Chapter 1 - FictionPress - The Evil Within - The Opportunity - 10/29/04

The ground opened up, the thick mist came from it's hole one more time. As it came towards my brother, it called his name, "Come in Karl, Come in", as it had for the others, and it welcomed him in. I turned 'round, walked away, and started whistling an old tune from "The Sound of Music", ".these are a few of my favorite things." The last bothersome excuse for a human being was finally gone. I was finally alone. And so this story begins, as others have, on Halloween, the year before.

My father ran into the house terrified and out of breath. I thought he was just trying to scare me, like he always tries to do on Halloween. But, this time it was different; he was really terrified. I've never seen him like this. He told me the story of how it came to be that my mother and beloved family pet went missing the year before. As he tried to compose himself , he began to tell the story, "We had just finished moving in the last of our things from the moving van. Your mother was exited about the new house and all the property, and wanted to go for a walk with Killer," that was our cocker spaniel; I was the one who named him.

"Well, I joined them on their walk around the property", We were the outsiders. We had no idea about the history of the house or this "quaint" little town, and we didn't know then, but our lives would be changed again that night." As he continued with the story, they walked around to the back of the house. I was always afraid of going out there by myself and I was about to find out why.

He said, "Your mother and I were stopped in our tracks by a thick dark mist moving toward us". "It was eerie, and something from within called out the dogs name, beckoning Killer to come into it". "We were stunned with fear, petrified, we couldn't move. It simply looked like a dark fog, a mist" . "Then, before we realized it; Killer ran into the mist, let out a yelp and disappeared". "We were frozen there, unable to react to what had just happened, then it called out your mother's name. She simply walked into the mist.", "Then; it disappeared, into a hole that closed up."

He told me and my four brothers, at the time, that he reported our mother missing to the Sheriff,. They came out, investigated, and according to him, "that was that".

Now, a year later, after a similar walk, He came in to finally tell me what had really happened. This story, sounded more like a dream, no a nightmare, than reality. The back of the house? I went to check it out for myself. And there it was, a dark mist. Apparently it only appeared on Halloween, how "Stephen King" was that, but it was true and there it was. Just as my father said it was, a dark mist. How cool and what a bunch of bull! No one would ever believe it! But, no really, there it was! He said it had called out, and there it was, calling out to me now. "Come in Natalie, Come in". Oh, no!, I wasn't going anywhere! I wouldn't have it. I was too strong for it. That's when I began to formulate my plan.

Later that Evening. We had been waiting for Dad to take his large spoon in hand, and bang it in a pot, signaling that dinner was ready. My brother Karl was setting the table, as he had always done, and complaining, as he always does, "Why do I have to always set the table", from the kitchen, my dad replied", "because your grades clearly indicate your career., "BUSBOY!". Karl quietly finished setting the table without saying another word and when he had completed the task, went up stairs to be with other mutants.

With the clang of the pot, Dad announced dinner time. It was heard throughout the house, the next thing you heard was the sound of stampeding buffalo coming down the stairs, my dreaded brothers. My ill-mannered, un- washed, nose picking, insults flinging BROTHERS. It was always the same, the first to enter the dinning room, was my older brother Stephen, usually with a Neanderthal yell, "what's for eats, I'm first". The next was Keith, then Karl and finally Mike, he was the youngest and always the last. "The Three Stooges", tripping over each other in a futile attempt to beat the other to the trough, that was the dinner table. All smelling of something that crawled out of the wet, musty earth. I despised them, maybe even hated them all. Even though my father insisted that I really didn't hate them, that I simply disliked them. But, no really; I hated them. They were putrefying the world, or at least my world.

We sat down in our usual places, Dad at the head, then Stephen to his right, I sat to his left, then Keith next to me, Karl next to Stephen, and then Mike next to Karl. Mom's place was at the other end of the table, and we never talked about the empty chair, or THAT night, when Mom and Killer disappeared, but tonight was Halloween.

During dinner Dad announced that he would have to go to the Sheriff's office. He would finally report what had really happened that night last year. While he was gone, I carried out my plan. I always wanted to get rid of my brothers, and now was my opportunity. While my Dad left to report the mist I invited my youngest brother, Mike, to take a little stroll with me. And one by one I led each of them out of my life. I would finally get exactly what I deserved.. My solitude!

By the time my Dad returned with the Sheriff, my deed was done. I told them how my brothers were called into the mist, just like mom. And that I ran away before it called my name, just like Dad. I thought, "that was that". The perfect plan completed and I had secured my solitude.

They quickly ran to the area of the property where the mist was. They slowed down when they spotted the dark mist in front of them. Not knowing what to do they started making suggestions as to their next move. My dad suggested throwing a rope in. The Sheriff suggested to first throw in a rock, and he did. We heard Mike, yell "ouch!!". "Are you all in there?" the Sheriff called in. That was stupid, I thought, of course they're all in there, the question was how to get them out. There was no answer from the mist. My Dad and the Sheriff tried to figure out a solution but it was getting late. At midnight the mist retreated back into it's hole and it closed up. The opportunity for getting them out had passed.

Word count 1180

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