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Chayanne’s town was haunted. But not really. Sure, there was a lighthouse that was said to be inhabited by ghosts, and the surrounding rocks were jagged and dark. And perhaps the small town was only made up of a couple ferrymen and restaurant workers who always seemed to know everything about everyone there. Maybe it was the eerie pockets of woods that had strange pitfalls and sickly-sounding seagulls that really completed the picture, or the psychic at the dock who, although clearly fake, drew in many tourists looking for things to do. It’s not like there was much else going on besides the crummy lighthouse tours anyways.
That’s why the brave and deeply bored Chayanne decided to look for something new. He had mostly stayed shut up in his room this summer, as he couldn’t find anyone willing to hire him after what he had done to those tourists last season. So he was stuck playing video games and ignoring the nagging of his parents to try again. It was always “They must’ve forgotten by now, meu bem. You should apply at that nice cafe, you know, the one that has the pancakes you like.” Or, “You need the money. What are you going to do for college?” Or more recently, “Chayanne Martin-Reis, if you don’t get off your butt and start looking for a job, that computer of yours is going in the trash.”
So Chayanne started looking. Not for a job though. No, he wanted something better than getting yelled at by a snobby group of old farts who were mad that they ordered wrong in the first place and received the things that they ordered but didn’t want, so you have to smash a couple plates to get them to stop screaming, but you are the one to get in trouble even though-
Back on topic. Chayanne grabbed his sketchbook from where it was sitting on top of a messy stack of papers, along with a handful of pencils and shoved them in his ratty backpack before quickly and semi-quietly walking down the stairs to grab some shoes. He knew his mom was still working, and would be until late. His dad was going to be an obstacle though. His job as a ferryman meant he often switched routines, making it hard to predict if he would be home around lunch or the twilight hours. Luck must’ve been on Chayanne’s side that day though, and he slipped out of the house with no interruptions.
It was a cloudy day with the smell of impending rain cutting through the salt of the ocean. The town was quieter than it normally was during the summer, as the forecast for the next couple days caused all the ferries to cancel their trips. Chayanne carefully avoided the shops that lined the dock, knowing that he would be spotted by some family friend and his parents would surely have a talk with him about leaving the house without telling them. Instead, he headed where he would have a much lower chance of getting snitched on: the woods.
Wood Island wasn’t really known for its forests, as the rocky and cramped terrain only covered a small corner of the land and didn’t have much in it other than a few nesting seagulls and tangled roots. This was the main reason Chayanne chose that spot. The other reason though was much more intriguing if not a bit stupid. He remembered seeing a surprisingly deep hole tucked away in some ferns during a previous hike, but was too chicken to explore it further as it was almost dark. But now, armed with some good boots stolen from his mom and a flashlight on his phone, he was finally ready to check it out.
The trek there was not very long, and his good balance gained from playing on the ferries when he was younger made the jutting rocks and curvy roots feel like flat ground. It took Chayanne a bit longer than he would’ve liked to actually find the hole though. The woods around him, although familiar, seemed to bend and shift before his eyes. Trees that he swore weren’t there before sprung up in front of him and vines slithered along the forest floor towards his feet if he stood too long. Okay maybe that was a bit dramatic. Getting lost wasn’t a big deal in an area so small, and it took only around five minutes to regain his whereabouts and finally make his way to the edge of the hole. Chayanne peered in, shifting his flashlight around to illuminate the dark passageway. He squinted and leaned a little closer to the hole, trying to make out the unidentifiable shapes lining the rocky pit.
“Hello,” said a smooth voice behind him. Chayanne startled and sucked in a breath, turning around quickly while fumbling to keep his flashlight in his grip. Just a few feet away from him stood one of the most out of place looking people he’d ever seen. It was like they stepped right out of a Victorian story tale. Their pale, unblemished skin was almost luminescent in the foggy and wet woods, and their froofy, sky blue dress seemed to flow around them like a cloud. They stood with hands clasped behind their back and a slight smile on their face as if they had been standing there expecting him. So, of course, Chayanne had the most reasonable reaction to seeing a weirdly dressed stranger in the middle of the woods.
“Who the hell are you? Were you following me or something?” The stranger frowned and furrowed their brow.
“Are you not going to say hello back? That’s quite rude of you. I’ve been polite and I think it would be in your best interest to be polite too.” Chayanne balked.
“I’ll be ‘polite,’” he made quotes in the air with his fingers while still keeping a close eye on the posh blonde, then continued, “after you explain why you decided to freak me out by sneaking up behind me like that.” Their slight smile returned, although an edge that hadn’t been there before had made a subtle appearance.
