The Demon Shadow

By Terry Dunn

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 9, 2008
• ISBN: 9781469120157

Terry Dunn

Writing my first book was an exciting and rewarding experience. When I was a kid in school, I was never sure what I wanted to do and I really never dreamed of becoming an author. But once I began reading more and more books, I had a lot of ideas in my mind and thought I could do that. So I began to write. It took me a long time, but once I got my first book published, here I am on my second book. It is such a feeling of great accomplishment to put your words on paper and have others read them. Between the time I spend with my husband and our little cockapoo, I have many hobbies that I enjoy. I'm in a singing group. I read a lot of different kinds of books from many different authors

Book preview

Prologue

Sometimes, we tend to bury our secrets in the depths of our minds. We may have been scared to the point at which we think we’re losing our minds, or maybe we have experienced a strange phenomenon and just want to pretend that it never happened.

Over time, these secrets become buried so deep that when it appears they may arise once again, we don’t know how to deal with reality. So we keep trying to find answers to many questions, an explanation for something that cannot possibly happen, but think again. One never knows what can or can’t happen. If we dig deep within ourselves, the truth will come out. Maybe through love, truth, and understanding, we can change the course of things.

But until that time comes, we must go one day at a time, living each one as if it’s our last day.

Chapter 1

Terrance Martin loved Sunnyvale, Vermont, particularly in the fall when the colorful leaves drifted like feathers to the ground and when white clouds moved like herds of sheep across the bright blue sky. Summer’s end was quickly approaching, welcoming the crispness of fall; but still, there were brief periods of warmth. Small patches of green grass still remained, refusing to go away as the grass was turning brown, getting ready for their winter blanket soon to come. The mountains seemed to be reaching for the sky. The birds were swiftly flying on their journey south. At such times, he knew this was the place of peace that most people dreamed about and to which he had recently returned.

He had heard the old tales about an old burial ground, on top of which his ancestors had built their huge house. The Martin house sat on the hill above Sunnyvale, its dark face staring down at the town below, sending the chill of its presence to trouble any chance passerby. The burial ground below, its foundation, added its own element of strangeness though nobody in modern times remembered what lay there or even what had been found in a certain attic room.

He felt the presence of the room in the attic that even he avoided. It troubled him that the local people avoided his home and shivered when they traveled past along the road leading down from the hills to the town in the valley. The townsfolk only recalled the series of suicides that had taken generations of Martin males from their families. The years had been very harsh on the old mansion. Everyone who walked past the house felt an unbearable cold that went right through the bones. It felt like someone was watching them from a window in the upstairs attic.

His people had come from the Old Country, Germany, he admitted, and held to superstitions and practices that others scorned. He felt that the stories that had grown up around their unusual beliefs and behavior had spawned most of the terror his house inspired. Yet when he began experiencing terrifying things himself, it was too late for him to reconsider.

There were rumors that Mr. Martin was possessed by something evil within the mansion, powers far greater than anyone could ever imagine. Could he be someone who worshipped the devil? His mannerisms had begun to change drastically. The once-gentle, loving husband and father suddenly began to show anger toward everyone he knew.

Terrance Martin and his family had lived in the old mansion for many years before he began to experience unusual and strange haunting that slowly started to drive him out of his mind. He began to hear muffled voices, slowly becoming louder and louder. They were telling him to kill everyone in his house. He tried to resist, but he wasn’t strong enough. Each time he turned to walk out the room, the voice was louder than ever before, screaming at him to stop. He would not leave the room. He stood shaking in his shoes. Please leave me alone. Let me out of this room. I cannot stay here.

I’m not through with you. You will stay here as long as I need you.

But who are you? I can’t see you. Let me see you so I’ll know who I am talking to.

Suddenly, the door slowly opened. Terrance turned to see his way out. He ran as fast as he could down the stairs until he reached the living room and fell in the large chair by the fireplace. His heart pounding, his breathing heavy as his wife came and saw him sitting there just staring out in space, his eyes looking like they had seen a ghost.

What has happened to you? his wife asked as she quickly came to his side. You look so white. If I didn’t know better, I would swear that you have seen a ghost.

His wife was still talking to him, but he couldn’t hear her as he had his hands over his ears. He was trying to shut out the voices from his head. Why does she still keep talking to me?

Stop! Stop! he screamed. Can you hear the voices and the crying? he asked his wife.

What are you talking about? I don’t hear anything. What has happened to you? Ever since we moved in this house, you seem different. I don’t understand what is happening. It’s as though you have become someone else. You’re not the husband I used to know.

That night as Terrance was asleep in bed with his wife, he awoke to mutters and murmurs of alien voices from the upper floor of the house. As he lay shivering in his bed, he heard the shrill laughter of a child. Stop! he cried. His wife put her hand on his shoulder, and he turned to her, screaming, Can’t you hear the voices? The crying? They’re calling to me. They want me to come to them. Don’t you hear them?

Terrance, Terrance, we’re waiting for you. Come to the small room in the attic. We’re waiting. The voices sounded so far away.

