Into Shadow
The needle of the metronome waved back and forth incessantly in front of Astrid’s face, pointing back and forth between different spots on the ceiling as though it were unable to quite decide which spot it wanted to eventually settle on. On and on it waved, perpetually stuck in a rhythm from which it was unable to free itself. She almost felt pity for the small desktop item, imagining how degrading it must feel for it to be trapped like it was. Almost anyway, since it was currently not in any capacity to voice its complaints towards its existence.
Mirroring the needles movement, Astrid’s head tilted back and forth along with it, every stop and start marked by the sound of the ticking that resonated from within the contraption, counting down the seconds. Every once in a little while the young girl would glance up at the galaxy themed clock that was mounted on the wall just above, surrounded on all sides by movie posters and old glow-in-the-dark star stickers, checking to see how long it would be until it the hands indicated it was finally one-o-clock in the afternoon. To her continued dismay however that fabled hour was unfortunately still at least two hours away. While it was step above being three hours away, it still felt to Astrid that she had to wait an eternity until that moment. Sighing with impatience the soon to be former thirteen year old settled her head back town on her folded arms, resuming her watch of the metronome and keeping in tune with its motion, occasionally drumming her fingers on the desk to interrupt the monotony and add an almost musical accompaniment to the perpetual ticking.
Ever so slowly time seemed to pass by, leisurely going by without any thought or consideration given towards Astrid’s growing impatience. It was not long before she looked up again at the clock, hopefully wondering if any significant amount of time had gone by since she had last looked at it. She was just in time to see the minute hand move ever so slightly towards the five.
“Oh come on!” Astrid groaned loudly slumped down, her head impacting on the wood with a soft thunk, her auburn colored hair spilling around her ears. She immediately regretted the action as she lifted her head, massaging the sore spot just above her brow with the palm of her hand. “Ah, bad idea. Bad idea,” she said through clenched teeth as she tried to rub the pain away from her cranium.
“Everything alright in here?” a deep voice questioned behind, a deep and commanding sounding tone that was somehow both gentle and attention grabbing at the same time. Surprised at the unexpected inquiry, Astrid turned around in her seat, catching sight of the tall broad shouldered middle aged man standing in the door to her room, casually leaning against one side of the frame as he smirked a knowing smile at her that could be seen even through his short black beard.
“D-Dad!” Astrid exclaimed as she struggled to regain her composure, Astrid scrambled to make it like she was doing anything but just sitting in her room, bored out of her mind. She desperately hoped that there was not a mark left behind from impact of her skull on hard wood. “What are you doing? You know you’re not allowed in my room! That’s the rule! We both agreed to it!”
At her admonishment, her father took a single step back, holding his hands up defensively as he replied, “My mistake. Won’t happen again sweetheart.” Although he said it, Astrid got the familiar sense that he was not really sorry at all that he had intruded on her sanctum, causing her to raise an eyebrow at his fake apology, and she somehow doubted that this would be the last time it would occur. Lowering his hands her father then proceeded to say, “So, back to my earlier question. Everything alright in here?”
“Yeah,” Astrid replied. “I’m okay. Just, you know, keeping an eye on the clock and all that. You know how it is.”
Her father nodded his head knowingly, although Astrid suspected he knew a little bit too much judging by the odd gleam in his eye. “I get you,” he answered. “Let me guess. Excited for the party?” As much as Astrid wanted to play it cool, even she was unable to deny that she was at least a little anxious about the party that was going to be thrown for her in just a short while as she felt a wide smile stretch across her face, plainly broadcasting how much she was looking forward to it. How could she not be excited after all? Her birthday only came once a year, and her fourteenth birthday would only come around once in her entire life. It was an outlook that she extended to every event in her life that marked indicated that she had managed to survive yet another year. “I’m just going to assume that’s a yes,” her father said with a slight chuckle. “Hey, how about instead of staying up here by your lonesome, you come out of your little cave and help me set up for the party? Everything will get done quicker that way.”
“Wait a minute, you mean actually get off my butt and do something?” Astrid said, attempting to utilize all of her nonexistent acting skills to exaggerate her need to be lazy by slouching in her swivel chair enough to the point where if she went any further she would have fallen off. “Awww, but I don’t want to. I want to stay in here and do nothing but be bored out of my mind.”
“Get out here young lady, and help your old man out for a change. I’m not as young as I used to be you know,” her father said, though it was obvious by the way he said it that there was nothing but mirth behind the order as he walked away, the sound of his heavy footfalls muffled by the carpet flooring.
