The Glowing
The Glowing
Dustin Feyder Intro: The house between two towns Chapter 1: A Room without Doors
Intro The house between two towns
Austen has not been home in twenty years. He and his siblings took a road trip when he was fourteen and he never went back. Austen traveled cross country, backpacking most of the way. He started his trips in Troy Minnesota, walked to Wound Knee South Dakota, Chimney Rock Nebraska was next, Rocky Springs Colorado. After that that his sisters and brother stopped following him, things were largely a blur after that. Austen remembers stopping in Flags Michigan, and St. Croix Wisconsin. That is where had gone to college. The trip home he took by bus. Austin is a writer by trade, when he was twenty still in school his first book hit store shelves. Three more have come since. He isn't world famous by any means but is at least recognizable in and around whatever community he happens to drift to. So what would drive a man who has gone so far to separate himself from everyone he knew to come back? Illness in the family. What else could it have been? Austin's father is in the hospital. He has been slipping in and out of conciseness for about a week. Jim, Austin's father, seems to be having trouble remembering things even when he is awake. Austen has already been to see his father, the hospital he is in is in the city of Paul, the next town over. When Austen tried taking to Jim, Jim knew the voice, but couldn't recall who it belonged to. Jim couldn't remember the year, who is president. Jim was under the impression it was 1960, Nixon was in office and the Battles are coming to town. Almost nothing of the man Austen knew as his father still reamend. The doctors seem to think Jim may recover given time. But if he doesn't, Austen has to be at hand to take over Jim's estate. As they approach the broader between Paul and Troy, Austen starts whispering the names of the streets to himself "11 and Chicago. That is the soda bar. 11 and Lake, Cup grocery, 11 and Garfield, Urban Fashion is three blocks north of here." His eyes widen as he sees a burned down gas station at the next stop "11 and 36 Good Mom's bakery. That means..." the next block up will be 11 and 38th his father's house.
The plain had been for Austen to go straight to his uncle's house but instead, Austen pulls the rope to request a stop. He picks up his backpack and runs down the street to look upon the home he had been born in. The house where he spent every Friday and Saturday of his life and every summer. The house between two cities. Austen's parents were never together, his mother was 14 when he was born, his father 18. Jim was leaving for the Army when he was born, and Austen was 4 years old before he met his father. Jim and Tori, Austen's mother, had one thing in common. Neither one could hold down a relationship. Both had been married five times, and both are single today. But this house, the house on the corner of 11 and 38th, even after the revolving door of adults in his life, this place was always here. From the outside, this house looks no different than any other house on the block, chain fence, stepping stones leading to the front door, four-season patio, two and a half stories. Brown and green paint on the overhang, stucco siding, two trees in the front yard and bushes on both sides of the main door, a wooden gate separates the house from the garage. Memories flood Austen's mind. Mostly good one, friends first and for most, Randi, Robb, Phil, then family, Joe, Ben, Sarra. But then something else starts to creep into his thought. Memories of something else, something threatening. Austen grips his chest and walks backward several steps, his eyes turn up to the second story window. It is stain glass, has the visage of a sun and moon crossing over. A shadow passes behind the glass, this is something that simply cannot happen. Austen knows were in the house that window is. The stain glass window is a façade there is a particle board plank behind it, on the other side of that is the attic crawl space. The window itself is the same size as the crawl space. No one could possibly stand behind, it is less than two feet high.
The shadow turns it's body looking down. A candle lick flicker of light shimmers through the glass. Austen remembers, the Thing he saw in his father's house as a child, the thing that has followed him for a lifetime. He never gave it a name. he has seen it, fought it, his friends have seen it as well. Maybe everyone in town has but no one will ever talk about the creature. The beast with glowing eyes. Austen continuing to walks backward tripping over the curb as he moves away from the house, his eyes fixated on the window. Once he has regained his footing Austen runs down the street back to the bus stop.
