In the Dark

by Iris Sweetwater

  The tower itself didn’t have any artificial lights on it. There was some rule, she guessed, about modernizing historic buildings like this. The tower was on some tourist list as a historical place or something.

  So, other than a few lights from the buildings surrounding the old town square, there was nothing but darkness. It was a little creepy, even as Alex thought about it.

  She felt a pull to the place as if all the answers were right there in front of her, in this old structure.

  There was no one else around, not near her anyway, as she put one foot in front of the other, to reach the steps to the clock tower.

  It was a little unassuming on the inside actually. It was a concrete rectangle with steps on both sides leading to a little area where people could sit or even hold weddings. She knew a lot of people would rent it out and use it as a gazebo for ceremonies. It made sense. It was large and pretty in the daylight. Being a bride in front of the bustling parts of the old town center was just the kind of attention someone would want on their big day.

  The only sound she heard, as she looked around at some of the artwork put high up on the inner walls, was that of her shoes against the concrete, an eerie echo ringing through the night. The drawings were of the building of the tower or famous people that came through this town a long time ago. She dared to look up even further, gauging how high it was to the top. It may not have been the tallest structure in town, but inside like this, it was so much larger than herself and daunting. It really put everything into perspective, even more so than looking down at the water from the bridge. Her place in the world was so tiny and insignificant, and yet she was thinking she could do and be something great and worthwhile. What did it matter beyond this town, though, beyond her own circle of existence?

  Her eyes slowly followed the walls upward, counting as she went like she would get the exact height by doing so. Above her sat the bell, reaching up into the sky, with a spire. She knew, on the outside, the color was of adobe. There was a door, in the very corner of the space, she knew led to a corridor with stairs that would go all the way up to the top. It made it accessible to whoever’s job it was to ring the bell, to signal the start of a day or the start of any event in the building. As with the rest of it… it was ancient, no elevator to make the job easier. She imagined anyone who did it would have to be in good shape. She also imagined them to be big and fearless. It was surely a trapped and tiny space, full of cobwebs, ghosts of knowledge and days passed.

  She approached the door for some reason, feeling of the knob. It had a keyhole in it, and she doubted it would just budge, but she tried it anyway. To her increasing interest, it popped open easily.

  Inside, it smelled musty; not the kind of place a teenage girl would typically want to be. But she was haunted. She was haunted by the town and the life she had grown up in; haunted by the thoughts that she was forever trapped in a dream. It felt like some alternate universe she would never get out of, so she could live her life normally again. Besides, if this was all a dream, she had to follow her promptings to get out. As soon as she woke up, she would ask to see a doctor about this. Maybe, she had some kind of anxiety or sleep disorder that medicine would fix right up. A doctor could fix her brain, and she would never have to feel crazy again.

  “Okay, Alex, you can do this,” she told herself with a new determination in her tone, before placing her foot on the bottom step. She looked back once and decided to leave the door open just in case. The last thing she wanted was to find out this was all real. Afraid of getting trapped at the top of the tower, to have to jump or be stuck there until the fire department came to rescue her. What an embarrassment that would be to explain.

  She began to climb the spiral staircase that led up further than her eyes could adjust to seeing in the dark. Luckily, in here, there were a couple of burning lamps on the side, a convenience she was sure many fought for with this old structure. They only led her as far as the next one, her figure casting odd shadows to the side.

  Her legs were feeling tired as she got about halfway up, and she sat for a moment, rubbing the calf muscles to soothe them. She couldn’t imagine how adults were able to do this when her 17-year-old self was getting tired. Then again, she had been out and about all day. Maybe her body was just exhausted.

  Wait, if she could feel this, it couldn’t be a dream, right? That’s why people talked about pinching themselves in a dream, wasn’t it? They couldn’t feel it, it wasn’t real, and it would make their mind understand. But there had been no change in her state of consciousness as the slight ache sat in. But then again, it could just be a trick, a familiar feeling her body knew how to signal. Or, it could be the way she was laying in her bed, that made her feel this way.

  With a sigh, she stood back up, her hair clinging to the back of her neck, with sticky sweat, as she traveled the rest of the steps to the top. Then, a cool breeze began to hit her, as she found an open hole that led right to the bell.

  She went through and came out in the open, the bell looming right in front of her, like a sleeping giant. It was so tempting, the idea of reaching out and ringing it, but if this wasn’t a dream, she would certainly be in quite a bit of trouble for such an action. Instead, she began to walk around the heavy metal in a circle, careful not to look down. She didn’t want to feel the sway and be pulled towards the ground, through the gaping hole surrounding the bell.

  Just as she was rounding the other side of the bell from the steps, she let out a shriek of horror, then stood frozen, still, her mouth locked in an open and silent scream. She was not alone up there. There was a shadow in the corner; a figure of a man in chains. Was this some old statue that had belonged to the church when it was first built, or some prank?