“Okay, be right out in a minute,” Astrid called after him as she stood up, stretching her arms and legs before going to her closet. Rooting through the assortment of clothes, she tried to find something that she would look at least a little decent in for her party. She was never one for amassing entire collections of different types of clothing materials like other girls her age, limiting her choices a little bit as she searched through the collection of slightly worn graphic tee shirts and gently used coats and jackets. Glancing outside the window, Astrid tried to gauge the temperature before finally coming to a decision, and she donned a simple faded green jacket to stave off the chill of the crisp Fall weather that would no doubt be coming later in the afternoon. Once she was finished getting herself ready she made her way downstairs to help her father prepare.
Progress on the preparations was steady, if a little slow going as Astrid and her father set everything up in the backyard of their house. On one side of the yard two fold up plastic tables had been erected and pushed against the fence, while in the opposite a plain looking banner hung suspended between two thin wooden poles that read “Happy Birthday!” in bold pink letters. And everywhere she looked Astrid could see little star stickers placed on every spare surface, making her guess that there must have a been sale going on at the local shopping center for the glitter variety. When she had been asked about what kind of theme she would have liked a few weeks prior, Astrid had simply said that would prefer to be surprised. In hindsight, she probably should have been a little bit more specific in saying that she would have preferred something that was a little less hard on her retinas, but she supposed it could not be helped now. She did not have the heart to tell her father anyway.
In about an hours time, the two had almost everything ready to go, with only a few small finishing touches to add. The only things that were left that they really needed to do was set out the plates and silverware, which Astrid was currently handling while her father was busy inflating balloons on the deck.
“All finished,” Astrid proclaimed once everything was laid out where it should be.
“Great. I’m almost done here. After that all we really have to do is wait for the guests to arrive,” her father replied as he tied up a freshly inflated balloon. Suddenly he looked up at her as though he had just remembered something and he added, “Actually, that reminds me. Astrid, do you think you could head down to the freezer in the basement? I put your cake in there. If you don’t mind could you get it out so it has a chance to thaw a little bit before everyone gets here? You don’t have to bring it outside, you can just set it on the kitchen counter.”
“Yes sir Dad sir!” Astrid replied with a sharp salute and a serious expression, earning a slight chuckle out of her old man as the mildly eccentric young girl marched back inside to complete her appointed task. Hearing him laugh filled Astrid with no small amount of satisfaction as she stepped inside, walking through the halls of the sparsely decorated interior before eventually finding herself standing before the basement door. She had to fight with the doorknob a little bit in order to get it to budge, but in the end she was victorious as she roughly pulled the door open, eliciting a harsh squeal from the hinges. She could not help but flinch at the horrible sound, and she rubbed her ears.
“Really need to oil those Dad,” she said under her breath, although she doubted that even if he was here to hear her that it was going to happen anytime soon. He always said he would eventually get around to doing it when the opportunity arose, but it seemed that so far that opportunity had yet to show itself. Recovering from her momentary deafness, Astrid began the slow descent down the rickety old stairwell, every step producing a loud creak from the old wood. While the house was not that old and was by no means close to falling apart at the seams, she nevertheless proceeded slowly and carefully down the steps, if only to keep herself from tripping and falling before she reached the light switch at the bottom, which unlike the one at the top actually worked. Feeling along the wall with her hand Astrid searched for the switch until she eventually found it, not hesitating to turn on the light, briefly illuminating the large room, every corner of which was filled with high stacks of boxes filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items that had somehow had not tipped over yet. However the moment the light bulb flared to life it was almost immediately extinguished as it went dark with a sudden pop, startling her.
“Great,” Astrid said with a sigh, wondering if it was worth the effort of going back up stairs to retrieve a fresh light bulb. Eventually she decided to just deal with the overwhelming darkness of the basement as she began to navigate her way to where she remembered the freezer being located, listening for the electrical hum to guide her while trying not to trip over a stray box in the process. The last thing that she needed was another mark on her forehead. Accumulating exactly one stubbed toe and two bruised shins in the process, she progressed forward with her hands stretched out in front of her until her fingers first met a solid brick wall, which she followed until she found the cold metal exterior of the freezer. “There you are,” Astrid proclaimed happily as she searched for the handle and pulled it open, causing the light to flicker on and reveal a collection of frozen burritos, an bag of pizza pockets held closed by a rubber band, and one white ice cream cake decorated with yellow frosting, protected by a plastic cover.
Sliding her hand under the bottom, Astrid pulled it out and nudged the door closed with her foot. She was just about to embark on navigating her way back to the staircase, wondering how likely it was that she would eventually face plant when she tripped, when Astrid suddenly noticed something rather peculiar to her right, making her pause to stop and look at it. Still holding the cake in her arms, she peered at what appeared to be a thin line of soft yellow light along the edge where the wall and the floor met. It was not particularly large or bright, and if it the light bulb had not burnt out she likely never would have even noticed it. To her it almost looked like it was seeping out from the underside of a door. Walking a little bit closer Astrid saw that was indeed what it appeared to be, for she could clearly see that there was a small gap whre the faint light came from, indicating that there was indeed a door that was hidden in the wall.
