Chapter 3
Something Wicked….
The ice had been a difficult challenge for the smokey creature out on the lake. A hindrance that had only made it hunger more for the delectable it had discovered. A creature not unlike itself in that he was beyond the natural boundaries of what one could find in nature. He had to find this wintery child before he could get away and become someone else's meal! The trail wasn't too hard to pick up, the child had left spikes of ice behind with every step he'd taken, and these left a clear path for it to follow, it wouldn't be long sweet, sweet morsel!
Up up up the mountain the ice leads it, until finally at the doors of the exquisite palace filled with delicious aroma, this was the boy's den, and he was home! The shut doors did not bar its entering, anything that moved had spaces it could seep through. A simple matter of thinning its form and sweeping through the cracks gave it entrance to the palace, like air, and then it was just a matter of looking around that determined the amount of time before the creature found its meal. There were two directions it could go, one on the main floor that led away and down, while the other was at the top of two connecting stairwells and went up to the only other level above its head. Most humans seem to like sleeping in higher places if given the chance, perhaps this one was no different. So, towards the rising stairs it proceeded.
There he was! Sleeping in his bed that he'd shaped a frame for a bedroll and was currently sleeping on his side, facing away from the door. The tasty treat was deep in his dreams about family and for once in a long time they had been good ones. He wasn't tossing and turning nor was ice spreading across the walls and floor, trying to take over in its reaction to his fear. The smokey demon slunk into the room from under the door and stopped only a moment as it beheld its prize, unmoving and unprotected.
With no need to rush it slowly approached, Jack gave a slight moan in his sleep and the frost started to appear around his bed and creep along as it made its way around the room and up the walls. The wisp hardly cared; Jack hadn't woken up after all. It kept getting closer and the frost grew into icy needles rising off every surface and grew larger with every passing moment. Its jaws parted as it released another of those horrible hisses, and it descended on the sleeping form!
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Jack startled awake and found himself unable to sit up. He was trapped by the thing holding him down so it could devour him! No, this creature wasn't going to eat him! He flung his hands blindly and hurled ice blindly. His clothing was caught in its talons! It was holding him tight, but he thrashed and yanked at his clothes until he was able to throw himself from his bed and found himself on the floor surrounded by a cage of Ice and snow. Outside, he heard the wind blowing in a terrible storm. He was alone, there was no wisp monster trying to eat him in his sleep.
Just a dream, just another bad dream.
Getting off the floor while trying to steady his breathing, Jack looked at the way his powers had overtaken his room. His bed looked like it was a casket for some forgotten being of ice in how the magic had risen to encase him in his sleep, but there was a Jack sized hole where he had thrashed and broken free. The floor was covered in what looked like jagged pieces of glass sticking up, like traps for unsuspecting intruders, while door had been the completely frozen over making it impossible for anyone to get in the normal way, indeed his entire room looked like a malicious warning for all to stay away. Jack swiped his hand to and frow, like he was sweeping away dust on a countertop, and the ice on the floor was swept away. The easiest of problem to solve, while the bed and door wouldn't be. Should he just nock the door down and remake it?
After fixing the rest of his room back up and making sure that his closet had protected the rest of his clothing he sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands. This was what could have happened if his parents hadn't been ready to wake him up at home. Thinking back on them made him wish he still had his mother and father to hold him, their warm embrace filling him with the knowledge that everything was fine and that his bad dreams weren't real…. But that "thing" had been real, it was no figment of his imagination, or was it? He'd been alone for several months now, what if he really was going crazy and the thing from the lake had just been how his worst fears materialized to torment him further. Sitting there on his bed, Jack's mind started churning out sadness. His arms were empty, his room was empty, and the world outside was empty with no one to go to for help, just him. Jack felt despair creep in, and he was about to cry. However, another thought came to mind, one that was a glimmer of hope on his situation.
If that thing was a creation of my fears, then why don't I make things that will keep me from thinking about them? Hm….
With that thought a small smile appeared on his face. It would be tricky and hard, but he had all the time in the world to figure it out!
….
Life had gone on in the village, and soon it came to resemble much of what it had in its ignorance of the Overland boy's powers. People slowly started changing their moods towards the family from disdain to pity. Nicholas scoffed at the men who had offered their condolences and even the idea that they could help him in his search the next time he went out. He didn't dare trust them after what the last few months had shown him. Emily had been receiving messages of compassion and hope from other individuals who didn't even make their identities known, hypocrites. Some of Sophie's old friends had even come forward and apologized for their behavior, to which Sophie unsurprisingly did not forgive in the real sense of the word because she still didn't return to playing in their games even though she said she had.
