."

"What are chaneques?"

"They're like little duendes.  They look like children but with an old person's face.  They make themselves sound like children that need help to lead travelers into forests and then leave them lost."

"That sounds like what you heard."

"No.  It's similar but its not the same.  What I heard, they're mimicas. Or mimics.  And they make themselves sound like loved ones or people you know.  To lead you away from safe places and into the night.  Where they get you lost and they replace you or pull out your soul and get inside you and use your body to get close to others.  They sound just like people you care about.  If you let yourself hear the voices and try to hear it better, they like hook your mind and you feel compelled to go to where the voice is coming from.  My tia used to always warn us about being outside at night on her property. To never listen to any voice that we heard in the dark.  She used to even tell us that she could hear them sometimes at night trying to lure her out.  Sounding like my mom sometimes.  Asking for help.  But my mom says she never called my tia for help outside in the night.  Or sometimes she said she could hear a small boy.  Telling her it was hurt.  She wouldn't listen.  She would put on music and start a fire she said.  I always thought she was making it up but now that I think about it, every time we stayed the night she would have a fire going and have music softly playing.  She would stay in her rocking chair waiting for us to go to sleep."

"That's pretty creepy man. But it can't be real, right?"

"I mean after what I heard tonight, I believe it now."

"No way man. That shit ain't real."

"Shhhhh, I hear something."

"Shut up. You're just trying to scare me."

"No man. I heard it. It was a voice again. It said, 'hey, I need help.' I swear. Hold on. I gotta close all the windows."

"You're freaking me out man."
"I leave all these freaking windows open because it gets so hot in here. I have...." and just then the phone fell deathly silent and then to the ground. Only silence hung in the air for what seemed like forever.  Malcolm held his phone close and could hear voice in the distance.  He couldn't understand what it was saying but he could hear soft movement around the phone.  Malcolm called out to John multiple times but no response.  He was about to hang up when John came back on the line.

"Hey Malcolm. You there?"

"Yeah man.  What happened?"

"Sorry.  I just thought I heard something."

"I was about to hang up. You're lucky I stayed on."

"I appreciate that. Hey you know what. I think I'm gonna come over."
"You're gonna drive all the way over here? You're that scared?"

"I'll be there in a few.  See you soon."

"Alright man."

Malcolm hung up the phone and after a long while had passed without John showing up he had decided to go to sleep.  He turned off the lights and cracked open a window to let the air in and as he laid down to sleep he could hear John calling out to him from outside.

"Malcolm. Hey Malcolm. I'm here."

He got up and went to the window. "Took you forever man. Where the hell have you been? Where are you?"

"My car broke down. Not far from here. Can you give me a hand?"

"Yeah okay. Hold on one second. I need to put some pants on."

And for one quick moment the whole conversation made sense to him. He needed to go help his friend.  But a cold shiver went up his spine and he thought no way. That's stupid. It's not real.  He brushed it off and felt compelled to help his friend.

"Hey man. I'm coming."

He Knew It Had To Be Done

He couldn’t concentrate on the road.  It was usually a relaxing thing for him to do; to drive at night but tonight driving on a dark stretch of road was not the therapy he needed, it only let him think about things he would rather not. But he knew he needed to do this.  He had no choice.  His thoughts were coming fast.  Something about the vague moving darkness that existed outside the cones of yellow light streaming from his headlights allowed his mind to wander rapidly.  All he wanted to see in those tiny spaces of dark ambient thought was her face.  He couldn’t get his mind away from her.  It wasn’t fair he thought.  Why did it have to be this way?  She was gone and nothing would change that.  Lonely thoughts began to fill his head and he started thinking again about the first time they met.

“Hi,” she said with a bright smile.  

He looked up from the concession stand he was working at.  He usually worked the concession at the high school basketball games.  It wasn’t the most glamorous job but at least it was something to do. 
“Hi, what are you looking to get?”  he asked as he took a quick glance at her and her cuteness immediately was overwhelming.  He tried looking somewhere else to keep from staring. He noticed she was with a group of people for the game.
“Can I get umm...a large coke and some popcorn?” she said with a bounce in her step.
“Sure, anything else?” he replied.
“Nope, I think that’s it.”
“Alright,”  he said tapping his hand on the counter as he turned to get her coke and popcorn.  The whole time he was moving behind the concession stand, he was thinking about how really cute she was and was trying to think of something to say that was smooth and flirtatious to her.  He looked over his shoulder a few times to glance at her. Trying to build his courage. She was standing there going through her phone.  She had short brown hair, pale skin and beautiful big brown eyes.  She was fit and had a slim tiny frame of a body.  Her smile was the most radiating thing.  It was large and welcoming, the type of smile you wish you could come home to when you had a bad day.