“What the. . . ?” Astrid questioned aloud, tilting her head in confusion as she looked at it, wondering if it had always been there, and why it had taken her this long to notice it. For a moment she considered what she wanted to do, weighing it against what she probably should do. She still had to take the cake upstairs for it to thaw, and her father was no doubt expecting her to come back sooner rather than later. But at the same time could not help but wonder what exactly she had stumbled upon, and with each passing second her curiosity continued to grow until eventually she could not stand it anymore. She simply had to know what it was. The party preparations could wait a few minutes anyway, right?
Setting the cake on a nearby box, Astrid proceeded to prop the freezer door open so she could at least see where she was going. Even with the wan white light to illuminate the basement, she found that it was still rather dark as she navigated her way around the mounds of boxes, earning herself another stubbed toe until at last she reached the portion of the wall where the light was coming from. Upon inspecting the supposed door, Astrid found that it completely featureless, blending in perfectly with the surrounding brick. She also could not see any sort of knob or lever or anything that she could use to allow her to enter. If it were not for the light, she would have continued to believe that the brick wall really was just a normal brick wall. Getting down on her knees, she attempted to see if she could spy anything underneath. She thought she could just barely make out what looked to be the legs of multiple tables and chairs, but other than she could not see much, and she stood back up to inspect the door even further.
“Hmm,” Astrid hummed thoughtfully as she held her chin between her thumb and index finger, wondering how she was going to get in the secret room. Suddenly it occurred to her that, since it was a secret room, there was likely a concealed means of entry, like pulling out a specific book from a shelf. But seeing as how there were no bookshelves in sight, Astrid settled for simply pressing on different sections of the wall. Aside from her bookshelf idea, it was the only thing she could think that might get her a result.
Just when she thought that maybe this was a fruitless endeavor, Astrid suddenly felt one of the bricks she was pressing on give a little bit as it slid inward like button. At first Astrid was surprised that her idea had actually paid off, and the surprise was quickly replaced by giddy excitement as she eagerly pressed on the brick a little more, pushing it as far as it would go until she heard a satisfying click originating from some hidden mechanism inside the wall, followed by a low rumble as more lines of yellow light appeared, outlining the unmistakable silhouette of a door, which then slid inward to reveal. . .
“Huh?” Astrid said as the wide smile left her face when she saw what was inside the secret room, for all that she could initially see inside of the ten foot by ten foot area was a bunch of worktables, one with a lamp and the other with a stand of some sort, various wooden boxes stacked on top of the remaining tables as well as underneath them that seemed to contain little more than a bunch of old tools, and a single well worn chair. Still hoping to find something worthwhile, Astrid stepped inside, looking around at the dull walls. Running her finger along the top of one of the worktables, it came back covered in a thick layer of dust and dirt particles, indicating that perhaps this place had been untouched for a long time, leading her to guess that it perhaps belonged to the original owners of the house, but that did little to explain why the lamp was still working. The only possibility that she could think of, aside from their house was haunted a rather inconsiderate ghost, was that it belonged to her father. That seemed to make some sense to her at least that he had some sort of private work area, but that only raised the question of why he would have something like this, and why he had not told her about it.
“What are you up to down here Dad?” Astrid asked aloud as her curiosity lead her onward, stoked by the possibility that that her father had some sort of secret down here. As she walked she heard the sound of something crunching beneath her feet, and when she looked down she saw small bits of what appeared to rock that were left scattered on the floor, predominately around the table with the empty stand where a small mound of it was located. She then noticed that, tucked behind the various crates of tools, a rather large chest with a latch sat underneath the table, hidden from view. Astrid walked over to it and bent down to her knees before pushing the other boxes off to the side before pulling the chest out into full view. As far as she could tell there did not seem to be anything special about it, but her experience in discovering this place was indicative that it was not everything it appeared to be.
The chest was not locked, allowing her to simply undo the latch. Then, almost anticipating that something was going to jump out at her, she slowly lifted the lid. What she found inside almost left her disappointed, as it was not quite what she was expecting to find. In the back of her mind, Astrid had sort of hoped that she might have uncovered some dark family secret that would suggest that her father was once part of the mob, thus making her some sort of heiress to the throne of crime syndicate, or was actually some sort of crime fighting vigilante, but instead all she found were four odd looking stone fragments of. . . something that she was not sure of, that had been packed inside the chest with the utmost care to keep them from becoming damaged.