“It’s a deal, then.” They stuck their hand out slowly towards Chayanne. He cautiously stepped forwards and quickly grasped their hand, shaking it once before dropping it and stepping back.
“Yeah, sure I guess. As long as it gets you to tell me what you’re doing out here.”
“Certainly. I was just strolling around, and noticed you. I enjoy meeting people, so I decided to walk up to you to know more about you. I wasn’t trying to startle you just then.” They stood in place and looked directly into Chayanne’s eyes, scanning his face. He grimaced a bit before opening his mouth to speak.
“I don-”
“I hesitate to cut you off, but you did agree to be polite after I told you what I was doing out here, so I recommend you stick to that deal.” They were oddly adamant about the phony deal and Chayanne huffed out a breath to try and keep his cool. He was trying to work on that, after all.
“Right. Yeah, sure. Uh, hello back then I guess? Is that good enough?”
“We shall call it even for now, yes.”
“Great.” Chayanne turned back to the hole in the ground and pretended to inspect it as he waited for the person to walk away. The clouds covering the sky had become thicker during the time it took for the conversation to be over, so now the chasm looked even darker, making the already feeble light that the flashlight had been giving off unable to cut through the blackness. He shuddered slightly.
Chayanne quickly glanced over his shoulder, eyes flickering to where the snob had been standing, and let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding when the spot was empty. He shook out his shoulders and looked back at the pit only to see the stranger standing on the other side.
“Holy shit!” He jumped, eyebrows shooting up and arms coming up to his chest. “How’d you even- Why do you keep doing that?”
“I am simply curious. Did you lose something in there? I could lend a hand.” They looked at him through their curtain of hair while slightly bent over the dark abyss. The prolonged eye contact was starting to get on Chayanne’s nerves so he quickly shook his head. He was running all the possible scenarios in his head that would make this person just leave already. With no verbal response, the stranger continued on. “Although not related to the topic, it would be odd of me not to ask; I never caught your name. May I have it?”
“What? No, not happening. I don’t give out my name to random tourists in the woods. You give me your name first.” The stranger hummed noncommittally and turned back to the pit, lost in thought. Chayanne sat down among the damp ferns heavily and contemplated just jumping into the hole to get away from this guy. This conversation that should’ve been done minutes ago was really starting to grate on Chayanne. Why couldn’t he just be left alone for once? His parents were constantly on his tail about schoolwork, and cleaning his room, and a million other things. The neighbors always snitched on him when he so much as breathed near them, and the handful of semi-acquaintances only wanted to talk about their future jobs and how successful they were going to be. All he wanted was to loiter around the woods and poke at some bugs. Was that too much to ask?
“I know exactly what’s down there, if you’re intrigued.”
The sudden words broke the tentative silence between the two, snapping Chayanne out of his head. He looked back up at the person across from him, who was perched carefully on top of a smooth rock with their hands folded neatly on their lap. They were again, looking directly at him as if he was an interesting fish they had come across while fishing. Chayanne felt like a fish. Caught in a net he couldn’t find the exit of.
“What do you mean? It’s probably just some cave, right? Like, there’s not much room for anything else.” Chayanne shifted nervously under the weight of their gaze but couldn’t help how he leaned closer to be able to hear more. There was finally an opportunity to be distracted from the everyday drag, and even if the story this person was about to tell was totally fake, it would still be a nice relief, even if just for a short while. The stranger smiled.
“Well, from my journeys down there, I can tell you that it is not just a cave. But I don’t tell stories for free unless it’s for someone close to me. How about we make another deal, and then I’ll tell you what you want to know about the cave.”
“What kind of deal?” The stranger started fidgeting with their skirt and Chayanne could see a slight tremor in their hand while they picked at the lace. Their face was as smooth as stone though, as they spoke in a business-like manner.
“I will tell you about the cave, and in return, you will give me your name. Simple as that.” Huh. Although a bit creepy that they insisted on knowing Chayanne’s name, it’s not like they could really do much with it anyways. They could have just as easily found out his name by simply walking around town and asking, so keeping it a secret wouldn’t do much of anything. They probably just had some strange moral code that their parents made them follow to be nice or whatever. Seeing no real disadvantage, Chayanne responded.
“Yeah, okay. I’m Chayanne.” A sudden breeze drafted against his neck, sending goosebumps down his back. The blonde across from him suddenly stood, seeming much more energetic than they had been before.
