Guilty Shadows
The Truth
"What?" Was the only word I managed to spit out before Jake continued, "Did that girl tell you this address?" I nodded my head, Jake going as stiff as a log. "I knew something was going on... Father hasn't been like himself, he-"
"I don't understand..." I interrupted as we both took a right, heading into Jake's neighborhood. "Father... I think my father was the one who killed the girl," Jake said, hiding his shaking fist behind his back. We walked across the street and came to a halt in front of the first house on the left, the only one with a basketball hoop above the garage. "What do you mean?" I questioned, hesitantly making my way into Jake's home, even though I've been here millions of times. Could Jake's father really be a murderer? Could the man that helped me through my parents death, be capable of killing a human being? The man that played video games with me and Jake until midnight. Or when he helped me with homework as if he was my own dad. The thought sickened me, I couldn't even believe that I was doubting him. "It's all just a mistake, I know it. Your father isn't the type of man who would do something like that," I said as I headed into Jake's room. He always kept everything organized, quite the opposite of my room. I threw myself onto a beanbag chair, glancing up to Jake who was pacing back and forth. "Well... If you have anything else to say, say it. You're making me nervous!" I yelled, causing Jake to jump.
"One night my old man came home later than usual... He was hiding something. He didn't think I saw, but I did. His whole shirt was stained red, but I knew it wasn't his blood. He was perfectly fine. Oh, god, Max! My father did it, he did it!" I could tell Jake was trying his best to hold back his tears, he was always such a big crybaby. I tried to think of something to say, but I just couldn't. What Jake had said, led proof to his father being a killer. Why else would he walk home with blood on himself? "Talk to him," I finally managed to say, placing my hand on Jake's shoulder reassuringly. "It's probably all a misunderstanding, talk to him." Jake nodded his head, forcing a grin, "You're right, there is no way he could kill somebody. You're talking about the guy who couldn't even feed a rat to my pet snake while I was gone camping." Regardless of Jake's smile, I could see how worried he truly was. I gently nudged him out his room, and to his parents bedroom, where his father would most likely be. "Here goes nothing," he said as his smile faded, disappearing into the room as he shut the door behind himself. I stood up against the wall, my ear pressed up against the door. I could hear Jake's voice, a bit muffled, but I could make out a few words, then laughing. Laughing? Who was laughing... Maybe Jake was making small talk before getting straight to the point. You couldn't very well go up to your own father, and ask them straight on, have you murdered a girl? I was snapped out of my thoughts by someone yanking my hair, "Ow!" I yelled as I spun around, face to face with her. The ghost girl, she was back.
"Hurry, your friend Jake, he's in trouble!"
"What?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"His father, isn't his father. I mean... I can't explain all of this right now, you need to get him out of there. Please, trust me." She gripped my hand, numbing my fingers. I opened my mouth to ask another question, when I heard a large crash from inside the room. My face paled, quickly spinning on my heels and banging on the door with my fists, "Jake... Jake, you okay? Hey... Jake, answer me!" I yelled. No answer. Without thinking, I kicked my foot as hard as I could into the wooden door. At first it didn't budge, but the third time it finally swung loose from it's latches. What I saw, was horrifying. Jake was on the ground, blood trickling down his forehead and onto his neck, yet, that wasn't even the worst part. My best friend was hurt on the ground, but the beast that stood above him frightened me the most. The creatures skin was sickly pale, red veins bulging out of its pig-like eyes. It's arms were of a human, although if you looked closer you could see stitches. Stitches of skin patched together. The smell made me want to gag, the smell of death. Rotten flesh. I was frozen, the beast lunging it's way towards me. I couldn't move, no, my legs wouldn't let me. My best friend was on the ground, his father-no-whatever this monster was, jumped towards me. His large hands slammed into my chest, knocking me against the wall as I slumped helplessly to the ground. This was it. I would die by the hands of some weird freakish monster. It was hard to breathe now, the monsters hands pressed tightly against my throat. I was seeing stars now, not a good sign. I couldn't breath, blackness folding upon me, I couldn't escape it. I dug my fingernails into the beasts flesh, hoping that it might make him loosen his grip, no luck. I felt all my energy being drained, my hands falling to my sides. No use, why try to fight? I should just accept death now. I'll be with my parents, their waiting for me up there, for their son. Yet before I could think anymore about death, the beast howled, a terrifying sound that seemed to have shook the whole house. It loosened his grasp on me as I fell onto the ground, wheezing as I gasped for air. My vision was blurry, I could only make out shapes, but a figure was walking towards me. "G-Get away!!" I yelled, regardless of the splitting pain in my head. The monster gripped me, helping me to my feet, wait, what? No, this wasn't the monster, his touch was warm. "J-Jake?" I questioned as I was yanked forward. "Yes... Come on, we have to go, now! I hit that thing on the head, but it'll probably wake up soon!" Yelled Jake as he pulled me forward. I could feel something sticky on his hands as he held me up, leading me out of the house and down the road. Blood, his blood.
