Darkest Hours

Alice and her two children, Elizabeth and John, had recently moved into their new home in the giant New Orleans mansion. A nasty divorce between Alice and her husband, James, had left their children surprised and confused.

Alice, now a single mother, had full custody of her children and the mansion. James had allowed himself to get involved in a terrible drinking habit. Alice had even wondered if he loved alcohol more than his own family. The settlement had only been resolved in court four days ago, yet Alice and the children remembered it like it just happened moments ago. Elizabeth and John were in the fourth grade and didn't fully comprehend the entire situation, but they seemed to handle it well. For now.

The massive white mansion was located in a rural area so the only neighbors were trees and the wildlife that inhabited the woods. It was somewhat lonely, but quiet, and quiet was better than the noisy city. At night, the children would be uneasy about the darkness in the woods. Even the dog, Rex, would be unsettled at times as well. Alice's job was generous enough to give her a week off to handle her business. She worked during the day as an accountant, and was usually home to greet her children at the house by the time they were released from school.

Today was a warm Saturday and Alice took her children to the movies to see the Avengers movie. It was getting late and the entire family was exhausted from the day's adventures. Liz and John talked about the amazingness of the movie and were already talking about what Avenger character they wanted to be for Halloween.

Alice could only smile as she drove the family home. Children can be so creative and adorable. The silver Ford Explorer eased its way onto the dirt driveway into the large mansion about twenty minutes later. 9pm sharp. The kids were out of the car the moment the engine turned off and were jumping in front of the door. They would go inside, talk about how awesome the movie was again, eat some snacks, and crash like always. Alice got out of the car to open the front door to the mansion and was greeted by their German Shepard Rex. Rex was a rescue dog from his previous neglectful owner who left him out in the harsh cold last winter. How could anyone treat an animal so poorly?

Rex, as always, was happy to see his new loving family. He was only 2 years old, but he was the perfect playmate for the kids. As expected, the kids did exactly what their mother anticipated and went off to bed at 10:15pm. The children's rooms were on the second floor along with the other bed rooms. Liz's room was facing the entrance to the house and she could see anyone at the front door from the window in her room. John's room was directly across from the hallway from his sister's room. John's window in his room faced the woods behind the house and often times, the light from the moon would seep through the curtains, which then would cast an eerie hue into the boy's room. Alice's room was at the far end of the hall on the right side of the house. The queen sized bed had a new occupant since James was gone. Rex found a more comfortable thing to sleep on than his massive and expensive bed from PetSmart. Tomorrow would be another fun day with the kids since Alice was taking them to Dave and Busters in the morning.

Alice ran her fingers through her golden hair and let out a sigh of relief that turned into a yawn. What a week this has been, but at least the conflict was over.

The scream echoed through the dark chambers of the mansion. Rex and Alice jumped out of bed so fast that it seemed like they were pulled by unseen forces. The sounds of terror came from John's room. Rex had already reached the aged brown door to the room, and was scratching on it to attempt to open it. Alice was moments behind Rex and forced John's door open with all of her strength. When Alice opened the door, she was heartbroken to see John cowering in his bed and crying. John didn't acknowledge his mother and dog because he was fixated on the window. The curtains were open and the thing that had frightened John unsettled Alice as well. A strange looking owl was perched on a tree branch outside of the window. Its brown feathers appeared to be covered in dirt and muck. Its eyes seemed to glow orange in the darkness. The moonlight illuminated more of the creature as the clouds faded. The owl stretched its wings to reveal missing feathers and tattered wings. Was this a nightmare? Alice approached the window and pulled the curtains shut, then immediately went to calm her son. Rex was still barking and growling in front of the window.

Liz came in a few moments later, tightly clutching her Hello Kitty plush toy. She was scared and confused. Alice decided to have both of her children sleep in her bed with her for the rest of the night. Rex continued growling at the window for a little while longer, then eventually made his way back to his own bed. It was only two in the morning. Liz fell asleep first, then John about 20 minutes later after he finished crying. Alice reassured both of her children she would never let anything or anyone hurt them. She then held both of her children tightly until she fell asleep last.

Alice and Rex were awake before the children were. It was about ten in the morning and Alice had planned to take the kids out at 1. She went back to John's room to open the curtains and thankfully, the owl was gone. Alice still wasn't entirely certain the whole thing was real. The owl looked zombified and creepier than anything Alice had seen before. She showered, got dressed, woke her children up, and made everyone breakfast. John didn't have much of an appetite after last night's events, but after some convincing from Liz, John managed to stuff all of the pancakes down his throat. Alice especially wanted this day to be spectacular for her children with the hopes of everyone forgetting last night's events.