“Aren’t you in biology with me?” she asked as she put her phone away in her purse.
“Uh, yeah.  Mr. Peters’ class.  I sit like two rows behind you,” he said filling the coke cup with ice.
“Yeah.  I thought you looked familiar.  I don’t think I know your name.”
“Joe,” he said as he placed the coke in front of her. Placing a lid on top and setting down a straw to the side.
“Emily," she replied.
“You’re new here right?”
“Yeah, just moved here about 3 months back. Trying to meet new people," she said smiling her huge smile.
“Hurry up Emily!” someone shouted from behind her.
He leaned and looked over her shoulder and saw the group of people she was with.
She turned and yelled, “shut up Corey or you wont get any popcorn!”
“Seems like you got plenty of friends already,” he said.
“Oh yeah, those are mostly my cousins and their friends.  I have a lot of family here.  One of the reasons my parents decided to move here.”
“That’s nice. Probably makes the move here easier then, huh.”  He said as he grabbed an empty popcorn bag and began scooping and filling it.
“Yeah, for the most part.  I still miss my friends though...you know...and..." she said taking a pause before continuing, "...moving sucks.  I still have most all my things in boxes.  Lazy right,” she said smiling at him.
“Nah, not lazy.  Just organizationally deficient.”  

She let out the tiniest giggle behind her smile as she looked down. 

“And moving to a new school does suck,” he continued.  “I did it a few times with my mom when I was younger and it made it hard for me to make friends.  But I’ve been here now for the past 4 years and I like it.”
“How about the concessions?  Is this fun?”
“Well, not always because its work but I get paid by Mr. Ruiz so that’s nice and I get to see the games.  Buuutttt...we suck though.”
She giggled again while flashing that bright beautiful smile that he was beginning to become entranced by seeing.  He just wanted to keep making her smile.  This was the first time he had ever talked to her and he didn't want to stop.
“Well, I’m not much into sports," she said, "but I think I can get into coming to the games.  Its pretty fun doing the cheers in the stands and stuff. And hey, I get to meet new people like you.”
“Yeah it is fun,” he replied as he continued to scoop popcorn into the bag.
“Good company and the best concession stands right,” she said in a joking kind of way.
He smirked and she looked at him with a confused smile and asked, “What, is that not the case? You don't think this is the best concession stand.”
“Maybe good concessions but definitely not good food.  I mean look at these hot dogs. Would you eat that?”
She laughed, “ok, maybe you’re right.  They do look like the skin of the real housewives of Hollywood  or something,” he laughed at the image of old scabby tanned women with leathery cracked skin.
“But at least you got raisinets,” she said.
“That we do,”  he replied as he placed the bag of popcorn down.
“So, its all gonna be $8.50.”
“Oh shoot, I forgot my money.  I guess I’m not paying,” she said playfully.
“Are you just gonna walk off with it now.”
“Maybe I am.  Aren’t my good looks at least enough to convince you to let me have the coke.”
“Heck no,” he said.
She gasped in fake disgust, “are you saying I’m ugly?”
“Nah.  I would never say that.  For your good looks I would let you have the coke, the popcorn and a day old wiener...at least.”
She started laughing showing off that gorgeous smile of hers.
“Well, don’t worry.  I won’t make you give me these and you can keep your day old wiener.  My dad gave me some money to buy snacks.  So it's all good,” she reached into her pocket and handed him a ten.  “Oh and don’t tell my dad but you can keep the change.”
He smiled and right before she turned to leave he stopped her for a moment and said, 

“Hey Emily…”
“Yea,” she replied.
“Don’t tell Mr. Ruiz then,” and he handed her a box of raisinets.  She gave him that big smile that he liked so much by now.

A sharp coldness on his cheek refocused him on the road.  He didn’t notice his eyes were tearing up until one streaked down his cheek.  The road seemed to last forever.  He had a 2 hour drive in front of him still.  His mind was a mess but focusing on those few sweet memories helped him concentrate. The road had been a long depressing straight line but he knew he was coming up to a stretch of twist and turns with the road winding up the mountain side.  He always got nervous driving through the mountains.  He found comfort in the memories he had with her even though it brought with it so much pain.  He wouldn’t forget her.  He loved her.  He knew that much.  Even if she rejected him.

They were at the carnival with friends and the two of them went on the Ferris wheel alone.  He saw this as the perfect opportunity to ask her something he’d been meaning to ask for a few weeks now.
“Emily, can I ask you something?” he said in a nervous tone and before she could answer he asked, “do you like me?”  He had finally built up enough courage to ask even if it had taken weeks of constant will.  She looked at him with endearing eyes and replied, “Yea I like you Joe but not in the way I think you mean.  Maybe one day but right now I’m not looking for a boyfriend.”

He felt the sting of rejection crawl up his spine.  At that moment he wished he could jump out of the moving Ferris wheel and just disappear.  

“Why not?” he asked.
“I dunno,” she said looking down fumbling with her nails.  “I guess I'm just not ready to make that kind of commitment to anyone...you know.”
He understood.  He had to. He didn’t blame her for not wanting to.  He took a risk and came out on the short side of it.  If anything he came out of that rejection with more of a protective heart for her.

