Chapter 22.

As I lie on the warm ground, I am captivated by the paradise glistening across the dark sky. Tranquility washes over me, allowing my lungs to fill with a breath I have been longing for. There is a peace in the night I cannot seem to find anywhere else. Although these moments seem fleeting, I crave them with a fire that encapsulates my soul. It seems idiosyncratic to feel calm in the umbra of night when my days are filled with shadows lurking in places I can’t see. Preparation evades me. How do you fight shadows in the absence of light?

A whispered tone pulled me from my thoughts. Picking up my phone, I silence the alarm. Suddenly, my breath was taken by the realization that it was time to go home. Fear was no longer a shadow lurking. Approaching the house, I become possessed with angst and trepidation. I feel the air grow stale as I hesitate to go inside. Pulling myself out of the car and into the house, something seems off. The silence of the house is unnerving. As I make my way to the bedroom, I notice Coraline doesn’t seem to be anywhere. I stare at my door wondering what will happen next. Taking a deep breath, I slowly walk into the dark room. No one appears to be inside. My breath releases until I hear a noise near the closet, and flip on the lights in a panic.

Coraline is hanging by AV cords from the pole in the closet [the one you hang your clothes from]. To my surprise, I freeze momentarily just wondering what it would be like to not give in. However, I would never want to be that person, so I went and picked her up. I wrestle to unwrap the cords as she fights me. As soon as Coraline’s feet hit the ground, a familiar evil takes over her eyes. She grabs the cords, forces me into the chair and binds my arms. Time seems to slow in anticipation. Waiting, yet never knowing what I am waiting for.

Coraline walks back to the closet, pulling something from the shelf. I see a flash of red and gold as I fight to disconnect from my body. My journal sits in her hands. Regret fills every inch of my soul. In my journal were letters to my future wife. An outlet for me to look forward to something better someday. A way for her to know, even in the depths of my greatest despair, I am always holding onto the hope of finding her. Pages rip from a beautiful hardback journal. Screams echo off the bare walls. My mind is frantic as I struggle against the cords that bind me. Coraline approaches me with a demonic rage. I try to protect myself but the binding leaves me exposed. Not knowing what else to do, I froze. Just waiting for this to be over. Snapping back to reality, she pauses as a smile etches its way across her face and throws her words hard at me.

“No one else will ever love you. You are nothing. All you have is me.”

I catch myself defending these claims. In spite of knowing not to speak, my voice is under its own control.

“I will never leave. Even if you find a way, I will always be lurking in the shadows. I will watch your relationship grow. You will be so happy until one day you get married. I’ll still be there. Maybe you will see me, maybe you won’t. Maybe you will have a kid. When you leave, expect it, I will find a way into your home. Best of all, you will never see it coming. Your guard will be down and as your smile grows. That’s when I will make my move. I will have years to perfect the night we see each other again. You will never truly be free.”

Her words begin to settle in my heart causing my lungs to hold waiting for the next chapter to begin.