On the ride to Dave and Busters, John asked Alice if he could sleep with her again, but Alice said to just keep the curtains shut. Alice promised to give him a SpongeBob night light from the gift shop at Dave and Busters too. The Greenfield mall was very lively for a Sunday, and that surprisingly made Alice feel comfortable. Despite her disgust for large crowds, the many wandering souls made her feel calm and was a welcoming feeling to help her and the children forget the previous night. The kids seemed to forget the night completely the moment they reached their destination. The sight of other families enjoying themselves also made Alice feel calm, yet somewhat sad as well. Her family was no longer whole, but she would do her best to raise her children by herself.

Alice sat in the restaurant section of the arcade while Elizabeth and John went together to go play their games. Even though Alice was awake before the rest of the family, she was still exhausted from comforting her children so late at night. She found herself drifting off to sleep despite the bug noises around her, and it was still at least 20 minutes before the food arrived to her table. Alice folded her arms on the table, placed her head down, and began to drift off to sleep...

"You don't know what pain is."

Alice nearly jumped out of her chair from fear. The words were whispered in Alice's ear and she could even feel the breath of whoever said the words. Alice looked around, but no one was near her. She would have heard footsteps running away, but she didn't. Only a few of the other tables in the dining area were occupied, but they were all away from where Alice was sitting. Alice was sweating and shaking from fear. Her breathing was unsteady and she could even feel tears beginning to form. Alice forced herself to remain calm and composed as her children approached the table. Liz was carrying a bucket full of tickets that she would later redeem in the prize room. The food arrived shortly after and the family indulged in the cheeseburgers and fries. Alice forced herself to eat so she didn't appear troubled to her family.

Alice drank several glasses of water to calm her nerves and eventually needed to use the restroom. She gave John two dollars and told her children she would meet them in the prize room. The bathroom was empty and after relieving herself, Alice splashed some water on her face and took a moment to regain her composure before meeting her children in the prize room. John had purchased the night light and a ball with lights in it to play with Rex while Liz got herself some candy. It was about 3 now, and Alice just wanted to go home and get some rest.

As the car pulled into the driveway, John began to panic. He didn't want to go back into his room, but Alice told him everything would be fine if he kept the curtains closed and used his new night light. After much convincing in the car, almost 20 minutes to be exact, John finally found the courage to get out of the car and finally enter the house. Rex greeted the trio as always when they entered the home with licking and jumping. The kids went on to watch TV while Alice went up to her room for a quick nap. The kids had to be up early in the morning for school and so did Alice to take them to the bus stop. Alice went up to her room, closed the door, set an alarm on her phone for 6:30am, and quickly fell asleep.

Alice dreamt about a strange woman dressed in all black. The woman was old and time had not been kind to her face. Her face had numerous wrinkles and her gray hair was a mess. Her entire body seemed so frail and dirty. She couldn't have been more than five feet tall. The woman was in the woods in front of a fire and something was burning in the fire. Alice couldn't tell what that item in the fire was, but her dream abruptly ended when the old woman screamed so loud and the ground shook as a result.

Alice w0ke up startled as her alarm was going off. Alice felt like she was losing her mind. She was honestly too scared to move and she didn't for awhile until Liz came into the room asking for her mother to make dinner. Alice did her best to regain her composure and went downstairs to make her children some spaghetti and meatballs. Alice ate a little then watched some Game of Thrones to calm her nerves. First, the owl, then the whisper, and then a dream of an old woman in the woods. Alice wondered if anymore strange things would transpire tonight. Alice didn't drink much and there was absolutely no way she was under the influence of anything that would affect her mind.

By the time Alice had finished binge watching TV, she realized it was almost midnight. The kids and Rex went to sleep a few hours ago. John wanted to be extra safe, so he kept Rex in his room for the night. Alice still had a few days left before she had to return to work and contemplated what to do with her free time. In that same moment, the clock struck midnight and John started screaming again. Alice ran as fast as she could up the stairs and into her son's room. Rex was next to the bed and barking at the window. The curtains were closed and everything appeared normal. Liz ran into the room as well, curious as to what was happening. As Alice was about to inquire about what troubled John, he said something that sent chills down Alice's spine. John said he heard a voice whisper, "you don't know what pain is."