“What the heck are these?” Astrid wondered. “You got a weird crafting hobby or something here Dad?”
While it was not a connection to the mob like she might have been hoping for, meaning she could just kiss her the idea of one day being in charge of a criminal organization goodbye, Astrid still found herself interesting in fragments, which upon closer inspection looked to her like they might be part of a larger whole, like an odd, asymmetrical headpiece. Just looking at it seemed to fill her with an odd mix of apprehension and curiosity.
There was just something about it that really seemed to catch her attention, and keep a hold of it. Maybe it was the intricate geometric line work that was etched into the surface of the fragments, perhaps it was the idea that it was because her father had kept it hidden down here, or maybe it was because she got the strange feeling that she had seen these somewhere before. Either way, Astrid almost felt drawn to it, like they were calling her to reach out and touch them.
Almost without even realizing it, she felt the tips of her fingers slowly close the distance, inching ever closer towards them.
“Astrid?” her father called out, startling her so much that when she retracted her hand she hit her elbow on the rim of the chest, causing it to go numb. For a brief and panic stricken moment the young girl thought that he was right behind her, until a quick check behind her back confirmed that she was still alone in the basement. “Are you alright down there?” he called again as Astrid hurried to set everything back into its proper place, starting by closing the chest and pushing it back under the table.
“Y-yeah, everything’s fine,” Astrid called back, hoping her answer was enough to keep him from coming down after her. “The uh, the light bulb just burnt out is all.” Once everything was back where it should be, at least she hoped so, Astrid proceeded to hurry out of the secret room. For a spit second she was worried about the open door, until she saw that it had curiously slid shut on its own.
“Well is everything alright down there? Do you need any help?”
Too preoccupied with covering her tracks to worry about what was going on with the door, Astrid quickly made her way back to the staircase, almost forgetting her birthday cake in the process. “No, it’s alright. I got it,” she called. Her heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest, and she was all sweaty as she made her way back up to the first floor where she found her father waiting for her, attempting to remove a lighter from its plastic vacuum sealed prison.
“There you are,” he said with a grunt as he pulled on the casing with all of his strength. “I was starting to worry that you’d gotten lost down there or something.”
Feigning calm, Astrid replied, “Eh, just had a little trouble with getting through everything. We really need to get rid of some of that junk.” Noticing how much her father was struggling with the plastic casing, Astrid proceeded to suggest as she set the cake on the counter, “Have you tried using scissors?”
“Already tried those, didn’t really get me far,” he replied. After a few more attempts at prying it open he finally seemed to give it up as he tossed the whole thing onto the counter, where it settled next to the cake. “Eh, forget about that. We don’t need candles anyway.” Leaning back against the counter he then added, “So, how are you doing? Feeling alright? Excited?”
Taking a spot next to her father, Astrid put the matter of the secret room out of her mind for the time being as she focused on simply answering him. She could always ask him about it later on, when her birthday gifts were not potentially on the line. “Honestly,” she began to say, feeling slightly unsure how to apply words to the thoughts in her head, “I don’t really know how to feel about it. I mean, after everything that’s happened, moving, settling in, meeting new people. . . it all just feels kind of. . .“
“Incomplete?”
Astrid, unable to think of a better term to describe the feeling, simply nodded her head in agreement with it. “Don’t get me wrong, I really am excited for all of this. . . but it just doesn’t feel quite the same without. . . you know. You know what I mean?” She looked up at her father as she asked the question, noticing that his eyes had turned a little glossy as he stared down at the floor, his usually always present carefree expression replaced by one of considerable solemnity, indicating that he knew only too well what she meant, and making Astrid worry that perhaps she had been a little too upfront with her thoughts. “Sorry,” she said earnestly, hanging her head low. “I didn’t mean to-“
“No, it’s okay. You have nothing to be sorry about.” Turning towards her, Astrid’s father regarded with a smile that, while laced with undercurrents of sadness, held genuine love and affection as he looked at her with his soft warm eyes. A moment later he then said, “Actually, I have something for you that I think you'll like." Once he said this Astrid watched as her father walked to the other side of the kitchen, where he opened a cupboard. Fishing around for something, he soon pulled out a small box encased in red wrapping paper. "I uh, was planning to save this until later, but I think now is just as good a time as any to give it you," he said as he handed it to her.
Astrid was not at all sure what to think as she took the present in her hands, and she glanced up at her father in question. With a nod of his head indicated it was okay for her to open it. Within moments she had torn the paper off, leaving it to settle on the floor as she lifted the lid of the cardboard box, and gasped when she saw what was contained within.