The blinding flash of an oncoming car took him out of his trance-like state of thoughts and memories.  He had loved her, he knew that much but she had lied to him.  She did commit to a boyfriend and his name was Todd.  He was the reason why she was gone now, why she was dead.  But he would make sure he would do what needed to be done.  He would make Todd pay.  He didn’t like thinking about fucking Todd, it just filled him with anger and hatred.  He preferred to think about her beautiful face but it was painful.  He missed her so much.  He reached into the back for a beer and accidentally brushed against a hand.  He jerked away forgetting it was there and grabbed the beer.  He cracked it open and took a swig.  After taking a gulp of lukewarm beer he looked into the backseat to a passed out man he had tied and gagged.  

“We’re almost there Todd,” he said. The anticipation building under his skin.  He was full of purpose and will.  There was a part of him that didn’t want to do this but there was something else in his head pushing him.  His devotion for her made him unwilling to abandon his endeavor.  This was going to happen.

He finally arrived at the turnoff. It was an old dirt road that continued into the woods of the mountain.  The road was only wide enough to fit one car.  At the end of it lay an old wooden cabin.  He pulled up and turned the car off leaving the lights shining on the front door. He got out of the car and opened the rear door and began dragging Todd into the cabin.  He pulled him by the ankles banging his body on the steps as he walked up to the front door.  Todd began to wake up.  He had a bloody welt on the back of his head from where Joe had hit him.  Joe took off the gag.  Groggy and hazy he began mumbling, “yerrr, heyyy, wwwhattss gooing on, hey!  Help!  What is this!  What’s happening?!”
“You’re facing your reckoning Todd.”
“What are you talking about?  Who are you?” he asked looking up at Joe.  “Is that you Joe?  Let me go, what are you doing?”
“It’s too late Todd, nothing can stop this.”
“Stop what?! What’s happening?” he began to writhe around like a worm with his bindings, fighting for any ounce of freedom but he was tied too securely.
Joe opened the front door to the cabin and dragged Todd across the floor into the middle of an empty living room.  “This is my uncle’s old cabin.  No one comes up here anymore, so it’ll be just us two and the creatures of the woods."
Todd’s face began to curl in fear as the gravity of the horrific situation began to set in.  This was real and Joe had a terrifying determined will permeating from his eyes.  It sent desperate chills of fear throughout Todd’s body.
“Why am I here Joe?”
“Because of Emily!!” he shouted as he opened a closet door and pulled out an old axe and a cleaver.  He began inspecting the cleaver with surgeon like care.  “My uncle, back when he still used this place, used to hunt for all his food.  You know, like how the pioneers did.  And you needed big burly knives like this one to chop up some of those thicker pieces of meat.  He left a few knives behind.  Good thing, huh," he said smiling.  "But there were times when he was chopping up meat that he would tell me stories of these creatures that lived here in the woods.  Ancient type of creatures that have lived here longer than humans. He said they existed somewhere on the veil of this dimension and the next one.  So we can't always see them.  But something about these woods, this place, this area, there's a doorway where they come and go.  He told me that he would talk to them.  Not in any kind of language but kind of like in thoughts and images," he said as he walked to the window looking out as if looking for something.  "He told me to never talk to them if I ever encountered them. But I did talk to them Todd.  And they showed me things.  These creatures are mystical.  Other worldly.  Beyond right and wrong.  They know things and we have to listen. That's why we are here, right now Todd.  Do you understand." 
“Joe, I don’t know what you’re planning to do but put the knife away, okay buddy, put it away.”
“And my uncle,” he said completely ignoring Todd, “also taught me how to cut up our game.  How to give those big swings to split the meat in one swipe,” he continued as he acted out the downward motion with the cleaver. "I would watch as he cut the meat.  That's when he would tell me these stories Todd.  Of these creatures.  He told me once that he caught my Aunt Barbara cheating on him.  Can you believe that Todd?  I thought she was a good woman," he said as he wiped sweat from his brow still looking out the window.  "He said he found out because he saw her phone messages.  And so devastated, he came out here to the cabin.  And that's when he saw them. The creatures.  They talked to him.  Showed him things.  Showed him what he needed to do. He didn't tell her for what reason, he just brought her out here..."