“Wonderful, wonderful. What a lovely name that is.” They smiled tightly down at him with their eyes crinkling at the edges. After breathing in a deep breath of the cool air and fixing the pleats in their skirt that had gotten ruffled when standing up, the energy that had appeared so quickly dissipated from their body language, and they once again sat properly on the rock. They probably had trouble making friends because of how weird they were, so the boy decided to let it slide. They looked pretty happy and even if they were annoying, he wouldn’t be the one to burst their bubble. “Anyways,” They continued, “About the cave. My trips down there have been somewhat brief, only for a few hours at a time. But every one of those trips were exquisite. The stalactites reached almost to the floor of the cave, which was smooth and slightly slippery. Multiple underground streams flowed and produced a very pleasant atmosphere. They traveled out to the ocean, I assume. But the best part of all,” They leaned forward, trying to make sure their acquaintance was listening. “The best part was the glowing stones. They were not of the world you are familiar with. They lined the walls, purple and blue and green, shifting colors every time I turned my head.”
“That’s impossible, though. You’re joking with me. I know rocks don’t glow naturally. I’m not stupid, man.” The boy scoffed a bit. He was just getting interested in the description, too. But now it’s clear this person was just messing with him, like they had been this whole time. The boy stood up. “I’m done with this. You go annoy someone else. I thought you had something cool to talk about, but I’m not a fan of fairy tales.” He started to walk away when the blonde grabbed his wrist, somehow being right next to him without him noticing.
“How about I show you then? Prove to you I’m not lying. Because I never lie.” Their grip was just a bit too tight for the calm facade they were trying so hard to maintain.
“No, get off of me. That’s weird.” The boy yanked his hand away, or at least he tried to. The stranger’s hand was cold as ice as they strengthened their grasp, keeping the boy in place.
“I’m trying to keep my end of the bargain here. I want to take you to the cave.” The boy was freaking out now, moving backwards with awkward steps with the blonde following after.
“Stop touching me, creep! I don’t wanna see the stupid cave!” He yelled, still trying to dislodge their hand from his arm. The stranger’s golden eyes narrowed and the sounds of nature seemed to be dimmed as they revealed sharp rows of teeth that were more like daggers than actual bones.
“You’ve been extremely rude, Chayanne. I’m not sure if I want to continue being this merciful with you.” A deep-seated wave of fear crashed over his body when the creature spoke his name. The boy screamed in terror at the sight of those teeth so close to his face and tried desperately to shake off this thing that was attacking him. He clawed at their arms as they tugged him back towards the hole, digging into their skin with his nails.
“No, stop! What the hell are you doing? You’ll kill me, you’ll kill me!” The creature only laughed. Its head was turned away from the boy, looking at the pit with a wild smile on its face, surely anticipating the sickening crunch of the boy’s bones hitting the bottom of the cave. Thinking fast, the boy kicked the creature in the stomach. It doubled over, one hand clutching its stomach but still holding fast to the boy’s arm with the other. The boy then smashed his boot into the monster’s forehead which seemed to be the final blow. The monster staggered backwards, hissing as it clutched its head which had a strange burn where the boy’s boot had hit. It didn’t spot the edge of the abyss behind it before it was too late. It slipped, eyes going wide as it tumbled backwards, screeching an ear-splitting note when it couldn’t find any purchase on the cave walls. It continued to scream as the boy stepped away from the hole, making him cover his ears with his shaking hands as he turned and ran.
His vision blurry and his lungs screaming, he dashed away, trying not to look back in fear of what he would see. The darkness was fast approaching as he sprinted as fast as he could, doing his best to avoid the jutting roots and branches. He stumbled, falling on the rocky ground and scraping both his hands. But there was no time. He scrambled to get back up and continued on. The boy never stopped running until he went inside his house and slammed the door, locking it tightly behind him.
And there, standing in the hallway, was where he was finally safe. The boy slumped against the front door and slowly tried to calm his breathing. The warm glow of the living room lamps shined down the hall and illuminated all the familiar items in the hall. Family pictures from their vacations to Italy, little nick knacks his dad gathered over the years from forgetful tourists, the crocheted tapestry gifted to them by his vovó, and the glass maple syrup bottles that just looked too pretty to throw away. The boy was home.
A gasp came from the stairs, turning the boy’s head to the noise. His mom was rushing down the stairs towards him with a stern but worried look on her face.
“Where the hell were you, we’ve been calling and calling for three hours now! Your father’s still out looking for you with half the town.” She held his face in her hands, twisting and turning his head to look for injuries. “It’s not like you could’ve left the island, but the Jones’s kids said they saw you walking towards the lighthouse. Didn’t I tell you not to get too close to that thing? The waves over there can wash you away in an instant.” She started to pick the sticks and leaves out of his ragged hair. “Well? What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I-” The boy’s throat was clogged up. It felt like all the dirt in the forest had gotten itself lodged in his gullet, leaving him unable to get anything out. He panicked, eyes bugging out of his head while he clawed at his neck, trying to figure out what was wrong. His breathing grew fast-paced again and the boy became lightheaded. He stumbled over to the couch, knocking into the coffee table with his shins before dropping down onto the sofa haphazardly with his mom following close behind. His hands gripped his dark hair as he hunched over himself, trying to get away from the constricting sensation.
