Forever Running

The wind howls it’s rage outside, while I am snug and warm inside the house, with the fireplace blazing. I watch as the red-breasted flames do a lively jig, flickering on top of the freshly added wood. The warmth of the fireplace slowly unravels and spills around the room and I feel content. With no one else but me in the house, I can do whatever I want. I feel hungry, and go to the refrigerator. When I open it, all the light bulbs in the house explode. Leaving me with the faint glow of the fireplace.

A short circuit, I tell my self, and go to add more wood to the fire to get more light. I am frightened, but the logical side of my brain tells me I’m not. I tiptoe to the garage to get some more wood, careful not to make any sounds though I don’t know why. I’m supposedly not supposed to be afraid. My hands tremble slightly. When the gale blows a tree branch it clattered against the garage door. Now my non-logical side of my brain is telling me that I’m scared out of my wits. Run you dunce, run!!!! Regardless of anything, I clutch the wood close to my body, and rush inside the house. The door slams behind me without the assistance of my hand.

It’s the pressure difference in the garage and the house and, and, I have no idea what to tell my self, and go back close to the fireplace, huddling close to it. I look around for candles and flashlights. I find a bunch of candles, 3 flashlights, and 14 large batteries. I light half the candles, which is about 16, and place them near me, and around the darkest corners of the room, desperately trying to bring light to the house. With those candles there, I’m comforted somewhat. I get out a flashlight with a wide beam and look for more candles. Even though I collect candles, I am surprised at the abundance of them in my house. Though as not to say I didn’t want lots of candles right now, no sir.

I find lots of birthday candles, large Christmas candles, aromatherapy candles, and I also find some incense and a souvenir oil lamp. I take all the oils I can think of, cooking oil, oil for the car, and even perfume and place it near the lamp. I put in the cooking oil first, knowing it would burn longer, and lit it. I turned the knob, and the flame grows brighter. Even had a little warmth to it. I lit many birthday candles and placed them everywhere. The room was a bit brighter, but not as bright as I wanted it to be.

Why was I so scared? I soon put up candles everywhere I could think of. It started to look like a temple. The room was still not bright enough for my liking. I started shivering from fright, and I realized I had to go to the bathroom. I knew I could find more candles in the bathroom drawers. I light many candles and place them all around the halls to the bathroom. Flush went the toilet. I get out so many candles, I couldn’t count them all, and went back to the kitchen. I found some dry food, lots of bottled juices and water, and a large pack of waterproof matches and a lighter. I go back near the fireplace, put some more wood on the fire, and blow in it slightly to get a bigger flame, and munch on some chips.

My fear had gone for the moment, until some candles went out. There’s no wind, I thought, and some more candles went out. I quickly relighted them all. The fire in the fireplace went out. I calmly lit the fireplace with a candle, and set it ablaze again. Though my face revealed no emotion, I was screaming inside. More candles went out. I lit them all, and stood with my lighter, finding myself screaming, "STOP! STOP IT!!!! STOP BLOWING OUT THE CANDLES!"

My lungs heaved as I sucked in air. I sat down, shaking, and convinced there was a presence near me. I wrapped a blanket I found on the couch tight around me. The wind was still whipping around the house. I wrapped it tighter around me. I couldn’t see whatever was in those shadows in the corners, but I could feel it’s eyes drilling into me back. I frantically hoped the thing out there lurking in the shadows wouldn’t get me. Would it? I asked in my mind. Something whispered near my ear, "Yes, I will." I didn’t restrain my self. I screamed as loudly as I could, and ran from the house. I ran into the dark night. I ran, felling the thing behind me, steadily gaining. It leaps, and penetrates my body, and enters my body; taking over.

"Ahhhhhh. At last, I have found a suitable body." I sigh. But those are not my words. I cannot assail the thing controlling body, and I feel myself smoothing my hair and straightening my clothes. I walk with calm composure now, in the moonlight, going back to the house. In my mind, I’m still running from the thing, forever running, running, running…