“Joe goddamnit!  Listen to me!  You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes I do!”  he growled, “you’re the reason Emily is dead.  You! No one else.  You Todd! YOU!!”
“What the fuck Joe?!!” Todd said looking up at him in utter confusion, “Emily’s not dead Joe! She’s alive!  What are you talking about?!!”
“She’s dead and you’re gonna pay Todd.”
“She’s not DEAD Joe!” he said in horrific desperation.
“Shut up Todd!”
“Joe, listen to me.  Emily is alive.  She just went away for the weekend but she’ll be back. I promise you she’s still alive.”
“Aren’t you curious to why she hasn’t called you or texted or anything Todd? No probably not because you aren't thoughtful like that.  You don't care about her,” Joe said as he walked across the room.
“Probably forgot to or her phone is dead, bad reception or any number of other reasons Joe.”
“I wondered Todd,” he said as he picked up the axe, “I wondered why she stopped talking to me.  I was her best friend and maybe even one day I could have been her boyfriend but then I found out why she stopped.  It was because of you Todd.  You took her away from me and I was cast aside.  And now you’re gonna pay.  She died because of you.  She didn't have to. I didn’t want to do it but when I became nothing in her life I had nothing left to lose. She was my everything.  The creatures showed me what I needed to do.  They showed me things.  Convinced me of things. I knew then what I had to do,” he said laying the axe onto his shoulder.
“Joe, oh my god! You didn’t…”
“You’re the reason her life ended.  If she had never met you she would still be here.”
“Joe please…don’t…Don’t please,” desperately letting out his last plea as he began crying uncontrollable tears in between every word he was saying.
Joe went into the empty kitchen and began dragging a black garbage bag across the floor. “Look Todd,” he said as he opened the bag revealing her face surrounded by her body parts.  Her feet crudely chopped at the ankle lay by her cheeks and her hands lay splayed across her forehead unnaturally.  Emily’s brown eyes were still open, looking straight ahead at Todd.
“Oh My God!  No! Why Joe! Why!!”
“Because I loved her you goddamn fool!” he yelled as he approached Todd with the axe in hand.  “See this axe," he said calming himself down.  "I did most of the work with this,” he said reopening the front door of the cabin.  “The creatures love the smell of bloody flesh. They crave it.  They'll be here soon.  They've been smelling her all day Todd.”
“Don’t kill me Joe…please don’t,” he said in a mess of drooling words.
“Oh don’t worry Todd,” he replied placing the gag back into Todd’s mouth.  “I’m not gonna kill you,” he said as he pulled out a revolver from his back pocket.  “I’m letting you live with this,” he said as he put the gun to his own temple, "the creatures are going to finish you for me," and pulled the trigger.

The Old Man

    He couldn't understand why this was happening but all his instincts told him to run.  Who were those men? Why were they after him? He didn't have any answers for the questions running through his mind.  He couldn't think about that right now.  He found himself in a situation running frantically through alleyways in the pitch of night trying to escape from three men that were chasing him.

     When they had come up to him on the sidewalk, he was standing under a street lamp waiting at the bus stop. He was waiting for the bus to take downtown to get back to the hospital where his wife and daughter were. The darkness outside the light didn't let him see much so when they appeared wearing dark suits he never even saw them approaching.  

   The men looked odd.  They had weird plastic like skin and they were wearing dark sunglasses even though it was night out.  Even their hair seemed fake.  They didn't ask any questions.  They just came up to him and said "come with us, do not resist Dorian" and forcefully grabbed and pulled his arm. "He wants to see you," they said.  He didn't know what they were talking about.

"Umm, I think you have me confused with someone else," Dorian replied yanking his arm away.

"Do not resist," they replied with a sinister tone as they reached again for his arm.  Grabbing it, he began to struggle to get free.  He didn't hesitate this time.  Something told him to run and so he did.  He turned and sprinted down the sidewalk and quickly turned into an alleyway.  They pursued.  They were right behind him running at full sprint.  He couldn't think of why they were chasing him all he knew was that he just needed to get away from them.  He kept running and turning corner after corner through dark alleyways and the small spaces between buildings.  

     He shouted, "Help! Someone! Anyone!" There was no one around.  It was like the dark night had swallowed every other person.  He just kept running as he could still hear their forceful steps behind him.  He ran like he was trying to find his way through a maze.  

     He stopped gasping for breath.  He took a moment to scan his surroundings but he now realized he didn't know where he was.  He had gotten himself lost in some part of the city.  A cold dread ran up his spine and a terrifying thought entered his mind.  Did they lead him here?  Did they guide him exactly where they wanted him? He couldn't be sure.  He just knew he had to keep moving.  He could still hear their steps echoing off the buildings as they kept searching for him.  

     The night had an eerie chill in the air and a faint mist seemed to be moving across the ground.  He needed to find another bus stop and get the hell out of there.  He needed to get back to his wife and daughter.  

      He kept moving until he saw it.  He turned a corner and there it was, some kind of half circle coming out of the ground and in it, an old man sitting on a bench in broad daylight in stark contrast to the dark night that existed outside of this half circle.  Was it some kind of portal? What was this thing? Who was this man? He didn't understand what was going on until a cold realization washed over him.  He recognized this old man.  A foreboding chill crawled through his entire body.  He remembered him.  He met him many years ago on that same bench he was sitting in on the other side of this half circle.  How could this be? 

...

   Years before Dorian found himself running away from sinister men chasing him, he lived in a different part of the city.  An older part of the city.  And this old man used to sit across the street on the bench from his apartment window but never seemed to talk to anyone.  Dorian saw him everyday.  He just sat in peace and watched.  He was striking in his appearance.  He looked to be in his late sixties with a chiseled jaw and short grey stubble.  Streaks of grey running through his jet black hair.  He had smokey grey and green eyes with deep wrinkles.  He wore very nice clothes that could have been plucked right out of the 1930s.  A light brown blazer with really nice slacks.  

   One day Dorian walked by his bench and the old man spoke to him.

