Afraid of the Dark
"Avery, what's taking you so long?" Reese yelled thought the open floor plan of Avery's house. Avery invited Reese, Ron, Freddie, and me to her house to watch a movie.
"I'm getting the popcorn," she yelled back. From the sound of her voice a popcorn bowl big enough for five was too big for her little frame to balance.
"Do you need any help," I called out.
"No," she answered as she came into the room and set down the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. "Are we ready to start the movie?" she asked in the same tone she did every movie night, like it was the first time we ever did anything like this.
"Yup," I Peeped, "Do you have the movie Ron?"
"Right here," he said as he held up the DVD case in triumph. We all took turns bringing a movie from home. The guys get all excited when it was their turn because they were outnumbered so most movie nights they had to watch chick-flicks. Ron was about to press the close button on the DVD player when the power went out. "OH COME ON," Ron Shouted, "Now not only is movie night ruined, but the DVD player is stuck open until the power comes back on."
"We'll just have to wait it out," I said.
"Do you guys want to hear a scary story," Freddie said like he was trying to scare us just by suggesting it.
"Yay, Awesome," said Reese.
"Ok, let's move the coffee table on get into a circle on the floor. Avery do you have a flashlight?" he said as if he set up to tell a scary story all the time.
"Yay, I'll go get it," she said and was out of the room in a flash.
"Are you going to do that corny thing where you hold the flashlight under your chin while you tell the story." I said.
"Maybe," he said in a tone that tells me that that meant yes. Avery came in with the flashlight, gave it to Freddie, and took her place in the circle.
"Thank you," he said then after a long pause as he got situated on the floor started the story. "Do you ever feel like there is something lurking in the darkest shadow in your room while you are in your bed? You tell yourself that it's just your imagination, it not. There is something there, and if you step into the shadow it will eat all the flesh from your body in a split second. You wouldn't even have time to scream. They are the Vashta Nerada and they grow as spores in tree on almost every planet in the universe and when the spores shoot millions of them out into the air the hunt as a swarm. Together they look just like a shadow so they go unnoticed, so when you're into the dark be wary, because that spot in the dark might not be just a spot."
"Thanks Freddie, I have to walk home tonight. Now I'm going to be scared out of my mind," I screeched.
"C'mon, it's just a story," Freddie yelled defensively, like he was afraid that he actually scared me. There was a long pause and than the lights came back on.
"Hey, the lights are back, now we can watch the movie," Reese cheered. Ron run over to the DVD player and pressed the close button. Avery grabbed the remote and pressed play while we settled in to watch the movie.
"Bye Lesley…Bye Reese," Avery said as she hugged us both goodbye, "Are you guys going to be ok, I can have Ron and Freddie walk you guys home before their ride comes."
"No," I said, "It was just a story, we'll be fine." I gave her another hug before Reese and I left. We walked down the steps and out to the road when Reese started to head straight in the woods.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"I'm taking a short cut, it faster if you go through the woods and came out in your backyard. Why? Are you really scared of the Vashta Nerada?" she asked. She wiggled her fingers in the air and said Vashta Nerada in a fake scary voice.
"No," I said meekly. I followed her into the woods. We were about thirty paces in when I heard something that sound like an animal rustling in the bushes behind us but by the time I turned around there was nothing there. The sound of our steps though the leaves on the floor of the woods sound louder. I got this feeling in the pit of my stomach telling me there was something behind me even though my eyes where telling me different. I could hear my heart beating in my ears. I started to nervously play with my hands as I watch Reese run ahead twenty paces to swing on a branch of a tree. She reached up to grab the branch and then I blinked and she was gone.
"Reese!" I yelled even though I know she wasn't fast enough to be out of sight in a second. "Reese!" I yelled again looking around to see if I could see her. She was no where. I ran closer to the tree she was standing under.
"Reese! Oh no, Reese," my screams were turning to hysterics. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks. My vision was becoming blurred as a stared down at the pile of bone that were once Reese. I turned around and started to run back to Avery house, not looking back once.
I thought that a fear of the dark was irrational, but it not. It's as logical as a fear of dying. In the darkest corner of your room, they are there. The dark shadow of the tallest tree in the forest at night, they are there. Whenever you're in the dark and you get the feeling in the pit of your stomach that you're not alone, they are there. The Vashta Nerada.