Alice felt herself tearing up again from fear and both of her children noticed in the dim glow from the night light. Rex continued barking at the window and the rest of the family stared at the blue curtains. Alice slowly walked over to the curtains, and forced her shaky hands to open them. The entire family gasped as they saw the glowing orange eyes in the same spot as last night. The eyes seemed to pierce Alice's soul and Alice was frightened and mesmerized as she stared back at the creature. When Alice finally turned around, she saw both of her children huddled together in John's bed. Rex was growling, but it was clear that even he was scared as well. Alice had finally had enough. She told her children to keep watching the owl until she came back inside. Despite her children begging her to stay with them, Alice went into the kitchen, grabbed a flashlight and a kitchen knife, and went outside to scare the owl away. It was pitch black outside and the noises of other animals made Alice more scared than she already was. When she finally turned the corner to the woods behind the house, she was terrified and confused. She shone the light up the tree the owl was in, but it was gone. Alice looked around the area, but there was no trace of the creature.

After a few more moments of looking around, Alice went back inside of her home to go upstairs to her children. She placed the knife down on the kitchen table to prevent scaring her children. When Alice went into John's room, her heart sank. The owl was in the tree staring back into the room. What made matters worse was the words that came out of Liz's mouth. "Mommy," said Liz, "the owl never moved from that spot. We saw the light from the flashlight, but it didn't scare the owl away." Time seemed to stop as Alice absorbed the words. She did, however, have one last idea to attempt to get rid of the creature. She told John to get his nerf gun and give it to her. Alice was going to shoot the creature to hopefully scare it away, but the foam bullets wouldn't kill the creature. She feared scaring her children more if she went to get her real gun that was in her room. She already knew her children were traumatized by this creature, but killing it wasn't going to make her children feel better. The creature was scary, but it didn't appear to be a threat... not in the moment anyway. Alice didn't know who or what said those words to her or her son, but she would think about that more once the owl was gone.

Alice opened the window and heard her children begin to cry in fear. Rex continued growling, but slowly backed away from the window. Alice took aim at the owl and and fired. What happened next happened so fast, it took the entire family by surprise. As Alice fired a shot at the owl, it flew into the window with such speed that it knocked her over. The kids and Alice screamed. When Alice got to her feet, she told her children to stay in the room with the door closed until she came back. Alice had to nearly drag Rex out of the room to help her track the owl. Rex was growling by the stairs and Alice assumed the owl was downstairs. She now decided that the owl was a threat and went into her room to get her gun. She then made her way down the stairs. Rex was still too frightened to move, but Alice couldn't leave this creature in her house.

Alice went down the stairs slowly with her pistol pointed directly in front of her. As Alice reached the final step, all of the lights in the house shut off. She gasped in fear and felt a tear slide down her face. Alice pulled the flashlight out of her pocket and pointed the light in front of her along with the gun. Alice searched all of the rooms with no sign of the creature until she reached the kitchen. Everything seemed fine except for one thing. The knife that Alice left on the table was missing. While Alice was distracted, the doorbell rang and she screamed in terror. Who could this be at this hour?

Alice was petrified and felt like she was in a horror movie. There was absolutely no way she was going to open the door, but she was curious as to who... or what could be outside. Each footstep to the door was agonizing. Alice's feet felt so heavy and her mouth was dry. Her hands were shaky and her breathing was rapid. Everything seemed to go silent including Rex and the children. Alice reached the peephole to the door and forced herself to look. Elizabeth and John were both outside crouched on the other side of the car. Impossible. How were they out there? Did the owl scare them so bad that they jumped out of the window? The fall wasn't great, but Alice was going to get them and drive away from the house. They would spend the night at their grandmothers until something was figured out.

The car was about 20 feet from the front door. Alice flung the door open with such force it seemed like it would fly off the handle. Alice rushed over to her car where her children were and they were both gone. Disbelief. Confusion. Panic. Fear. All of these emotions seemed to hit Alice like a truck. Alice called for her children, but she was met only with the noises of the nocturnal creatures in the woods. Alice didn't take her eyes off of the car when she stepped outside, so how did her children escape her sight?

Alice searched the area with no success of finding her children and a new emotion began to wash over her and slowly drown her. Helplessness. Alice's last resort was to go back inside and call the police to report both of her children missing. As Alice went back to the front door, she noticed that it was closed. Alice ran to the door to open it, but it was locked. Had someone snuck into the house and locked her out? Alice's children were missing, she was locked out of her home, and she didn't know whether to scream or cry, or both. Alice pounded on the door until she slumped to the cold ground in defeat. Her forehead was pressed to the door, and the tears began to fall. "Alice," a raspy voice said in a hushed tone. Alice quickly turned around as the shadowy figure engulfed her in darkness...

