![]() The Shadow in the WindowA Story by Ian Brunner![]() A shadow haunts a young man in his dreams and waking life,![]() The Shadow in the Window By Ian Brunner“Sleep is a patch of death.”- Ray Bradbury
I awoke to the feeling of falling. Then I came to sudden halt as the ground promptly brought me to a stop. Bouncing right to my feet instinctively I hit the ground again as my feet were tangled in my sheets. I lay there sweaty and breathing heavily. From my vantage point on the ground I could see the window I had seen every night in my dreams, except the figure wasn’t there. Only the trees, the full moon, and the sound of the wind as it pushed around the branches of the autumn trees making them creak and moan. The dream had recurred every night for months and every
night it had become more vivid; I was in bed, deep asleep, when suddenly I
would find myself awake and full of dread. Outside my window lurked a figure. A
spectral like black mass that seemed as if it would blow away with the next
gust of wind, but every night it was there, haunting my dreams. The first few
times this dream had occurred I had thought nothing of it, but slowly the dream
had become more horrific. After about a week the specter had begun to take on
human elements. First the shadowed mass took on the shape of a humanoid head,
and then came the eyes: cold, merciless, and cruel. They gazed at me endlessly,
almost hungrily. This went on for many a night until a mouth formed,
complementing the eyes, a malevolent smirk upturned on the right side. It
continued on much the same for about a month, feature after feature slowly
materializing until finally the specter became a shadowed figure silently
gazing at me every night. Slowly the dream had begun to unnerve me and I
remembered stories of shadow people a close friend had told me. But he had
moved suddenly and had left only an address where I could contact him. I had
phoned and written many letters but he had never made any response. It was
quite upsetting, as he and I had been close friends since we were children. I
wrote one last letter to him hoping for a reply and then turned my attention to
other pursuits in which I could unravel my horrific dream. The next day I paid
a visit to my library to see what I could unearth on shadow people in folklore.
The few bits and pieces of information I was able to find
on my first visit were very scant. But from what I was able to learn. People
had seen shadow people for a very long time. Nobody knew where or why they came
or what they wanted but there were rumors of people seeing them and
mysteriously dying or disappearing. Every account I was able to find ended with
death. I returned to the library day after day going through book after book on
folklore until finally I had exhausted all of my resources. All in all I was
only able to find that the shadow people normally manifested themselves as a
dark shadowed mass or in the vague outline of a human body. They never
manifested themselves as ghosts or poltergeists and normally do not appear to
be malevolent, but because of the mysterious deaths and disappearances they had
become a symbol of bad luck. All of
this fit the personality of the shadowed mass in my dreams. The shadow person
in my dreams had made no attempt to harm me. In fact I had never seen it move!
But the cruel grin and hungry eyes continued to haunt me night after night
until finally one day I received a letter from my estranged friend it read. I received your letters and apologize for my late
response but I had to leave in haste, I know my sudden departure seems strange
but I had to flee. They were after me, the shadow people I told you about. And
I think I may have finally lost them, but I cannot be sure. When I first
mentioned them I was sure you would think me mad but now you have seen them as
well. I received your letter regarding them. I feared this would not reach you
in time but hopefully it has. Enclosed is the address a blind elderly women by
the name of Ambrose who helped me and may be able to help you. She sees better
than most people who can, it’s odd how that happens, I sincerely hope this
letter reaches you and I wish you the best. Marcus
On the other side of the letter an address and a phone
number were scribbled and I resolved to contact Ambrose the next day. That night the shadowed
figure became much more active, his body became defined. I could see the figure
of a well-dressed man in a suit that enhanced his hungry eyes and cruel smile.
Abruptly the shadow lifted its left hand and waved mockingly. His half grin
opened to reveal a perfect smile the kind you see on a movie star except the
teeth were pointed, jagged and rough. The kind accustomed to eating meat and
nothing else. At this moment I awoke to the sun pouring in through the window.