"Gettin' cold out, huh," the old man said turning his head slightly toward him.  Dorian looked around making sure he was speaking to him.  This was the first time he ever heard him speak to anyone.

"Yeah, a bit chilly today," he replied.

"Yes.  Lots of grey.  Your name is Dorian, right?" the old man asked placing his hands into his coat pockets.

"Yeah it is.  How did you know that?" 

"Oh, I know a lot things Dorian.  You know, the orange of Autumn is almost here.  It's so beautiful.  I can see it in the trees.  These sidewalks..." he said gesturing to the ground, "will soon be filled with dying orange leaves that will dry and become brittle brown ones.  But such is life, right."

Dorian nodded his head in agreement still curious how this man knew his name.
"Do you know my mom?" he asked.

"Have a seat Dorian.  Enjoy the blissful ignorance of time.  You're still young. How old are you? Thirty one?"

Again Dorian nodded his head.  Something about the way the old man talked made Dorian unsettled but had him very intrigued.  There was some kind of mysticism in the way he spoke.  It almost had a trance like effect.

"I thought so," he said.  "You young kids will miss the seasons changing when they're gone.  All this..." he said again gesturing around him, "the trees, the grass, the cold air, all of it, will die one day and everything will be an inescapable grey."
"You mean like global warming and all that?" Dorian asked.

"No, no, I mean like the world will eventually die and all that will be left will be just a grey floating rock," he said letting out a small guttural chuckle. "It won't be gradual either.  Death sometimes is as sudden as a heart attack or a bullet to the head," he said lifting his chin up toward the grey sky and inhaling a deep breath of cold air before continuing. "You know how that looks, with your head splayed open and your brains spread out like a butterfly's wings.  And then you're left with nothing more than a fast rotting carcass and shit in your pants.  Nothing gradual or pretty about that, wouldn't you agree Dorian."

Confused, Dorian replied, "Well, I think there's some time left before that happens.  I don't think the Earth is on the verge of turning into a complete rock just yet."
"You would think," the old man replied looking up into the trees.  "The trees seem to be giving up these days.  Nothing much one can do when something gives up.  But humans are resilient," he said folding his leg over the other.  "You can be left with a floating rock and you'll just find a way to live on.  That's what I like about you, you'll give away your morals, your humanity, you'll strip away whatever made you human in the first place just so you can survive.  Until, eventually, you give away too much and become, well, nothing in the end.  Just to slowly dwindle away into another relic of the past," he said as he pulled a red oak smoking pipe from his coat pockets.  He slammed it against the side of the bench a few times emptying it out and placing fresh tobacco inside it.  He placed the end in his mouth and before lighting it he said, "I wonder sometimes if things can change," he then lit the match and sucked and puffed and sucked and puffed until he knew the tobacco was burning well.  "But then I realize," he said as he rested his pipe in his lap as silky haze snaked thin lines of smoke into the air, "it has all been done before, and right now is nothing more than someone's memory somewhere."

Dorian finally sat down next to him.  "What do you mean?" he asked somehow feeling completely captivated by his presence.  He couldn't quite grasp what it was about him but his words felt like they contained some kind of power.

"Oh, well..." he said pausing for a moment and rubbing the temples of his head with his thumb and index finger, "...my mind has seen many lifetimes.  Probably more than should be allowed," he said letting out another small guttural chuckle.  "Sometimes it can be boring to watch things play out when you already know the ending.  Whatever that is anyway.  The ending.  I'm just enjoying the changing of the seasons," he said closing his eyes and taking a deep breath of the Autumn air.  There was a coldness that carried the dirt smell of brittle orange leaves and stale yellow grass.  One could definitely smell Autumn coming.  "I see all the grey that is slowly showing itself and it just reminds me of the things you are willing to give up," he said taking another long puff on his pipe.  "You know, time, how it works; it is all happening at the same time.  Like pages in a book.  Its all there, all on top of each other with each page having its own part of the story.  Just waiting for its small slice of time."  He said before stopping a moment to let the smoke snake out of his mouth and nostrils.  "You can go through page by page and make sense of it but if you wanted, you could always skip to the end and spoil it for yourself.  I, myself, like to skip to the end sometimes and then come back to the beginning with that knowledge and maybe change something in the story." He stopped and looked at Dorian with his piercing grey and green eyes.  "But time is not quite like a book is it, Dorian" he said searching for something, "because it doesn't always have to be the same, right," he said as he pulled a small picture from his pocket.  His eyes staring for a moment at the picture before beginning again, "it's something I like to think anyway.  That's why I am here Dorian.  To offer to change something for you."

"Who are you?" Dorian asked.

"Oh, I'm just a friend...for now," the old man replied.  Dorian didn't like the way he said that.  Felt almost like a threat.

"What do you want?" 