Elizabeth and John sat anxiously in the dark on John's bed, waiting for their mother to return. Minutes turned into hours and it seemed as though the night would never end. Both of the children didn't dare to leave the room until their mother returned.

A few days earlier...

Alice, Elizabeth, and John had left the courthouse without turning around and saying a word. James watched as his family... former family... got into their car and drove away to their home without him. James and Alice hoped moving to a new home would somehow mean a new chapter in their lives, but that was wishful thinking. His family was gone and his new home was a filthy motel room on the outskirts of town. James had a decent paying job as a computer programmer and could eventually find a new place to live soon enough. His good salary, however, wasn't good enough to maintain custody of his children or mansion. Life had become hell and the alcohol seemed to numb the pain for awhile until James sobered up. Pain and rage were the only emotions James had felt for the next day. He would wake up, stuff his face with whatever snacks he could find, drink, blackout, and repeat.

After two days of this destructive behavior, James sobered up for a moment when he looked at a picture of his family that he kept in his wallet. James was searching for money to purchase more alcohol, but all he had left was his debit card and he stumbled upon the picture. He could feel the tears forming and the sadness rising. The memories of him spending time with his family began to seep into his mind all at once. The most precious memory, other than the birth of his children, was James taking Liz and John to the forest for a camping trip a few years ago. The landscape was beautiful and peaceful. The waterfall was stunning and powerful too. The environment seemed like paradise. John and Liz begged their father to stay there forever and the birth of their love for camping happened that glorious day. That was one of the last peaceful memories James and Alice shared before the divorce. Work life had become stressful, Alice wasn't home when James was since he worked at the night.

The kids were at school in the morning, and James didn't want to be a programmer anymore. His real interest was in art, but it couldn't pay the bills, so he settled for a high paying job he wasn't passionate for. He couldn't spend as much time as he wanted to with his family, and depression began to take hold. James wasn't a heavy drinker at first, however, the alcohol did numb him and comfort him when his family wasn't around. The alcohol seemed to become a part of him even more when his family was permanently gone.

James missed his children, but not Alice though. Their fighting became frequent in regards to work life. James wanted to pursue more meaningful things to him, but Alice didn't approve. Alice cared more about money than hobbies. She cared only about the finer things the world could offer her and her children. Alice despised other people because she saw them as peasants living paycheck to paycheck. Alice did have a point about the art career, however, she had flaws of her own too. Her gambling had become worse and there were even times when she said she was working late only for James' friends to see her at the casino. James even wondered if Alice only "loved" him because of his decent salary. The only reason why James lost custody of his children was because of his drinking habit. Alice had a hidden camera in the house that captured James stumbling throughout the mansion like a drunken fool. Greed was not a good enough reason for Alice to lose the kids. It felt like a piece of James was ripped out the moment he lost custody of his children. James wanted to live in the last peaceful moment with his children for one final moment.

The drive to the Lakewood Forest was about 40 minutes away, but James made it there in 30. There were other guests in the forest that noticed James' alarming appearance. James' eyes were red, his clothes were wrinkled and dirty, and he gave off a very unsettling vibe. James staggered through the lush forest until he reached the familiar scene that he and his family were at a few years prior. The emotions began to build up and James began to cry bitterly as he fell to his knees, and eventually collapsed from exhaustion...

James woke up several hours later and was greeted by the moonlight. James knew he was tired and too much alcohol had made him black out before, but he didn't realize he had drank so much. If James was sober, he would have been terrified to be in the woods alone at night. James used the flashlight app on his phone to attempt to find his way back to his car with no luck. The more James walked, the further he felt from getting home. Suddenly, James saw something unusual. An eerie orange hue illuminated a small section of the forest about 50 feet ahead of James. James cautiously walked forward until he saw an old woman sitting near the fire. The woman was dressed in all black and looked dirty. Her gray hair seemed to be infected with spider webs and muck. As James was about to ask why the woman was out here alone, without turning around, the woman said, "I have been expecting your troubled soul James Smith." James' mind was clear once again. "How do you know my name?"

The old woman finally turned to face James with a sinister smile on her face. "I have roamed this land for many centuries. My people are extinct, yet I remain. I am guardian of this sacred ground in this beautiful forest. You appear different than the last time you and your children were here." James' heart sank. This old woman had been stalking James and his children. "Who the hell are you?" shouted James. He approached the woman and firmly grabbed her left arm. The woman ignored James' question and responded with a question of her own. "Where are your two little ones?" James' anger rose sharply and his grip tightened. The amusement in the woman's eyes grew. "I may be old, but I am very powerful. My people have driven from this land and killed. I am the sole survivor destined to roam this sacred ground alone. You are trespassing, yet I will spare you if you accept my offer."