Inside, resting on soft red fabric was a necklace of angel with its wings spread wide, made of many overlapping threads of silver. Contained in its center, as though the angel were gently cradling it, was a brilliant white gemstone that glittered beautifully as the light reflected off of its facets.
"Wow," Astrid breathed in awe. "It's. . . I just. . ."
"Your mother actually picked that out for you," her father said, sidling up beside her. Astrid looked up at him in surprise as he added, "It was when you were still a baby, just learning to crawl around." For a long couple of moments Astrid was unable to think of anything to say in response. In the end, she chose to say nothing as she suddenly embraced her father, wrapping her slim arms around his torso, to which he responded by running his hand along her back. "I take it that you like it?"
"Don't ruin the moment Dad," Astrid said, her voice slightly muffled from having her face buried in his chest, soaking his shirt with tears of happiness.
"Right. Sorry."
Unfortunately it seemed that thanks to the slightly chilly weather, not all of the people that had been invited were able to make it. Astrid was not overly bothered by it however, since she knew beforehand that there was a chance that not everyone would be able to attend, either from seasonal sickness or just being too busy with their own lives. She was just glad that they were at least able to stop by to drop off the gifts.
As for the people that were able to attend, the majority of the younger individuals ran around the backyard chasing each other around while a few concerned parents chased them with coats and jackets in hand, repeatedly ordering the little ones to put them on, all in a display that looked very much like a strange game. The older children that Astrid knew from school, those that were more or less around her age, were for the most part not quite as inclined to take part in such activities, though they still took the time to socialize and engage in idle chit chat with Astrid. Most of it consisted of either congratulating her on surviving yet another year or asking if she had a boyfriend yet, to which she answered with a quick no for all the good it would do in keeping rumors from spreading.
Overall it had not been a bad day, even with a few unexpected mishaps like when one of the younger kids had thrown up from having too much cake or when that one boy who must have been at least four years younger than her tried to get her to hold his hand. There were not many gifts, but Astrid did not really mind. She was just glad that they were here she felt as she talked idly with one of her friends, a slightly older girl by the name of Patricia who regaled her with tales of her vacation in the Florida, politely nodding her head at the end of each sentence as she absentmindedly fingered the pendant that now hung around her neck.
Just then a tap on her shoulder got her attention, and she turned around to find her father standing just behind her. “Hey sweetie, you don’t mind if I run inside for a minute to check on something do you?” he asked, pointing with his thumb back towards the house.
“No, go ahead. I’ll be alright,” she replied. It was only after she said it did the thought suddenly enter her head that he might actually be talking about the secret room, and for a brief moment she felt her heart beat just a little bit faster at the prospect of being found out. But before she could ask him to clarify what he was doing he was already gone, disappeared into doorway.
Astrid shook her head, trying to ward off the nervousness that she was feeling. Additionally, she also felt more than a little guilty at not telling him earlier what she had found, as it would have been much easier on both of them.
'Oh well', she thought morosely. It could not really be helped now. She supposed the best thing she could do right now was try to enjoy the party as much as she could, and try to explain what had happened later and apologize for it. Her father was not a harsh man, but he would no doubt be disappointed when he eventually found out what happened.
Deciding to try not to think about it anymore, Astrid returned her attention to the conversation she had been having with her friend, but still it lingered at the rear of her thoughts.
It was at that very moment that Astrid a very sudden and sharp chill run down her spine, racing down her back like a trickle of ice water, making her go slightly stiff at the unexpected sensation.
“Whew,” Patricia said as she began to rub her arms. “That was weird. Think someone just walked over my grave or something.”
Astrid was just about to tell her friend to not be so morbid, but just as she was about to say it she suddenly realized something rather unsettling. “Wait. You mean you felt that too?” she asked, to which Patricia responded with an expression of confusion. Before she could bother to answer or comment on the odd coincidence, Patricia’s reply seemed to die on her tongue before it could leave her mouth as something caught her attention, and Astrid suddenly heard a voice speak up behind her that made her feel as though her skin were crawling.
“Excuse, young miss,” the voice said. “But would you be so kind as to tell me exactly who resides here?”
Almost too reluctant to do so, Astrid turned around to see who or what had frightened her friend so much.
There, standing far too close for comfort was a tall, thin limbed man that almost seemed to be leaning downward like he was inspecting her, like she were an insect underneath his foot, about to be squashed. He wore a thin lipped smile on his gaunt face that reeked of suspicion. His attire was plain if a bit odd, consisting of a faded robe that stretched down past his thin knees. And his eyes. . . She did not even know where to begin. Astrid knew it was petty of her to judge people based on appearance alone, but there was something particularly off putting about this man that made every siren in her head scream at her that there was something not right with him.