One morning, Nicholas had stopped for a break from chopping wood when he was approached by the mayor, a man with a gangly frame hidden under attire expected of such a position, he came up to Nicholas' chin with large blue eyes set in a face that was seemingly stuck in a constant state of nervous, and a receding dust brown hair line that he hid under a fine hat. The reason he was voted into office was because, aside from Emily, He was the only other person to have been abroad and had gotten an education in financing. He wasn't a bad choice in the beginning, but the pressures of the job soon took their toll, and he became the man standing before the much broader Nicholas.
"Good morning, Mr. Overland. Lovely day don't you think?" The mans' voice had a slightly higher pitch then most men and it easily gave away his emotional state when he talked to others. Right now, it was cracking which he tried to cover up with pretending it had something to do with the cold winter air. What did this man want?
"As lovely as any day after the first Snowstorm…." He grumbled, doing his best to keep his hands warm. The other man gave a nod and decided to take a seat on the nearby log as if he was just taking a break himself. His only mistake being that he was a bad actor. "Yes, there is that but, still…."
Silence. The man gripped at his pants at the knees as if he was wiping the sweat off his hands. Now Nicholas knew the subject was going to involve talking about Jack.
"How goes the search for your son, think he's ok out there?" New it.
"I haven't seen a single sign…. He could be dead for all I know." That should put this conversation to rest.
"Would you like any help? I know some of the men have offered, Egil having his boy and all. He really sympathizes."
I just bet he does. Nicholas thought bitterly. Egil had been a long-time friend of his before Jack left. He'd helped cover shifts for Nicholas when Emily was sick, and he'd had to stay home to take care of the kids. Making his sudden turn on Nicholas for having Jack that much more of a betrayal. If Jack had been born a normal child, Nicholas was certain he and Egil's son, Anders, would have been friends.
"No," he said rubbing his hands together for warmth and doing his best to keep his voice calm and neutral. "It's become too dangerous to make any more searches this year. I'll have to wait until after the thaw."
"Dangerous, how? Is it just the weather your worried about?" the gangly man sounding more worried than someone who was just there to have a friendly conversation, his hands starting to fidget in his lap. Okay this is not how I was expecting this to go.
"The weather, the beasts, the chances of getting sick. I can't go looking for Jackson or feed my remaining family if I'm bedridden now, can I?" A touch of annoyance entering his tone. Everyone had become accustomed to how Nicholas went out and came back and those who were familiar with the wilderness, such as most people around town, knew that Nicholas had taken a few too many risks at the beginning of his routine to search for his son. "Why do you ask?" His suspicion bleeding out with his agitation.
"Some of the woodsmen have been saying things about the wolves lately, that's all. Thought if you were going to head out again that you should have someone go with you." The mayor continued to fidget.
Oh, how considerate of them. Nicholas gave a loud snort. "Well, their concern is hardly necessary. I see no sense in going out there during the absolute WORST time of year. What, did they ask you to tell me because none of them thought I would hear them?"
"Well…given how long it's been since his disappearance; everyone has gotten over the shock for the most part. You and your wife just don't seem all that approachable now and so, being the one authoritative person with a neutral standpoint in village affairs…. They came to me with their concerns for your safety."
The man was protecting himself. By saying the others were worried for Nicholas family he was hoping to redirect any rage or violence from his person, while at the same time making himself seem much more devoted to the problem at hand. Nicholas had no doubt that if he turned on this man then the rest of the village would do the same to him. His son's disappearance? Is that what the people wanted to call it? As if they hadn't watched him go sprinting into the woods with snow falling all around.
I'd like to see someone with the strong enough spine to prove their words! If any of them could honestly come forward, then he'd consider believing what the mayor was saying. None of these people were going to use him to get at his boy lost in the woods.
"Well," Nicholas said, his voice full of veiled malice. "You can assure the others that this grouch of a man is done with his searching for the rest of the cold season! No need for any of them to feel obligated to join me so that I don't recklessly leave my family without another member." With that, Nicholas turned away from the mayor and went back inside to cut more wood, letting the sound of the mill deafen his ears to anymore of the man's voice.