"Why would I accept a deal from you?" said James.

"I will consecrate your blood to this land to appease my ancestors and keep this land beautiful if you refuse."

As soon as the woman stopped speaking, James heard growling coming from all directions around him. James released his grip from the woman and began to panic. The woman simply raised her left hand and the growling stopped. "Will you accept now?" said the woman. James nodded his head because he was too afraid to speak. "I have endured much suffering in this land. This land, is essentially my child that I have nurtured for many years. I want a child for my child. I want one of your children to consecrate to the land and I will spare your life."

James could feel his rage conquering his fear. "There's absolutely no way I'm giving you one of my children! Even if I wanted to, I couldn't."

The woman seemed confused. "What do you mean drunken man?"

James explained the painful events that transpired a few days ago to the woman, and she seemed somewhat amused again.

"Your wife has the children? How disappointing."

"She's not my wife!" shouted James. "Not anymore. I personally couldn't care less about what happens to her now. I... I just want my children back."

The old woman opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she gave James another sinister smile. "I have an amusing proposition for you," said the woman. "You want your children and I want a sacrifice. I will take your former wife instead, and the orphaned children can be yours once again. The children will be taken to an orphanage most likely since you have no ownership of them. I will help you get them back and you can forge a new identity in a new land with your children."

James was dumbfounded. What was alarming to James was that he was considering the offer. He had a lot of money saved and knew some people out west that can help him create his new life. If James declined the offer, he was probably dead.

After several moments of contemplating his options, James agreed to the woman's offer. "Excellent choice," said the woman. "I need something that belongs to your former wife. I cannot leave this land, however, I can make your former wife come to me."

James reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny silver necklace that belonged to Alice. Before Alice kicked him out, James planned to take some of Alice's belongings and sell them for extra money. Alice stole his children, so James took something of hers. The old woman grabbed the necklace and tossed it in the fire.

"Tell me," said the woman. "Let us have a celebration of suffering first. Tell me more about your former wife."

James was slightly confused, but obeyed. "My ex wife is greedy, loves designer clothes, her favorite color is orange, her favorite food is sushi, she loves wine, her favorite animal is an owl, she loves Range Rovers, she-"

"Alright alright, that's enough," the woman interrupted.

Suddenly, the woman chanted a few words and the fire roared to life. An eerie looking owl rose from the flames with a loud screech. Its eyes were orange like the fire. Perhaps that was fire in its eyes. The owl flew off into the night and didn't come back.

"The children shall be yours within the matter of days," said the woman as she turned to face James.

James didn't know whether to thank the woman, or just run in fear.

"I know the pain of losing loved ones," said the woman. "I have had no children of my own, however, I do not envy the situation you are in."

James started walking away but the words made him stop in his tracks. He turned to look at the frail old woman in the beautiful paradise she called home. "You don't know what pain is," said James as he walked into the woods to get to his car. This was a night he would never forget...

Alice woke up on the cold, hard ground, scared and confused. There were candles aligned in a circle and Alice was in the center. A figure emerged from the shadows of the forest and Alice's eyes widened in disbelief. The old woman from her dream was approaching her with a sharp blade in her hand and was chanting words in an unknown language. Alice tried to flee, but her restraints wouldn't allow her to escape. The woman stood directly over Alice and was ready to plunge the knife down. The final glimpse before the darkness came was the sinister looking owl staring directly into Alice's eyes.

The news covered the disappearances of the children for weeks. The staff at the Wellington Orphanage was careless, but that was fine by James. One of the staff members left the back door open when he went out for a smoke break, and James managed to sneak in and get his children with no problem. Both children were confused, yet excited to see their father. They hated the orphanage and didn't hesitate to leave with their father. The trio got into the black Honda Accord and drove off into the night in pursuit of a new start. James, John, and Elizabeth, now known as George, Alex, and Sarah, were headed towards Arizona to start their brand new lives. Rex would most likely be taken to a shelter, but he would most likely be adopted fast. James... George had everything he wanted now.

The old woman sat on a fallen tree near her ancient cabin. The land was so beautiful and precious after all these years. She was never alone, since the land was alive. Many people have traveled into her land, and many have been sacrificed to the land. Of all the souls that have come to this land, the drunken man was possibly the most interesting. The last words he said seemed to echo throughout the land. "You don't know what pain is." Such powerful words, from a foolish man.