We ran for who knows now long, my knees growing weak with every step I took. I collapsed on the ground, laying on my back, sucking in air through my nose. Jake laid next to me, equally exhausted. "Where are you... Come on out!" I yelled, Jake tensing, "I know you're there! Just what the hell was that thing!" Just as I thought, the ghost girl was indeed here. She slid through the alley wall, as if it wasn't even there. "I'm sorry... I didn't know until I saw him," she whispered, biting down on her lip as she sat down on her knees. "You're hurt..."
"Really now?" I barked sarcasm, sitting up as I turned to look at Jake. He looked terrible, blood pooling around his neck, plopping onto the concrete floor. "Jake... Hang in there," I whispered, my own head pounding. It took a bit of effort just to keep my thoughts straight. That monster sure threw me hard. I slid my phone out, ready to dial 911 before I felt Jake's hand on mine, "No, don't..." He grumbled as he sat up, his eyes cloudy, unfocused.
"What...? Are you crazy, you're injured! We have to call for help!"
"What do we tell them? That my dad, no... A monster attacked us? That I knocked it out with a lamp?" Jake shook his head, gripping the side of a garbage bin as he pulled himself to a standing position. He was in much worse shape than I, but he simply brushed it off as if it was a small scratch. "Please... Max, don't call them. I'm fine," smiled Jake, his face almost as pale white as the girls.
"Fine... I won't... But I would like an explanation to what the hell is going on," I yelled, snapping my gaze to the girl.
"That man... Before I was killed I was being chased, chased by a shapeshifter. While I was about to be stabbed, a man pushed me out of the way, Jake's father. I didn't know him, he just saw me running, and being a good citizen, he went to help. He took the knife for me, it killed him. I saw it... It was horrible, it sliced right through him, his bones cracking, god... I was so scared... That shapeshifter must have taken Jake's fathers' form..." Her small body shook, my eyes growing wide. Jake knew something was up, "What's wrong? You're talking to her, aren't you? What did she say?" I shook my head, the world spinning. This was too much to take in. My reality was breaking, breaking into a million shattered pieces. I opened my mouth to reply, before darkness hit. It slammed me from behind, covering me like a blanket. The last thing I remember, was Jake running to my side.
"I don't understand..." I interrupted as we both took a right, heading into Jake's neighborhood. "Father... I think my father was the one who killed the girl," Jake said, hiding his shaking fist behind his back. We walked across the street and came to a halt in front of the first house on the left, the only one with a basketball hoop above the garage. "What do you mean?" I questioned, hesitantly making my way into Jake's home, even though I've been here millions of times. Could Jake's father really be a murderer? Could the man that helped me through my parents death, be capable of killing a human being? The man that played video games with me and Jake until midnight. Or when he helped me with homework as if he was my own dad. The thought sickened me, I couldn't even believe that I was doubting him. "It's all just a mistake, I know it. Your father isn't the type of man who would do something like that," I said as I headed into Jake's room. He always kept everything organized, quite the opposite of my room. I threw myself onto a beanbag chair, glancing up to Jake who was pacing back and forth. "Well... If you have anything else to say, say it. You're making me nervous!" I yelled, causing Jake to jump.
"One night my old man came home later than usual... He was hiding something. He didn't think I saw, but I did. His whole shirt was stained red, but I knew it wasn't his blood. He was perfectly fine. Oh, god, Max! My father did it, he did it!" I could tell Jake was trying his best to hold back his tears, he was always such a big crybaby. I tried to think of something to say, but I just couldn't. What Jake had said, led proof to his father being a killer. Why else would he walk home with blood on himself? "Talk to him," I finally managed to say, placing my hand on Jake's shoulder reassuringly. "It's probably all a misunderstanding, talk to him." Jake nodded his head, forcing a grin, "You're right, there is no way he could kill somebody. You're talking about the guy who couldn't even feed a rat to my pet snake while I was gone camping." Regardless of Jake's smile, I could see how worried he truly was. I gently nudged him out his room, and to his parents bedroom, where his father would most likely be. "Here goes nothing," he said as his smile faded, disappearing into the room as he shut the door behind himself. I stood up against the wall, my ear pressed up against the door. I could hear Jake's voice, a bit muffled, but I could make out a few words, then laughing. Laughing? Who was laughing... Maybe Jake was making small talk before getting straight to the point. You couldn't very well go up to your own father, and ask them straight on, have you murdered a girl? I was snapped out of my thoughts by someone yanking my hair, "Ow!" I yelled as I spun around, face to face with her. The ghost girl, she was back.
