Keeper of the Abyss.

Luck was never on Amy’s side; even if it seemed good, it wasn’t. The saying ‘If I didn’t have bad luck, I wouldn’t have any.’ was ingrained in her memory. That hadn’t changed throughout her life. Even as she clutched twenty grand in her hands, creeping through the inky abyss that used to be a busy sidewalk. All around her, she couldn’t see further than a couple feet. It was like she was the only thing emitting light in a lightless pit. Worse still, something was lurking in that pitch just out of sight. Amy couldn’t help but shake like a leaf in hurricane-force winds as she took each meek step.

“Of all the things I regret, I regret opening that little black book.” Amy’s voice quivered with every syllable.

She thought deeply about that book laying in the morning dew amongst a scattering of a fountain pen and inks. It looked harmless enough, unassuming, to be completely honest. When she picked it up, the book had a weight to it that didn’t seem possible. It was heavier than any book she had ever picked up; She had picked up a great many of them being an avid reader. Looking it over, it had a return address on the back. Still, curiosity was a dangerous thing, and Amy had it in spades. When she opened the book, she found herself looking at something abnormal.

The book’s pages were black, but it hadn’t started that way; no, it was ink. Each page looked like it had been dipped in the darkest black ink imaginable. Deep down, she knew it wasn’t dipped. Someone had written on these pages until they could no longer see the words, and then they started to write in white ink. That white ink seemed to glow, and it drew her in. It didn’t take long for her to read a few pages and know it was someone’s silly idea of a joke.

“Nothing but a prank to scare someone.” She chuckled to herself.

“I regret returning that book… and I regret lying…” Amy whimpered as she shuffled along her steps, echoing into the distance.

She had found the address on the book’s back, fully planning on returning it, if for nothing else than to get some brief entertainment from the prankster. The house she arrived at could have been on the cover of a gardening magazine. Lush plants grew all around the place, and the house looked pristine. She climbed the stairs and knocked. When the door finally opened, a haggard old man peeked out. The door was bound by a locking chain.

“What is it…” His voice sounded like a snake’s hiss.

Amy had actually been taken aback by the man. “I found your book and pen set.” She choked out while holding up the book.

The old man’s eyes opened wide. “How did you get that?” He unlocked the door and swung it open the rest of the way. He stepped out onto the porch, holding his hand out like a beggar. “Give me that book.”

She looked from him into the man’s living room which was offputting from the house’s exterior. Deep red paint littered the walls and floor, a painfully bright light was aimed at the door. Amy couldn’t help but squint as she handed the man his book.

The old man squeezed the book tightly then looked up at her. “It feels lighter… did you read it?”

Amy wondered how the book’s weight could be an indication that a book had been read. “I only opened it before finding your address on the back.” She lied.

“I hope you speak the truth. This book holds truths that many could never fathom. Nightmarish, hellish truths just beyond human sight.” He looked back into his living room. “Don’t move.”

With that said, Amy watched as the man walked into his house and turned a corner. After a short time had passed, she debated just leaving, but the man had returned holding an envelope. “This is what you must do...” He whispered. “Before nightfall, get somewhere far away and make peace with your God. For you might very well meet him before this night is over.” He handed her the envelope, which she took skeptically. “Leave… I can only keep it at bay for so long.”

“I’ll do that…” Amy mumbled, thinking the man was utterly insane. “I’m leaving right now.” She took a couple steps backward until she reached the stairs. The door slammed shut, and she started down the stairs. When she stepped onto the sidewalk, curiosity got the better of her. She opened the envelope. Inside was crisp one hundred dollar bills with a paper strip binding them together. “Twenty thousand?” She gasped after reading the ribbon of paper. Amy turned back to the house.

Fear set in as she looked up at the house or what it had become. Deep red wept for the siding, and the plants withered. Ink seemed to be trying to escape from the very door she was just at. Amy turned and ran as if the devil himself was on her heels. As she ran, the world around her plunged into darkness. Shock set in and Amy dropped to the ground in terror. Sitting in the fetal position, she felt more than heard the darkness moving. It was like swimming and feeling something swim by you in the murk of a pond. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she scrambled to her feet and ran.

“Maybe I should have just let whatever it was take me…” Amy tried to stifle her tears. “No… that’s quitter talk. I have to keep moving.” She continued to plod along.

She looked around more and more, never truly seeing anything outside of her ring of light. The noises, though, were terrifying. Nothing in this dark wasteland sounded like anything she had heard before. Trilling, cackling, and inhuman screams assaulted her ears. What she could only assume was the elements struck at her like a jagged spear as well. Silence scared her the most.

