Peripheral Vision: A Supernatural Thriller

by Timothy Hammer

  Sarah screamed. “Nick, what did you do?!” But all at once Sarah could see exactly what he had done. The vision was powerful. Sarah’s head jerked violently backwards in the chair and her hands seized against her bonds. Her fingers splayed out like starfish as her mind was opened to her sight.

  Sarah was standing in the middle of an unlit street. It didn’t appear that anyone else was there though. Suddenly, she was startled by the sounds of voices and laughter. When she looked up she saw Morris and Wright walking down the sidewalk toward her. They were drinking beer and laughing at the punchline of some crude joke. All at once, their laughter stopped. A menacing shadow stood off to the left of them.

  “No, don’t please....” Morris pleaded. But his words were cut short by a loud cracking sound which sent him sprawling out on the sidewalk. Wright joined him a few seconds later after a second loud crack. The shadow moved into view and Sarah could now make out the face of the silhouetted figure. It was Nick. He stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, holding a bloody lead pipe.

  “That apology wasn’t good enough fellas.” He ran his hand nonchalantly through his hair and in the next second he was on top of them wielding blow, after bloody blow with the pipe. He couldn’t stop. Something sinister had crept up behind his eyes, and he liked it. And then, just as quickly as it had started, it was over. Nick stood up and turned toward the street where Sarah still stood. He smiled to himself and once again ran his hand through his hair- this time staining his forehead with the men’s blood. Sarah’s vision spun again, and she was in the tunnel. She stood watching as Nick dragged the lifeless bodies through the darkness.

  “Sarah? Are you listening to me?”

  “What?” She shook her head slowly from side to side. She was back from her vision. She was back in the cellar.

  “I said, they are very sorry they frightened you. They want to apologize.”

  Sarah started crying. She couldn’t control it anymore.

  The pained expression returned to Nick’s face. “Please don’t cry. I know you don’t understand yet, but let me help you. I was scared at first too. But Elizabeth showed me that there was nothing to be afraid of. Let me show you the same.”

  But Sarah could already see. The feeling was speeding up, and with it the secrets were starting to fall.

  Sarah saw Nick with Elizabeth again. This time they were down in the basement. Elizabeth handed a wide-eyed Nick a wine glass full of blood. She put her hand on the bottom of the glass, guiding it up to his mouth. He closed his eyes and drank. When he opened his eyes. Something had changed. His eyes were darker, stronger somehow. The hint of a smile lingered behind his eyes.

  Nick walked over to the small table next to the bodies, and grabbed an open wine bottle. Sarah knew already what the bottle was filled with, and it wasn’t her favorite cabernet. He picked up the wine glass next to it and poured, then walked back to Sarah swirling the glass.

  Sarah was horrified. Her voice was barely audible. “Please don’t make me drink that.”

  “I’m not going to make you do anything, my love. I want you to want to- to want me.” At that he leaned in and kissed her. Much like their first kiss, Nick’s lips were soft and gentle.

  Sarah began to cry. Sobbing louder as his lips pressed harder against hers. She could feel Nick struggling with what he was doing and pushed it even further. He stopped kissing her. She could see there was doubt in his eyes.

  “Please untie me, Nick.”

  “I’m sorry. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Not like this, not with you.”

  “We can fix this, start over. Just untie me...”

  “I want to untie you, but I don’t want you to run away”.

  “I won’t run away.”

  “Are you lying to me, Sarah?”

  “I promise, I won’t run.”

  Nick searched Sarah’s face for the lie, but couldn’t find it.

  “Nick, I…” Sarah looked down.

  Nick reached out gently and raised her head up to meet his eyes. “Tell me.”

  “I love you too.” She kissed him, but more fervently than he had kissed her. This time Nick reciprocated with the same enthusiasm, his hand quickly finding its way to her body, tracing her outline, and moving up to her breasts- building in excitement for a moment before suddenly pulling away. He put the glass down so he could begin to untie her. His heavy breath was short and rapid, as he untied her. He watched her cautiously, waiting for her to make a move, but Sarah didn’t move, or even breathe.

  “Are you ready?” He asked.

  “Yes.”

  Nick raised the glass to her lips.

  “No.” She said. “Not like that… I want it from you.”