"Are you enjoying the seasons? Enjoying your life Dorian? Autumn is my favorite time of year.  I love the smell, I love the way things die, its beauty," he said looking at Dorian as he silently sucked on his pipe.  "You don't have to think about anything right now Dorian.  Just live your life.  Enjoy it.  Enjoy it so much to the point that you are not willing to give it up.  Take it all in.  Go see your wife and daughter.  That's when I will see you again.  Goodbye Dorian," he said letting out one final small guttural chuckle before getting up and walking away.

...

That was six years ago.  And now, somehow here he was again, on the other side of some kind of portal sitting on the same bench.  

"Come over here Dorian.  I want to talk to you," the old man said as he pulled out that same red oak pipe again.

"Who are you?! What do you want?!" he said frantically.

"Just come over here.  Have a seat," he said with a sinister tone.  "And I am not asking."

Dorian walked toward the portal and stopped just before going through. He felt almost like a pull and he stepped through.  Something compelling him to walk towards the old man.  

"Let's have a talk Dorian," the old man said as he lit his pipe.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

"I think I told you I was a friend the first time.  Do you remember?"

Dorian did remember.  He could remember it all like it just happened. All the memories from that moment came flooding back to him.  What was happening?  He didn't know but he was no friend.  He felt that much.

"How is life treating you these days? Still enjoying it?" the old man asked with a sly grin.

"What the hell do you want? Why are you here?"

The old man looked at him silently with his piercing eyes before replying, "You know, death is a curious thing.  As natural to life as being born or even breathing.  But just beneath the veil, after you close your eyes for the last time and pass that last second of life, you don't see heaven or hell.  You see nothing but yourself and everything you have ever known in one blinding flash.  And then nothing.  You get to see one last glimpse of your life before leaving.  To remind you of all the things you loved, lost, enjoyed, things that made you happy.  And you know who gives you that last reminder? It's not God...it's the Devil," he said before stopping a moment to take a puff from his pipe.  "You see," he said licking his lips, "God doesn't really take part in earthly affairs.   As a matter of fact, he's left this place.  Left you.  You're all alone and I'm all that you got.  God doesn't dabble, you know.  The Devil however..." he said letting out a guttural chuckle while holding his pipe with his yellow teeth, "well, the Devil loves to dabble.  I'm here to offer you something."
Dorian interrupted him, "What? Like to sell my soul or some shit like that? Are you saying you're the Devil? Am I supposed to be terrified?" he said defiantly but somewhere inside himself his strength seemed to be faltering. 

The old man let out a full growl like laugh.  He grabbed his pipe from his mouth and said, "How's your wife?  Maria, is it? And your daughter? Teresa? Oh that's right, you were headed to the hospital to see them."

"What did you say?" Dorian said as an overwhelming fear pierced his soul.

"What does your daughter have? A rare form of cancer? Correct? And your wife is waiting at her bed side.  You were supposed to meet them but you had to take the bus.  Because you can't even afford to have a car.  You can't even afford to give your wife nice things.  That's sad Dorian.  You can't even afford to give your daughter the treatment she needs."

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Oh Dorian.  No need to get upset.  Like I said before, I'm here to make you an offer.  You may not be able to afford much with earthly currency but you do have a currency I want.  And it allows you to afford anything."

"Shut up I said!"

"Haha," the old man laughed as his brow furrowed,  "you don't really want me to stop Dorian.  I already know how this is going to end.  That's why I visited you all those years ago.  Right here in this very spot.  As a matter of fact, we are in the same moment.  You just left in that direction and I came back to sit down. To meet you again.  And now here we are, talking again."

"What do you want?" Dorian asked.

"You already know what I want.  The real question is what do you want?" he said pulling the skin of his teeth back and giving a very sinister smile. "Have you enjoyed your life? Is it enough to not want to give it up? How old is Teresa? 8 years old? Such a short time on this earth.  How about your bank account? Is it in the negatives? Your wife? Is she happy? Here, I know a little secret.  She's starting to think about what life would be like with your best friend."

"Shut up!!!" Dorian said as tears began to stream from his eyes. He didn't understand what was happening but he could feel parts of himself being stripped away.  

"I've seen how it all plays out Dorian.  I've seen what happens if you don't take my offer.  I've also seen what happens if you do.  I've seen every version of this.  I'm just an intersection.  Offering choices.  Which road to take.  There are no wrong choices Dorian.  Only ones that are better than others.  If you refuse my offer, your child will die. Your wife will leave you.  You will pull away from everyone including your best friend.  And she will too heartbroken to want to be with you.  She will find the arms of another man.  She will find your best friend.  You will have to live with those burdens.  Those thoughts.  But you can't.  You will kill yourself.  You will blow your fucking brains out," he said as he pushed Dorian's forehead with his finger. "And if you kill yourself, you will just end up in front of me again with nothing to bargain with.  I don't want that for you.  It's sad.  I've seen it.  It's pathetic.  So take my offer.  Live the life you want.  Be happy."

Dorian now had slurry of tears running down his face.  Every part of his being feeling every hurt.  Every pain.  Feeling the truth of it all.  Thinking about his daughter as she lay there slowly dying.  He fell to his knees as the swelling pressure of grief pushed out the veins in his neck.  There was no strength left.  Slobbering and crying, he looked up at the old man from the ground and asked, "What do I have to do?"
To which the old man smiled his sinister grin and replied, "Nothing."