Eyes opened, he sat straight up in bed, looking all around the room.

He thought he saw a blue mist at the foot of his bed. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to focus, but he couldn’t see anything. He had to find out what was going on. His wife felt him rising as he left their bed.

Where are you going? she asked, her voice sleepy.

I’ve got to find out what is going on. I cannot go on until I clear up this mystery. Every time I think I hear the voices or crying or laughter, you say you don’t hear anything. I’m afraid I’m going mad. I cannot rest until I find out what it is. Please don’t fear, dear wife, I’ll return.

In the past few weeks, she had noticed changes in her husband but was afraid to say anything to him for fear of what he might say or do. She noticed that at times his mind appeared to be in a fog. When she spoke to him, he always seemed to be somewhere else. He wouldn’t hear her when she spoke to him. He began to spend most of his time in a room upstairs. He hardly came down for his meals, and when he did, it was to eat quickly and then return to his own world. Sometimes, at night, she thought she could hear noises coming from upstairs but was never sure.

The hour was late, and he still hadn’t returned to their bed. He promised he would return. What could have happened to him? she thought. When it reached the third hour and he still hadn’t returned, she decided to try and find him. She remembered him talking about a room in the attic. Her heart pounding, her hands damp, she turned knobs, opened doors, expecting some dreadful apparition to leap out at her. Her husband’s expression when he left their chamber had filled her with dread, and as she went, she grew more and more frightened. But she found nothing until she reached the room in the attic, the one she had never entered because a chill had always shaken her when she reached for the knob.

This time, she fought through the chill and the fear. The knob turned. The door swung back, and she stepped inside. Her candle cast a long shadow against the farther wall. As the air stirred, the shadow moved, the body that cast it swinging from the fixture in the ceiling.

Terrance! she gasped, gazing upward into his candlelit face.

His eyes were wide, staring as if at the devil himself—or into the doors of hell. She found her husband hanging from a small ceiling light above a table covered with a black tablecloth. She was frightened to stay any longer in that cold, dark room She would never forget the look on his face. His eyes were open, looking straight at her. His mouth was wide open as if he was about to speak. The anger on his face was so strong, she was deathly afraid for her children’s lives and her own. She ran out of the house and never stopped until she reached the police, who investigated for a brief period of time but were unable to explain why this dreadful thing had happened to her husband. For the sake of the townsfolk, they felt it was best if they didn’t talk any more about what just happened and put the body of Mr. Martin to rest.

Chapter 2

Eight years passed before Jim Martin and his family moved to Sunnyvale. He was a wealthy businessman from a large chain of clothing department stores. When he arrived home late from a hard day at work, his wife gave him a letter that came overnight by mail from his attorney, Bob Richards.

Alice, you’re not going to believe this, he said as he was reading the letter. I have just inherited an old mansion in Sunnyvale, Vermont, from my great-great uncle Terrance, whom I’ve never seen or never even knew I had. It seems he passed away, and the mansion has been in probate all these years. I seem to be the only one left in the family, and now the place belongs to us.

Where’s Sunnyvale?

I think we are just about to find out, and tomorrow would be a perfect time to check the place out. Apparently, it’s been in my family for many generations. I know that we have been having some problems lately, and you’ve been a great wife, putting up with my working so much. Look at this like a new beginning for us. Who knows, we might just love it there. I’ll take a six-month leave of absence. I think we can afford to do this.

I’ve seen the picture of the house that came with the letter. It looks like it is a little run-down but also has character, kind of old and yet mysterious, said Alice.

The next week was very busy for them as they prepared for their new life. They were excited about the move and yet a little apprehensive, wondering what this new life would mean for them. Once they arrived in the small community, they found the townspeople to be friendly but also a little cautious to strangers coming into their town. The only thing these people knew was that here came another family named Martin who was going to live in the old mansion, and they were somewhat worried. The Martin family found it slow going in the beginning, but slowly over time, the town began to accept the Martins and grew to respect them. They seemed to be different from the Martins who lived in the mansion many years back. The townsfolk described them as down to earth, always friendly to everyone they met.

Jim, Alice, and their two children, Jennifer and Mark, were very happy in their new home. They quickly became adjusted to their new surroundings. Jim was beginning to relax a little. Alice began to make friends, slowly at first; but soon, she began to trust them as the weeks went by. Then one Sunday evening, after being in their new home for about two months, Jim received a phone call from one of the department store managers saying they needed him to come back to the store. There were some management problems with some of the people in the store, and they desperately needed his help.

I’m sorry. I’ve taken a six-month leave of absence to spend some time with my family. Surely, you can handle whatever comes up, or get someone to help you.

No, I can’t, replied Clyde. Please, the whole place is falling apart. We really need you here. I’m afraid there’s going to be a riot. His voice was out of control. Please say you’ll come!