Over the next few days, the people around them had started speaking of strange happenings out in the world. No one was receiving mail from their loved ones in other towns, in fact the postman hadn't come through since the month before and it was still relatively easy to travel by road. The trappers were going out to retrieve their catches, only to find that every trap had been ruined and the kill already devoured, sure they expected some loss but not a complete waist. Some of the outlying farmers were speaking of strange noises out just beyond the tree line, sounds, of which no one could recognize. One old drunkard had left the main inn and tavern only to come running back inside not two minutes later saying something about eyes and dancing shadows. It seemed he'd been frightened sober, if not crazy. Emily and Nicholas had to shoo people away from their door who had started acting like the last few months hadn't happened and had gone back to banging on their door and shouting demands for answers they did not have. A lot of them were saying this was Jack's revenge for the way his family was being ostracized, but no one could prove it.
Then, around midnight just before winter Solstice, a man came running into the village screaming. Nicholas knew him well, a hermit who preferred the company of no one to the sounds of nature. He was someone who promised to keep his eye out for Jack when Nicholas had asked and advised him on likely places he could think to look. He had welcomed Nicholas to his cabin every trip and the man had always promised to have his door open to him.
"Nicholas, I need to see Nicholas Overland!" He shouted at the village doctor, who was trying to examine some unusual looking wounds. The man refused to tell anyone anything until the mayor came back with the man he demanded. The moment he saw the millworker he practically threw himself off the bed.
"Nicholas…. Nicholas!" The man rasped, grabbing his arm.
"It's alright Old Petter, what's happened?" He Tried to help steady the poor man who looked ready to jump out of his skin.
"There's something wrong with the animals! They've all left the area and they won't come back…" his breathing was fast, and he looked like he was on the verge of passing out. "I went out two nights ago when I Heard this strange laughing and…." He jumped at the sound of the floor creaking and turned to look at the oil lamp burning beside him. Nicholas waited patiently for his friend to come back to the present. Petter looked back at him, "I prayed to whatever gods that would listen and hoped I'd survive until morning, but the creatures looking through my windows were like nothing I've ever seen." Monsters made of darkness with strange weapons. Seeming to be both physical and then fluid like the air.
The old man's story came to a head with him using everything he could burn to flee before he was too late. He would only talk with Nicholas because he had been a trustworthy man when staying with him, and even though Nicholas never told the old man about his son's abilities or why he ran away, old Petter had promised him and his boy a place at his home with no real conditions or reservations.
Nicholas thought Petter had calmed down enough so he tried to help him lay down, but before anyone could believe that he was finished. The greying hermit shouted to everyone in the room. "DON'T LET THE LIGHTS DIE OR THEY WILL COME FOR US ALL!" Suffice it to say, no one dared to sleep that night.
Nicholas had decided to stay with the hermit all night. Watching him lie awake even after the doctor gave him a sedative, eyes wide and turned away from the windows towards the lamp which he absolutely refused to let the doctor dowse. The conversation He'd had with the mayor earlier bubbled to the front of Nicholas thoughts. About how the woodsmen had believed something was strange with the wolves' behavior. The next morning when Nicholas got home, he was so tired that he just wanted to go to bed, but he wasn't expecting the mayor to be sharing a cup of coffee with his wife.
Emily simply ushered Her husband to bed so that the mayor wouldn't start a conversation that Nicholas didn't have the clarity for this early in the morning. Nicholas was grateful for her help in escaping the mayor's questions about Petter and gave her a kiss on the temple before passing out on the bed without even changing his clothes. Emily later spoke with him about the mayor's visit being about the likelihood her son was still alive and the idea that he might be able to get others help in a search for him. Nicholas was pleasantly surprised at the way she had faced the authority of their village. She gave an honest reaction; She broke down and let the mayor care for her like one should any grieving mother. The emotional state his wife was in made it clear to the mayor that he was going to have to wait until she was ready to pick up the conversation again. Problem was that he would likely have to talk with her and her Husband both.
As he bid Emily goodnight and walked away, another man joined him. "What's the word?" Nicholas former friend asked. Egil was taller than the mayor by at least a head length and was built like a hunter, thin but muscular with broad shoulders and his stride revealed his confidence in himself. "She Doesn't know where her son is, but that was what Nicholas said as well." Was the response he got. "They have come up with a solid story and are keeping with it."
"How could they be so selfish?" Egil thought back to how his old friend had never let on that there was anything dangerous about his first born, just that he was too sickly to go out and be a regular rascal like most boys were. Thinking back, the last memory of seeing Jack out of the house was as a baby and just a few weeks after he'd been born. His wife Nora had held him and claimed he was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen and then stared right at Egil saying she wanted one. It was a funny moment in time that led to his own precious child coming into the world. His Anders, a strong boy with wide brown-green eyes and dust blond hair like his father's. Anders never got to meat Jackson; He'd come to know of him in passing conversation. The boy whose father, Nicholas, had shut up tight and never let out. Now his son's safety was at risk and the people with the solution were STILL hiding it away. The two men entered the tavern together and proceeded with their conversation.
