Shadow : Part 3

Chapter Nine : The trap

As Nathan predicted, the ride home was more uncomfortable than the ride to Russell’s apartment. Much of it was done in silence, but that did not stop Nathan from being able to hone in on Russell’s private thoughts. It took Russell much convincing for him to believe Andrew had not been kidnapped. Russell still had lingering feelings that Nathan was wrong, and that whoever had taken Andrew, had done so imperceptibly.

Maybe Russell’s theory had some credibility to it, although Nathan seriously doubted it.
“You okay?” Russell asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

Russell shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re just quiet. That’s all.”
“I’m just thinking. What about you? You okay?” Nathan knew the answer would be ‘no’ whether Russell admitted it or not. Still, he considered it important to ask.
“I’m alright,” Russell whispered.

Once they emerged from the Webster Tube into Alameda, Nathan felt queasy. It started as a strange discomfort in his stomach, slowly moving upward to his chest and neck. He rolled down the window partially, allowing the crisp night air to get inside the warm car, hoping that would help.
“Nate, you sure you okay? You look like something’s wrong.” Russell seemed concentrated more on Nathan than the road.
“I’m fine.” As soon as the words left Nathan’s mouth, a sharp pain whipped across his forehead. It took an amazing amount of effort for Nathan not cry out. “Russ, pull the car over.”

Russell switched into the right lane and pulled over onto the sidewalk once he cleared the intersection.
“Do you see something?” Russell asked. “Is it Drew?”

The agony in Nathan’s head amplified, proceeded by a series of rapid images flashing through his mind’s eye. It felt like someone rapidly changing channels on a television. He saw the red car Russell mentioned earlier driving down his street; a shadowy figure sitting in the driver seat observing his apartment.

Nathan saw Justin walking down the street only a few blocks away from home. The scene jumped forward to show Justin entering the apartment and going upstairs to his bedroom. He watched and listened as Justin had a conversation with someone named Ryan over the telephone. He felt Justin’s fear as he realized that he was not alone in the house. Nathan saw the Shadow, the same one that had been in Russell’s apartment, standing at the base of the staircase, looking up toward Justin’s bedroom, waiting to make its move.
Russell put his hand on Nathan’s shoulder and shook him out of his vision. “Did something happen to Drew? Can you see him?”

“No…it’s not him. It’s Justin. We need to get there now.”
“What happened?”
“You stopped me before I could see it all. We gotta hurry.”

Russell pulled back onto the road, peeling down the street at almost thirty-five miles per hour. Nathan wanted to warn Russell not to go too fast in this town. He knew police cars were situated at certain points, waiting for speeding drivers to come flying by so that they could cite them, but chose not to.

Nathan pulled out his phone and called Justin. It rang twice before going to Justin’s voicemail.
“Justin, it’s me. I’m calling to see if you’re okay. Call me back as soon as you get this.” He ended the call and sighed heavily.
“No answer?”
“No," Nathan replied.
“What happened?” Russell questioned, barely making it through a traffic light as it turned red.

Nathan looked at Russell. He did not know how else to put it. “I think the same thing that happened to Andrew.”
Russell appeared stumped by Nathan’s revelation. “Is he okay? Is he…”
Nathan did not want him to finish that question. “I don’t know. I can’t see it yet…we just need to hurry up and get there.”

The whole ride home, Nathan tried getting more clarification as to what was happening at his apartment, but his body overfilled with nervous energy, and his mind was hampered by Russell’s insistent thoughts that something really bad had happened to Andrew, and now to Justin. Russell felt responsible for it all. Russell’s guilt covered Nathan’s mind like an eclipse.

Once they reached Nathan’s home minutes later, Nathan had hoped to receive additional clues as to the condition of the situation, but he got nothing.
That scared him more than anything.
Nathan hopped out of the car before Russell fully parked the car. He heard Russell calling his name as he jetted across the street toward his apartment.
The front door was wide open.

“Don’t go in there, Nate!” Russell screamed. Even from a distance, Russell’s voice boomed in Nathan’s ears. One of the neighbor’s dogs barked, and the coldness of the night wrapped around him like mummy gauze.
Nathan was more puzzled than frightened to the see the door open. He stopped a few feet in front of the walkway not knowing what to do next. Russell came up behind him.

“Is Justin still in there?” Russell asked.
“I don’t know yet,” Nathan replied quietly.
“I don’t know,” Nathan replied quietly. He pulled out his phone and dialed Justin again; with each ring, the devastating reality that something tragic happened became more palpable.

After getting no response, Nathan sent a short text message to Blake.

I need u to come home right away if u can...it's an emergency.

