Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday Morning Short Story By DSJWrites

She was both the most beautiful and the most terrifying creature any of them had ever seen. She lingered for only a brief moment before vaporizing instantly on the spot.

The close encounter in the dark had left them reeling and shaking under the covers, not that any of them would admit it, and that’s where they remained until the first rays of dawn light chased away the night shadows.

She never returned.

Later after breakfast, all three boys met at Brady’s, which was their usual gathering spot. They looked at each other, as an unspoken understanding passed between them.

Elliot was the first to say it out loud. “Did you guys have a weird dream last night at three in the morning?” There he said it out loud thought Elliot.

“Yeah.” Brady admitted looking back and forth at each of them, and Sam nodded in agreement.

“And there was a girl in it?” Elliot questioned.

“Yeah.” Brady nodded.

“Oh yeah,” said Sam waving his hand suggestively, “she was hot” “Geez Sam, this is serious.” Elliot said, his tone condescending. Sam just shrugged his shoulders not letting on how much the incident had gotten to him.

“She came to all of us at the same time, that has to mean something.” Elliot said as he paced around Brady’s kitchen.

“Well I think she is what’s in that cave and part of the legend, and she obviously needs our help.” Said Brady. “She spoke to me, how about you guys?”

“Yeah” they both replied in unison.

“I would like to know what she wants or actually what she needs.” Brady noted, rubbing his chin and sinking into thought.

“I don’t think I want her visiting my dreams anymore, that was spooky.” Elliot confessed.

“Not me,“ chimed Sam, “I’d take that dream just that way any night.” He smiled slyly.

“It figures.” Brady said and Elliot nodded his head in agreement, both of the just laughed at their friend.

Brady agreed then to do some research and see what he could find out. So many questions, how and why? But Brady always enjoyed a mystery, if there was any information he ‘ll find it.

* * * *

The rest of the day passed. No one spoke of the ghostly visitor again. The dream was pushed aside by other things. Summer vacation took center stage as they went on doing what boys do like ogling girls at the newly re-opened swimming pool.

As the afternoon grew old and the night loomed on the horizon, unease began to creep inside them. They decided that, at least for tonight, that they would stay together and sleep at Brady’s house.

After the afternoon’s visual feast they each went home, had dinner and gathered their stuff and returned to Brady’s just before dark. They snacked on junk food and played videos well into the night, doing their best to not to think or speak about the girl in the dream. That didn’t erase her from their minds though. By two in the morning it was impossible not to give into exhaustion and sleep took them under.

Their shared sleeping arrangement didn’t keep them safe because she returned, at precisely at three AM just as she had the night before. But this time something changed. She no longer existed within the confines of their shared nightmare, but rather as a misty figure floating above them in the center of the room.

It was like a switched turned on and they all woke up. For a suspended moment in time they and just stared at her before reality sunk in.

Stunned, Elliot’s first reaction was to run. In his underwear and socks, he climbed out of his sleeping bag, tripped, found his footing and ran sliding across the wooden floor screaming all the way to the bathroom slamming the door shut behind him. Sam sat up on his elbows and was smiling from ear to ear, and Brady just stared, his mouth hanging open.

“What do we do Sam?” Brady whispered. ”Heck if I know, you’re the expert here. What do you think?” he whispered back.

Elliot waited sitting on the toilet in the bathroom.  When he didn’t hear death and destruction coming from the other room, he opened the door a sliver and peered out.

Brady worked hard to display an aura of calm, cool intellect. He stood up and walked over to her, his heart pounding.

“Help me?” She asked again, her voice clear yet soft.

“Sure.” Brady replied then turned to look back at Sam. “Whoa, I’m having a conversation with a ghost. Cool.” He smiled brightly.

He turned back to look at the apparition floating in his family room. She smiled at him and brushed his cheek with her had. It went right through him. He shuddered and took a step back feeling his cheek. It was cold but the experience didn’t leave him with a bad feeling. Something niggled deep inside him at her touch, he wasn’t afraid but he didn’t know why.

From behind the bathroom door, Elliot watched shocked by what Brady was doing. When he realized she wasn’t going to kill him he decided to come out of hiding. With a towel wrapped around his underwear he walked over to stand next to Brady.

“We’ll help you but I guess we don’t know how.” Brady said lifting his hands upward in a questioning gesture.

“Look to the past, your past Brady.” Wow how did she know his name? “Examine your family history and there you will find all that you need.” She replied. Very confused now Brady asked, “What do you mean, I don’t understand?”

“You look so much like him,” she smiled again. “You are part of this.” She came forward to give him a chilled kiss. “I have missed him but I knew he would return. ” She said to Brady who was now very confused. He had a lot of questions, more than he could count.

“She looked at them all now. “You must be quick because time is short. I have grown stronger because you came to my cave, but my strength will not hold. If you are successful, my soul will finally be free.”

“What does she mean you are part of it?” Elliot whispered in Brady’s ear. “I don’t know, but I’ll find out. My mom has a family bible, maybe there’s something in it. She told me it’s our history from the beginning, she reads from it adds to it.” Brady thought out loud.

There was a noise from the hall. Their ghostly visitor began to fade from view but not before Brady’s mother entered the room. She walked over to Brady and placed her hands on his arms. She looked him over making sure he was ok.

“Did she come to you?” she asked him. Too overwhelmed and unable to speak, he nodded his response.

“Oh. The story must be true.”

Thanks for reading!