After another week passed and the coldest of days hit. It was becoming clear that something was going on. Old Petter had passed away, many believed it was the shock of his running through the winter night from his home to the village, and his warning had people doing what they could to keep some sort of light always burning, but supplies were dwindling, and no one wanted to brave the forests to bring wood. Paranoia had set in, and streets were seeing less, and less traffic. It was soon decided that the school would have to close after her students came forth saying they saw shadow men watching them from the trees. Mrs. Groa didn't know whether to believe them, but their parents pulled them from school anyway. Of course, Sophie was elated but this was not a sentiment her parents shared.
That night Emily and Nicholas were woken up by Sophie jumping into bed with them and pulling her own blankets over her head. Her mom wrapped her hands around her baby girl and felt her shake, "What's wrong Min elskede?"
Sophie's answer was in a horrified whisper. "There's a black thing at my window looking at me, it has sharp pointy teeth and no eyes!" The little girl continued to tremble, and Emily looked at her husband who sat up to go check her room. "Don't worry, Your Papa is going to chase those monsters away…." That's when Sophie remembered, "Papa can you bring teddy?" Her favorite thing in all the world and a gift from her big brother to help her sleep. She had left it behind when she fled her room.
"Of course dear." He replied as he had risen from their bed and stepped out to go into her room.
As he had assumed, there was nothing in the window to be found and naturally he took his daughter's statement as something like the monster being under the bed that every parent helps their kids with. He looked around the room for the little bear and found it on the floor by the bed and went to pick it up. As he bent down, he felt the air in the room shift as though someone had just walked past him.
"NICHOLAS!"
"PAPA," Sophie screeched. "PAPA!"
The frightened shouts of both girls had him rushing to his room to see them both pressing themselves against the far end of the bed, Emily holding a lit candle as far in front of her as possible and Sophie was wrapped tightly around her mom crying.
"What is it, what happened?" He'd never seen his wife with such a look on her face before, even when he'd wake her from bad dreams. This was a look of someone who could not explain away what it is they had seen.
"I saw someone in the doorway, it was just after you left, and I was getting Sophie comfortable."
Sophie was wailing now, "It was the man at the window!"
Now Nicholas was furious, not only had it frightened his daughter, but it had entered his house to torment them! He reached for his own candle and had Emily share the flame for him. Nichola's went back through the house to make sure whoever it was had left. However, the front door hadn't been opened or shut, no windows unlatched or broken. He grabbed the fire stoker from its place by the hearth and proceeded back towards the bedrooms. The last place he had to look was Jack's room, which had been kept closed ever since he'd left. Nicholas approached the door and was satisfied in knowing it was still shut, but then he felt he heard something shuffling around inside.
Courage man, it's what they need from you.
He pushed the door open, and his eyes shot wide. The room had been completely overturned. The dresser drawers were open, and clothes were scattered around the room, His bed had been stripped and the mattress had slid off the bed frame, and his books had been shredded.
What in the world?
Just as he'd thought this, the candle went out and a slight chill ran up his spine. Just after that the atmosphere went back to normal, whatever it was had gone.
Nicholas went back to his family and saw that they had not seen the intruder a second time. Emily was trying to get her daughter to calm down by gently stroking her back, but Sophie remained wound up. Nicholas went to sit with them at the bed and placed his candle on his wife vanity counter. He turned to his daughter and pulled her into his lap, she wasn't the only one who needed reassuring right now, he had thought it was something her mind had made up, but Jack's room had proven otherwise. He gave a shuddering breathe then pulled his wife close as well, Emily could see he had felt the same as her.
"Did you see it?" she hesitantly asked. Thinking it was possible she had suffered from temporary insanity.
"No, but it went through Jack's room."
Emily looked up at her husbands bewildered face, seeing all the inner fire had been effectively dowsed. "Jack's room? Why would it go in there?" It had first scared Sophie from her window and then at their bedroom door.
"I don't know. It tore through it like a whirlwind and left it a mess and the moment I opened the door it was gone." No one had been sleeping there since the beginning of last year. Suddenly both came to the same idea, and Emily's face went white. That thing was looking for Jack!