“Oh no… it’s quiet again.” She whispered while crouching down.

Amy had lost all sense of time and space as well. Something swam through the dark, ‘The great white shark’ of the abyss. She had felt it move past her once and heard it strike another creature. The sound was unearthly. Creeping along, she kept low to the ground, hoping that the world around her would pay no heed to her existence. Amy moved that way until her back started to scream, and she heard a familiar sound.

“It sounds like a stream.” She sat on the ground to rest her tired body and listened. Amy started to relax a little while listening to the sound of water trickling downstream. Outside of having the urge to empty her bladder, she felt at ease.

Something broke that soothing sound, and she looked in the direction of the stream. Amy had heard the saying, ‘If you gaze into the abyss long enough, the abyss will gaze back into you.’. However, she was sure that it was looking at her. Amy could see a minuscule paw no bigger than that of a cat at the light’s edge. As the creature took another step into the light, she could see it clearly. The beast’s smooth skin shined like an oil slick. It had a large flat head, beady eyes, and a mane of tiny trees flicking at the air; It reminded her of an axolotl. Then it trilled at her, and clicking noises came from deep in its throat as it crouched lower.

Amy could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “H-h-hi there, little guy…” She squeaked.

The creature hissed at her in response, revealing long needle-like teeth in its wicked maw. Then it pounced. Rolling away from the demon salamander, she scrambled to her feet and started running in the other direction. Trilling, clicking, and hissing filled the air around her as she moved. Sprinting along, Amy wished that she had some bearing or way to tell where she was going. In her mind, she begged God for anything. Her lungs screamed for something more physical as she slammed into a wall of sheer blackness. Amy found herself on the ground as the wall moved, and the sounds of nightmares began anew. The land around her heaved in anguish, screeching, and other terrible noises were pounded into her mind.

With one deep gasp for air, she scuttled to her feet and ran again. Amy kept running blindly, hoping only to outrun the abyss. Something tickled the back of her mind as she went. There was a familiar sound amongst the sounds of hell.

“Is… that… a… cat…” She gasped out. Her lungs desperately pulling as much air in as possible.

The meowing continued like an unseen beacon. Being the only familiar thing Amy had heard, running towards the cat seemed a sound idea. The terrain around her was unpredictable, but she kept listening and running. Sometimes seeing the creatures of the deep, she kept moving desperately. The cat, her savior, was getting louder. That meant only one thing; she was close to it. Then finally, she was on top of the sound.

“Here, kitty kitty.” Amy begged while looking around desperately for the cat. “Please come here, Kitty kitty.” She whimpered. The cat showed itself seconds later. As it walked into the light, the cat was transparent like a ghost. “Can you help, please…”

The cat slowly blinked at her, then turned and trotted the other way. Amy followed at a slow jog making sure not to lose sight of the ghost cat. They zigged and zagged through the abyss, and Amy knew the cat was dodging obstacles and maybe even threats. Then the cat stopped, turned, and sat down.

“Why did you stop?” She asked quizzically. Then she looked down at her ring of light. It was fading. “What do I do?”

The cat let out a bellowing meow before turning the same direction they were going, then bolted into the abyss. Amy followed, running faster than she had ever run in her life. In her mind, she knew what the cat meant. If you stop, death will rise up and devour you. So she ran fueled by terror and raw adrenaline. She pushed herself until her muscles screamed, and her lungs felt like they would collapse. Around her, the world seemed to be changing. The abyss was being stripped away. Amy ran faster, still hoping only to escape.

She tripped and fell, rolling like someone had shot her from a cannon. Tumbling down over herself, again and again, she finally came to a stop. Amy clamped her eyes closed, fearing the worst until she heard the chirping of birds.

Her eyes snapped open. “Am I home?” Looking around, she could see the very park she found the book. laying her head down, she laughed. “I made it.” Standing up, Amy looked at the beautiful colors dance across the sky as the sun crested the horizon. Still clutched in her hand was the envelope of money, and nearby was an ash grey cat watching her indifferently. “Thank you, My friend!” She yelled at the cat, which promptly left after the acknowledgment.

But something seemed to gnaw at the back of her mind. It was a deep and feral feeling. One that was ingrained in every fiber of her being. She looked down at her feet. A little black book sat there with her name and address on it.

Amy picked up her heavy black book and prayed God would have mercy. “I’m no longer trying to escape the abyss… I’m its keeper…”