Darkness Wakes

by Tim Waggoner

It’ll be a one-time thing, he told himself. I won’t go to Penumbra again, won’t talk to Caroline anymore. I’ll do my best to put the whole bizarre experience behind me and rededicate myself to being the best husband and father I can be.

  But even as he thought this, he knew he was lying to himself. He would talk with Caroline again, and despite the oddity of the Overshadow, he’d return to Penumbra in an instant to feel its touch again.

  Regret and guilt blossomed like twin poisonous flowers in his heart. Tell her now, tell her everything — before things go too far.

  Aaron wanted to, and to his credit he was just about to start when a wave of well-being washed through him, draining his guilt, wiping away his regret, until once again he felt great.

  He grinned, took Kristen’s hand, and began to pull her off the bed.

  “C’mon, slugabed! Your breakfast awaits!”

  Kristen laughed as she struggled to pull free of his grip. “Okay, okay! Let go!”

  Aaron did so and Kristen collapsed onto the bed, still laughing. Aaron smiled, pleased to see his wife so happy. It had been a while since he’d heard her laugh like this. So long that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard her laugh with such joy.

  See? Going to Penumbra wasn’t a bad thing. You’re happy, and your happiness has spilled over onto Kristen. What’s that old cliché about an affair being good for a marriage? Looks like it’s true.

  He wasn’t surprised when his Dad-voice spoke up after that.

  Rationalize it any way you like, kid. But the truth is you fucked around on your wife last night, and if she knew, she’d be devastated. You’re a shitheel, and you know it.

  Maybe so, Aaron thought. But for the first time in a hall of a long time, I’m a happy shitheel. What do you have to say to that?

  Evidently nothing, for the Dad-voice was silent.

  Aaron pulled Kristen off the bed and onto her feet, then put his arms around her and kissed her. His body pressed against hers, her flesh soft and yielding beneath her flimsy nightgown. He thought of the things he’d done last night with the lips that he now pressed against hers, but it didn’t bother him, even though a distant corner of his mind whispered that it should’ve.

  When they parted, Aaron said, “Let’s go eat.” She looked at him for a long moment before finally nodding.

  “All right, just let me go get my robe.”

  Breakfast went well, even better than Aaron had hoped. Everyone ate — including Colin, who surprised Aaron by actually coming down. There was hardly any grumbling or bickering from the kids, and a general atmosphere of something that could almost be called family togetherness filled the house for a change.

  This is what we need, Aaron thought. And it wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t gone to Penumbra last night. Maybe he was rationalizing his actions, but that didn’t make the results of them any less real, did it?

  When Aaron was ready to leave for work, Kristen gave him a long lingering kiss in the kitchen instead of her usual perfunctory peek. When she drew back, Aaron said, “What was that for?”

  “Just a little thank-you for being so sweet this morning.” She smiled and a mischievous glint came into her eyes. “And a promise of things to come later.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “Such as?”

  She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “Such as you and me.”

  Aaron laughed, gave her another kiss, then headed for the garage. As he backed his Lexus down the driveway, he breathed in the scent of sweat, perfume, and sex — Caroline’s smell. His penis started to harden, and he realized that during the entire time Kristen had been kissing him so passionately, his dick hadn’t so much as twitched. This realization disturbed him, but he was determined not to let it spoil his mood, so he pushed the thought from his mind.

  As he started to pull away from the house, he saw Kristen standing at the front door. As he looked, she opened the front of her robe and gave him a quick flash of her left breast. Laughing, Aaron honked the horn in appreciation and continued down the street.

  The events of last night seemed like a dream to him in the bright light of day, but he had no doubt they’d happened. He had no clue what the Overshadow was or what exactly it had done to him, but he didn’t care. It was almost as if the shadowy creature was a god of some sort, one that had granted its blessing to Aaron. The incredible pleasure he’d experienced at its cold touch last night, the domestic harmony that he’d enjoyed this morning … they were gifts, and Aaron was grateful for them.