In a blinding flash, Dorian woke up in the hospital next to his daughter's bed.  His wife on the other side asleep.  He had no memory of what happened.  No memory of the old man.  No memory of the conversations they had.  He woke up and the doctor came into the room asking to talk to him.  They both walked out into the hallway.  The doctor told him "Dorian, I have good news.  I think we beat it.  The cancer is gone.  I don't want to jump to any conclusions but I think the treatment worked."
Dorian broke down and cried and smiled, "thank you doctor! Thank you so much!" He said hugging the doctor as pure joy overtook his entire being with no memory of the old man.  No memory of their conversation. No memory of what he gave up.

They Found Me

Its all getting worse.  Time doesn't feel like time and my fear has never gone away.  I have never associated the holiday season with strange occurrences let alone anything paranormal in my family but this last year marked the first occasion.  I was on the phone like I am every year constantly talking with family making plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It was while on the phone with my mom that began the whole thing.

It had just started snowing.  A fresh blanket of snow was covering all the roads and sidewalks.  I was talking with her one night about Thanksgiving and she stopped me mid-sentence asking "what was that?" in a concerned way.  It was unsettling to hear because you don't ever want to hear your mom concerned or even slightly worried.  

"What was what?" I replied.

"That noise, what was that?" she said in her mexican accent.  It always made things sound more superstitious than they should be.

"What noise? I didn't hear anything."

"You didn't hear that?  It was ugly.  You weren't making that sound?" she asked more worried than concerned this time.

"No mom.  I was talking and then you stopped me.  I didn't hear anything.  What did you hear?" my curiosity had been piqued but I was starting to get concerned because she did sound a little rattled.

"You better not be trying to scare me mijo," she always called me that.  Every mexican household called their kids 'mijo' or 'mija' especially when they wanted to remind you that they're mom and you need to be truthful with her right now.  I'm 28 but she can still flex her motherly muscle by just calling me 'mijo.'  

"I know how you are," she continued, "you're always trying to scare me."

"No mom, I swear.  What did you hear?"

"It was ugly," she said letting out a small sigh.  "At first it was just you talking normal and then your voice got stuck on a word and you just dragged out the sound.  Tomorrrrrrrrrr," she mimicked.  "Like that, and then it got real low almost like a growl."

"Hmm, weird," I replied trying to think of a reason why that would happen.

"Then it got all digital," she continued, "and it sounded like screams."

"Screams? Come on mom. You start getting scared and then make it worse by making things up in your head.  I don't think you heard screams.  Probably something weird but I doubt screams."

"You didn't hear it.  It sounded like screams mijo except that they were all digitized or whatever you call it."

"I bet it was the phone malfunctioning."

"I hope so because it was ugly.  I hope I don't...."

She stopped mid-sentence and it got quiet on her end.  Just muted silence.  No breathing or even the soft sound of static.  Just nothing.  I thought for a moment the call had been dropped. I kept saying hello, hello, can you hear me, but no response.  Finally after about 15 or 20 seconds she came back on.

"Oh my god mijo, what was that? That was horrible," she said with shivers in her voice.  

"What? What did you hear? I didn't hear anything." I said getting even more curious and slightly worried now.  More for my mom because I knew how she can scare herself sometimes.

"It was like last time again," she said, "only it was screams mijo.  Screams.  I swear it on my grave."  I didn't like hearing my mom swear things on her grave but she does it from time to time like every other mexican.  I just didn't like it when my mom did it but when she did it, she meant it.
"It was like digital screams and crying," she continued, "I could hear crying mijo.  Like pain and sorrow.  Low long screams of pain.  I could hear them mijo.  Aye no."

"Mom, listen, it was probably the cell phone getting really weird reception in its antenna.  Probably causing all sorts of weird sounds," I was trying my best to give her an explanation to calm her down.  I had no idea what she had heard and she's not one to get all worked up for nothing.  She definitely heard something that scared her but I just couldn't really think what it could it have been.

"No mijo," she said a little frightened now, "it was definitely screaming and crying like through a computer or digital or whatever.  I don't want to hear that again."

"Are you sure it was that? I mean, okay, weird noises but screaming and crying?" she stopped me again.

"Okay, I can hear weird static.  Aye no.  I can't.  Here talk to your sister," she gave the phone away.

"Hello?" my sister said.

"Hey."

"Brother!" she always called me brother, never by my name.  "What's mom freaking out about?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, she says she hears screaming and crying in the phone but I don't hear anything."

"I don't hear anything right now."

"No, it comes and goes.  Like in the middle of us talking.  Let me know if you hear anything okay."

"Okay brother.  Are you coming down for Thanksgiving?  Mom's gonna make turkey enchiladas and pie."

"Yeah, I'm gonna try and make it.  Not sure if I'll be there the day before or the day of."