  Alex moved closer, hesitantly, trying to see what it was, prove that it was either a trick of the shadows or some statue. As she approached, the chains rattled. The figure moved. She waited, letting out a soft gasp, to see if whoever it was came into the streak of light from the moon.

  “Can you see me?” a male’s voice came through the darkness. She knew she should turn and run. Everything in her was preparing for it; heart pumping and body sweating with the adrenaline rush, but she didn’t move. She needed answers more than she needed safety right now. She knew she did. She didn’t answer him, though, her voice getting caught in her throat with a big lump. “I asked if you could see me,” the voice came again, and the figure came into the light where she could see. It didn’t help her speechlessness, as she surveyed who it was… WHAT it was.

  Instead of the moonlight showing all the details, though, there were burning embers surrounding the man…the creature. Whatever it was, lit up everything there was to see and was almost too much for her to handle.

  His body was toned. As a man, he was a beautiful creation, the kind that looked like he could play football like he regularly went to the gym. On the level of being a female, Alex had to notice that part. There was something even more frightening and fascinating about him, more and more as her eyes went along. Maybe she should have been running or saying something before this situation got bad. She couldn’t know if someone like this meant her harm, in a dream world or in reality, but she just couldn’t stop staring.

  Her eyes followed his black jeans up to his bare chest. It was covered on one side in a tattoo that she couldn’t decipher at the moment. It was very tribal.

  The chains seemed to be everywhere, tangled up in his body and yet not actually wrapping around anywhere. It was not until Alex’s eyes surveyed his back that she realized they was hooked into the side of the bell tower like a long leash. From behind him sprung a pair of charcoal colored wings with amazing details, as if she was looking at a living drawing, instead of a being in real life. It was as if to prove this was all a dream. But, she was at her most awake.

  Alex no longer believed it to be a dream at that moment, ironically.

  The embers seemed to come from some of the lower feathers, crackling, and spurting. They never did a
nything but dance around this being. They never threatened to get out of control, yet, or come for Alex.

  “Yes, I can see you,” she said finally, in a much more confident tone than she believed her voice could be. “I see you, and I believe you, but I don’t know what you are or why. Tell me!” she demanded as if using a script that she hadn’t written for herself.

  “You want me to tell you what’s going on when you’re not supposed to be able to see me or know that I am here?” he asked with a strange smile. Something seemed to play on his face, she couldn’t quite read the meaning of. In the darkness, she noticed his scruff, not quite completely unshaven, but unkempt. His dark hair just touched the nape of his neck, before making one curl back up, as if it had just been freshly cut.

  “Why am I not supposed to see you?” Alex asked boldly, taking a step closer. “Is it that no one comes up here, or is it something else?”

  “Someone has to come ring the bell.” That was such a non-answer, it had her feeling angry, and yet at the same time, she wanted to laugh. She got the idea that he might be making a joke. “It’s something else. I don’t know exactly how much to tell you. This hasn’t happened before, and it can’t be a good sign; for either of us.”

  Alex shook her head. If she could agree with anything, it was that. “A few strange things have been happening to me. I thought I was dreaming before.” Why was she admitting this to him?

  “And what do you think now?” he asked, seemingly more interested in her answer than she would think.

  “I have an imagination, but not like this. I know you shouldn’t be real. You look like an angel. I don’t know if I believe in them. But I guess I must now. You’re too real.” Alex leaned forward, her finger reaching out as if to try and touch him. He moved back, partially into the shadow of the corner he was in, before, when she arrived. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, looking down.

  “I can assure you that I am real and not a dream. I just don’t know how you fit into all of this or even if you’re the only one who could see me now. Could you always have seen me or is this new?” He sounded more like he was talking to himself and thinking out loud, rather than to her. It made sense, though, if he was always alone and no one could see him. His social skills were likely lacking. “What weird things have been happening?” he finally asked, the chains dragging and grinding over the ground as he stepped forward once again. He was so close to her this time, she could smell the heat coming off of him, though felt nothing. It was the strangest thing.

  The more she saw of him, the more she knew this was really happening.

  “It’s like deja vu. Like the same things are happening over and over, and I am stuck. They are maybe a tiny bit different based on what I do, but ultimately comes out to be the same. My friends are doing the same thing every single day.” It all came spilling out, and she hoped this man would have an answer; something she could take with her.

  “So, you’re reliving the same day, then, or something like that?” he asked, his hand coming up to rub his chin like she imagined old men in long coats with tails would do, back before television was in color.

  “Yes, something like that,” she said with a nod. “What does it mean?”

  “I don’t know that right now, but you need to pay attention. Watch everything you do, watch everything everyone does, and see what you can figure out. Maybe you’ll get some answers and come back here in a few days. Or, possibly, you’ll forget all about this and not notice anything anymore.”

  What he said was much too ominous for her liking, but she felt she needed to do it. Without another word, she went back down the stairs, taking them quickly, while feeling a bit feverish. Her parents would certainly notice something was off, but she didn’t care. Her life was changing faster and in a new way she never thought possible. She could feel herself at the edge of a precipice, and she was going to figuratively jump, to get to where she needed to be, to figure this all out. She somehow knew she was the only one who could.