"Hurry, your friend Jake, he's in trouble!"
"What?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"His father, isn't his father. I mean... I can't explain all of this right now, you need to get him out of there. Please, trust me." She gripped my hand, numbing my fingers. I opened my mouth to ask another question, when I heard a large crash from inside the room. My face paled, quickly spinning on my heels and banging on the door with my fists, "Jake... Jake, you okay? Hey... Jake, answer me!" I yelled. No answer. Without thinking, I kicked my foot as hard as I could into the wooden door. At first it didn't budge, but the third time it finally swung loose from it's latches. What I saw, was horrifying. Jake was on the ground, blood trickling down his forehead and onto his neck, yet, that wasn't even the worst part. My best friend was hurt on the ground, but the beast that stood above him frightened me the most. The creatures skin was sickly pale, red veins bulging out of its pig-like eyes. It's arms were of a human, although if you looked closer you could see stitches. Stitches of skin patched together. The smell made me want to gag, the smell of death. Rotten flesh. I was frozen, the beast lunging it's way towards me. I couldn't move, no, my legs wouldn't let me. My best friend was on the ground, his father-no-whatever this monster was, jumped towards me. His large hands slammed into my chest, knocking me against the wall as I slumped helplessly to the ground. This was it. I would die by the hands of some weird freakish monster. It was hard to breathe now, the monsters hands pressed tightly against my throat. I was seeing stars now, not a good sign. I couldn't breath, blackness folding upon me, I couldn't escape it. I dug my fingernails into the beasts flesh, hoping that it might make him loosen his grip, no luck. I felt all my energy being drained, my hands falling to my sides. No use, why try to fight? I should just accept death now. I'll be with my parents, their waiting for me up there, for their son. Yet before I could think anymore about death, the beast howled, a terrifying sound that seemed to have shook the whole house. It loosened his grasp on me as I fell onto the ground, wheezing as I gasped for air. My vision was blurry, I could only make out shapes, but a figure was walking towards me. "G-Get away!!" I yelled, regardless of the splitting pain in my head. The monster gripped me, helping me to my feet, wait, what? No, this wasn't the monster, his touch was warm. "J-Jake?" I questioned as I was yanked forward. "Yes... Come on, we have to go, now! I hit that thing on the head, but it'll probably wake up soon!" Yelled Jake as he pulled me forward. I could feel something sticky on his hands as he held me up, leading me out of the house and down the road. Blood, his blood.
We ran for who knows now long, my knees growing weak with every step I took. I collapsed on the ground, laying on my back, sucking in air through my nose. Jake laid next to me, equally exhausted. "Where are you... Come on out!" I yelled, Jake tensing, "I know you're there! Just what the hell was that thing!" Just as I thought, the ghost girl was indeed here. She slid through the alley wall, as if it wasn't even there. "I'm sorry... I didn't know until I saw him," she whispered, biting down on her lip as she sat down on her knees. "You're hurt..."
"Really now?" I barked sarcasm, sitting up as I turned to look at Jake. He looked terrible, blood pooling around his neck, plopping onto the concrete floor. "Jake... Hang in there," I whispered, my own head pounding. It took a bit of effort just to keep my thoughts straight. That monster sure threw me hard. I slid my phone out, ready to dial 911 before I felt Jake's hand on mine, "No, don't..." He grumbled as he sat up, his eyes cloudy, unfocused.
"What...? Are you crazy, you're injured! We have to call for help!"
"What do we tell them? That my dad, no... A monster attacked us? That I knocked it out with a lamp?" Jake shook his head, gripping the side of a garbage bin as he pulled himself to a standing position. He was in much worse shape than I, but he simply brushed it off as if it was a small scratch. "Please... Max, don't call them. I'm fine," smiled Jake, his face almost as pale white as the girls.
"Fine... I won't... But I would like an explanation to what the hell is going on," I yelled, snapping my gaze to the girl.
"That man... Before I was killed I was being chased, chased by a shapeshifter. While I was about to be stabbed, a man pushed me out of the way, Jake's father. I didn't know him, he just saw me running, and being a good citizen, he went to help. He took the knife for me, it killed him. I saw it... It was horrible, it sliced right through him, his bones cracking, god... I was so scared... That shapeshifter must have taken Jake's fathers' form..." Her small body shook, my eyes growing wide. Jake knew something was up, "What's wrong? You're talking to her, aren't you? What did she say?" I shook my head, the world spinning. This was too much to take in. My reality was breaking, breaking into a million shattered pieces. I opened my mouth to reply, before darkness hit. It slammed me from behind, covering me like a blanket. The last thing I remember, was Jake running to my side.