This was the first time I felt any real malevolence in the dream. Grabbing the
letter off of the table I quickly dialed Ambrose’s number. I stumbled through
my story explaining all that had been happening to me. “ I do not meddle in their
affairs; it’s dangerous enough living without being enemies of supernatural
creatures.” She hung up and I called her
back until finally she answered again. I pleaded with her and until I dropped
Marcus’s name I made no progress. After that she reluctantly agreed to meet
with me. We had decided to meet at a local bakery. I had arrived
first. When she entered I immediately knew who she was, she had long gray hair,
wore a denim jacket and khaki pants. I approached her. “ Ambrose, it’s nice to meet you. Would you like me to help
you to a seat?” But looking at her I knew she was the kind of women who
needed no one’s help. Blind or not, but mother always taught me to help my
elders. She accepted the offer so I pulled her chair out, helped
her sit. After she thanked me the waitress came and took our order. Then we
were finally free to talk. “ So you have seen the shadow people?” she asked jumping
right into the topic. “ Yes. Every night now for about a month and a half.” Ambrose’s brow creased and she looked shocked, “ Almost two
months? Tell me has the shadow begun to
take on human aspects? Or is it still just the vague outline of a human form?” I told her all in detail, the hungry eyes, the cruel grin,
and the most recent occurrences during the night before. “ So it is that close to you.” She leaned in close to me, “
Now listen you are in greater danger than you know. This shadow person has been
circling you, getting closer every night waiting for a chance to take you.” “ To take me? Where?” “ Nobody knows. The shadows wait for the chance to drag
your soul out of your body and then you slowly fade away. Without a soul your
body is just an empty vessel with nothing tethering it to this world.” “ How do you know so much? Is this what happened to
Marcus?” “ Yes. Marcus saw a shadow person in his dreams as well.
But that shadow did not get nearly as close as this one has gotten to you.
Marcus comes from a much more superstitious family, most people dismiss them as
mere dreams until it is too late. Sometimes moving is enough to deter the
shadows from their victims. As for what I know, I may be blind but I can see in
many ways that you. My family has always been able to see what others cannot.” “ So you’re saying that I should move?” “ That might help, also buy a pet. They are much more
sensitive to the things that linger just outside our world and they may give
you some warning when your shadow is hanging about. Remember the shadow is
present even during the day. It is just easier for it to manifest itself when
you are deep asleep and your brain waves are at their lowest tide. Ray Bradbury
said it best “ Sleep is a patch of death.” At that moment our orders arrived, breaking the tension
that had formed around us. She smiled at the waitress and picked up her tea
thanking her. “ Don’t worry, just look for a new place to live and be on
your guard while sleeping and you’ll be fine. Although this is the last time I will
have contact with you, the shadows don’t like it when we interfere in their
business and I would rather not have them hanging about me.” After we had finished our drinks, Ambrose left and I headed
to the nearest pet store determined to protect myself in anyway possible. At
the store I bought myself a beautiful black feline by the name of Hunter, she
settled in quite quickly at my apartment. The dreams continued but the shadowed
man made no new further movements, and I began to search for a new place to
stay. Finally after about a week of searching I found an
apartment in a nearby city that was in my financial range and I began inquiring
about moving. The landlord informed me that the apartment was being renovated
and would be ready in about a month. This news worried me for who knows what
the shadow person could do in a month, but I agreed because it was my only
feasible option. Nothing eventful happened during the next week, the dreams
kept on their regular occurrences but the shadowed man stood there as he always
had unmoving. The next Tuesday I had woke at three AM, thirsty and trudged of
to the kitchen drowsily, Hunter faithfully following at my heels. As I opened
the fridge she hissed and ran from the room. The light illuminated the corners of
the room and I thought I saw in my peripheral vision the shadowed man standing,
jumping I dropped the glass of water I had been holding and spun around on my
heels searching the corner for any sign of the man. Nothing was there but I
remembered Ambrose saying, “ The shadow is present even
during the day.” Bending over I picked up the
glass I had dropped letting the refrigerator door close. Leaving me with only
the faint traces of moonlight to illuminate the room. As I stood again I caught
sight of my reflection in a magnetized mirror hanging on the fridge and
standing behind me man, this time not only his eyes and teeth showed but I
could see his tongue running along the rows of jagged teeth as if anxiously
awaiting a meal. For the next three nights
this went on, I rarely got any sleep and when I did the shadowed man haunted my
dreams. I jumped at every shadow and saw him everywhere I went. One night after