After talking it over with Alice, hoping she would understand, Jim decided he had better go and make sure the place was still standing. Once Jim returned to the office, it wasn’t long before he was back in the stress and craziness of the job. While he was at work in the city, the people back home would watch out for Alice and her children, trying their best to help in any way that they could. Alice worked on her garden; it always helped to get her mind off her husband being away so much. This was supposed to be a happy time for all of them, but it was different than what she had pictured. In the meantime, she kept busy with her garden and with trying to make a home for her family.

It wasn’t long after her husband returned home from the office that she began to notice little changes in him. Not only had he spent a lot of time again at his job, but he started to come home later and later. There had to be more going on than what he was telling her. He used to be a gentle, loving man. Now he was like someone she didn’t recognize. The changes appeared very subtle at first but definitely noticeable to Alice.

He was angry most of the time. Damn this house! he said. Why does nothing work anymore?

Jim, please stop yelling. What is wrong with you? You look so tired all the time. Why don’t you stay home today, and I’ll make you a nice lunch, and you can relax.

Don’t be crazy, woman. I have to get my work done. If I don’t do it, who will? Just leave me alone! he screamed at her.

She turned to walk away, tears coming from her eyes. She couldn’t understand what was happening to her husband. She wanted the man she used to love back again. Right now, she had no choice but to leave him alone as he requested. Then suddenly, right before her eyes, Jim changed again. He was calmer as he said, Please forgive me, Alice. I’m sorry I’ve been acting so crazy. I guess I have been working too much. If you can please bear with me, it won’t be much longer, and we can return to the good life I promised you and the children.

I don’t understand what is happening to you. You’re almost back to the way you used to be before we moved out here. Always working, coming home tired, and never any time for me or the children. I can’t help but wonder if it has something to do with the house. Ever since we moved in, you seem different. I guess I just miss our times together as we once had before you started again. I just want us to be a family again. I love you, Jim.

For a while, she tried to forget his strange behavior. He was just tired, and she would try to be more understanding; but somehow, hearing his words didn’t seem to make her feel any better. Even though he was in the house, she felt a loneliness that she couldn’t get rid of. It was heavy in her heart.

That night, as she lay in bed thinking about Jim’s returning to work, she felt an angry presence all around her, a feeling of despair that her life was turning upside down. Somehow, she knew the life he had promised her would never come true. She was afraid that something would happen to him, and he would be lost to her forever. Lying quiet in her bed, listening to her husband’s breathing, hoping that with each breath, he would change his mind, she tried to understand what could have happened to make him so different. Finally, she drifted off when, suddenly, she was awakened by a voice, faint at first and then louder. It sounded like a child crying.

Jim, wake up, wake up. Can you hear the little child crying? She poked him and poked him, but he would not wake up. If she hadn’t known better, she would have sworn that her husband was dead. All of a sudden, he took a loud breath and then fell back to breathing slowly. The crying stopped. It was almost like the crying was coming from her husband. But that was impossible. He was beside her all the time. But she didn’t imagine it.

The next morning, the sun was shining with a crispness in the air; when you opened your mouth to speak, you could see your breath.

As Jim was getting ready to go into the office, Alice looked at him with sadness in her eyes and said, It’s too bad you didn’t hear the crying last night. I tried to wake you, but you seemed to be dead to the world.

No, I didn’t hear anything, he replied as he ate his breakfast.

When will you be back home?

After I finish this assignment, I’ll be able to stay home with you and the children. Please be patient for just a while longer. It’s important that I finish this. Then the manager in charge can take over for me. But the job took longer than he had anticipated.

The next couple of months went along smoothly; Jim was finally able to slow down going into the office. Alice began to feel happy; maybe they would be able to finally live as a family. Jim started to do things around the house, really taking part in making it a home. It was late afternoon as he began to investigate some of the rooms in his new home that he had not been able to get around to. He decided to look around the upstairs when he came upon a small room tucked away at the farthest end of the hall, the unspoken room in the attic. As he opened the door to look inside, a wave of coldness swept over him, making him step back into the hall with a feeling of sadness rushing into his heart. He had a feeling he was not alone. It was dark upstairs, and he felt a strong presence inside the house. He felt there were shadows all around just waiting for him to walk inside the room, and he was not ready for that. He ran down the stairs and decided to wait until the morning light to go into the room. Everything always looked better in the daylight as he decided to wait for another day.

Jim, Alice, and the children had just sat down for their supper, enjoying their togetherness and conversation, when Alice suddenly jumped up from the table.

What’s the matter, Alice?

Did you hear it?

Did I hear what?

Didn’t you hear that noise? It was a child crying, the same crying I heard the other night. Remember, I told you about it. I’m sure it came from upstairs.

I didn’t hear anything, Mom, said the children.

Alice looked at her husband, frustrated. You must have heard something.

Jim was very quiet. He was just staring out into space.

Are you okay, Jim? asked his wife.

Yes, I’m okay, he said in a very soft, faraway voice. He never really said if he had heard the crying, but he had a haunting look in his eyes like he was miles away.

They finished the rest of their supper quietly and retired to