“Come on,” he said to Russell. “We’re gonna have to go in.”
“Hell no,” Russell emphatically replied. Earlier, Nathan had seen him look miserable, which had been a rare sight. Now he looked petrified. Fear did not fit Russell at all.
“I’m not just gonna stand out here and wait all night.”
“We should call the police or something.”
“Did you call the police?” Nathan sharply asked.

Russell had no retort. He was imagining what it would be like to walk into Nathan’s home after all this time. He shared the same trepidation Nathan experienced earlier that evening: the fear of conjuring memories that he did not want to be reminded of, on top of putting himself in a dangerous situation.
Nathan’s phone rang. His heart leapt in his chest. Justin.
However, before Nathan even retrieved it from his pocket, he knew that it was not Justin.
Blake.

“Hey,” Nathan said as he answered the call. His voice sounded frozen, like it needed thawing out.
“What’s going on?” Blake questioned. His tone of voice sounded more sharp than concerned. “Is everything cool at the house?”
A few hours before, when Blake texted him, Nathan lied and said he was already home. Now something bad had happened to Justin, and Nathan should have been home instead of with Russell.
How am I gonna explain that to him? Nathan pondered.
“Get home as soon as you can,” Nathan urgently replied. “I’ll tell you everything when you get here.”
“On my way,” Blake said.

Blake hung up before Nathan got the chance to say good-bye.
“Justin?” Russell asked. But he already knew the answer
Nathan stared into the open doorway. It looked like the gateway to another world.

They really only had two options: go inside and see if Justin was there, possibly hurt, but still alive and come face to face with whoever or whatever had attacked him, or wait for Blake to come home and all three of them would go in together. Actually, there was another alternative…
“Um, Russ…maybe you should just go home.”

Nathan did not have to look directly at him to see the shocked expression on Russell’s face.
“What are you talking about, Nate?"
“Blake will be here soon.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“I don’t want you to be here when he comes.”
“Why?”

Nathan shot him a furious look. “Russell you know why. Blake hates you. He’s already gonna be on my ass anyway for going to your place."
"Are you sure he's not your boyfriend?" Russell asked. "Sounds like he is."
"It shouldn't matter to you one way or the other," Nathan fired back.
Russell scowled.
"Look, Russ, I don’t need any additional problems right now. It would be just better if you go.”
“Like I just said, I’m not going anywhere."
“Fine. I’m going inside.”

Nathan walked forward, toward the open doorway. He half expected Russell to call after him, but he did not.
When Nathan entered his home, the door abruptly shut closed behind him. Nathan went to open it, but twisting the knob was impossible. It would not budge under Nathan’s touch. He was locked inside the apartment.

Two important things came into Nathan’s mind: Justin was not in the apartment. He had escaped minutes before he and Russell had returned home, with Ryan. Secondly, Nathan knew that the thing that drove Justin out of the apartment was still here. It had never planned to attack Justin at all.

It was waiting for me, Nathan thought.

***

When Nathan ran into the apartment, a few minutes before, Russell had been in a brief state of paralysis, consumed by his fear. His brain seemed to have temporarily shut down. Once he finally came back to his senses, Russell rushed to the door, knocking on it vigorously, ringing the doorbell numerous times, anything he could do to get Nathan’s attention.

“Nate! Open the door!” Russell yelled. His voice blared like a siren, but he got no response.

A dog barked somewhere and a light went on in the upstairs room of a neighbor’s house. Russell tugged on the doorknob, strongly considering busting the door down. He knew if something happened to Nathan, it would be his fault entirely.
I can’t lose them both, Russell thought.

From behind him, he heard the shrill screeching of tires. Russell turned around and saw a black Acura Legend pull up into the driveway, the bright headlights preventing Russell from seeing the driver’s face, although he already knew who it was. The driver cut off the engine and the headlights and hopped out of the car, all in what seemed like three seconds.

“What the fuck are you doin here?” Blake asked. He charged toward Russell with the determination of a man ready to kill.
Shit, this is the last thing I need right now, Russell thought.
“You damn right about that,” Blake said. They stood face to face, animosity on both of their faces. “Why are you here?”
“Nate and Justin are in there,” Russell replied, resentful that he even had to give any kind of explanation to Blake. “There’s something else in there too.”

Russell figured Blake would ask him what that ‘something else’ was, but he did not. Instead, he pushed Russell aside and dug in his pocket to get his keys. He found the one he needed and unlocked the door, pushing it open, just enough for him to get inside.
“I’m coming in too,” Russell said, putting his hand on the door in an attempt to keep Blake from closing it behind him.
“The fuck you are,” Blake said and slammed the door shut in Russell’s face and locked it.

