SOMEWHERE BEHIND BLACK EYES_Part 5

Shadows in the dark look like monsters and clowns, but do they look like other little children with pitch black eyes?

Somewhere behind black eyes …

 

Shadows twisted, pulsed and formed grotesque images. Even if he closed his eyes the images taunted him and threatened to pursue him under the covers where he hid in pointless defense.

 

The five-foot-tall mirror his mother brought inside stood stoically against the corner of the room. Figures of unknown creatures taunted, teased him, poking their images in and out of the reflective area. The shadows seemed to note he was in the room even when he blinked or poked his head back under the covers.

 

He sighed loudly; this is never going to end. Every night this was an ongoing event. He might as well just suck it up and go over to the mirror to see if the dark figures moving around in them were real or imaginary. Nothing he could say to his mother or father was going to convince them he was seeing them, and they were real! He had to be brave and check it out; after all he was going to be twelve, then, he’d be a teenager.

 

Then he got a really good idea! What if he found something to cover the mirror up with! Maybe this would make them go away and lose interest in him? He’d cover it up then they couldn’t stare at him. Maybe then he could sleep knowing most of the creepy stuff in his area was taken care of. Getting across the room was going to be hard to do. One of them could be under the bed! Please don’t let one of them be under the bed!

 

He desperately, wanted to smash the mirror to bits, but it would be too loud, his parents would hear, and he would probably miss a piece of glass, then step on it later. All these scenarios seemed like they were a sure way to get him spanked or grounded from something. He stretched his leg out and his toe knocked against his fire truck at the end of his bed. “Ouch!” He exclaimed and then realized this might have been too loud. He stopped and listened towards his bedroom door ignoring the mirror for seconds. He was expecting one of his parents to burst into the room, pull him out from under his blankets and out of his bed. He continued to listen but heard nothing.

 

Back to the plan! This was getting exciting!

He had to walk the trail of throw carpets his mother used to cover up various stains he made from chocolate milk and juice punches. If he shuffled his feet instead of walking, he could push the toys scattered on them. He’d have to do it slowly and quietly, so he didn’t make much racket.

He’d have to figure out which blanket to use for this task. “F**k it!” He’d just grab the nearest one. After this alleged deed, he realized he cussed, did it out loud and didn’t get busted for it! His new-found independence felt like layers of armor. He was ready for the fight against darkness now!

 

He grabbed his flat sheet blanket and silently put his feet on the floor. He threw the blanket around his shoulders. This would be better than dragging it across the floor; it could get hooked on one of his favorite toys. It could ruin one of them or make a clattering sound. He can’t let it happen. Just as he was having this thought his left foot caught on the blanket which was partially on the floor. He tripped, tried to get his composure, but his body was jerked quickly to the left; oddly, his body flew head first as he was sent flying forward. This is going wrong! How he had the time to calculate how much trouble he would get into was beyond his eleven-year-old comprehension. He thought he was being careful!

 

He wasn’t thrown very far, but he was happy to see it got him closer to the mirror. This could be bad too though! What if one of them reached outside the mirror and grabbed him! With this understood he jumped up onto his feet with great grace and agility. None of them were gonna get him, especially since he’d come this far. He didn’t even take the time to listen for evidence his parents had heard him fall. He zipped to the mirror but arrived right in front of it when he was frozen in place by what he beheld.

 

There were other kids staring at him in his mirror! One was a boy and the other appeared to be a little girl in old fashion type clothes. The type of clothes his kid sister’s dolls had. The boy blinked at him, as the girl giggled. He wondered if he had stated this out loud, or if she could read his mind?! She giggled again. Holy cow, she was reading his mind!

 

He saw his reflection in the mirror briefly, as his eyes grew wide. He wanted to turn around and run but he found it difficult to. What if he did and one of them snatched him, pulling him inside the hideous mirror he hated?! He was frozen for moments wondering if this was even possible?!

 

Another one of them arrived. He appeared to be male. He had a smile which seemed to get larger and larger as he stood there in complete terror!

 

He didn’t know why, but he was squinting to see the new kid better. He blinked repeatedly, to get a closer look. Were the kid’s eyes black?! No, it had to be they were just dark and the lighting in here was bad! This sounded logical to him, but he was growing more and more sure he was looking into the kid’s eyes and they were completely black. Not just black though, but like voids or deep vortexes.

 

The little girl giggled again and reminded him how terrified he was. He kept his voice steady and asked; “What do you want?” Right after he asked he was immediately sorry he did.

They chimed together as if they were one voice or several voices in surround sound mode. Their voices did not sound like those of children his age when they spoke. Their voices were low and slightly dragging, like a forty-five-speed record on thirty-three. He knew this because his father had a record player and explained it to him.

 

The little girl mouthed the next words, but it sounded the same as if the others were channeling their voices through her single, frail body. “We want to come inside!” They didn’t blink, only her mouth moved when vocalizing this command. This was another frightening thing about their request…?? It wasn’t said as a question, it was stated like a definite command; like they expected to get in! Like they were going to gain access to whatever they meant.

They were in his house, his room and his mirror! How much more “in”did they expect to get? Then the possible answer hit him, it knocked the wind out of him, causing his stomach to drop to his knees. Possibilities beyond what he could comprehend danced like demons in a blood feasted orgy.

 

He started whimpering like a beat puppy. All three of them grinned at the same time. He heard the giggling again. He started crying. He threw the blanket over the mirror and frantically tried to get the entire area of the pooled, reflective nightmare out of his head, room and body. He felt a slight relief. He backed up away from the mirror and knocked into something. He spun around, eyes wide and finally be able to free his constricted throat. He screamed loud and booming. He could only imagine the terror behind him and what unspeakable things it can do.

 

He stopped when he heard his mother’s sweet voice. “Honey, what is going on?” She reached her arms out to him and he rushed headlong into them burying his head in the scent of her familiar smell. The fragrance of perfume, soap, and body wash with laundry detergent flood his nostrils and took the fear from his heart.