It all started with a simple question.
It was a fine, clear night. The lady was perched on the side of the bed as usual, watching her meticulously tidying up the messy desk.
As nonchalantly as possible, the lady asked, " The, um, you-know-what thing, it's safely locked away right? 12 bolts all tightly locked up?"
She startled. The lady has never brought up that issue since the past few months. The darkest past few months. She shuddered at the mere thought of it.
"Yes, behind a heavy metal door 12 inches thick."
"Oh, yes...." The slight frown on the lady's face disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
"Why? Is something bothering you?" She glanced up at the lady.
"Oh, no. Just wondering." The lady chirped. A big smile plastered on her face.
Then she saw it again. The quickest flash of darkness across the lady's eyes. She blinked. The lady was still smiling cheerily at her.
" You can go now. It's getting late too. Better get some rest. I need my beauty sleep too," she winked.
She looked at the lady again, with a worried frown on her face.
"Sure if you say so."
She then turned around abruptly and walked to the door, her light footsteps barely making an indention on the carpet beneath.
As she walked along the long hallway to her bedroom, she mulled over the lady's question, clearly disturbed by it.
When she tucked herself in bed, her mind was still whirling, the question still giving her the jitters. She thought about the past few weeks. The sudden, occasional glimpse of a shadow, the lady's more than frequent refusal to leave the house other than for work purposes, the lack of guests knocking at the door, and the lady's eyes, yes, those eyes, seemed darker than usual. Black. The blackness of something forbidden. Evil. And the lady, unknowingly, was more cynical than usual. Throwing hurtful remarks around, which were then quickly disguised as a joke with a "I'm just kidding" line. And the cheeriness, those big smiles and the cheerful sing-song tone, were merely a mask, a cover up. She knew so because she was the only one who was able to look deep into the lady's eyes, which tell a different story altogether.
But then, she thought about the 12 inch thick metal door, and the 12 bolts, and she shook her head.
"It just can't be possible", she whispered to herself, "It just can't be..."
Finally, after an hour of tossing and turning around in her bed, she pulled off the covers and slipped her bare feet onto the cold tiled floor. She just had to take a quick look, just a peek, to reassure herself. She dug around in her bedside drawer until her fingers closed around a heavy metal key, and she slipped it into her pants pocket.
She tip-toed passed the lady's room and hurried down the stairs, as quietly as possible. She did not want to wake the lady and cause her unnecessary worry. When she reached the basement, she flicked on the light switch. Utter darkness. It wasn't unusual as they rarely bothered to check on the lights down at the basement since they barely come down this far. Her hands groped around in the dark until she found the cabinet where they stored some candles and matches in case of an emergency. Deftly, she lighted a candle, the sudden glow from the candle blinding her a moment, as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. She stared around at the dimly lit basement, her eyes resting on a heavy wooden door to her right, and her heart started to beat furiously.
"Don't be ridiculous," She reassured herself, "Everything will be fine."
She stepped towards the door, and slipped the key into the keyhole. With a swift turn of the key, the door swung open, revealing an empty room. Empty except for a huge heavy metal cabinet bolted shut by 12 locks in the corner.
She gingerly walked towards the cabinet, using the dimming light from the candle to illuminate the way. Carefully, she ran her fingers on the surface of the cabinet, holding the candle up high, scrupulously checking for any damage or openings.
After a thorough search, she stepped back, satisfied.
"Silly me, of course there's nothing to worry about," She muttered to herself.
Then, just abruptly, her candle flickered. A slight flicker. She gasped.
"It's probably just my imagination running wild," She thought, "I should get some rest."
Just as she turned to leave, it happened again. The flicker of the candle. More noticeable this time. She scurried over to the cabinet again, searching, looking for signs of a leakage.
Then, she saw it.
The tiniest gap. The smallest breach. But big enough for It. She held her candle to the hole, and it flickered as a stream of darkness flowed out from it. She let out a small yelp and scampered to the door, quickly locking it behind. She then dashed up the stairs, rushing to the lady's room, not bothering to lighten her footsteps. She had to warn the lady.
She came to a halt outside the lady's door, panting, catching her breath. Then it happened right before her eyes. The slightest wisp of darkness curled itself around the door knob, creating a makeshift bolt.
And then, there was a slight laughter. A barely audible sinister laughter. She stifled a whimper as she backed away from the door.
She had to get help. She didn't know how, but she just had to.
