When Darkness Falls - Six Paranormal Novels in One Boxed Set

by Shalini Boland

  He watched as dark ominous clouds began to coagulate in the night sky. A brisk breeze scuttled through his brown hair, coercing a stray tuft to fall across his corrugated brow.

  Curtains billowed in the open windows; tree branches shushed as they stooped then rose. Loose leaves fell aimlessly to the earth below. A lone dog barked. Others joined in on the raucous chorus. A silent cavalcade of flying foxes moved stealth-like overhead.

  Wade paused for a moment, listening, and then focused intently on the voices coming from inside the house.

  “He does so, Angela. I know it. Can’t you tell by the way Josh looks at you? He can’t keep his eyes off you, and all that grinning, ugh. That's a sure sign.”

  “Don’t tease her, Grace; you can see that it makes her uncomfortable. Champ, put that shoe down, no, no, stop, stop, drop it! Oh God, look at it. Naughty boy, Champ! Grace, how many times have I told you to put your shoes away?”

  “Is there any ice-cream, Mum?”

  “In the freezer. Dish everyone up some.”

  “Can we eat it in front of the telly?”

  “Sure, but not before you put your shoes away. Before Champ gets a chance to start eating the other one.”

  The voices reminded him of another time, another life, another family. His memories collided, Brian and Wade’s both, raced through his mind. Two lives, two souls mingling together as one. The common factor holding them both together—a life force of energy. His. He raked his fingers through his hair, composed himself, and went back in to join this family, Brian’s family.

  It wasn’t his family anymore, no matter how badly he wanted it to be. Guilt gripped his heart; he drove the memories from his mind to focus on other things.

  The screen door closed slowly behind him with a gentle click. Frogs croaked. Thunder grumbled.

  Things that were far more threatening were on his mind. Like the danger that he knew was lurking silently in the cracks between the shadows—waiting.

  Chapter 15—The Things That You Don’t See

  “We’re going to my room now, mum. Lots of girl stuff to talk about,” Grace said, pulling Angela off the sofa and onto her feet.

  “Do we have to?” Angela groaned.

  “Yes we do, it will be fun.”

  “For whom?”

  Grace halted in front of Wade. “Are you sleeping on the sofa tonight?”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Please,” she begged.

  “You miss my bacon and eggs that much, hey?”

  “Yes, I miss your cooking, but I’ve decided not to eat meat anymore, remember? The abattoir… I’m a vegetarian now, like Angela.”

  “Oh yes, of course,” Wade nodded. “I had forgotten about that.”

  “What’s wrong with my cooking?” Kate injected.

  Grace stared at her mother and frowned. “Are you serious?” Then she smiled. “It’s just that, well, heating up leftovers isn’t really cooking, Mum…” Then added quickly, “Your banana cake and pancakes are great, though, the best. Honestly.”

  “Okay, I get it. Good save by the way. Anyway, I’m not complaining. I could do with a good sleep-in. Wade, the kitchen, and the brats, are all yours in the morning.”

  “Sure thing, you know there aren’t going to be too many sleep-ins when you start working, so you may as well make the most of it,” Wade replied, kicking his shoes off and sticking his feet up on the coffee table. Grace stared at him, open mouthed.

  “Grace, what’s up?” Wade asked.

  Grace glanced at her mother, but her mother was too busy flicking through the channels with the remote control to have noticed.

  “Oh Abyss, let’s watch that, I love that movie,” Kate said enthusiastically.

  Grace snapped her mouth shut and returned her gaze toward Wade.

  “Oh, um, nothing... I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast. Night, mum. Come on Angela, let’s go.”

  “See you in the morning, kiddo, night, Angela,” Wade said, withdrawing his feet from the table. Keeping his secret from Grace was going to be a lot harder than he had anticipated.

  “Night, Grace, Angela, don’t stay up too late,” Kate echoed, blowing both girls a kiss. “I’ll come in and check on you both a little later. Have you seen this movie, “Abyss?” she asked Wade, making herself comfortable on the sofa.