Chapter 1 A Room with no Doors 1993 Austen is 13, it is Friday, Austen knows well what that means. His father will be showing up around 5 pm and he will be heading down to his house. Austen runs up the steps of the apartment on Aquila street to his unit, 3ed floor number 8. Randi wasn't in gym class today. That is something concerning. During the school year, Austen stays with his mother and grandmother, as well as his sister, she is younger she just turned 6. Tori, his mother is 26, grandma 48. Grandma is home, she is sitting in the dining room a 1000 piece puzzle resting on the table. Grandma loves puzzles, this one is a special graphics puzzle, it is coated in a luminescent paint as is shaped like a lizard. Austen brakes his stride into the house for only a moment to stop by the dining room to offer grandma a kiss, then it is off to the kitchen. Austen needs to know where Randi is. Randi was going to fallow him to his dad's house or a barbeque. Austen was never good with numbers, nor was organization a strong suit. He has always seen himself as a mad artist in the making. But he has shown some level of competence working with tools. Clearly a skill he got from his father. Austen has set up the phone so that if he wants to talk to Randi he just needs to hold down the '#' and then press '6' not that it is even required he call, Randi lives in #8 on the second floor, their rooms are on top each other as well so Austen can yell down to Randi through the heater. But nevertheless, a phone call works better if Randi isn't in her bedroom. Yes, Randi is a girl. But neither Austen or anyone in their group of friends knew it. Randi's father, Doug, wanted Randi to be a boy. To this end Randi dresses and acts like a boy, short hair, spiked up, a room filled with action movie paraphernalia, nothing about Randi say 'girl' in any way. Randi is just as tough and fit as in of the boys around her. She is even the third best staff fighter out of the lot of them (Robb being the best, Joe and Austen still arguing over second.) kids born in the 80's was the last rough and tumble generation. Every kid, or at least all the ones Austen knew practiced boxing and wrestling, they all knew how to bow fight, and juggle knives, learning military field dressing was also high on everyone agenda. After all what else are kids going to do in the summer? The phone is picked up quickly, the voice on the other side is Doug "Brow residence." Austen speaks fast "Mr. Brow, where is Randi?" Doug is a too the point type "Out." The phone is hung-up without Doug hearing another word.
Austen keeps trying to talk "Randi and I are going to a barbeque..." the phone squeals the hang-up tone letting Austen know that Doug is no longer there. "I guess Randi isn't going to make it." After hanging up the phone Austen walks back to his bedroom, he trades out his school books in his backpack for a change of clothes, his NES, and a box of colored pencils. Next step is to head downstairs and what for dad. Austen leaves through the back door. There is a pool out back with a fence wrapped around it and a padlock. The pool is off limits from September-April. Robb is sitting on the back step waiting for his mom to come home. He has broken a branch off a tree somewhere and is whittling it down into the shape of a spear. The bark is peeled away and he is using a file on his multitool to shave one side down smoothly. Rob has deep-set eyes and red skin, he has dark hair and is the tallest of Austen's friends, Robb has been doing weight training for almost a year already. To spite being Native American Robb has a fascination with African American culture and style. Robb, Randi, and Austen are three people that should never have been friends if not for one thing. There is only one movie store within walking distance of Aquila street and all three of them a year or two ago started meeting there to trade games with each other. "Brother!" Robb drops his spear to walk over to Austen offering a hug and handshake. Austen hugs back uneasily "yo, have you played 'River City' yet?" Austen shakes his head, "no man, still playing 'Double Dragon', Randi gave you 'Final Fantasy' didn't he?" "Yeah," Robb nods "how are you doing in it?" "Wishing he gave me the Strat guide to go with it." "what is your team?" Austen ask "Fighter, Fighter, Thief, Monk." Austen looks confused "Dude. White Mage. How are you keeping healed up?" "potions brother, there cheap as shit in the town where you get the boat." Austen shrugs "I never thought to buy potions. I ran Monk, Red Mage, Black Mage, White Mage." As the two kids talk a gray Ford Ranger pulls into the parking lot, it has a custom bumper, a steal cage that Jim's brother Tom had welded onto the beast of a truck after an accident last summer. Rob notices and points to it to let Austen know his father is here. "One more thing, Who do you get shit done with the monk? His damage is pretty north of lame." Austen nods I understanding "Take off all his gear, the monk fights at his best in the nude, man to man, hand to hand. Beowulf style." Austen goes to meet his father as he is pulling up. Rob yells over one more thing "I just got a new walkie. On Monday I want you to fallow me up top, try a thing or two." Austen nods and waves. Austen gets in the truck with his dad. Jim is a hairy man, a scruffy beard, and a mullet. Jim is just coming from work so is still dressed in his pinstriped shirt and blue pants. Jim is a boiler technician, at the moment he is working for the privet school 'Are Lady of Grace' Jim is not a god-fearing man. He