The moment the door was shut, Shon didn’t know whether to feel relieved or terrified. He was glad that the zombies that had been attacking them were now outside the seemingly sturdy walls he now found himself within, but what was inside with them? Something had shoved Seth to the ground and slammed the door shut, and Shon was certain it hadn’t been Tarun. Before panic could set in, Shon decided to do what he did best, and put his impressive mind to work.

Seth’s lantern was still giving off light, despite his fall to the floor, which Shon was grateful for. But the swinging lantern cast shadows and swayed and danced across the walls of the messy room, and Shon found it difficult to look in any one direction for long without feeling dizzy. He pulled back his hood and firmly grasped Stick, the magical staff his uncle had leant him. Shon tried to open his mind to sense anyone else in the room with them, but between his own fear and the disorienting shadows, he found it hard to focus.

There was a loud creak from one of the floorboards by a nearby staircase, and the sound startled Shon, Tarun, and Seth all at once. Shon turned his attention to that corner of the room and saw what looked like a large broken harp covered by a tattered sheet. The sheet moved slightly as if blown by the wind, but Shon couldn’t feel any breeze at all. If anything, the air felt so still and stale he suspected the windows hadn’t been opened in years.

“Hello?” Shon called out, trying to sound braver than he felt. “If someone is in here, we haven’t come here to hurt you.”

Hurt me? Pah! Skinny boy like that couldn’t hurt me if he tried. What hurts me is that light. It’s too bright for my eyes! That big fella looks like trouble though. Better stay out of sight until I can tell what they’re doing here.

The reply was so faint and rushed that Shon wouldn’t have understood it at all if he hadn’t been listening closely. At first he had thought that he had heard a whisper, but when he looked at Tarun and Seth for their reactions, it was clear they hadn’t heard anything. That meant he had sensed the thoughts of someone in the room with them. He gripped Stick more firmly and tried to listen for more stray thoughts, but there was nothing.

Shon decided that perhaps saying something would prompt more thoughts from the stranger, so he cleared his throat and spoke again. “If the light is hurting your eyes, would you rather we put it out?” Seth gasped at Shon’s words, but Shon ignored him and focused to sense the stranger’s reaction. He was surprised at the panicked response.

Is the scrawny boy crazy? Put out the light and the dead will begin pounding on the door again. The door may be solid, but poor Mari’s ears can’t take that banging anymore!! Leave the light on, foolish boy!

“Alright, we’ll leave the light on!” Shon shouted to the dark room. “I was just trying to be considerate.”

Do you… Do you hear me? Can you understand Mari? Are you my imagination? Mari thinks you must be because you talked back to me, but I didn’t move my mouth. I didn’t speak. Mari’s hasn’t spoken for years because then I might have to speak of what I did. And Mari doesn’t want to do that.

“Yes, I can understand you,” Shon said, some amount of calm coming back to him. “But no, we’re not figments of your imagination. We’re real, and if you just come out here where we can see you, I could show you that. Your name is Mari?”

There was a sound of wood scooting against wood in the corner, and a gaunt man in oversized clothing came crawling out from under the stairs. The clothing was worn and faded, but appeared as if the outfit had once been quite handsome. Copper buttons studded the sleeves and collar, and the chain of a pocket watch hung from the vest to the inside of one pocket. The length of the clothes seemed to match the height of the man, though he was stooped over, even after he stood up from the floor. The width of the clothing was definitely wrong though. The collar ringed far to wide around his thin neck, and the baggy clothing hanging onto his frame resembled a tent built with too few poles.

The man looked at Tarun warily. None of you are going to hurt Mari?

“No,” Shon said. “We’re not here to hurt you. We’re just looking for a place to stay the night. Preferably a place that doesn’t have zombies crawling all over us.”

The man looked eagerly at Shon and the illuminated lantern. You will keep light going through the night? You will keep the monsters from banging the door?

“Yes, we’ll keep the lantern lit, Mari,” said Shon. “Though I can’t promise you that it will keep the zombies from pounding on the door.”

Mari then turned to Shon with a stern gaze. And you will not ask Mari any questions tonight?

Shon fidgeted. He didn’t like being forced into silence, but he also didn’t want to anger the stranger and find himself back outside with the zombies. “Alright,” said Shon, “I won’t ask you any questions tonight, but that doesn’t mean I can’t ask you questions tomorrow.”

Mari grunted, but then shrugged and walked back to his hiding place under the staircase. When he returned he was carrying three heavy blankets.

Tomorrow’s problems can wait for tomorrow. Tonight is the night we’re alive. Stay alive. Keep the light bright. Sleep when you can.

“OK, it looks like Mari is letting us use the blankets,” said Shon. “Who wants to take the first shift as lookout?”

Suddenly, Mari’s eyes darted upward and he wagged a finger in Shon’s face.

Don’t look out the window in the darkness.

“Why not?” asked Shon.

Because the darkness looks back.

Illustration of Shon by Ryan Salway