  And yet …

  He approached Caroline and Phillip’s house, and he slowed and looked for any sign of them. No, not them: Caroline. The curtains were drawn, and he saw nothing, though.

  Well, what did you expect? That Caroline would be standing naked in her front yard waving hello as you drove by on your way to work?

  Even so, he was disappointed not to see her. He remembered what Phillip had said just before Caroline and Aaron had left last night.

  I can’t wait to take an inventory of her bruises and scrapes — both external and internal — when we get home.

  He wondered if Phillip had been joking, or whether even after everything that he and his wife had done in Penumbra — though not to each other — they’d had more sex after Caroline had dropped him off and walked home. He wouldn’t have been surprised, didn’t think he was capable of surprise anymore after his visit to Penumbra. He tried to imagine what Caroline and Phillip might’ve done to each other in the privacy of their own home, but while the images that passed through his mind made his dick grow even harder, they unsettled him as well. It wasn’t jealousy that he felt — at least, he didn’t think so. Whatever it was, it made him feel sad and a bit depressed.

  “No biggie,” he told himself. “You’re just coming down from your high.”

  He’d meant it as a joke, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he wondered if they were true.

  He drove on past Caroline and Phillip’s house, determined to hold onto whatever positive feelings he could for as long as possible. But by the time he reached work, he felt like shit, both physically and emotionally.

  You had your fun last light, and now it’s time to pay the piper, kid. The Dad-voice sounded smug and amused.

  Maybe so. But it was worth it. The thought lacked conviction, however.

  As Aaron pulled his Lexus into the parking lot behind his practice, he looked for Caroline’s car, and he was both relieved and disappointed not to see it. He also looked for the blue VW bug that had belonged to the bald lunatic that had confronted him yesterday, and he was glad to note its absence as well. A sudden memory flashed through his mind.

  Did she invite you yet? If she hasn’t, she will. It’s … what they do. When she does ask, say yes. Once you’re in, keep your eyes and ears open. Participate, of course. You’ll have to so they don’t get suspicious. Besides, it’ll be fun. They probably won’t take you in back. Not your first night, but if for some reason they do …

  These were the words that Scab-Head had spoken to him last night. At the time, Aaron had dismissed them as the simple ravings of a madman, but now he realized that the man had been talking about Caroline and about Penumbra. Whoever the crazy sonofabitch was, he knew. The things the man had said yesterday hadn’t made sense at the time, and so much else had happened to Aaron at Penumbra that he really hadn’t given the man and his lunatic ramblings much thought. Only now they didn’t seem so crazy, did they? But as for who Scab-Head was, what his connection with Penumbra might be, and what he wanted from Aaron, Aaron couldn’t guess. But that the man wanted something was pretty damn clear. The first chance he’d get, he’d had to give Caroline a call, tell her about his encounter with Scab-Head yesterday and find out if she had any idea what he was going on with him.

  Depressed, tired, nauseated and now worried, Aaron headed across the parking lot to his office.

  The morning was busy, filled with sick pets and anxiety-ridden owners, and it was close to noon by the time Aaron had
a spare moment to himself. He walked into the reception area to tell Diane that he was going back to his office for a few minutes to make some calls. But as he approached her, Diane held out the phone receiver for him to take.

  “Call for you, Aaron. It’s Caroline Langdon.” Disapproval was clear in Diane’s voice, and Aaron wouldn’t have been surprised to see her curl her upper lip in a sneer as she spoke Caroline’s name.

  Aaron had been feeling increasingly normal as the day wore on, though he was still far from a hundred percent. He’d managed to forget his guilt, or at least suppress it, but Diane’s disapproval was enough to bring all the guilt and remorse flooding back, stronger than ever. Aaron struggled to keep his response as neutral as possible. Diane was suspicious enough as it was; he didn’t want to make things worse by appearing too eager to take Caroline’s call.

  He made no move to take the receiver from Diane’s hand. “Could you transfer the call back to my office?”