“I do believe I asked you a question, young lady. You weren’t ignoring me, were you?” the man asked, and the way he said it gave her the sense that there was something profoundly wrong about him that she just could not place.
Regaining her composure, Astrid replied with a question of her own. “Who wants to know?” she asked, and she noticed his right eye twitch just a little before he replied.
“Why, I‘m the clown of course,” he said with no small amount of snark. “And I happen to be an acquaintance of the person who owns this. . . place. You would not happen to know him would you?”
The moment he said acquaintance, Astrid’s thought process nearly tripped over itself, making her question if she heard him correctly and that he did not actually say “creepy door-to-door insurance guy”. Did this weird man actually know her father? Unless he had come to the wrong house, which Astrid was beginning to hope was the case, then it was not possible that he could have meant anyone else.
“I should,” Astrid replied as she crossed her arms with a glare. “He just so happens to be my Dad.”
“Really?” the man responded, pinching his chin, and Astrid could not help but notice he way his eyes seemed to narrow ever so slightly as he peered at her. “Well. . . isn’t that just. . . lovely,” he said through clenched teeth, as though he had just tasted something bitter, and Astrid suddenly decided that she had had enough of him.
“Listen sir,” she said, “I don’t know who you are, or even who you think you are, but I think it’s time for you to leave. Your creeping everybody out.” It was true as well, for all around the yard people both young and old were casting suspicious glances their way. A few of the older members even looked about ready to get involved should anything untoward happen to occur. The strange man however did not seem to care about them in the slightest as he continued to stare at her.
“Excuse me,” a familiar and comforting voice spoke up, and in spite of the obvious disdain that was laced behind it, it nevertheless filled Astrid with relief when she looked and saw her father standing a short distance away, arms crossed as he gave the man an unflinching, disapproving glare that, if looks could kill, would have incinerated the man within moments. He then said in a very no nonsense tone, “What’s your business here?”
Either because he did not notice the death glare he was receiving or because he was simply ignoring it, the thin man was unaffected by the demand as he turned towards Astrid’s father, seeming to forget about her instantly as he loudly proclaimed, “There you are my friend. I’ve been looking for you, I’ll have you know. Tell me, how is life treating you these days?”
“Either get to the point or get out of here,” was the reply that he received. Almost instantly the thin lipped smile the thin man was wearing vanished, replaced by a cold expression.
“Still as serious as you ever were, eh?” he said. Glancing back towards Astrid he regarded her in a way that made her feel all kinds of uncomfortable as he added, “And yet I see that you took the time to indulge yourself in at least a few of the pleasantries this place offers.”
In that moment, Astrid’s father looked as if he were about to break the mans spine over his knee. She would have been completely fine if he did too, but to her disappointment he did not as he turned to her.
“Astrid, me and this fine gentleman here need to talk for a moment. ”
“But-”
“Do as I say Astrid,” he said, cutting her off.
Astrid was no stranger to be scolded from time to time for making a mistake, but hearing him say it like that startled her more than she would have liked to admit, and deep inside her chest she felt her heart clench ever so slightly. Without even realizing it her fingers tightened around the necklace. “O-okay,” she replied, and not a moment later she watched helplessly as her father led the thin man into the house, closing the door behind them. For a long moment afterward all Astrid could do was gaze at the door, wondering what exactly her father’s her father’s relationship with the thin man was. Whatever it was, it clearly was not anything friendly judging by the way her father reacted to his presence. They clearly knew each other somehow, which raised another question in to the one pertaining to the secret room.
But at the moment, there was nothing that she could do about it. All that she really could was wait, and at least try to enjoy the rest of the day before everyone eventually had to go home.
Almost an hour later, when people were getting ready to depart for their own homes, staying long enough to help clean up the messes left behind by the little ones, Astrid heard the sound of the door opening as she was picking up discarded plastic forks, and she looked over to see the thin man exit the house, her father close behind. She was about to go over to see if everything was okay, but before she took more than a single step towards him she saw that something was not quite right. Unlike before, when her father looked ready to tear the thin man apart, he now appeared deflated and tired, as though he were about to collapse at any moment.
Snapping herself out of her surprise, Astrid quickly rushed to her fathers side as the thin man casually strolled away, giving her contemptuous glance as he passed her by.
“Dad?” Astrid questioned. “Is everything alright?”
Her father did not answer right away however, choosing instead to glare daggers at the thin mans back as he continued to walk away, seemingly untroubled by the many pairs of eyes that bore down on him. Just as he was about to disappear from view, he suddenly turned around and said, “You remember what I said now. By the time the clock strikes midnight, everything that is a distraction must be disposed of. And I do mean everything.”