  Chapter 4

  By doubting we are led to question, by questioning we arrive at the truth. ~ Peter Abelard

  ALEXANDRA came home just as clouds began to appear in the sky, the mugginess proclaiming its worth as a sudden downpour began. She came in, drenched from just a few moments in the torrential rains, knowing she was going to soak the carpet if she didn’t at least take off her shoes in the entryway.

  She could see that dinner had already been served, eaten, and cleaned up. Her parents were both in the living room where she could see them working in a crossword puzzle together. “Goodness, sake, Alexandra, let’s get you dry!” her mother exclaimed, as she stood up and came to her with a towel from the guest bath. Alex began to get her wet shorts and her shirt off, her father staying engrossed in what he was doing. She wouldn’t have to worry about modesty.

  She was going through the motions anyway, though, as her thoughts were on everything she had been through, that day. She was going to do what he had said, whoever he was, and pay close attention. She wasn’t going to let her guard down, even for a second. She felt like she knew that if she did, it would be the end of everything.

  “How was your day?” her mother finally asked as she found herself with her hair up in a bun, while it dried. Now in dry pajamas, she sat watching the television with her family. The news was on, and she was paying closer attention than she usually would. She wanted to be able to hear if anything was out of the ordinary, with anyone other than herself. Would this turn into alien sightings, signs of the end? Would someone see the angel in the clock tower and report it?

  “It was alright, a little boring, actually. I saw Wesley, though,” she answered without turning away from the TV.

  “Oh, that’s nice. I guess you won’t get to see so much of him soon, so you better get as much time in as possible.” Alex nodded, agreeing with what her mother was saying. There were bigger fish to fry right now. Something more sinister than her best friend leaving for college was happening right here in the middle of Kingsbridge, and she had to figure out what.

  ***

  Alex woke up the next morning, feeling ill. She didn’t know if it was from all the walking, the lack of proper sleep, or the heat, but she was not up for much. She came down late, moaning and groaning as her stomach growled for food. Though she felt disinterested, she had to find a way to keep going because she had a job to do. The angel from the clock tower was still on her mind, his tattoo playing a part in her dreams, all night long. She tried to decipher it to no avail.

  “Oh, honey, you don’t look so good,” her mother said, helping her sit down as breakfast was finishing up; the exact same breakfast she had the morning before.

  Sure, it wasn’t unusual for them to have large breakfast or home-cooked meals. Both of her parents were great cooks with more time on their hands than other parents in the neighborhood, but she stared down at her plate and glass. It was like the same arrangement of them to a “T”. Three slices of bacon on the left, one mini pancake at the top, and a pile of two fluffy eggs on the right. Her OJ was even filled to the same amount.

  Alex looked up with a roll of nausea as she noticed her parents wearing exactly the same thing they did the day before. The clues were adding up to something, but what?

  “At least try to eat something, honey,” her mother coaxed as she took little sips of her OJ and pushed her plate away. Now she felt sick for more than one reason. She had no idea how she would be able to stomach anything right now.

  “I don’t know if I can, Mom,” she told her, shaking her head and grabbing her head, which now hurt. “I just don’t feel like myself.”

  “Do you need to see the doctor?” her mother asked, coming over to fuss over her, putting her hand on her forehead. Hundreds of years of advancements and the hand was still what mothers used to tell if their child had a fever or not. How accurate could that be? But Alex was not in the mood to protest. She didn’t have the strength, and her muscles ached.

  “Oh my goodness, you�
��re burning up! I am going to make you some tea. Go straight to bed right now. You’re not going anywhere today.”

  Alex didn’t argue with that, she would save it for later when she would hopefully feel better. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was some kind of side effect; some punishment for seeing and knowing things she shouldn’t. A worry hit the back of her mind, all of this would be what made her forget. She would fall asleep and break the fever, and then it would be like none of this ever happened. She couldn’t let that happen!

  She pulled the sheet lightly over herself and waited for her mother to appear. She soon did, with warm tea with honey in it, and some plain broth she might want, to keep from having too much of an upset stomach.

  “What are your symptoms?” her mother asked.

  “I ache everywhere, and my stomach hurts a lot,” she offered her mother.

  “Sounds like the flu, but it would be so strange to have that this time of year, with it so hot out there. I guess it does happen.” Alex was going to answer with something sarcastic when a cramp hit her, and she grunted as she grabbed her stomach and rolled up into a ball. “I’ll see if I can get you something from the pharmacy for your stomach. You try to sip on what you can and get some rest.” A moan was all Alex could give in return as her mother left. She was left alone in the room to fight so much more than an illness. k`1`2

  Alexandra was in and out for hours, forcing herself each time to recall everything she had learned so far, describing to herself out loud, the man…the angel she had met in the clock tower. Every time she did, her stomach would get upset again, but her fever was clearing with each time she woke up.