  That pleased Nick. In more way than one, Sarah sensed. He took a sip and then leaned into her. Sarah let his lips get millimeters from hers, and then her hand shot out in a swift blow to his throat. He fell backwards in pain, choking on the blood. Sarah jumped up, unstable on her feet, but ready to save herself.

  “Choke on that, asshole!”

  Nick was on the ground coughing. She had caught him off guard. He was ashamed, hurt, and now really pissed.

  Sarah remembered the stairs on the far wall that lead up to the slanted cellar door and the outside. She ran to them.

  “Bitch!” Nick shouted from behind her. “Sarah, stop!” His eyes grew dark, grey, deadly.

  Sarah barreled up the stairs and pushed up through the sloping wooden door above her head, exposing the new dawn light.

  Nick struggled to get to his feet. He swiped his arm across his face attempting to wipe the wasted blood from his face. It only smeared it worse. Nick swallowed hard and then took off after Sarah. She wouldn’t get far. He knew the property very well.

  Sarah ran down past the machine shop, searching franticly for a place to hide. She could hear him yelling as he came up from the cellar. Soon she found herself on the backside of the faded red barn. She pressed her back against the weather warped boards, holding her breath, and hoping Nick would just continue by.

  “Sarah! Get back here!” Nick called from back near the house. He jogged over to the machine shop, peering through the crack between the boards in the door. “You ruined everything Sarah. All of our plans, everything I worked so hard for. One way or another, we will be together. Even if I have to drink every drop of your blood, you will be mine!”

  Sarah was shaking. She could hear him shouting from the distance, but she knew he would soon find her. She was too exposed here. She needed something else, better cover. She looked around, but everything seemed so far away. Then she looked to the river. The Iktomi seemed to glow in response. It was time to make a run for it. She sprinted out from behind the barn and down through the tall grass. She felt fast, she was going to make it, but that’s when Nick saw her and took off, flying down the riverbank after her.

  Sarah dove into the river trying to swim across it. The cold water blasted the air from her lungs and her body shook on the verge of hypothermia, but she pushed on. The loud splash behind her signaled that Nick was now in the river too. She pushed herself- kicking wildly and not coming up for air, but Nick was faster and stronger and in no time he was already upon her.

  Nick caught Sarah by the ankle and ripped her back to him. His left hand shot out of the water and grabbed her by the back of the neck. Sarah flailed wildly, trying to break free. Her drenched white dress strangled her legs tighter, the more she struggled.

  “Nick please... stop!” She screamed.

  “I won’t let you live without me Sarah!” His eyes were black with thirst. There was no longer any sadness left in his eyes. He was rage. She had humiliated him and he was going to punish her.

  “Nick!” She screamed, but the scream was cut short as he grabbed Sarah’s head and plunged her face-first into the icy water. She gasped, opening her mouth under water and choking violently. Sarah struggled hard, waving her arms above the water and finally managing to turn over. She grasped his hand with both of hers. In on
e gallant effort she pushed past his hand and popped her head out of the water- gasping, choking for air.

  “This is your fault! You’re a heartless bitch...” Nick shouted as he wrapped both hands tightly around her neck. He tightened his grip on her neck and then pushed her down into the murky water once more.

  Sarah could see his face above the water as she struggled to free herself from his grip. But he was much too strong and the lack of oxygen was quickly starting to affect her strength. Her mind was starting to explore the curious idea of drowning when suddenly, he pulled her up above the water.

  “You’re nothing like Elizabeth. You’re just like all the others. You’re a fucking liar.”

  “Please.. I’m sorry!” She choked.

  “It’s too late.” He plunged her back into the water. Sarah fought desperately, but eventually her body went still.

  Nick snapped out of his rage and stared down at her for a moment in disbelief. His eyes were filled with horror. “Oh God... Sarah?!” But Sarah didn’t move. “What did I do? No... Please…” He whispered as he pulled her above the water and dragged her lifeless body out of the river. “Sarah?” He asked again, shaking her, but Sarah was gone. Nick was never going to kill her- not Sarah. Just scare her into submission, and keep her there until he could make her fall in love with him again. It was a good plan. He knew she had fallen in love with him too, but he scared her. It was all his fault. He shouldn’t have told her so soon. He destroyed her and their future. It was too much for him to take. “Fuck! No!” Nick turned away from his dead princess and walked back to the river. “Damn it Elizabeth, you promised!” He dropped to his knees next to river bank, slamming his fist again and again into the cold hard ground. And then his chin dropped to his chest. His body shook as he wept.