I had gotten out of work I was wandering around the streets of the city as I
loathed the idea of going home. So I decided to stop in for a drink at a local
pub. It was here I met Amelia; she was a short fiery redheaded girl
about five and a half feet tall. She fit the Irish stereotype exactly and I
quickly became infatuated with her. After a few drinks she invited me back to
her apartment a few blocks away and together we spent the night. At first I
failed to notice that the shadowed man never appeared when I slept at her
apartment, but slowly I noticed my health returning, and the lack of the shadow
in my dreams. Amelia and I spent the next
three weeks together falling in love, I was so happy I nearly forgot about the
shadow in the window as he never appeared. I only returned to my apartment to
feed Hunter until the week before I was to move. It seemed as if it would go on
forever until a week before I was to move. Amelia had to leave town on some
business and would be back the day I moved. So the last week I would spend in
my old apartment with my old roommate, the shadowed man. The very first night the shadowed
man greeted me with new horrors that I can scarcely describe in mere words but
I will try. The dream started as it always had the shadowed man gazing at me
through the window. Then came the eyes and the teeth, next the tongue, soon
followed the suit, then he waved and began to beckon to me, unconsciously my
body began to move of its own volition. I rolled out of bed and began to stand,
mentally I fought for all I was worth to regain control of my body but to no
avail, when suddenly I stubbed my toe on the corner of my desk and I awoke
standing exactly where I had been in my dream. This continued on every
night with some random happenstance waking me. Once it was Hunter curled up on
the floor that I stepped on, she scratched my leg and then howled and the
window. From that night on I got no sleep whatsoever. I was afraid to sleep in my own apartment and even if I could
have slept Hunter’s constant howling would have kept me awake. Finally one day
at work I collapsed from sleep deprivation! I had been almost fifty hours
without sleep and I had collapsed next to the water cooler in the office. This time I saw the shadow
in my office, he stood above me grinning as my fellow coworkers rushed about
dialing 911 and attempting to wake me. Finally the paramedics arrived and
rushed me to the hospital where I awoke ranting, raving, and thrashing about
screaming about the shadowed man. The faculty tried to reason with me, and
restrain me until finally they had to sedate me less I hurt someone. The next time I awoke I was
in a padded room, Amelia sat beside my bed staring at me. “ Well it’s about time you
finally woke up!” She smiled at me but I could see the worry hidden in her eyes
behind the fair facade of a smile. “ How long have I been
here?” I asked drowsily. “ About two weeks, you’ve
been in and out of consciousness but good news! As far as the doctors can see
there is nothing wrong with you physically. They want you see a psychiatrist,
but have allowed you to return home as long as I stay with you.” “ Thank you, we just have to
move my things into the new apartment and we’ll be set.” “ The landlord called while
you were unconscious, he sold the apartment to another family while you were
here.” My eyes widened in horror as
the full realization of what she was saying hit me, she would be trapped in the
apartment with the shadow and I, “ No! You can’t move into my apartment it’s
dangerous!” She looked mildly offended
but laughed, “ How could it be dangerous?” At that very moment I
noticed the shadowed man standing in the doorway, smirking as normal then he
was gone. Amelia continued on saying, “ Don’t worry you’ll get
better soon I’m sure of it and I’ll be there to help.” I smiled at her, but inside
all I could think off was the danger she was jumping into. I resolved to do all
I could to protect her, even above myself. I loved her even if I had only known
her for a month; the shadowed man appeared again this time just behind her and
grinned cruelly, almost as if he knew what I was thinking. His long tongue ran
along his teeth then he leaned in and licked her neck. Amelia kept on talking
as if nothing was happening, and I could only stare on in horror! “ But I have to go dear.”
She leaned in and kissed me and I stopped her as she left. “ Wait I have to talk to you
about something!” “ We can talk when I come
back later.” And then she was gone. Later that night when she
returned I confided everything in her. When finally I had finished recounting
what had been happening she was quiet for a long while. “ Shadow people? You’ve been
under a lot of stress at work and on top of not sleeping well. This is just
your imagination! You’ll be once you rest I promise.” The next few weeks I spent
in the company of a psychiatrist. Eventually medication was prescribed. It
seemed as if the shadow had decided to play a cruel game with my sanity. When I
first began taking the medication the shadow did not appear for almost a month.
Just when I began to think the shadow had been a figment of my imagination I
saw him again. In the window where we had first met he stood. Finally I became
desperate. While Amelia slept I stepped outside. There it was outside the
window as it had started. “ What do you want from me?”
