Dark Spaces

A warm beam of sunlight from the bedroom window danced upon Ivan’s pale face. He blinked his hazel eyes gently, waking himself up. A single thought came from his mind. Today was his eighteenth birthday. Ivan took one step off his king sized bed, taking a deep breath before completely getting up. He slipped on a clean white t-shirt and some blue jeans and headed down the hallway towards the living room.

The house was a beautiful, bright, open home with many vast windows. Ivan went into the messy kitchen, opening the fridge. Ketchup, rotting cheese, and lettuce were all you could find inside. Ivan lived in the home with his best friend, Jeremiah, who didn’t seem to be home at the time. Ivan closed the fridge with a groan, and made his way over to the couch sluggishly.

Switching on the television, there was a faint ruffling sound coming from his bedroom. Ivan muted the TV, startled, listening to hear something else. Running a hand through his curly, dark brown hair, he tip-toed over to his room and peaked inside. The window was open and a cold breeze brushed through. There was a sheet of paper on his pillow that hadn’t been there before hand.

It read:

Dearest earthling,

We are aware it is your eighteenth birthday and think that the time has come that you meet us. Please go out to the middle of the corn field so we can talk.

Sincerely,

Aunt Carol and Uncle York.

Ivan furrowed a brow, but didn’t question much. His father always said Aunt Carol and Uncle York were a bit strange. Setting down the letter, and heading outside, Ivan began to get second thoughts. What if this was some stranger planning on killing him? Or what if Jeremiah was planning a nasty prank? Why would his aunt and uncle suddenly want to meet him now?

“This can’t be right.” Ivan said softly to himself as he made his way out the door. For some reason there were strange markings around the corn field as if some parts of it were flattened, making a pattern. He could see two specs that looked like people out in the middle of the corn field, so he started heading in that direction. “Why couldn’t they just come to the door?” Ivan asked himself.

The cornfield was a bit creepy to walk through, and sometimes Ivan heard strange noises and even had vivid nightmares about it. Haunted by the memories of the dreams, Ivan’s heart began pumping faster, and he began to sprint. As he grew closer and closer, a high pitched frequency rang back and forth around his head, and as he grew even closer it became louder and more painful to bear.

The noise made the eyesight blurry and it felt like his ears and brain were getting ripped to pieces. Then it stopped immediately as he reached two people. Exhausted, Ivan dropped to his knees and looked up at his uncle and aunt. His aunt had floppy, short brown hair, big eyes, and a bony face. Uncle York was very muscular and had a large head. They both looked unusual, but human.

“Look, I knew it was him. He hears it when he comes near.” Aunt Carol remarked quietly to York. He rolled his eyes and took a step away from her. They seemed very distant for a couple, and you could tell they did not enjoy each other’s company. Ivan gained strength then stood up. “Did you guys hear that, by chance?” He asked, completely disregarding introducing himself.

“Hear what, darling? I think you’ve gone mad.” Carol replied, putting a hand on her hip. York simply looked off into the distance awkwardly. They both were so strange; Ivan didn’t believe they were a part of his family. In fact, they rarely looked like any relatives, and why did Ivan’s mother and father never speak about them? Were they adopted or something?

Ivan just shook his head. “Anyway, why don’t we go up to the house?” He asked, taking a few steps forward. Carol and York nodded and they headed back. Ivan was going as quickly as he could through the corn, scared he might hear the noise again. When they got out of the cornfield, Ivan saw a car in the driveway. It was a over-sized Dodge Ram, that belonged to Jeremiah. Jeremiah was standing on the patio, waving Ivan down. “Who is that?” Carol asked curiously.

“That’s my roommate, Jeremiah.” Ivan replied. York made a low growl sound. They reached the porch to greet Jeremiah, with his short black hair and blue eyes. “Who’s this?” Jeremiah asked with a large smile. “This is my aunt Carol and my uncle York.” Ivan smiled in return. Jeremiah held his hand out to Carol first. She stared at it like she had no idea what he wanted from her, so Jeremiah awkwardly pulled away and stuffed his and into his pocket. “Okay…Well, I just wanted to tell you I’m about to go stay at my girlfriends house for the weekend. Nice meeting you two!” He nodded at Carol and York, turning back to Ivan. “I’ll see you later.” Then he took off.

