flash
We slept fitfully last night. The house itself shook from a spring storm, bringing in a torrent of rain, lashing at the windows and erasing what was left of the spring snow. As the wind howled around us my fathers fever grew worse. Near 2:00 in the morning the storm passed, and the moonlight poured in, spotted and filtered by the clouds pushing past. My eyes sprung open ? and there, in the night, I felt another's presence in the darkness. Like a solitary gargoyle torn from its heights, there crouched a figure over my father in the night, its arm extended, its hand over his mouth.
I was paralyzed by fear, my eyelids glued open, my mouth unable to open to scream. The figure turned its head to me, but in the darkness I could see nothing but a silhouette against the window. Clouds passed in front of the moon ? and the gable room was plunged, once again into darkness. When the moonlight streamed in again the figure was gone. My Father's labored breathing was left accompanied by Lucia's. I swallowed hard and held my breath to silence the pace of my heart and listened intently in the silence of the room, I could hear only the settling sounds of the old house.
I wanted to sleep, but could not allow myself. I prodded my sister awake, and together we manufactured an alarm. We tied a string to the old Bennington doorknob, and, through a series of pulleys to my father's metal tray of magnesium flash powder where it connected to a flint wheel. If anyone tried to get into the room ? the entire space would be awakened by a blinding flash.
Composed by Dr. G on Friday, Oct. 17, 2008
Gentle Reader Responses
Elena says:
Hope he gets better soon. This has gone on far too long.
Tara says:
Oh dear. Do you think this is a corporeal entity that will trigger a physical alarm? Things are not boding well for your father's recovery.
Loryienne says:
I wonder if an unknown friend and healer has been at your father's bedside. Is scaring him/it away the best move? If your father is not worse, I think I would reconsider. But then again, maybe your visitor ... is ... not ... corporeal.
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