is an engineer, an antiorthodox percent of engineers are godless heathens. Austen would come to respect that in him, but not for a number of years still. On the drive to the house between two towns Jim takes a right turn to fallow the side street, he wants to drive around the lakes, make the drive take longer. The truck is a comfortable place for him. Jim has something on his mind. "where is Randi?" Jim starts with small talk. "Out apparently." Austen shrugs. "well that is less then specific." Jim thinks aloud. "Austen, Do you remember Big Wally?" Austen thinks a moment "He was at yours and Debbie's wedding, Tall guy, had a pony tail." Jim nods "he was in the service with me, I have told you that I think. We went to middle school together. Wally and I had been friends since we were both ten..." Austen turns looking at his father, that statement was past tense, 'did Wally get hurt?' is the first thing to come to mind for Austen. But he waits, his father will tell him. He is sure of it. "down by where we went camping last year, there is a town called Carlton. Whole place went up around a sand paper mill. Wally just bought a house down there. I got a call from Bob Evens. Wally had in accident." Now is the right time to ask "is Wally hurt?" Jim laughs to hide a cry "Wally is dead, took a walk off the side of the bluff. I have to go up there next Friday. Bob and I are mounting a plank in Wally's honor." One of Jims hands rubs down his beard whipping his face. He mumbles to himself a moment "then five became three." He speaks up again "Austen, stay close to the friends you have right now. The friends you make today will be the ones you are with for the rest of your life." Austen nods knowing what Jim is about to say "the three honors." He reaches up pulling on his neckless with three rings on it. Jim nods "Good boy." He pats his son on the head "Three honors: Honor your work, the worth of a man is found in his works, there is honor to be had in all things done honorably. Honor your Friends, for when the chips are down they will bleed alongside you. Honor your Family, when you fall it will be them that finish your final works." The rest of the drive is done in silence. There is little more that needs to be stated at this time. When they arrive at home, they enter in the back way. Beyond the tall red stained wooden gate rest a rock garden, a small fountain in the shape of a boy holding over head a urn, there are stepping stones that lead to a white woven archway with a rose bush growing around it, and an elevated landing where a grill and three chairs are set up, the back door just behind that. As Austen gets out of the truck Jim calls out "I am going to swing by the butchery, want me to grab anything for you?" Austen thinks for a moment as he walks across the rock garden "turkey sticks." Jim throws a thumb's up as he pulls out of the driveway. Walking in through the back door the first thing that comes into view is two stairwells, one going up the other down. At the top of the steps going up is a refrigerator and a door, past the door is the kitchen and pantry. From the top of the steps if one would continue on straight they would come to the den. turning right at the top would lead to a five way crossroads; straight and right leads to the craft room, this is where Jim's partner (they never married) Ruth set up her piano and sawing table, as well as the dolls and garments she forges, straight and left would you find the master bedchamber, the door is closed, it is always closed, Austen has a superstation forbidding him to touch that door, hard right is the bathroom, hard left is a door with the Fader family crest on it, that door leads up to the second floor, the library, the most valuable room in the house as far as Jim is concerned the guest room is also upstairs and the sitting room. Downstairs; is Austen's room, the tool room, laundry, under the steps is the storage closet, Jim has his army chest down there, his fatigues and combat knife as well dress saber, but not his service revolver, that he has hidden under the floorboards in the guest room, Austen doesn't know why Jim did that. In the center of these rooms is the tv room. There are two body mirrors downstairs, one is on the storage room door, the other in Austin's room. He has always found the mirrors unsettling. The one outside the storage room is long and thin with a redwood backing, two angel moldings sit atop it looking down with a threatening gaze in Austin's opinion. Austin makes a point of never looking in this mirror. The other has no backing, it is wide as it is long there is a one-and-a-half-foot gap over the mirror where there is a carving of a Viking ship mounted. The mirror stands across from Austin's bed. Maybe it is not just the mirror on the storage room door that scares Austin, maybe it is every mirror, any reflective surface really. Why? Mirrors reflect the world, but the reflection is imperfect, sometimes mirrors bend light, sometimes they ripple and in the reflection, the world itself flexes slightly, everything backward, even upside down under the right conditions. Maybe they are a hunting thing because they mock us and we can't laugh back. Austin even swears, when at his dad's house, the mirrors fall out of sync sometimes, the reflection a half step behind him. Austin greats Ruth, he knows her being home is rare, she is a doctor of chemical medicine and a GP for the local hospital. She is the smartest person in the town by a huge margin, even featured in Who's Who magazine for her work in chemistry. Ruth