  Diane looked at him for a moment. He’d heard the phrase steely gaze before, but this was the first time he’d actually seen one. It felt as if Diane was looking past his flesh and into his soul, the sins that he’d committed last night plain for her to see.

  At length, Diane smiled. “Of course, Aaron.” She brought the receiver to her face, asked Caroline to please hold, then pushed the button to forward the call. She then put the receiver down — a bit too hard than was strictly necessary, Aaron thought.

  “She’ll be waiting for you in your office,” Diane said.

  Aaron tried to determine if Diane was purposefully engaging in innuendo or if he was just being paranoid. He forced a smile, said, “Thanks,” then turned to go.

  “Aaron?”

  He turned back to face her. “Yes”

  Her gaze was far from steely now. It contained only sadness and concern.

  “Nevermind,” she said. “It can wait.”

  Not knowing what to say to that, Aaron just nodded and headed for his office. Vets didn’t starve, but Aaron was by no means wealthy, and his office reflected this. His desk was made of gray metal and purchased at the close-out sale for an office supply warehouse. Several filing cabinets — also gray metal, also bought at the sale — rested against one wall. A wooden bookshelf sat against the opposite wall, shelves filled with tomes on veterinary science that Aaron hadn’t looked at since college. There were a couple paintings on the walls, both landscapes, both brought in by Diane. He’d ignored them for so many years that he had no clear notion exactly what the paintings depicted. There were no pictures of his family in sight, though he had a couple of his daughter in one of the desk drawers. Looking at photos of his family usually depressed him, so he’d never brought many in.

  Once inside, Aaron shut the door, sat behind his desk, picked up the phone receiver and pressed a button to switch over to the line where Caroline was waiting.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, lover. How are you doing?”

  Caroline’s voice sounded like honey and smoke in his ears.

  “I was doing fantastic early this morning. Now I feel kind of blah.”

  “That’s normal. The first time is kind of rough on you, but the aftereffects won’t be so bad in the future.”

  “I … well, about that …”

  “Don’t tell me you’re having regrets?” The way she stressed the last word made it sound as if she thought the entire concept of regret was both childish and ridiculous.

  “Not exactly,” he lied. “Just feeling … unsettled is the word. I think.”

  Caroline’s voice was full of overdone sympathy as she replied. “Aw … would Aaron like Mamma to come pay him a visit and make it all better?”

  Talk about childish, he thought, but his cock gave a twitch anyway.

  “Thanks,” he said, “but it’s pretty busy around here today. Besides, I think my office manager suspects there’s something going on between us. If you come down here again today, she’d know something was up for sure.”

  “Is that the woman who answered the phone when I called?”

  “Yeah, her name’s Diane. She’s a great employee and a good friend, but she can be something of a meddler sometimes. Always with the best of intentions, but if she knew I was having an affair, she might tell Kristen. For my own good: at least, that’s how Diane would look at it.”

  “Does she suspect anything about Penumbra? Did you tell her anything about it, anything at all?” Caroline’s playfulness was gone, replaced by a sharp intensity that made Aaron uncomfortable. He almost felt as if he were being interrogated.

  “I haven’t told her anything. Not about us, and certainly not about the club.”

  “Good. Keep it that way. Penumbra is a carefully guarded secret, and if word were to get out …” Caroline trailed off.

  Aaron understood. The club member’s reputations would be ruined if their activities at Penumbra were exposed. But more than that, the existence of the Overshadow — whatever the thing was — would be revealed. And if that happened, there was a chance it would be taken away from them. And if they couldn’t have access to the Overshadow anymore, couldn’t experience its touch … A sudden sick feeling swept through Aaron and he had to fight to keep from throwing up all over his desk. They couldn’t lose the Overshadow — it was unthinkable!

  “I understand,” Aaron said, his voice thick. “Diane doesn’t know a thing, trust me.”

  There was a soft click on the line then, as if a third party had gently put down a receiver.

  “You still there, Caroline?”

  “Still here, Aaron. But I think Diane just hung up.”