As soon as he shut the door, Blake instantly felt like he had been transported into another world. Everything appeared normal but different; the living room looked exactly as it had when Blake had left earlier that afternoon. But it was the feeling of the apartment that had been altered. The room was filled with a deathly, pervasive coldness.

Blake began to experience a strange, dizzying disorientation, similar to being intoxicated. He knew without question that there was still something ominous in their home.
He opened his mouth to call Nathan’s name, but when he did so, his voice sounded muted, so quiet, that it was almost nothing came out.
Nate, can you hear me?
Blake waited for a response, but did not get one.

The light in the living room started to undulate, slowly dimming down and brightening back up with a nearly blinding intensity. Blake headed for the kitchen. He walked slowly, as if treading through waist deep water.
Nate, where are you?
Blake tried calling for Justin’s name, since he would not be able to respond telepathically to Blake, but again, when he said Justin’s name, it came out as a soft susurration, instead of the bellowing call he intended. Blake entered the kitchen and turned on the light switch.
Nothing happened.

The room remained as black as the pupil of an eye. Blake heard a soft whooshing sound a few feet behind him. He whirled around, ready to face whatever adversary that may have been there.
Nothing.
Suddenly, Nathan’s voice filled his mind: Blake, get out of here.

Blake easily detected the panic in Nathan’s voice and it made his heartbeat quicken. Are you okay? Is Justin with you?
Nathan did not reply. Blake reentered the living room. He felt like he was being watched, although nobody else occupied the room other than him.
Answer me, Nate!

Justin’s gone, Nathan finally replied. He was gone before I got here.
What the hell is going on in here? Blake questioned.
Blake walked around to the base of the staircase and looked upward to the second floor. He saw nothing but thick, impenetrable darkness up there. He never knew such darkness could even exist.
Don't come up here, Blake. It’s in the hallway, outside of my room.
WHAT is outside your room? Blake asked.
I’ll explain to you after…

After what? Blake took the first step up the staircase. It did not creak as it usually did. He did not know if that was a good thing or not.
Go back outside with Russell, Nathan ordered.
That name detonated indignation in Blake’s mind. He was sure, because of their telepathic link that Nathan felt it. No, I'm not going anywhere. What's he even doing here anyway?
Get out of here, Blake…it already knows you’re here…you feel it don’t you? It’s waiting for you to come up here.

Nate, you gotta tell me what we’re dealing with right now. I’m not just gonna leave and not know what’s going on.
Blake, please go outside. Call Justin to make sure he’s somewhere safe. Make sure Russell is okay—
I don’t give a fuck if Russell is okay! You’re the one I care who’s okay.
There was a brief pause. Blake, please just do what I say.

For a second, Blake considered it. He thought about doing as Nathan asked, turning around and heading out the front door. But if something horrible happened to Nathan, he would have blamed himself forever for not have done anything about it when he had the chance.
No, I’m not going anywhere, Nate.

Blake charged up the staircase, agile as a panther, taking the steps two at a time until he reached the second level. Soon as his foot landed on the last step, he briefly wished he had adhered to Nathan’s warning. Something was hiding—no, not hiding. Blake had the keen sensation that it wanted to be seen. Nathan’s words recycled through his brain: …you feel it don’t you? It’s waiting for you to come up here.

It was too late to go back downstairs, Blake knew. He felt guilty about even thinking about abandoning Nathan. Without giving much thought to it, he reached over and turned on a light switch to illuminate the hallway.

At first, Blake thought he was looking at a man standing a few inches away from Nathan’s bedroom door. From a distance, it looked like the figure was dressed all in black, with a matching-colored ski mask covering his face.
Once the man started walking toward Blake—actually, not even walking, because his feet never touch the carpet at all, gliding seemed a more accurate description—that Blake accepted this was not a man at all.
Instinctively, Blake knew that he would not be able to combat this thing physically with his hands. His telekinetic abilities were not as strong or controllable as Justin’s. It would take a lot of energy and focus for him to psychically defend himself.
And then it was too late.

The pounced him, pinning him to the carpet. It was the strangest sensation. Blake could feel the thing on top of him, the pressure of it, but it was almost a numbing feeling. He had been anticipating pain, but there was none. Blake stared up at the shadowy figure, whose face, if it even had a face, was only inches away from his own. It stared at him through socket-less eyes, and Blake’s mind started to go blank, like the thoughts and memories were being deliberately plucked from his brain.
Blake…

He heard a door opening, but it sounded so far away. Blake thought he heard Nathan call his name, but it could have been his imagination. Before Blake eyes closed and succumbed to the darkness, he sent one last message to Nathan:
Sorry, Nate. I should’ve listened to you.