works 14 hours a day every day of the week. Austin offers Ruth a kiss and explains "Dad is going to the butchery, we are going to barbeque tonight." Ruth is a small woman, she as flashing tan hair and cute dark spots on her skin. She has thick glasses and a huge voice. Ruth was a singer in the 70's Austin understands, a regular renaissance man. "I know Austin." She smiles brightly. "what are you planning on doing." She points out the overstuffed bag he is holding. "Well, I don't know where Randi is so... I think I will call Phil." "I don't work until noon tomorrow; did you want to go with me to the county library after breakfast?" Ruth asks as she is sitting at her sewing table drawing up another design for a new doll. "Maybe." Austin thinks "ask me after food." Ruth nods "I will come get you when your dad gets back. Austen waves then goes downstairs. Phil is the newest member of Austin's group but is by far and away the one Austin is the most conferrable talking to, Phil just has a charisma about him that makes people love him. Austin would spend more time with Phil if he could but there is a problem. There was a shooting at a school in some nearby town last fall and Marcy, Phil's mother, thinks that Austin looks just like one of the shooters. So, in order for Phil and Austin to talk the two of them needed to come up with a code by which they could contact each-other. The first and easiest step in getting ahold of each other is 'the phone tag.' Austin Calls Phil, he counts to two, then hangs up. They have it timed out that this is half a ring on Phil's side. if Phil is home alone, he will call back immediately. If his mom is home he will call with the same half ring, this is a signal to Austin that Phil will not be free to talk till after 9 pm. Austin makes the call, he then lays on his bed to wait for the callback. Austin rolls onto his side he reaches down to open his backpack. His gaze catches the mirror. Under the bed, in the reflection something is hiding, it has a semi-human body, dark blue skin, thin bone arms, long carved fingers, where its mouth should be there are two crossed hands holding its mouth shut, where eyes should be two cupped hands concealing its face, its arms are stretched out reaching for the bag just as Austin is. Austin gasp and jumps out of bed. He picks up the lamp from his nightstand to shine it under his bed to see if what he saw in the reflection is actually there. What if it is? Truly, Austin had not considered that part. The light illuminates a blanket slide under the bed nothing more. Austin slowly stands, he places the lamp back on the table and closes his eyes waiting for his heart rate to slow back down to an acceptable level. Austin picks up his backpack thinking he should wait outside for his father. He turns to the bedroom door and the door is missing. A solid wall where the door was. This can't be. This sort of thing cannot happen. Reality is static. It doesn't bend. There is a door! He just can't see it. Austin is aware of the idea that he has suffered hallucinations in the past. Five or so years ago he was in a snowball fight outside the school and someone wanted to play dirty. Austin was struck on the side of the head by a large rock hidden in an ice ball. the type of hallucination started experiencing after that Ruth refers to as 'Perceived Parasitosis' something in his brain got 'shook loose' and sometimes a single is fired telling him he is being touched or held. This is nothing like that. Austin closes his eyes, he starts counting waiting for the feeling of dreed to pass. Austin is struck from the side, he is forced to turn to look into the mirror. His eyes snap open. A monster towers before him. It is too large to even stand upright in the room. It has eight torso's stacked one on top of the other only five of which have useable arms, the rest are acting like legs, it has eight hip bones, each with a set of legs attached in an inverted way so the legs growing out of it are cocked backwards like insect legs, hands are growing out of its neck as if to strangle itself, its eyes and mouth are covered by more hands growing out of the back of its head. Austin is paralyzed, the monster steps out of the mirror as if it was an open door. Four arms grab Austin, two around the chest, two around the waist. The monster hoists him in the air to bring the child up to eye level. Austin brings his arms up instinctually grabbing onto the support beams on the ceiling. The hands covering the beast eyes slowly peel back showing off the things hallow skull and the candle glow burring in the depths of its eyes. Then the hands start to pull away from its mouth showing off an incendiary furnace glowing in its chest. Austen tries to scream, the heat rising from the monster steals the breath from Austin's lunges. Slowly the monster starts to move closer drawing Austin into its chest. The door is opened from the other side, Ruth step in, Austin falls from the ceiling landing on his kneels struggling to breath. The monster has retreated, Austin can see it hiding in the mirror. The unearthly thing has hidden under the bed, then slinked seemingly through the stone floor to some place that is not a part of this reality. Austin brings a hand up squeezing his chest, eyes bloodshot, sweating. That wasn't a hallucination, it couldn't be. Did Ruth see it? She is looking at him just as confused as if she saw nothing but him falling. What does that mean? Austin doesn't ask. Ruth has saved his life for a second time, and chances are she has no idea he was ever in danger.