“What a strange human being that boy is.” York said. Ivan shook his head and guided them into the living room. Carol and York took a seat on the couch, far apart from each other. “Do you want anything? We really only have water.” Ivan asked politely. They both had a sudden look of terror upon their faces. “No, no! None of that dreaded water you speak of!” Carol exclaimed. Ivan tilted his head. “Okay. Forget I asked.” He replied, taking a seat on the separate couch. There was a long moment of silence. “We need somewhere to stay.” Carol said suddenly.

“You can stay in Jeremiahs room. Stay as long as you like!” Ivan requested. York shot up, his face brutally distorted and twisted. It was almost un-human. “I refuse to sleep next to, or in the same room as her!” York boomed, causing Ivan to jump a bit. Carol didn’t seem fazed, even though she was insulted. “Please, set your heart at rest. You can sleep in my room instead, and Carol can take Jeremiah’s.” Ivan replied in a shaky voice.

York’s face went back to normal and he took a seat, letting out a sigh. “Escort us to our rooms, now. I’m sleepy, very sleepy.” His aunt and uncle were beginning to freak him out. “Right this way.” Ivan led York to his room, first. “York, this is where you will be staying.” Ivan smiled slightly. “Yes, good.” York replied, taking one step in. Just like that he shut the door on Carol and Ivan’s faces. Ivan swallowed and led Carol to the end of the hall were Jeremiahs room was. He opened the door with a long screech. Jeremiahs room was extremely messy other than a single path that went right to his bed.

Ivan turned around to face Carol and she was gone. Confused, Ivan looked around. “Thank you.” He heard a low-pitch voice say. Ivan turned back around and glanced into the room. Carol was already in the room and next to the bed. “How did you do that?” Ivan asked with wide eyes. “Do what?” Carol asked, jumping onto the bed. “Never mind, good night.” He replied as he shut the door and headed to the couch.

Ivan pulled the warm, blue, fuzzy blanket over him from the top of the couch. He lay on his back with a sigh and thought about how insane this situation was. Before he knew it he was in a deep sleep.

THAT NIGHT

Ivan awoke to the faint sound of clicking. It sounded like a transmitter of some sort. He blinked a few times and looked up directly at the TV. In the reflection, an un-naturally tall, dark figure with skinny arms and a large ovular head stood behind the couch. Ivan’s heart skipped a beat. He jumped off the couch and looked behind him. The clicking stopped and no one, or thing, was there. Ivan took a deep breath, rubbing his eyes. He went into the kitchen and turned on the faucet, filling a glass of water.

Ivan turned off the faucet and the clicking noise began again. The strange noise was coming from down the hallway this time

Setting the glass down, Ivan slowly began to walk down the hallway. The floorboards creaked eerily as he stepped. “Hello?” Ivan asked in a loud whisper. A faint glowing light was coming from Ivan’s bedroom and shined through the crack underneath the door. Ivan faced the door, heart racing. The clicking noise didn’t seem to help that queasy feeling inside his gut. It only made him more fearful.

Shadows passed the door rapidly as if many people were running in circles and the clicking noise began to grow, causing more suspense. Quietly, Ivan got on his stomach and peaked beneath the door. Something was very wrong. To Ivan it appeared as many feet floating and spinning around violently. The longer he stared the louder the clicking became. Just before he got up, as fast as one could blink, a shadow or person stood right by the door and suddenly began banging on the door.

Ivan screamed and bolted down the hall, hiding behind the couch. His heart was pumping, and his breath was ponderous. Ivan fell asleep after laying behind the couch for a long period of time.

