The Dark Place (#FrightFest2016 Gold Winner)

The Dark Place - Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Three

1

"What's wrong with her?"

"She's gone into a trance."

"Sorry, gone into a what?"

"Yes it happened earlier too. Last time she...

The voices of Tamicka's father and the old woman echoed far at the other end of the dark tunnel, but only for a little while. Cass had been so close to bringing Tamicka back and ridding her of that other creature. There was so much hate and anger inside the darkness but none of it came from the child. The evil was coming closer, Cass could feel it. She needed to find Tamicka before it was too late.

"Don't meddle in things that do not concern you!"

The voice was neither male or female. It came from all around Cass and inside her at the same time. She felt strange, like she had been invaded by it, but at that moment there were two invaders and she was one of them. Cass tried to focus on finding the little girl's soul but the voice had her pinned to the spot.

"You're not as strong as you think, you know?"

Who are you? Why are you doing this?

"What makes you think that you have the right to ask anything here? This girl has nothing to do with you! She is not your kin! She is nothing to you just as you are nothing here.

But she's only a child.

"Do you think I don't know that? That's what made it so easy for me to bend her!"

Why won't you answer my questions.

"Because I don't have to. I'm the one in control here. I can keep you here forever if I have a mind to, or dismiss you in a second."

Cass tried to block her thoughts, to build an impenetrable wall around them.

"And you can stop that right now," chided the sinister echo of a voice. "Don't think for one moment that I can't see what you're trying to do. It's ridiculous to think that you can hide your thoughts from me."

Cass was not deterred for an instant. If she was to find Tamicka and coax her into ousting this thing, she would have to know what she was dealing with.

"I'm telling you to stop!"

It was working, Cass could hear the first cords of uncertainty begin to rise in the voice.

"Stop or I will make you stop."

Cass watched as a small speck of green light came into view somewhere in front of her.

"I won't warn you again."

The voice became frightened, more childlike, as the light advanced.

"Please... please don't take me back there."

"It's all right!" the words felt like shards of glass where Cass' throat should have been. She coughed and continued. "I'm here with you!"

"But I don't want to go back there. I'm... frightened!"

"There's no reason to be, no harm can come to you. Everything has already happened." As Cass moved toward the green light she became aware of the intense chill. Her limbs were back, her feet moving through the icy sludge. A cold hand gripped hers and pulled, stopping her in her tracks. The resistance lasted less than a second before Cass made her way forward once more.