  Near the end of the day, after the last scheduled patient had been seen, Aaron suggested that Patti go home early. The vet tech was a bit puzzled by Aaron’s generosity, but that didn’t stop her from taking advantage of it and getting out of there. She had a date later on and could use the extra time to get ready.

  Once she was gone, it was just Aaron and Diane. He found her at her desk, going over a stack of delinquent accounts. It seemed like vets got stiffed more often than other healthcare professionals, maybe because people weren’t paying for themselves but for their animals. Whatever the cause, collecting on unpaid debts was a perennial hassle for Aaron.

  “Can I talk with you for a minute, Diane?” Actually, Aaron would’ve preferred not to say anything and hope they could ignore the matter, but Caroline had insisted he check to make sure whether Diane had eavesdropped on their phone conversation. Aaron had promised he would, but while he recognized the necessity of doing so, he wasn’t happy about it.

  “Can it wait? I don’t mean to be rude, but I really want to get these accounts done before I leave.” Diane didn’t look up from her paperwork as she spoke, and her voice was strained.

  Aaron experienced a burst of anger then, so strong that it alarmed him. What business was it of Diane’s where he put his dick? They were co-workers — no, employer and employee — and that was all.

  “I know you were listening in when I spoke with Caroline before lunch.”

  Diane didn’t respond; she just kept shuffling papers and typing on her computer keyboard.

  “I don’t appreciate being spied on. Don’t do it again.” Aaron’s words came out harsher than he’d intended, but he was so angry that he couldn’t help it.

  Diane sat up straight, her shoulders stiffened, and she removed her hands from the keyboard. She spoke without turning to face him.

  “What I did was wrong, Aaron, but I was just so concerned. I know you haven’t been happy in your marriage for some time. You never said anything, but you didn’t have to. I could just tell. And I know it’s not my place to judge, but you really need to think hard about what you’re doing. I don’t know what Penumbra is or what goes on there, but I do know that you’re taking a terrible risk.” She took a deep breath and continued, still not turning to look at him.

  “Years ago, back when my husband was alive, I … made a mistake similar to yours, Aaron. It almost cost m
e my marriage, and what’s worse, it broke the heart of the only man I’ve ever truly loved. I was lucky, though. He forgave me and we were able to put my mistake behind us and move on. But things never were really the same between us after that.” Her voice began to quaver, and Aaron knew she was fighting back tears. “I guess I just want you to know that you’re gambling with some mighty high stakes. And no matter how the game turns out, you’re liable to lose in the end.”

  Listening to Diane’s story had drained away his anger, leaving in its place only a hollow sadness.

  Finally, Diane turned to face him, tears sliding slowly down her cheeks. “Promise me you’ll think about what I’ve said.”

  Aaron understood then why Diane had interfered so strongly this time. He supposed he couldn’t blame her, not after what she’d told him.

  “I promise.

  She smiled, wiped away tears with her fingers, then turned back to her computer screen. “Why don’t you go home now and leave me to finish this up.”

  Aaron wanted to tell her that the delinquent accounts could wait until tomorrow, but he understood she wanted to be alone for a bit.

  “Okay, but don’t stay too late.”

  “I won’t.”

  He nodded, forced a smile, and left.

  Out in the parking lot, Aaron looked around for Scab-Head’s blue Beetle. He was relieved to see no sign of it. After his conversation with Caroline had turned to Diane and how much she knew, Aaron hadn’t gotten the chance to tell Caroline about his encounter with Scab-Head yesterday. He’d have to remember to tell her tonight, at Penumbra. He didn’t bother to pretend to himself that he wasn’t going. Despite what Diane had told him, he knew he would go. He had to.

  As he climbed behind the driver’s seat of his Lexus, his cell phone rang. He answered it and heard Caroline’s voice.

  “So?”

  “She was listening, and she did hear you mention Penumbra,” Aaron confirmed. “I doubt she’ll do anything with the knowledge, though. We talked before I left, and she urged me to think hard about what I’m doing. I think that’ll be the end of it.” I hope.