Before anyone could anything to chase him off or call the police on him, the thin man vanished around the corner of the house, disappearing from their view.
“Who the hell was that creep?” someone asked.
“No idea, but I‘d be willing to bet that he’s trouble,” another answered.
“If he comes around here again, he’s going to be sorry he did,” yet another person spoke up, receiving a few murmurs of agreement. Astrid’s attention was entirely on her father however as she walked up beside him, looking at him with worry in her eyes.
“Dad?” she asked again when he did not answer her previous question, concern evident in her voice. Finally he looked at her, trying to convey calm. But Astrid could see right away that he was only faking it.
“Don’t you worry about me sweetie,” he finally answered as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “There’s nothing that you need to worry about.” He was lying, and Astrid knew it. Clearly something had occurred between him and the thin man, and the fact that her father told her not to worry only made her worry that much more.
However, deciding to leave him and not press him for answers, Astrid chose instead to simply nod her head. “. . . Okay. If you say so Dad.”
Later that day, long after the guests had left for their own homes and the sun was setting low beneath the distant mountains in the horizon while the moon was beginning to make its ascent, Astrid laid down in her bed, dressed in her nightclothes while casually reading and occasionally chuckling at the latest poorly written supernatural love triangle. As she read she held the pendant of her necklace between her thumb and index finger almost constantly, a strange and somewhat comforting presence around her neck. She hoped that by reading, she could potentially distract herself from the less savory things that had occurred earlier that day that she would rather forget about entirely. But instead they persisted in coming back to the front of her thoughts, time and time again, distracting her from her own distractions. Her thoughts were uneasy whenever they returned to the thin man, wondering what exactly had happened between him her father.
Astrid sighed in defeat as she closed the book with a soft thud, casually tossing it onto the dresser as she laid down on her back, the pendant still clutched in her hands as she stared at the ceiling and the small galaxy of faded star stickers from her youth. Hopefully by morning the matter with the thin man would be forgotten. At least that was Astrid’s hope as she removed the necklace, placing it on the nightstand beside her bed so it would not strangle her as she slept.
Letting her weariness take hold, Astrid closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, letting herself be lulled by the sound of the metronome ticking away.
Astrid awoke to the sound of her father calling her name, causing her eyes to flutter open only to find that the room was dark, indicating that it was still night outside. A quick glance toward her window confirmed this when Astrid saw a crescent moon hanging amidst a sea of twinkling stars.
“Astrid?” her father called again, a little louder this time.
“I’m coming,” she called back as she sat up, letting a yawn escape her lips, and she absentmindedly wondered how long she had been asleep. She swung her legs over the side of her bed, feeling as though she were still asleep as she shambled her way to the bedroom door, only stopping to don her necklace before making her way downstairs.
She found him in the living room, sitting down in his chair facing away from her. It was somewhat dim with only a single lamp to illuminate the area, but it was more than enough for Astrid to instantly catch sight of the same set of stone fragments sitting on the coffee table. Upon seeing them, she felt her heart skip a beat and her blood run just a little colder in her veins.
Hearing her approach from behind, Astrid’s father beckoned her to come over with a wave of his hand as he said, “Come here where I can see you.” Knowing better than to disobey, especially considering she was obviously in trouble, Astrid obeyed, her head slightly bowed as she circled around into his field of view. When she saw him Astrid had been expecting him to be bearing a look of mild anger or disappointment at her error in judgment, but what she found instead was a man who looked like he had been broken. His hair was a mess, and his once warm comforting eyes were now red and bloodshot. He had been crying she realized.
“D. . . Dad?” Astrid spoke up hesitantly, almost too afraid to disturb him. He did not look at her though as he stared at the stone fragments with something akin to contempt. His shoulders rose and fell as he breathed in a heavy sigh. “Dad, I-“
“I should have known that I couldn’t keep something like this from you,” he said, surprising with the odd statement. She could not think of anything to say in response, and tilted her head slightly in confusion. “To think I actually thought I could keep something like this hidden, that you would never have to get involved.” At this he looked up at her, fresh tears plainly visible on his face as he regarded her with a look of remorse. “I never wanted this for you.”
“Dad?” Astrid said, beginning to feel slightly unnerved by his manner of speech. “What are you talking about?”
Her father instead shook his head. “There’s not enough time to explain. He’s on his way here right now to take you away.”
“Who?” Astrid demanded, growing frustrated and frightened at the same time. “Dad, I don’t understand what’s going on! Who’s coming?!” The moment she uttered those words she noticed a faint light just outside the window. At first she thought it was just the headlamps of an inconsiderate neighbor, but quickly saw that was not the case as it gradually increased in intensity.