THE NEXT DAY

Tick, tick, tick. Ivan squinted his eyes open. Tick, tick, tick. Ivan looked up to see York sitting on the dining room table staring at him, tapping his finger against a glass. “Have a rough night?” York asked with his head tilted with a sick, twisted grin on his face. “I just couldn’t sleep. That’s all.” Ivan replied, getting off the floor. He took a step on the back porch, closing the door behind him. Ivan took his cell phone out from his pocket and dialed Jeremiah’s number.

It rang a few times before there was an answer. “Hey man, what’s up?” Jeremiah asked in a cheery tone. “You have to help me,” Ivan said in a shaky voice “My aunt and uncle are insane.” There was a pause. “What?” Jeremiah asked with a slight laugh. Ivan checked the area to make sure no one was around. “They are literally insane. Listen, can you please just come get me or something?” Ivan begged. Jeremiah gave a long sigh.

“I guess, dude.” Ivan grinned. “I’ll be there in an hour.” Jeremiah confirmed. Ivan’s smile departed. “I have to wait here for an hour?” Ivan groaned. “Okay fine a half hour.” Jeremiah replied, and then he hung up. Ivan flipped his phone shut and stuck it back into his pocket. Looking out into the field, his jaw dropped in alarm. “Oh my god.” In the middle of the field there was a small fire lit, sparks shooting around the sky and black smoke rising. That wasn’t the part that scared him.

Carol was floating in midair, arms out and head up, making this peculiar twitching movement. Ivan jumped off the porch, forgetting the stairs, and began sprinting to the scene. He made his way to her, pushing his way through corn and breathing heavily. By the time he reached her, she was on the ground and her torn up brown jacket was covering her head so Ivan wasn’t able to see her. “Aunt Carol, are you okay?!” Ivan exclaimed, shaking her. The jacket slowly slid off her face, and Ivan’s was filled with horror.

Carol was not human at all. Aunt Carol was an alien. She was grayish blue and slimy and her eyes where black and very large. “It’s too late now. The others are coming.” Carols voice said. Ivan looked into her eyes and a horrible feeling rushed over him as if something was piercing deep into his skull. The high pitched frequency began ringing through his head. Ivan curled into a ball on the ground in fetal position, hands pressed against his ears and he began screaming in pain.

Ivan knew he had to fight it, so he got to his knees, screaming some more. Then he began crawling into the corn to hide or make his way to the house until Jeremiah rescued him. Something grabbed Ivan’s leg tightly, and he felt claws digging into his ankle. As it cut into his ankle the high pitch noise was blaring. Ivan looked down to see Carol. Her ridged, edged teeth were snarled. “YOU,” he kicked her hand with his other foot. “WON’T,” He kicked again “TAKE ME!!” Ivan let out one more powerful kick to her face. Alien Carol cried out.

Ivan watched in pain as she flew back into the fire that had been there. The fire sizzled and cracked loudly and consumed her in an instant. Ivan grimaced, standing on one foot weakly, and began limping through the corn to the house. As soon as he was few feet out of the corn field, Ivan saw Jeremiah on the back porch waving at him. Ivan smiled and began waving his arms and the high pitch noise stopped. Everything felt okay.

Suddenly, Alien York manifested behind him, but Jeremiah didn’t him. “Look behind you!” Ivan screamed as loud as he could but Jeremiah couldn’t hear him, he just continued to wave. Ivan shut his eyes tight as the alien grabbed Jeremiah. There was a blood curdling scream then everything went silent. All you could hear was the slight rush of the wind. Ivan opened his eyes and blinked a few times. No one was around and all the pain was gone.

Standing to his feet, Ivan sprinted to the house. Jeremiah’s car was gone. Ivan began searching the whole house, beginning with his room. Nothing seemed to be different at all. “Jerry!?” Ivan called out, bursting into Jeremiah’s room. He gasped at the sight. Everything in the room was gone. All of Jeremiah’s things are completely gone. The room was empty as if no one even moved in—as if Jeremiah never even existed.