Evil Rises, Darkness Falls

Chapter 2

Fanfic: Darkness Falls

"Darling, I'm sure Mae is going to be fine." Their mother told her on the phone.

"Mum..." Mandy muttered, her voice trembling with rage that she was so desperate trying to suppress," What the fuck?!"

Her mother didn't gasp, or reprimand her for cussing at her. Mandy, Roxie, and Mae had the most permissive parents around. They were artistic hippies who, in Mandy's opinion wouldn't know the concept of parenting if it ripped their faces off.

"Darling, if you're going to be contentious..." Her tone was tolerant in a way that was anything but comforting and it pissed Mandy off even more than she already was. Her parents' three year old daughter was lying in a hospital, having seizures and nightmares. It was overwhelming for Mandy, being only twenty two, but she wasn't going to just pick up and leave like their parents and Roxie had done. Tears fell from her eyes as she pressed her back against the wall and covered her face with the hand that wasn't holding the phone. Was she pitying herself for having all this responsible at such a young age and for being scared out of her mind when her mother and father were just brushing off Mae's ailment like it was nothing? Maybe a little.

"I am not being contentious, ok?!" She spat finally, unable to hide the tears from her voice," My sister... your child is suffering and what do you do? Tell me you're not coming!"

"Please don't cry, Mandy..."

"I know, you don't know what to do when I cry. I'm sorry I can't be complient to your wishes, twenty four seven! I'm sorry I can't just be a happy, smiling Barbie doll every second of the day!"

"Oh, I wouldn't want you to be a Barbie doll. At least be something a little more proud... how about a G.I. Jane?"

Mandy would have laughed in any other situation. But today, the diversion-at-all-costs attitude of her mother's was anything but amusing.

"Mom, I'm not in the mood for jokes right now. Look, do you remember those nightmares I used to have as a kid?"

"Oh my God, yes. They were dreadful."

"You don't need to tell me." Mandy replied sarcastically, shuddering at the memory of the one she had had. That gurgling noise... It always got so loud, like she was in a windowless, doorless room and that gargling death rattle was slwoly filling it up like water drowning her slowly. Mandy didn't even need to see that blank-faced white mask of hers, with those hollow, unfeeling eyes of hers behind it. The gargling was enough to terrify her into madness, if she let it.

"Mandy?"

Her mom's voice snapped her out of her chilling reverie.

"What does that have to do with the situation we're dealing with here? I mean, Mae is having nightmares, but surely it can't be about... her."

"I think that is what she's having nightmares about, Mom." Mandy replied delicately. Her insistence that the woman she had seen the night she lost her last tooth was real and trying to kill her had forced her parents to put aside their disbelief in psychotherapy to put an end to her panic attacks, crying spells, fear of the dark, fear of sleep... Mandy knew her mother was worried now; she always believed Mandy just had something wrong with her mentally, not that the woman she claimed was trying to murder her was actually real. But if Mae was having the same dream, then it had to be true.

"Mandy..." Her mother whispered, tired from the constant battle she waged with her daughter over the existence of this being," You beat her, remember? Dr. Meyer helped you get rid of her. Is she back now?"

"She never left, Mum." Mandy replied, wiping at her eyes again," Not for a second. I was just sick of seeing you all suffer and I knew that if I managed to convince you, she'd come after all of you too. Mum, it sounds crazy... I sound crazy, and I know that. But I'm not, Mum. I'm not schizophrenic, or delusional, or paranoid."

"Surely you understand why this is hard for me to believe?"

"Yes, I do understand that. What I don't understand is why you're not here helping your daughter. Mae needs you. Roxie's on her way, but you know how she is. She's like a clone of you and Dad, personality wise."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." She didn't sound offended, just curious.

"Well, it's just..." Mandy stopped, knowing that getting on her parents about that hippie ways would jsut spark a "debate". Mandy scoffed at the word. They never could fight or argue, they had to "debate." Peace loving lunatics...

"Whatever. Look, just come home, ok? I promise you, Mum. I'm not making this up. I need you and Dad. Mae needs you and Dad. Mae needs you two more than I do. I can't even put her in bed at night without her crying and clinging to me like a spider."

"Same as you used to cling to me..." There was a longing air to her voice; longing for the time when Mandy didn't hate her for being a negligent parent.

"Yeah." Mandy replied iciliy," Just catch the next flight here from wherever you are and bring Dad. We'll be at the hospital, most likely."

Her mother sighed and responded," Ok, Amanda. We'll be there in a day."

"Ok. Hurry, please."

"We will. I love you, Mandy. I hope you know that."

Mandy was silent for a long time, tears falling once again. When she wiped them away, she saw black smears on her finger. Well, waterproof mascara apparently couldn't hold up against three or four rounds of tears...

"Sure." Her voice was broken again," I'll see you when you get here."

"Alright."

"Oh, and Mum?"

"What?"

"Stay out of the dark."

And with that, she hung up.

SSS

After the telephone call ended, Mandy started back towards the room where Mae was staying. Before leaving, she had told the nurse over and over again to leave all the lights on, and she was happy to oblige when Mandy explained that Mae was there because she was absolutely terrified of the dark, saying that she had a daughter who also wouldn't sleep without a nightlight.

Mandy peeked into Mae's room to find her sleeping soundly, a rather large light on right above her head. Most people found it to be a disturbance when a light was glaring right into their eyes, but Mandy and Mae knew light as the most sweetest solace, their knight against darkness, against that woman.

A horridly uncomfortable looking chair was placed by Mae's bed, no doubt where the hospital staff expected her to sleep. She appreciated their gesture; at least the thing reclined. A sigh at the thought of a night tossing and turning from discmfort turned into a yawn. She didn't really know what was worse; discomfort or nightmares keeping her up at night.

