Santa Barbara - 1985

The blue-black of night was draped over the neighborhood, quiet save for the sound of crickets and summer cicadas. The night was windy with the cool sea air that was tinged with salt. A young boy walked on the grass carefully, his head turning this way and that way as he crept forward. He made his way into the backyard which he knew easily from memory. But during the night it was another place entirely, and he found it hard to remember where everything was. Another sudden breeze swept in, which caused the bushes and trees to rustle. The wind passed in a wave from one end of the yard to the other.

The boy's eyes continued to dart about as he strained to see what was around him, but the blackness was a solid veil that surrounded him on all sides that obscured all. He swallowed.

Suddenly there was a sound, somewhere hidden behind the darkness. He snapped to attention in a futile attempt to see, to reassure himself. He gasped. His heart beat faster, his breath quickened.

His feet seemed to fumble beneath him, suddenly foreign appendages he barely had control over as he managed to keep himself upright. He set off in a sloppy run across the yard. It wasn't long before he arrived at a smaller building.

His hand fumbled in the darkness for the doorknob, his breathing harder and louder as he tried to find purchase. With a hasty yank he pushed the door open and immediately slammed it shut behind him. The boy leaned forward, resting his forehead against the wood. His breathing finally began to slow.

"Gus! What took you so long?"

Little Gus screamed.

Shawn's laughter sounded throughout the dark garage. He was sitting among the piles of boxes and equipment, lit only by a flashlight balanced on the floor in front of him. The light cut through the darkness, illuminating his face from below like a specter. He was wearing a blanket, paper star, and fishing rope fashioned in the shape of a hat on his head. In front of him was a large, thick book with yellowed pages that sat open.

Gus turned around. "Don't scare me like that, Shawn! You know I don't like the dark!"

"Relax, Gus. I'm the one controlling the magic," He smiled.

Gus hesitantly stepped forward. "Why'd you call me here? What's all this?"

"It's my magic book and hat. What does it look like?"

Gus shook his head and backed away, barely an inch. "Don't tell me that's a spell book! You shouldn't mess with things like that, that stuff is evil!"

"No, it's not. I'm the one controlling it. You've got nothing to worry about," Shawn grinned.

The other boy straightened his shoulders, resumed his proper posture. But he was still shaking slightly, only the smallest bit, and enough for Shawn to notice. "Liar! You can't do magic," He challenged, his head sticking out now in defiance, chin jutting out and lips set in a line.

Shawn raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?" He challenged with a knowing smirk. He shifted his position on the floor and closed his eyes. "Oh, spirits! Pi-e lesu domine…."

Gus started to shake his head. "Shawn…"

"Don na ea-eis… requiem…"

"Stop it, Shawn! I mean it!"

"Pi-e lesu domine…"

Gus was shaking again now, his entire body shuddering in fear. But his eyes were wide, and he was unable to look away from Shawn no matter how much he wanted to.

Shawn's voice rose in volume and intensity and he continued the spell, faster and focused with each syllable. "Don na… Ea-eis… requiem!"

His eyes flew open and he looked upwards, his arms quickly raised and outstretched in a single movement.

Something moved in the darkness. Suddenly items were flying through the air on both sides; tools, bits of wood, nails, fish bait, all streaking across in the darkness on their own. They hovered along in vision dangling in mid-air of their own accord. One by one they faded from his view as they passed back into the shadows.

Gus screamed, again.

When Shawn looked down, Gus was gone.

This would've been mysterious if it weren't for the door behind him that was left wide open.