  “Have you got a box of tissues ready?” he replied. “You know you are definitely going to need the tissues.”

  Champ sprang off the sofa and scurried down the hall after the girls.

  Angela walked a few paces behind Grace. “Are you all right, Grace? Tell me.”

  “It’s just something that Wade did, it reminded me of…” She shook her head. She knew Angela wouldn’t understand. Angela hadn’t known her father. How he would kick his shoes off and stick them up on the coffee table to watch TV. “It’s nothing, forget it.”

  Grace came to a halt outside her bedroom. She reached her hand carefully around the doorway, feeling the way with her fingertips until she found what she was searching for. The light switch. She flicked it on, then sprinted over to the windows and wrenched the curtains closed.

  “You truly are possessed, aren’t you?” Angela said, strolling casually in after her. “Ever since you watched that ridiculous movie about the vampire with the red blinking eyes staring through the window, you’ve been scared.”

  Angela sat herself down on the end of the bed and tucked her legs beneath her.

  “I fail to understand, Grace, why you watch horror movies if all they accomplish is terrorizing you half to death. Honestly Grace, where is the reasonable logic in that?”

  Grace looked at Angela as if she had just been expelled from another galaxy for unquestionable stupidity.

  “What planet are you from, Angela? That is the reason why you watch horror movies in the first place, to frighten you. It’s fun.”

  She dropped herself down on the bed with a grin and turned on her CD player.

  Angela shrugged her shoulders, utterly dumbfounded.

  “Horror movies never frighten me. They are just ridiculous fictitious stories that do nothing but discompose the brain. Nothing can be learnt by watching them.”

  Real life, Angela knew, when things really did go bump in the night, now that was something to be genuinely concerned about. And it was the things that you didn’t hear, didn’t see; they were the most frightening of all.

  “Yeah, well, I don’t know about, decomposing the brain -”

  “Discompose; it means upset, muddle.”

  “Whatever. I know that when a monster is chasing you, you take your high-heeled shoes off. I’ve learnt that... And you never, ever dangle your legs over the edge of the bed at night... And clowns, well, you get rid of them right away; they are just way too freaky. If the monster doesn’t get you, the clown sure will,” Grace shuddered, recalling her dreams.

  “Are you listening to yourself, Grace?

  “Well, anyway, forget all that, they’re just movies, for entertainment. They’re not meant to be educational or anything.”

  “And do you really think that closing the curtains at night is going to keep them out, these monsters?”

  Grace grabbed a pile of magazines off the floor and handed Angela one.

  “You’re right, of course. Maybe I should lock the window, as well.”

  “I’m here, you’ll be fine.”

  “To hell with that, you couldn’t fight yourself out of a wet paper bag. I’m locking the window.”

  “Oh, sit down, Wade is here, you’ll be fine.”

  “So true, but still, I’ll only leave it open just a crack, just in case he’s a heavy sleeper.”

  “I give up,” Angela said, turning the pages of the magazine that Grace had handed her before swapping it with a different one from the pile.

  Grace's bedroom walls were a delicate soft pink color. However, that was almost impossible to tell nowadays. Only small slits of paint were visible between the gaps left by large glossy posters of Orlan
do Bloom, Avril Lavine, Pink, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings.

  Grace sprawled out on the bed and flicked through Today’s Teenager. Even though she wasn’t quite a teenager yet.

  Angela read an article on The Tree of Life, a book depicting the life of Charles Darwin. Darwin had written: ‘At each period of growth all the growing twigs have tried to branch out on all sides, and to overtop and kill the surrounding twigs and branches, in the same manner as species and groups of species have at all times overmastered other species in the great battle for life.’ “How fascinating,” Angela murmured.

  Grace studied a quiz on how to determine if a boy had a crush on you—or not. She devoured the column fanatically and wrote her answers down on the edge of the page. Some she deliberated on. Some she circled without hesitation. Then she added up her score.

  Angela tensed herself and waited for the in-depth explanation that was sure to follow.