I hissed. “ Why do you torment me?” The shadow stood looking
through the window not even acknowledging my presence. In a moment of desperation
and rage I picked up a rock and threw it at the shadow! “ Get out of here,
leave us alone!” Slowly the shadow turned to
look at me. It’s grin spread then waved and retuned to looking through the
window. The next night my nightly sleepwalking returned and at this point we have reached the beginning of the story again. Every night that week I would awake drenched in sweat. Tangled in my sheets on the floor, at first Amelia would get up and check on me but then she began to pass them off as just night terrors. Until that Friday, for the first time in my dreams I had control of my body. Turning I saw my own body still sleeping in bed, Amelia next to me. The clock on the bedside table read three AM. The image seemed very serene and for a few minutes I watched as the women I loved slept next to me, once she stirred and looked at me then went back to sleep. Then came the feeling of dread, looking at the window I saw the shadow. He grinned gesturing at Amelia then passed through the wall! The shadowed man loomed above me and I cowered in horror but he wasn’t looking at me he seemed to be much more interested in Amelia A sudden rage entered me and I charged him
attempting protect the women I loved. I simply passed through him landing
sprawled on the floor! The shadow stood above me and laughed silently, never
making any sound. I could only tell because the shadow made all the motions of
laughter. Strangely enough even in that moment of utter hideousness my mind
thought clearly. I had just enough time to think, “ The most horrific part of
the shadows is their silence, they come and go at will, stalking the unwary
silently until it’s to late.” Then what seemed to be shadow tentacles
emerged from its torso and grabbed on to me! Then dragged me out the window
with the shadowed figure. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The
next night Amelia anxiously watched over her lover. His breathing had
continually become shallower and he had not woken once. She had taken him to
the hospital and he had been examined, but the doctors had found nothing wrong.
“ I don’t know what we can do. Watch over
him, call us if anything happens.” They had said, but nothing new had changed
in the following hours. So on Amelia sat long into the night. The
pale moon streamed in through the window and the clock crept ever nearer to
three AM. Finally Hunter screeched and ran from the room startling Amelia!
Leaping to her feet she had just enough time to see Hunter exit the room.
Looking back to the bed she saw her lover pointing to the window. Whipping
around she saw nothing in the window but still her lover continued to panic!
Running from the room she grabbed the phone and dialed the hospital. Returning
to the bed she tried to calm him while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. He
thrashed about while she hushed and comforted him and the sound sirens rang out
in the distance. Louder and louder they became and he became more frenzied! The
paramedics knocked on the door and Amelia rushed off to answer! Just as they
entered the room he stopped moving as abruptly as he had begun. “ Oh God!” Amelia shrieked. “ Help him!” The paramedics rushed over to him. “ He’s not breathing!” Said one. “ Lets get him to the ambulance!” Rushing off one returned with a gurney. “ We’re going to take him to the hospital miss, you can
follow behind and meet us there.” Off they went! Amelia rushed about the house packing a few
things she thought would be needed. Hopping in the car she glanced at the
clock, it read exactly three AM. The pale moonlight streamed in through the car
window illuminating the backseat as Amelia took a second to compose her self.
Turning on the car she glanced in the rearview mirror and for a second she
thought she saw a man in the backseat! Squeaking she whipped around but nothing
was there. Meanwhile across town the ambulance sped! The paramedics
did their best to revive the man. One gave him mouth to mouth while another
readied the defibrillators but nothing could be done for the man. The autopsy showed no physical reason for his sudden death.
It was as if he had given up the will to live. Questioning Amelia they asked
about his visits with the psychiatrist. She told all including the whole story
of the shadowed man. To the best of the doctors abilities the doctors could
only say his delusions had been so real they deceived him into believing he was
actually dying. In the end Amelia returned to his apartment to gather a few
of her things. She decided to take Hunter with her back to her apartment. The
next day she returned for the rest of her things, the apartment felt eerie. She
felt like she was being watched and the feeling didn’t stop all the way back to
her apartment. That night while Amelia slept Hunter screeched and ran from
the room. She awoke, saw nothing and went back to sleep. Soon after the clouds
passed over the moon and the light shown in through the window to reveal the
shadow, standing, waiting, patiently for it’s next victim. *** © 2012 Ian BrunnerAuthor's Note
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1 Review Added on October 24, 2012 Last Updated on October 24, 2012 Tags: horror, fantasy, macabre, the shadow in the window, lovecraftian Author![]() Ian BrunnerLockport, NYAboutIan Brunner, 29, theater geek, aspiring author, Give me feedback? more.. |