She didn't reply.  Just silence.  That same muted silence from before.  I couldn't hear anything from their end.  Something again had intercepted the call.  That noise most likely.  I waited saying hello over and over again until finally she came back on.

"Whoa, I heard it brother.  I heard it," she said. "I heard it.  It does sound like screaming.  Wow, I don't blame mom for freaking out, that was crazy."

"What does it sound like?" curiosity started taking over my senses.

"Its like all digitized and scrambled but you can definitely hear screaming and some crying.  That was scary brother."

"Hmm, that's what mom said that it was digitized sounding.  Dang, I wish I could hear it."

"Yeah, its scary like out those scary movvvvvvvvvvvvv"

Her voice just dragged on getting lower and lower.  I got surprised by it at first.  Then like my mom had said it became a low growl turning into digitized screaming bent and twisted.  There was something else in the background too, like meat being dropped onto the floor making that slapping sound.  I could faintly hear the crying they were talking about.  Then finally silence.

"Hello? You still there? I heard it."  Nothing, no one replied.  Just silence.  But a different kind of silence.  I could hear the soft static from the other end and a soft breathing.

"Hello?" I said again, "Stop it guys, you ain't gonna scare me."

Then a whisper rolled out, "Hello," it said in a raspy low voice.  Not one I recognized.

"Hello?" I said confused, "who is this?"

"Shhh, they can't hear us right now but you need to keep it down."

"Why? Who is this? Mike? Are you fucking with me?" An eerie chill twitched across the back of my neck.  Something was wrong here.  I wasn't sure who I was talking to.  That worried feeling from earlier began to creep up again.  Slow fear started to grow in the pit of my stomach.

"I don't know Mike but you need to keep it down or they'll find you.  Shhhh."

"Find me? Who? What are you talking about?"

"The demons.  At least I think that's what they are.  Shhh, shhh, they can't hear right now but you need to keep it down," his voice was twitchy and nervous.  I couldn't tell if someone was trying to play a joke on me.  I wanted to hang up but curiosity kept me from disconnecting.

"I don't believe in demons.  Who is this already? It isn't funny, its kinda lame actually."

"I can't remember.  I don't think I have one anymore.  A name.  Yes, yes, its gone now.  No name.  Shh, shh, or they'll find you."

"If I have to keep quiet then why did you call?"

"I didn't, I didn't call, you called, yeah, you called me.  You found me."
"No buddy, you called me.  I was on the phone before you interrupted."

"Interrupted? Interrupted?  Yes, Yes, I was here but they can't hear now.  Something interrupted them.  That's why they can't hear us right now.  They're lookin' though.  Shhhh."

"What are you talking about?"

"They'll find you.  They will. They're already outside."

"Oh yeah, I don't see anyone bud.  You're mistaken.  I'm hanging up, this is stupid."

"Look out your window."
Nervousness was the first thing that washed over me but I couldn't help myself.  I had to look.  It had been snowing that night with fresh snow covering the ground everywhere.  I live on the second floor of my apartment complex so I can see down to the street.  And there I could see what he was talking about.  Terrible horror filled my eyes.  That fear that had been growing in the pit of my stomach from earlier pulsated out to every inch of my body. 

"You see that, they probably already found you," he said in a mocking kind of tone.

Footprints in the snow were forming with no one to form them.  They were just appearing from nothing. I couldn't believe my eyes.  My heart sank as I kept seeing them appear closer and closer to the building I lived in.  Horror filled me when I noticed they stopped right below my window.  I couldn't help but think it was watching me at that moment.  Whatever it was.  

"What is this?" I said shivering with nervous fear.  "Some kind of trick?"

"No trick.  They can't hear right now but you need to keep it down.  They're out looking.  Sniffing.  Tasting the air.  They'll find you.  They're so close now."

"Who are you?"

"I'm no one.  Not anymore.  I only exist now to keep my pain.  Shhhh."
"Just tell me what's happening.  Who are you?  Is this real?  Hello?  Tell me please!"
"Tell you what brother?"  my sister was back on the phone.  Whoever was talking to me was gone now.  I couldn't stop myself from filling with fear.  I looked out the window again and the footsteps were still there but no new ones had appeared.
"Did you hear anyone on the phone Bri?" I asked.
"Like who?"
"A guy.  Talking real low or anything?"
"Did you hear the screams too brother?  I didn't hear no guy talking.  Only the crazy sounds mom heard.  Did you hear something else?"
"No.  Nevermind.  Don't worry about it.  I'll call you guys later."

I stayed at the window for hours after staring intently on the ground looking for any new footprints to appear.  I couldn't quite come to terms if what I saw and experienced was real.  But now every time I'm on the phone I can hear quiet oscillating static in the background.  Very rhythmic like breathing.  My fear has never left.  The things I see keep getting worse.  Its not real I keep saying but that doesn't help.  I just hope I can stop seeing the faces in the darkness.  I can see them sometimes in the corner of my room.  Bodiless faces staring from the corner of my room in complete darkness.  I can't control my mind and its getting harder and harder to remember my name.  I can't believe its real but every night the faces keep whispering to me that they found me.