Chapter 4: Inceptum IV

He removed his dirty sneakers by the door before walking in with an eccentric smile on his face. Martin always wore a casual army green spring jacket with a pair of scruffy jeans and some form of baseball tee - she really had no idea why he chose to dress like a slob.

Removing his black cargo shoulder bag, he dropped it on the floor with a thud as he sat in one of the armchairs in the living room, "I have the books you asked for," He began to haul the items from his bag and place them on the table, "and a few other things that might be of interest."

Kathryn came from the kitchen holding drinks for both of them and placed the glasses on the tabletop before taking a seat on the couch, "Good.. I also wanted you to take a look at these."

He watched intently as the fellow college student gathered the old diary and drawing into her hands before passing them to him, giving him a slightly desolate glance.

"What are these..?" Martin said distractedly as he thumbed through the journal, sparsely reading a few lines before he peered at her.

Signing as she wrung her hands, "Both the drawing and diary are mine.. but I have no recollection of doing either of these things.."

"Well, the picture certainly is creepy…" He held the drawing in his hands, studying the blackened figure, "who's this friendly fellow?"

Pursing her petal lips, she watched him concernedly from beneath her lashes before murmuring, "I… I don't know."

"Hmm…" He scratched his cheek in thought, casting his sight to the diary's pages, "Well according to these paragraphs I skimmed over, you seemed pretty close with this thing. Is it possible that it could've been an imaginary friend?"

Kathryn scowled, "Not imaginary.. Read the diary completely and you'll see that I treated this monster like it actually existed."

"Well, a child's imagination is a remarkable thing.."

Her jaw fell slack, "You don't believe me when I say that this is something more?"

Blinking, Marty hastily rectified, "I'm not sure yet! Have strange things been happening to you, or around you?"

"I'm going to sound insane if I tell you…"

"No, you won't," He smiled reassuringly, "I promise. If anything, I'll be fascinated by what ever paranormal activities are occurring around you."

After a thought, the brunette gradually returned the smile, "..Alright." Breathing slowly, she then began, "A night or so ago.. I had a nightmare."

"A nightmare? What happened?"

"I dreamt that I was bound to my bed… I felt as though an invisible force was restraining my arms against the mattress so I couldn't sit up. It was suffocating. I tried to look around to see who or what had trapped me but I couldn't see a thing except an obscured shadow standing at my bedside…" A lump began to form in her throat; she tried to swallow it, "The presence didn't seem to have features; just a black mass shaped like a human – a visibly muscular human.."

Martin was enthralled by the retelling, "So I guess that mass you mentioned is this guy?" He said as he held up the crayon drawing, pointing to the dark stick figure.

Not bothering to reply, she uneasily sipped away at her drink to cool her nerves. Perhaps she should've just let this whole thing go, instead of delving deep into it with hopes to discover something. An unrelenting suspicion divulged in her, and Kathryn knew that she would eventually regret going to these lengths.

He cracked open a brown leather-bound book titled Demonic Encyclopaedia in elaborate gold-coloured lettering, "This should tell us a bit, but is there anything else you can tell me about our pal?"

Giving him a stern look, she corrected, "This creature is not my pal, nor is it yours.."

"Right you are," A flamboyant grin painted his visage, "It's a very unwise choice to try conversing with an entity; especially ones who befriend little brunette girls."

Kathryn chided him quietly, "Don't, Marty.."

Laughing it off, he continued flipping through the large detailed pages of the textbook, "So technically your diary will tell me all I need to know about this paranormal being?"

"Essentially, yes."

He stopped at a page for a moment before asking, "Do you have any paper and pencils handy?"

Nodding, she stood from the sofa to retrieve the desired items and handed them to him upon returning before seating herself again, waiting patiently.

Martin made a couple of engrossed sounds of interest and observation as he jotted a few things down on the paper before flipping through the book again, "Have you recently heard any noises around the house? Like… scratching against the walls or floors? Or some animalistic growls? Maybe the occasional thump or two?"

"Umm… None really."

He gazed at her, a slow smile developing on his lips, "Either this ghost or demon doesn't like to make noise, which I doubt, or there aren't any obscurities happening to you. And maybe this dude here," He held up the drawing of her family and the darkened person, "is really no one at all."

As soon as he had finished the last word of his sentence, a sudden ear shattering crash echoed throughout the house, jolting both persons from the intensity of it.

"Ah.. Perhaps I was wrong." Martin released a small laugh before leaning over to mutter to her, "I think I may have made it mad."

Kathryn was too flustered at the time to even pay mind to what he said; her eyes flickering wildly around the room, "Th-That was the first time anything like that has ever happened…"

"Oh? Better log that.." He spoke as he grasped onto the pencil again, "You know…" Marty began gingerly, "This unearthly presence has probably been watching us the entire time we've been here.."

That realization nearly made her heart stop.

Her hands were beginning to shake as she weaved her fingers together in a vice grip. Martin seemed to notice this and he stopped writing, "I don't mean to scare you with any of this but," He rested a comforting hand on her clothed forearm, "I really think this thing has been following you since your childhood. Possibly even from the day of your birth.."

"Marty," Kathryn's voice trembled as tears threateningly stung at her eyes, "you can't tell me these things and expect me to not react."

Bewildered by the effect the entire situation had on the girl before him, Martin moved from the armchair to sit beside her on the couch. He pulled the brunette into an embrace, "I'm sorry, Kat.. I should have trusted you at your word."

"I'm scared, Marty.." She wove her arms around him, clutching onto his red shirt desolately as a single tear rolled down her cheek, "I'm terrified of how close I was to this thing…"

His hold on her tightened, "..Here's the deal; I'll stay over for the night and we'll explore every possibility of what this thing is, and if anything strange happens then I'll be right here, okay?"

Pulling away from the hug, she looked into his eyes before sniffling, "..Really?"

"Yes, really. Now, let's go check out that sound." He smiled.