  “Ha, ha, I knew it. Josh has got a crush on you.” Grace laughed, throwing a pillow at Angela. Angela’s hand sprang out and caught it. Champ sat up fiercely and retorted with a yap at Grace before resuming his sleeping position in the middle of the bed.

  “Sorry, Champsie,” Grace said as she patted his white fluffy head, then looked at Angela, still holding the pillow in the air. “You really are a very good catcher; maybe you should join the softball team at school.”

  “I don’t think so,” Angela said, handing the pillow back to Grace.

  “Now, according to this quiz, Josh really is into you,” Grace said, pushing the magazine toward Angela.

  Angela readjusted herself on the bed, then picked up the magazine. “Well then, I had better study this then hadn’t I? I obviously have a lot to learn about, when it comes to boys.”

  Grace nodded. “Well, I have read tons of this stuff, so if you have any questions.”

  “I will be sure to ask you.”

  “Good.” Grace let herself flop back on the bed. “Josh really is quite good-looking, don’t you think? I wish someone liked me like that.”

  Angela sighed. “Joshua is very intelligent.”

  “Who cares if he’s intelligent, he’s nice looking too, don’t you think? A bit skinny maybe. But nice looking, right?”

  “Yes, I suppose. He’s not as good-looking as—” Angela scanned the walls, searching for a name. “Orlando Bloom. We should hire Fellowship of the Ring this Saturday, have a movie night.”

  She failed to understand Grace’s fascination in boys, but she was happy to play along.

  This was an important game she knew she had yet to master. Important to Grace, that is, so an imperative factor in maintaining her crucial position in Grace’s life.

  And the boy Josh, she had already realized his importance. He, too, was most certainly worthy of her undivided attention. Just not in the way that Grace had imagined.

  She knew the elements were drawing dangerously closer, in preparation for what was to come. The fact that the boy obviously had feelings for her was just going to make Angela’s task that much easier.

  Angela smiled. “Yes, Josh is good-looking.”

  “Actually, a movie night is a pretty good idea, Angela. You want to know another really good idea?” Grace continued. “Maybe Josh can come over, too. He only lives two blocks away, what do you think?”

  “You can not begin to imagine what I am thinking. But you aren’t going to let this Josh thing go, are you?” she asked, not taking her head out of the magazine. “I am inclined to believe that it is a pity that you are not this persistent with math. You’d be a lot better at it.” She looked up at Grace. “I am sure you can invite Josh, it is your house… isn't it?”

  “Let’s go to his place tomorrow and ask him,” Grace said.

  Angela put down the magazine, stood up and pulled her shoulder length black hair up into a ponytail. “I will leave you to mastermind your grand plan for the weekend.” Angela grabbed her pajamas from her overnight bag and disappeared down the hall to the bathroom.

  Grace called after her, “I don’t mind if I do. Oh, and Angela?”

  “Yes, Grace,” came Angela’s muffled reply from the bathroom.

  “He really does have a crush on you, you know?”

  “Oh, for the love of God,” Angela muttered, closing the bathroom door behind her.

  Grace made a list.

  Visit Josh.

  Get Wade to drive us to the shop.

  Hire movie.

  Buy Popcorn, Maltesers, ice cream, soft drink.

  Order pizza x 2—vegetarian.

  “The perfect weekend,” she said, rubbing Champ playfully on his head. “What do you think, Champsie? Sound like the perfect weekend to you?”

  Grace could hear Angela brushing her teeth in the bathroom. She heard a current weather update on the TV in the lounge room, thunder storms predicted for the weekend. She could hear Kate fussing in the kitchen, and chatting about starting her new job at the Tavern.

  Kate was looking forward to starting work, earning the much-needed income.

  “I’m worried about how much time I will be leaving Grace alone at home in the evenings.”

  Wade got up from the sofa and leaned against the kitchen counter. “I can call in after work; make sure she’s okay, if you like.”

  “Really, you wouldn’t mind? I would be really grateful, and I know Grace adores you.”