“Meu bem? Are you choking? What’s wrong?” His mom sat on her knees in front of him to try and look into his eyes. “Deep breaths. Calm yourself.” The boy tried desperately to control his breathing, just focusing on moving air in and out, staying away from the mental image of an otherworldly creature chasing him through the woods with those gleaming, vivid eyes. “Hey, hey. Focus, please. In and out.” Right. Yes. The boy slowly and carefully calmed his breathing and released his hands from his hair. Leaning back on the couch, the boy breathed a sigh of relief before attempting to speak again, tensing slightly in anticipation for the sensation to come back again.
“I’m- I’m okay now. I didn’t mean to scare you. I don’t know what happened.” So far so good. It was like the problem was never there. The boy had to remind himself that what he had just gone through was not a dream, and what he had seen within those trees was still out there. He took a deep breath in and started to explain. “Mom, I didn’t go to the lighthouse. I went-”
It was back. His mouth refused to open, to spill everything that was so desperately important. His mom leaned forward, concerned.
“Where did you go? I’m sure it’s not as bad as you’re making it in your head, honey. Just talk to me and we’ll figure it out.”
“I can’t.” The words burst out uncontrollably. The boy slapped his hands over his mouth. He hadn’t said that. That wasn’t him. The words continued, even as he tried to hold them back. “I mean, I can. Apologies. I wasn’t thinking straight. I did go to the lighthouse because I wanted to go on a walk.” The boy felt like he was floating behind his own eyes. Stuck watching his own life play out in front of him. He tried to scream but his body didn’t react, leaving him to panic in tortuous silence. His mom sighed.
“I’m disappointed in you, son. Do you know how much you worried me and your dad? We nearly called the cops because we thought you might have been kidnapped. At least write a note before you leave, or pick up your phone, or bring a friend, do anything.” She stood up and the boy, against his own will, did so too. “But it’s late. We will all have a long conversation about this in the morning, no excuses.” She hugged him and with a pat on the back, nudged him to the stairs. “No more running off. Go to your room and get changed for bed, your clothes are all dirty.” The boy remained silent as he robotically walked up the steps and into his messy room. It was only when the door shut behind him that the boy was finally released from that foreign power over him. It was like feeling the breeze on your skin for the first time after being locked inside during a tornado, seeing the wreckage left behind but still being glad you were outside again. The boy instantly tried to leave his room, but there was something still pulling him away from the door. His head felt foggy and he held his head, trying to keep himself sane. What was he doing again?
The room was now bathed in moonlight. The white, thin curtains waved slightly from the cracked open window and his desk was covered in unrecognizable shapes that he knew contained his art supplies. His bed, unmade and covered in old scraps of paper, looked very enticing as the boy finally felt the exhaustion settle in his bones. His shoulders slumped and he stepped carefully around the piles of clothes on the floor, slipping off his socks before flopping down face first onto his bed. Forget changing, he was going to bed now. The boy shifted, trying to get comfortable and relaxed enough to pass out. He was safe now. Whatever that creature was wouldn’t be able to enter the house, not without alerting his parents. But through his closed eyelids, the moonlight shone bright enough to be impossible to ignore, keeping the boy from sleep. He grumbled a bit and after a bit of deliberation about if it was worth it to get up, he stood to close the curtains. He shuffled over to the window and started to slowly drag the curtains in place.
But his eye caught something. There, in the backyard, shaded by the rose bushes and pine trees, a pair of golden, gleaming eyes stared at him. The boy felt ice drip down his spine, stuck in a deep pit of dread as he watched the thing grin and slowly, slowly bring a finger up to its lips. Its face was triumphant and terrible, disfigured from its intentions but somehow still void of flaws. The boy's hands were shaking. All he could do was watch in terror as the beast moved its hands as if it was controlling an invisible puppet. The boy let out a choked noise as his own body began to move on its own, forcing him to wave his hand at the creature before turning jerkily towards his bed and getting under the covers.
That was where he became completely immovable. A prisoner in his own mind, unable to make any noise besides a few pitiful whimpers that wouldn’t be loud enough to wake anyone. His body, although appearing relaxed, was as stiff as a board; he couldn’t move an inch, stuck in this perpetual hell for who knows how long. The boy’s back was to the window, but he could still feel those stinging eyes on him. There was nothing he could do except wait and hope that his tormentor would be merciful enough to leave him alive. He did not sleep.