Before she fell asleep, she had to use the bathroom. She made a detour down the hallway where she had saen an illuminated "Restroom" sign. Not only did she have to pee, but she also had to fix her makeup that she had hastily put on when they first took Mae back to be examined. It had been a welcome distraction; her tendency to be vain never failed, even when her sister was being looked over by a doctor because of intense seizures and even more intense nightmares. No one cared what she looked like in the hospital, plus she would be going to sleep soon, or trying to at least, but she still had to make sure her hair was fixed and that she had makeup on. She was going to be a pretty woman tossing and turning, if it was the last thing she did.

As she entered the restroom, the sign above it flickered and went out, but she didn't notice. When she went into one of the stalls, the lights above the sinks began to flicker as well, and that she did notice. Her heart began pounding fast, and her palms were sweaty as she watched the crack in the door.

"It's just faulty wiring... there's nothing in here with you, Mandy. Get a hold of yourself." She whispered as she continued to stare through the crack in the door.

To her shock and horror, she saw a black cloak billow by. When she went to gasp, her breath got stuck in her throat, and she quickly reached into her huge purse to pull out the industrial flashlight that she always carried. It added an extra ten pounds to her bag, but it kept her away. The lights died as she jumped up, ready to fling open the door and shine that light right in the bitch's face. Once she was plunged into that darkness, however, she froze, all bravery leaving her. That gargling noise started again and she dropped the flashlight to cover her ears. It rolled away from her and she dove onto her stomach trying to reach it under the door. If she went out of that stall, it would kill her.

Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach as another shock hit her; on her back, she could feel the wind that it always brought with it. It was right behind her.

"Go away." She cried, squeezing her eyes shut and covering her ears," Go away. Go away. Go away."

Two decaying hands grabbed her upper arms so hard that she actually cried out. Despite their iciness, her skin felt as though it was being scorched right off of her.

"GO AWAY! GO AWAY! GO AWAY!"

"Mandy?!" A panicked voice was calling outside of the bathroom stall," Mandy?! Mandy?!"

"NO! NO!" Mandy continued screaming, but behind her closed eyes she saw that the lights were on, and instantly, once she acknowledged the light's presence, the grip on her arms released. Her eyes opened, and to her shock, she wasn't in the bathroom, but in that uncomfortable chair, with Mae in front of her, gripping her arms and trying desperately to shake her awake. A nurse came running in, and Mandy saw that the nurse call button was on the floor. Mae had called her, most likely thinking her sister was being murdered.

"Are you ok?" Mae asked her, with that adorable concern of a child that made even the hardest person's heart melt.

"Yeah, baby, I'm fine." Mandy shook her head, fighting tears. She wiped at her eyes. They were wet; she had been crying.

"Don't cry, Mandy." Mae hugged her, holding her sister's head at the back like Mandy always did to her," I'll protect you."

Mandy laughed but it quickly turned to tears. She broke down in her little sister's arms and held onto the little girl for dear life. It was torturous to have to endure these nightmares, but it was unbearable to think that Mae had to suffer them too.

"I'm ok." Mandy told the orderly once she reluctantly pulled away from Mae. She forced a smile, trying to calm the nurse whose alarmed expression was making her even more upset. She hadn't seen this before, apparently. Nurses didn't get worried, or at least, they didn't show their worry unless there was a serious issue and they just couldn't keep it under a control. Mandy didn't need anyone else thinking she was a freak; she already had a sister and parents who thought her straight-jacket-worthy.

"God, Ms. Perry... I've never seen anyone have that bad of a nightmare and not sweat before." The nurse was feeling Mandy's forehead with her palm, then with the back of her hand, then back again," Your skin is ice cold."

Mandy's heart dropped into her stomach again; a feeling she was all too well acquainted with. It felt like seconds before when she had realized, in a moment that, had she been about twenty years older, surely would have induced a heart attack, that the thing was right behind her.

When Mandy went to sit up, she felt a sharp pain in her upper arms. In her heart, she knew exactly what she would see when she pulled up her sleeve. Though she knew seeing them would extract even more terror from her, as if that were possible, she also knew that she had to see them. For some odd reason, she had to see them.

"Maybe we should let a doctor examine you." The nurse suggested gently, holding onto Mandy's hand. It was a definite comfort, but she was needed her to leave so she could take the mirror from her purse and pull up her sleeve to see what was paining her, though she already knew.

"No, no... I've had nightmares since I was a kid. My psychiatrist tells me that they won't ever really go away. But I'm ok."
The curious expression in the nurse's eyes told Mandy that she wanted to know the traumatic event that no doubt brought on these nightmares. But Mandy couldn't tell her. No one believed her, and this complete stranger certainly wouldn't.

"I'm seriously ok." Her voice took on an edge of impatience against her will, but the nurse didn't seem to notice because when Mandy reached for Mae's hand, she had winced in pain.

"What's wrong with your arms?" She asked.

"Nothing." Mandy replied, too abruptly for her answer to be believable.

"Let me see." The nurse was rather rough when she pulled Mandy's sleeve up, a terrified expression replacing the mere worry. Her hand dropped Mandy's arm and she covered her mouth in shock; two handprints were wrapped around Mandy's upper arms.

Mandy broke down into tears when she saw it, hating herself for breaking down in front of Mae, but feeling unable to control her fear now. Mae hugged her big sister again, and Mandy could feel her trembling. When she looked at the nurse, her face had changed again. She wasn't worried, or terrified, but quite the opposite.

She was smiling.