  Nick didn’t move for the next fifteen minutes, and then the wind picked up from out of the north and with it came a ghostly whisper.

  “It’s Okay...”

  Nick, startled by the whisper whipped his head back toward Sarah, but her body was gone. He looked in all directions at once- frantic and disoriented.

  Sarah had come to sometime shortly after Nick had gone into his trance next to the river. A dream had overtaken her during her time under the river. She had been staring up at Nick through the water, when her eyes had drifted shut.

  But moments later, when they opened again, she realized that she was no longer beneath the cold flowing river, but instead lying on her back looking up at the blue sky. It was warm here and bright, much too bright, in fact. Sarah turned her head to the side, blinking, as she brought her hands up to cover her watering eyes. A strong, earthy-floral scent arose from the darkness and pulled Sarah back into the bright light. She let her eyes open wide this time as she sat up and found herself looking out over a vast field full of yellow flowers.

  Sarah stood up in the field. She was drenched. Water was dripping from her hair and body and the blue nightgown. The bottom of the nightgown had been dipped in mud, but she didn’t care. It was the smoke in the distance that had her attention. Was it a fire? She asked herself, but that’s when she saw them. The six girls in white, flowing dresses floated above the yellow field. They were still crying, but they also seemed to all be pointing at something behind her, at the opposite end of the rolling field. Sarah turned her head. It looked like a forest of tall evergreen trees. She turned back to the girls- something was different. Sarah counted again. Had she missed her the first time? Sarah didn’t think so, but here was another girl now with them. The seventh girl floated towards Sarah, the girl’s arms extended as if to embrace her.

  “Follow me… come with me through the trees, come with me.” The words flowed out from the floating woman like the familiar verse of a song. Sarah already new the words, and she suddenly realized that she already knew this woman too. Sarah remembered. She finally remembered her face. The face of her mother. How could she have forgotten that face or those beautiful blue eyes?

  “Sarah,” her mother said, “everything is slippy now. We must hurry. It’s time for you to go back.” Sarah’s mother reached out and took her daughter’s hand and one by one the other girls followed suit. Soon, they were floating quickly above the field of yellow flowers. Faster and faster they moved, until they were no longer in the open field, but instead surrounded by a tall canopy of evergreen trees. They stopped. It was snowing here. Sarah’s mother turned to her daughter and opened her left hand to reveal what looked like a small glass marble. It was glowing. “Don’t let him see you.” She said. The words seemed to echo across the worlds as a blinding light flashed from the tiny orb.

  Sarah’s eyes snapped open, she was back, lying in the tall grass next to the river, but she didn’t move. In the night sky, her mother’s beautiful face was still clearly visible in front of her eyes. It shimmered and twisted with the stars and soon floated away like a small grey cloud in the dark, but her words remained. “Don’t let him see you.”

  Sarah counted to thirty in her head, before she quietly rolled over to her belly in the tall grass and silently crawled away, careful not to make a sound. She held her breath as she crawled. In the moment, time seemed to last forever, but once she felt far enough away from the river she climbed to her feet and ran. She ran as fast as she could towards the front of the old river house, shivering violently from the cold and wet. She looked back over her shoulder hoping to see Nick still kneeling next to the river, but he wasn’t there. Sarah spotted Nick’s truck, still in the driveway, with the driver’s side door surprisingly wide open. “Please God... keys...” Sarah prayed as she ran up to the truck. She jumped in the driver’s seat and thankfully, saw that the keys were still in the ignition. She looked back towards the river, but still there was nothing. Sarah’s panicked fingers clumsily turned the key- she almost expected it not to start at all, but it did. As the truck fired up, Sarah reached out quickly to close the door. But at that moment Nick jumped between Sarah and the closing door. Sarah screamed. The door slammed on the back of his legs.

