The Valley of Fear

Prologue: Out of Death and into the Moonlight.

The Moon shone down brightly over a graveyard. To people passing by the moonlight seemed normal, glinting off headstones and reflecting eerily off the tall blades of grass. But if they looked closer they would have noticed that one moon beam seemed more purposeful than the others. It moved stealthily, trying not to be too out of places as it moved from gravestone to gravestone, briefly flashing over the names as it if reading them before it went on. Finally it flashed upon a simply carved gravestone hidden under the large boughs of a tree that grew in the cemetery. It paused brushing over the words one more time and then it flashed brightly three times. Then it went dark. A few seconds later a spotlight of Moonlight lit of the gravestone. The spotlight moved slowly down till it rested on the mound of dirt that lay stretched out before the gravestone. It slowly spread till the light was illuminating the whole mound. For a while nothing happened; then the grass growing on top of the mound began to quiver. The quivering grew to a violent upthrust. Dirt flew into the air as something hit it from below. All was still again, and then the dirt began to move again. Slowly as if emerging from water rather from the coarse earth, a hand slid up into the air. The fingers paused then curled inward slowly and bent to find purchase. Soon another hand emerged and with an unearthly groan a figure pulled itself up and out of the grave. It made as if to get up but stumbled and fell forward onto the ground in front of the mound. The figure looked up into the sky and the moonlight washed over its face in an almost caressing touch. The passing illuminated a smile then darkness covered the face of the figure.

Chapter 1

What Happened in the Grave.

The first thing I felt was Fear. I was in the ground, six feet deep and my spirit could not leave because of the Fear. Not the kind of fear that strikes you at night in a nightmare, or the kind that makes you shiver for no reason. Not even the kind that paralyzes you and makes you nothing more than a breathing statue. But true Fear. The kind that holds you in its grasp, not wanting to let you die, but wanting to feed from you. It gives you part of itself, plants part of itself in you so that you begin to fear and create fear and in return feed Fear. Until all that it left is nothing but a shell, a shell that it keeps in its darkest lairs and holds close it is coils of darkness and laughs. Laughs and toys with you till you forget everything but Fear. I was there. A shell. A dead shell, being wrapped into the coils of fear. Knowing that once I was wrapped in far enough, I could never escape. I know I had done the right thing in getting here. Sometimes sacrifices must be made. But all the while Fear tried to truly kill me, I held out the belief of escape. It was my light in the darkness. I could not let it go out. Cause if it went out, I would be lost. Then I saw it. After what seemed like an eternity; a light. A real light. I could not believe it. But then like a starving man in the dessert I willed myself to go toward it. Like a man drowning at sea, I forced myself against the current of darkness and moved to it. I was desperate. My belief had paid off, I could escape! Each move felt like agony, Fear tearing my shell, it long tendrils had long seeped into me. I felt like I was being skinned alive, every tear ripping silent screams from my mind. I could feel my life essence failing. I shook my head and roused my belief. The light was still there. I moved closer only to find something blocking my way. I screamed in frustration lashing out at the block. Pain jarred though my hand. I almost leapt back at the first physical sensation I had felt in what must have been centuries of non-tangible torture. In that brief moment of hesitation I felt Fear strike out to take hold again. Its dark tendrils sinking themselves deep into my spirit. I yanked myself away, reaching up, up, up for what felt like forever and then it happened. Air. A light breeze caressed my hand. I curled my fingers in amazed unbelief then gripped what felt like dirt. I screamed again. But this time my voice echoed in my ears. Sound! Touch! I almost wept. I slid my other hand, up, up , up until it too was touch by air. Fear screamed behind me, its tendrils slipping off. I dared not look back, I grabbed hold of life and pulled a long slow agonizing pull up. I heard myself groan in the effort. Then suddenly I was out. I paused for a few moments panting then I tried to move. Mu long unused limbs only propelled me to fall on my face, in front of my own grave. I felt something stir inside me. Air. It was in me. I took a deep breath and almost laughed. I could breathe again! I felt something fall over me. I looked up into the sky and saw it. The Moon. The light to shine in the Darkness. It rays passed over my face. I felt a tiny trickle of pure joy run through me. And for the first time in years, I smiled.