Rising up out of his seat, Astrid’s father picked up one of the fragments before he then turned towards her, becoming little more than a black silhouette against the window.
“Astrid,” he said, tears in his voice as he took hold of her hands, forcing her to grip it with her fingers. To her, it felt as though she were touching ice as the surface of the fragment was almost painfully cold. Despite her attempt to wrest herself free, her father kept her hand in place. “Astrid. . . my angel. . . I have never done right by you or your mother. And not a day has gone by where I don’t think that I don’t deserve you. But no matter what happens, I want you to know that you were the best thing that has ever happened in my life.”
“D-Dad? What are you. . .” Astrid stammered, unable to complete the sentence as she felt her own eyes begin to moisten. A moment later she began to feel lightheaded, and before long her vision was swimming as it appeared the room was spinning around her. Just as the light outside became unbearable to look at and Astrid was unable to keep her balance a moment longer, she heard her father say one last thing to her before she fell, losing consciousness.
“Astrid. . . I love you.”
Hello my dear readers, and welcome back to another tale by yours truly.
First off, before I begin I want to give a big shout out and a very sincere thank you to both Schroedingers Katze and Amethyst Dawn for their help with the first few chapters, and allowing me to bounce my insane ideas off of them in order to get this fic started. Really, if you two are reading this, you both have my undying gratitude.
All that aside, some of you might know me from my previous work Hollow Shades. Ever since the early chapters of that story I've an idea like this stuck in my head, but it was not until recently that I've been able to give it life. In light of that, I hope that you enjoyed reading this.
Tell me your thoughts in the comments section below, and be sure to alert me to any errors that you happen to notice so that I may correct them.
Until next time, this has been Dilos1
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This reads like a particularly well-written R. L. Stein book.
Finally! A Midna fic! JOY!!
First chapter and I'm hooked. Color me impressed!!
Alright color me truly intrigued.
This is possibly the best introduction I have ever seen for a displaced story
This is certainly a start, very different from how many tend to, and where its more the scene you set, than the characters play upon it.
My outmost pleasure Dilos.^^
"There’s not enough time to explain." Oh yes there is, if you time instead of mopping for hours. This dad guy is a straight royal ass. :P
Welp, that was a fantastic first chapter.
Honestly, it was hard for me to get behind Displaced stories that all started at conventions and involving just the merchant. I'm rather fond of the idea of them being displaced at all by entities all at once grander than the cosmos and more insignificant than a quark, whether out of malice, boredom, or simply as part of a contract, and all the better if the reasons why are not clear or are incomprehensible.
There's just something about that kind of subtle horror — cosmic horror — that never fully loses its appeal.
8165158
Oh indeed. I mean, I like the Displaced VERSE quite a bit, but the whole convention things has been over done in my opinion. It's nice to see a change from that in this one~
I admit I rushed the human world part, i could be wrong but it is often not important anymore after it happened, but in the middle it got more interessting for me and it does seems written good enough.
The new series "the merchant familly"
Would you still be able to tell me the keypoints of the chapter and help me to understand what happened here?
This merchant thing looked more magically this time. I'm not the biggest fan of the merchant based displaced and prefer it to happen somewhat naturally, but it is probably not important after this.
I just pretict that this character get's some sort of mind control from being changed into midna, suddenly getting her personality to a point where you could have just taken the real Midna into this world with amnesia.
I'm not trying to sound mean, but that happened last time I had read such a story.
I did catch a few mistakes like things being said twice or the lack of a comma. If you'd like I could go over it again and point them out to you. Other than that it was a really great story and I'm glad to see what I assume to be midna in a story.
Ok, i have to ask: Is her dad A MERCHANT ?
8627085
SAOA right?
Ooooh~, how in blazes did I ever miss this?
I finally got around to reading this like you asked.
The prose is really well written, but the dialogue is jarringly awkward. Like, she doesn't how have the diction of someone who just turned 13. If she was 16 or something, that would make more sense, but as it stands, she reads like an adult, and I don't know if that's on purpose or not. Also, when the creepy guy shows up, the dad lets him into the house and talks to him, making it clear that he actually knows him, so it's really weird that they suddenly want to call the cops on him when he comes back out.
Other than that, this is new and different so far, I'm just not sure if it's my thing...
9394855
I plan to.
8956747
Actually, I get the impression her dad is a Craftsman, the one making the artifacts for a Merchant, rather than a Merchant himself.
8627085
That sounds like professor Farnsworth
Seems I found another one
The likelihood of them coming back is still prominent though.
I've seen it happen before with another, just recently.
Here's hoping they come back later.
9398813
That Aged Well.