  “The feeling’s are mutual, she’s a good kid. I’m more than happy to drop in and check on her. It will give me someone to eat dinner with.”

  “Thank you, Wade. Really, thank you. You have no idea what this means to me. Not just this, but everything, the job… You have done so much for us already.” She looked at him with pointed curiosity for a moment. She had no idea why she had trusted him from the very first day he had turned up on her doorstep. He bought her the most horrible news. He told her Brian was dead. However, when he looked at her, with his own sad eyes, she knew she could trust him. She knew that he had felt the same kind of grief. Perhaps, she thought, they needed each other. She had been right.

  “It’s okay, Kate, really. I’m more than happy to help out, it’s the least I can do.”

  Kate smiled. Then in two steps she was against him, hugging him. “Thank you so much.”

  He didn’t return the gesture; he didn’t think he would be strong enough. His own arms hung limp by his sides.

  Kate pulled away, and blushed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable… I am just so… grateful,” she said in a small, embarrassed whisper.

  “No, I’m sorry, Kate, you just took me by surprise. Here, let me help you put these dishes away.”

  In her room, Grace smiled; it was the perfect Friday night, the perfect beginning to the weekend. Well, almost.

  “No more school for two whole days, Champsie,” Grace said.

  Monday felt like a million miles away. More importantly, Grace felt happy because her mother was happy. And Wade was back. She thought about Wade for just a moment, and then let her thoughts slip slowly from her mind. Silly thoughts, impossible, crazy thoughts.

  She picked up her hairbrush and jumped up and down on her bed singing along to Avril, waking Champ from his blissful sleep.

  He yapped excitedly, joining in, or was he angry with her for waking him again?

  Sometimes it’s impossible to determine one from the other. Masks camouflage the faces of both good and evil. Keeps hidden what is a truth and what is a lie.

  A gentle breeze stole carefully through the open bedroom window. The curtains fluttered with the brief interruption, then fell still. A silent prophecy translated by air draws the pending storm, hovering menacingly on the distant horizon—closer.

  Outside, the thorny fingers on a crimson bougainvillea scrape angrily across the glass windowpane.

  Grace didn’t notice the bedside lamp when it began to dim, and then flicker.

  Yes, it was the things that you didn’t hear, didn’t see, lurking in the
shadows at night, that you should be most afraid of.

  Chapter 16—Boxing Day

  Year: 2004 AD

  “Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la, la la la la,” Grace sang as she wiped the sleep out of the corner of her eyes and swaggered into the lounge room to join Kate and Wade.

  “What’s for breakfast, and how did Boxing Day get its name? That’s what I want to know.”

  “Hush, for a moment Grace,” Kate said, her eyes not shifting from the images of destruction on the television screen.

  Wade was sitting on the sofa beside her with his elbows resting on his knees. He was wearing his boxer shorts and a t-shirt from spending another night on the sofa.

  Kate and Wade were both transfixed by the television screen, hanging off every word spoken by the young TV news reporter.

  “There was no warning system in place; thousands of souls have been lost…”

  “What’s all this about, what’s happened, what’s been lost? Has Angela or Josh called yet? We’re meant to be catching up at his place after breakfast,” Grace asked.

  She walked over to the Christmas tree to tap some of the brightly coloured fairy lights. They started to blink, fast then slow, off then on.

  “No. Not yet,” Kate replied, still staring at the television, and shaking her head, shocked by the terrible catastrophe that was unfolding in front of her.

  “I love Christmas, so pretty... Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.” Grace pushed herself up on her toes but wasn’t quite tall enough to adjust the Angel sitting precariously on the top. She dragged over a chair and climbed up on it. “That’s better, Hope, can’t have you falling off your perch now can we.” She jumped down. “So, does this mean I have to get my own breakfast?”

  “Shh,” they both said this time.

  Then Kate said, “There’s leftovers in the fridge, help yourself.”

  The National Nine News reporter continued with his ongoing dialogue. “Disposing of the dead to try and save the living… No one saw it coming until it was too late.”