The Thing in the Dark
Seth Crites
I swear it had eyes. That thing. I never saw it, but I could feel it gaping at me as I raced up what seemed to be a mountain at the time. I cannot forget it. The moving blackness that seemed to be alive yet also gave the chill of death. It happened every time. The thing would chase me until I could escape to freedom, whether it be the blanketing shield that protects so many, or simply the light that which the creature cannot follow you into, or you give up and accept your fate as the weakling you must be to choose that option. I never gave up. I beat that thing every time. The blackness had stolen the lives of so many in the stories that I had heard and dreamed up. It haunted me. One night I woke up with the feeling of my being watched from somewhere in the dark recesses of my room. I was struck with fear, although deep down I knew as well as it did; I was safe there. It could do nothing to try and claim my life. Still, I stayed up all night to make sure that it did not escape the darkness and come for me. Come daybreak, I was free to live without fear of the thing. I went on about my life, pretending that I did not almost succumb to that inky shadow figure that roams the night. I experienced the same battle every night, and yet it was an unwritten law that I must never speak of the night and the horrors it beholds or else submit to the harsh chastisement from the rest of the brotherhood. One day I took it upon myself to find a way to safely entrench myself inside of the darkness. This was no simple feat. I went to great lengths to recover the items of such perfect quality that the darkness had no way to breach the barrier. These were no ordinary items, often taking the form of exotic injection molded plastic, weaved cloth by the thousands of fibers, or if one is venturesome enough, the centuries old fort building kits passed down from my forefathers after their years of persecution at the hands of the Thing. I spent hours every day constructing such an encampment in the place soon to be occupied by the dark. I spent days on my construction duties before I determined that it was indeed safe from the blackness. In my years of study, I learned many things about it. Certain items would always protect me from it. The elderly were always spared from the horrors, almost as if the Thing had a semblance of humanity, however this could never be the case as it would not hesitate to prey on an unprotected child. Many theories tried to explain this but the only way I see this as feasible is that the elderly must learn at some time in their life about some magic which always protected them from it. The thing could never be tamed, beaten, or killed. Many had tried and none survived. This faithful night however was my chance. This was the time that I challenged the Thing in the dark. My fortress was complete and utterly impenetrable. I had laid out my deadly sharp Lego traps in just the right formation so that any being to creep close enough would be mortally wounded and hopefully weakened enough so that I might not die when I leave my encampment to vanquish the whatever this beast was. The hour was upon me, and the night was growing dim. Slowly, it faded completely, and I was left with nothing but my waning confidence in the structure which I had built. I heard it. It made a noise near the door to the room which was just hidden in darkness. The knob turned, and it was in the room with me. It was coming now. It seemed to know exactly where I was. I could hear its breathing, mangled like that of a person in a fit of allergies. And then I saw it. It took the form of a tall humanoid. It had broad shoulders and stood over six feet tall when standing on its two legs as if it were mimicking a human. It seemed to look for me in the darkness, ass if its sense of sight was just as impaired as mine at night. It stopped. It had found me. Now coming for me. Creeping, stalking quietly as if it were a cat of the night. It was close now. If it was to be injured in any way by the Lego trap, it was going to happen now. “OWWWWWWWW!” it howled. The trap was a success. Now was my chance. I bolted out from the fort and ran straight for the things leg. It was hobbling on a single balanced foot and cradling the other with its two arm like appendages. I was soon upon its leg. I but down hard on the bulging inhuman muscle that would otherwise be a calf on a human. “OW WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!” It cried out in a very human sounding voice. I bit harder and it brought its strong arms down to tear me in half. It was over. I had tried my best. I would now become just another story as all the other fighters who died in battle against the beast were. I accepted my fate. As the arms snatched me off the floor, I was able to see the whole form of the Thing. It was a perfect imitation of a human. In fact, it seemed to choose to imitate someone who I was very familiar with. “Hey why did you bite me?” it asked. It was at this moment when I realized two life changing facts. Number one was that I had never fought the Thing a single time in my life. Number two is that the “Thing” was in fact my father. “You’re not the Thing.” I said, unable to put any other thoughts into words. “Well, I am something.” He said, always quick on his feet. “I came in to check on you Son.” He said. I burst into tears. I couldn’t believe it. I never had anything to worry about all those nights. The Thing was just my father, checking in on me to make sure I was sleeping properly. I couldn’t stop crying. I was so happy. He simply held me, assuming I had had some sort of a bad dream, which was true of course, only this bad dream was a dream which I had never woken up from. “I love you Son.” He said. “I love you too, Dad” I said. He held me there in his arms until I had cried myself soundly to sleep. He then gently placed me in my fort, careful this time not to step on any Legos, and quietly crept to my bedroom door. “I don’t know how that kid hasn’t killed me by now.” He said as he looked back one more time to make sure I was asleep before he left the room.
Seth Crites is a three-year student at NMMI. After graduation he plans on attending Texas A&M University in College Station to obtain an engineering degree in a field that is yet to be chosen.