Apparition

Dear Jack,

An autobiographical short story for your perusing:

I hate rooms with large windows. There is something about the window that seems so open, that I shudder in fear. I’m not afraid of the window so much as the fact that people can see me, but I can’t see them. I could be watched most of the night, and I would not be the wiser. Still, I know if I turn of my light, they cant see me. Why then am I still afraid. Is it because in this low lit room, I can see my reflection trapped in the window looking back at me. No. I fear seeing my reflection in the window, or even a mirror in a poorly lit room, and seeing something else behind me watching from inside. What face is it that I fear? I can barely describe it. It is hallow, bony cheeks, and a well defined nose. Pale as a ghost with eyes hidden behind the veil of shadow. It is an old man I see, with a grin in his face who stares at me from behind me, only visible in the reflection.

I’ve seen him many times. The first time I was at my computer. I was typing away at instant messenger. An acquaintance I had met, JohnBoy316, and I were talking about cults. My eyes were peeled to the screen:

JohnBoy316: yeah there’s this website for Satanists that i went to. it’s really messed up }:>|
Corinth13: What was the site
JohnBoy316: i really got scared reading it it’s evil I tell u Oh it’s http://www.folks.666
Corinth13: Your joking, that’s not a website.
JohnBoy316: then try it
Corinth13: Whatever. I’ll try it.

I clicked on the link. Immediately the sight began to download. Followers of Our Lord King Satan was the title of the page. “Yeah Right” I thought. I proceeded to read the sight further. Amongst the links were pentagrams pointing down and upside down crosses. Freaky. I clicked on a link “What we believe...” “We do not believe in a merciful god. Our god is Satan who rules this earth. Things are bad, because he makes them, and only by following him can good things come. We don’t believe in Jesus and stuff, and we don’t worship Satan, but we follow his ways. They’re simple, fend for yourself pretty much. Hedonistic people are the kind that he likes best.” The page went on, poorly written, and as I read it, I could feel an eerie presence in the room. No sooner had I noticed this presence, then the lights in the room and the computer went dead.

“Holy Shit. I mean.. wow.” I raced up stairs. I hadn’t even read anything that was real bad, and I was freaking out already. The lights were still on upstairs. That was strange. Why’d the lights go off downstairs and not up here. I sat down to watch the TV in my living room. I shut off the lights so no one could see me through the big picture window.

On TLC was Ancient Prophecies. I love to watch that show and make fun of it. According to that sow, the world should have ended like five years ago. And still they continue to make sequels each year saying how the world is going to end.

“Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Conyers, GA have caused a stir, as they too predict the coming of the end of the world.” I am from Conyers, GA, and of course my ears picked up. In ‘89, a woman claimed she was being visited by the Virgin Mary. She supposedly comes on the 13th of every month, and people flock to the town in bus-loads hoping to see this vision. Now Ancient Prophecies was trying to cash in on the story. I stayed so I could see the story. The story began explaining the history of the apparitions, and how the Church does not condone them as real or false, etc. etc. etc. then it got to the juicy stuff. “Listen to one of the messages given to Ms. Nancy Fowler from the Blessed Mother.” “My loving children, the time is coming when.” CLICK. The TV went dead. What the... I looked for the remote. I couldn’t find it. I reached for the light to turn it on, but it wouldn’t turn on. What the hell? Why I looked at the window I don’t know. But I did. There in the reflection of the window was the face. Staring back at me with no body, smiling in delight. I raced out of the room and to my parents room, where the TV was still on. I grabbed the rosary from my mother’s dresser, and ran to my room. I climbed into my bed, fully clothed, grasped the rosary in one hand and pulled the cover over my head with the other. I began to pray. As I prayed, I felt myself calm down, and I could go to sleep.

The next day I told my parents about what I had seen. I’m not sure whether they believed me or not. The computer turned on without a problem, and so did the TV. The Computer did not do a scan disc as it would do if it had been improperly shut down and the TV was still on TLC, and if it had lost power, it would have started on 00. Did I dream this? I don’t know. All I know is, I cannot look outside the window at night for fear that that face will again reappear

Denver Criest to Sleep

Dear Jack,

For your perusing:

Denver climbed into bed with Sam. He couldn’t help it. Sam looked so good laying there with his closed eyes facing the alarm clock, that Denver had to snuggle up in front of him in that spot where the legs curve up to support him. Of course He couldn’t get under the covers, that would be too hard, and Sam might wake up, and then he might get yelled at, but since Denver carefully slid into that space, Sam didn’t notice, and as the night drifted on, he even put his arm around Denver showing him his affection.

Denver found Sam at a bus station in Mobile about a year ago. He stood there with a green grungy duffle bag, with his Nike tennis shoes smelling of the baseball field. Denver always loved baseball players, he knew that they loved to play catch, and that was Denver’s favorite game. The thing that will remain in Denver’s mind is the smell of Sam’s jockey tee shirt. It smelled of a musty twenty year old who had just ate a good mustard covered sausage. Sam smiled at Denver and called him over. Denver remembers the moment vividly. “I finally have found my soul mate!” he had thought. Of course Sam took Denver home with him--who wouldn’t have, he looked so pitiful, covered in mud with briers stuck in his leg hairs. Ever since then Sam and Denver have been the closest friends.

Sam had only one rule, that Denver not sleep in the bed with him. Now Denver never knew why this was, but from the look on Sam’s face, Denver felt like he would be sent away if he ever did. Yet there was something inside him that longed to be with Sam in the bed. That’s why he would wait until Sam was fast asleep, usually around 3 AM, and Denver would walk carefully on his pads down the hardwood hall; halt at the doorway; and slowly push the door open with his nose. He could smell when Sam was asleep. Very carefully he would slide through the crack in the door, and enter. When he got to the bed he would carefully crawl onto it where Sam’s feet rested. Through experience he had learned never to put his toes to Sam’s feet... not because of the smell, but rather because the moistness of his nose would wake Sam. Once on the bed Denver would take his place next to Sam.

This night was different, as he lay next to Sam, Sam did not put his arm around him. Denver laid quietly with his eyes slowly shifting to Sam to see if he was about to move to embrace him, but nothing happened. It was then the smell began. “What is that smell? I know I’ve smelt it before, but where from?” He got up from his spot, and nudged Sam. Sam didn’t move. Sam smelled funny. Something told him that Sam was not ok. He barked. “Sam!! Sam!! Sam!!” But he didn’t move. He bit Sam on the hand, and licked his face. No reaction. “Sam!!!!! Sam!!!!!!!!! SSSAAAMM!!!!!!!!!!” Now the neighbors in the apartment next store heard him. They beat on the walls and said “Shut that damn dog up!!!” Still Denver barked.

Finally someone was beating on the door to the apartment. “Should I get the door? Should I stay? Sam!!!” He goes to the door, and clinches the handle with his teeth. It opens to Ms. Flynn the landlady.

“Shut up you filthy mutt!! Samuel Crawly!!! Where are you? Shut your damn dog up!!!” She pushes her way past Denver. Denver heads straight to Sam in his bed barking the entire time. She gets to the room. “Jesus, Joseph, and Mary!!” She races to the phone, Denver still barking. “Yes this is Ms. Flynn on Avon Street. Sam is... not ... I think he’s dead... will someone ... SHUT UP DENVER!!!” She hurls the alarm clock at Denver. She starts to cry as she sees Sam lying there. She’s still talking on the phone. Denver sees this and jumps on the bed. He pulls the cover over Sam’s head so that Ms. Flynn will be ok. He realizes what the smell is. The smell of death, and begins to whimper. He lays down in his spot and begins to cry--Denver cries to sleep.