  “Fuck!” He growled in pain, but was still able to get both hands clamped on Sarah’s arm. He yanked back hard trying to pull her from the cab. In response, Sarah slammed her foot down on the gas pedal lurching the truck forward. Nick stumbled, losing his grip on her arm, but somehow, he still managed to reach up and wrap his hands around her throat. “This time I’m not letting go. I could’ve saved you.” He grit his teeth and squeezed as he pushed his way into the truck, climbing on top of Sarah, and at the same time forcing her head down on the passenger’s seat. His hands tightened even further around her throat. Sarah’s legs flailed violently outside of the driver’s side door as she choked for air. Her eyes seemed to cry up at Nick for mercy, but he didn’t care. She had humiliated him- twice. There was just no coming back from that. The end was near- he’d seen this look before.

  Sarah struggled for air, her body already giving into the darkness that was taking over her, but her spirit remained strong. Sarah, her mind shouted, Save yourself! With new life, she stretched her arms out, her fingers searching for any sort of escape. And that’s when her hand landed on the open tool box on the floor of the passenger seat. Sarah’s fingers wrapped around the first thing she could reach. Her arm shot back from the toolbox and stabbed Nick straight in the neck. The yellow handled screwdriver jutted out from his throat as blood sprayed from the wound, splattering the inside of the windshield and all across Sarah’s face. Nick fell backwards out of the truck and rolled.

  Sarah slammed the door shut behind him and stepped on the accelerator. The truck bolted forward, but then stopped short. She looked over in the driver’s side mirror and saw that Nick was still moving on the ground. She thought of the girls- the six crying faces. And she thought of her mother.

  “No more.” She whispered and put the truck in reverse, slamming her foot down on the gas pedal. The truck bounced as it rolled over Nick’s body. Sarah screamed. Her mind raced and for a moment tried to betray her. I’m not a murderer. But this had to
end. She jammed the gear shift into drive and again bounced over the Homewood Handyman. This time she didn’t scream. Instead she slammed on the brakes and put the truck in reverse a second time, but as she looked back, she caught her reflection in the rearview mirror. It was frightening. She was covered in blood- like a wild animal fighting for its life.

  Sarah looked away from the mirror and up at the house. From the upstairs windows, the faces of the six girls in white stared down at Nick’s lifeless body. The girl's’ tears had stopped. Sarah also stopped. She sat there shivering in the idling truck, her hand stuck at attention on the gearshift, just listening. The headlights glimmered out over the shifting water of the Iktomi River. She half expected to hear sirens at any moment. But there was nothing. The world was dark and silent. Sarah shook her head trying to snap out of it. It was time to go. Time to leave this all behind- far behind. She wiped at the blood on her face with the back of her hand, inadvertently wiping blood across her mouth and her cold, quivering lips. She put the truck in drive. As she started to move, her tongue slipped out of her mouth, and she instinctively licked her lips. She swallowed. The brake lights flashed bright as the truck stopped suddenly. In the rearview mirror, Sarah’s eyes changed. They grew darker, stronger, with the hint of a smile.

  Epilogue

  Chapter 13

  Nick's Story

  As a child, Nick would sit outside in the tangled branches of the oak tree in his father's backyard and stare at the sky, dreaming of a different life, something far away from the small town he called home. A bigger city, a bigger life, a bigger purpose was out there somewhere, waiting for him. He just needed to reach out and grab it. Ah, but that's why children dream. It wasn't until his senior year of high school that he actually had the chance to escape the grasp of Homewood.

  He was born, Nicholas Abraham Fielding, to a young, but relatively happy couple. The first and only child credited to the former Homewood High sweethearts, Jake and Mary Fielding. His father worked as a carpenter by trade, and his mother, while she was around, worked the counter at the Back House Cafe on Main Street. Mary had dreamed of a bigger purpose as well, and when Nick was only seven, she packed a bag, hitched a ride, and never looked back. Being a single parent is never easy, and for Jake Fielding, it was no different. Nonetheless, he managed to raise his son to the best of his abilities, and still put food on the table in the evening. Sometimes, if he couldn't find help, he would take young Nick along with him to the job sites and keep an eye on his son while he worked. From a very early age, Nick, began picking up his father's trade, and before too long it was a father/son team. By the time Nick was ten years old, he had already developed a talent for craftsmanship, not unlike his father.