It started about two weeks ago. Little idols started appearing in my front and back garden. It was one at a time at first, but they quickly increased in frequency. The first I found sitting on top of my fence, turned to face my house. It’s small, it fits into the palm of my hand, and it’s jet black; a little figurine carved out of obsidian. There’s very very faint purple veins running throughout the material and oddly enough it felt warm when I picked it up. The shape of the first idol was quite indistinct, but humanoid in shape. I didn’t think much of it at first but I pocketed it and made my way to work.
In the days that followed, I found one in front of the hedge that lined the fence, and then another up the garden path and thats when they started in the back garden as well. I saw the little black shapes standing out against the evening sunlight. Each one closer than the last. I hadn’t been overly concerned about the ones I found in the front garden because anyone could walk through the fence and up to my front door, but the only access to my back garden would be to walk directly through my house or jump the fence. So that afternoon I headed to the home store and bought a couple of security cameras.
That evening I sat nursing a glass of whiskey while I stared at the little black figures I’d collected on my coffee table. The dim light of my lamp pushed their shadows up against each other and their forms seemed to suck in what little light there was. Some were slightly taller than the others, and as I stared at them the more details I thought I could make out. The purple veins seemed to appear more like hieroglyphs all of a sudden. I leant forwards to see if I could make them out better. The light in the room faded out and my eyes were transfixed on the idols. My eyes began to sting and my breath became cold in my throat. Thud. I flew back into my chair and took in a deep breath. Looking down I saw my empty whiskey glass on the floor, the last of its contents seeping into the carpet.
‘Shit…’ I picked up the glass and walked into the kitchen looking for a cloth. My eyes were drawn to the digital clock on the oven, blinking a steady 3:33. My heart skipped a beat, I’d only sat down a short while ago at about 8pm. I checked the clock in my living room, 3:33am. I must have fallen asleep I concluded. I went back to the kitchen and filled my glass with water, looking out into the darkness of my garden. As I tilted my head back to gulp down the water I saw a dark shape vault over the fence and away. I immediately dashed outside shouting.
‘I saw you! I’ve got you on camera!’ I called into the night. I’ve got them on camera! I ran back inside and opened my laptop, opened the app and scrolled to 3:30am. The night vision of the camera illuminated the garden, showing me the movements of moths and the plants bristling in the night breeze. I moved the time forward slightly, still nothing. I fast forwarded until it showed me running outside pointing into the dark. As the video showed me hurrying back inside, I saw a little shape emerge from the floor, about half way up my garden. My eyes widened as I recognised what it was.
Slowly I edged back out into the back garden, this time with torch light in hand. I aimed it where the idol should be, and the torch faltered and flashed as it landed on the dark shape. My heart was thumping in my chest as I moved towards it. That’s when I heard the first whisper. Whatever it said didn’t make any sense to me, like a distant voice coming through a radio with bad signal. I grabbed up the little idol and was about to run back inside when I heard the cold slaps of feet on the kitchen tiles. The sounds of rapid pattering as if someone was frantically running about.
‘I’ll call the police!’ I screamed, feeling impotent and afraid. ‘Just fuck off!’ I screamed fear and adrenaline slamming through my body. A sharp pain in my left hand made me flinch and cry in terror as I dropped the idol to the ground. I danced on the spot, not knowing which direction to run. More pattering came from the kitchen and the air left my lungs in a petrified scream as I saw a pale head peaking from the door, fingers slowly clasping the frame. ‘NO!’ the blood vessels in my throat burst as I wailed, rising to my feet from the chair in my living room. I stood in a cold sweat, panting and sobbing as I realised I’d been dreaming.
Without a second thought I grabbed a bin and swept the dark idols in with my arm. I marched outside and launched the bag into the large black bin. The sun was starting to rise, so I picked up the phone and called off work. Then I checked the cameras again, but I wish I hadn’t. At 3:35am I was outside pointing into the dark. At 3:42am I was outside collecting the idol, and that’s where I stood for the rest of the night, staring at the little figure. I watched myself slowly come to and walk back inside, just as the sun started to come up.
I sat chewing my nails as I tried to unpick what had happened. The noise of the pattering from the kitchen echoing in my head. The terrifying face that had appeared. Patter patter patter. I shook my head desperately trying to think of something else. I stood up and looked out of my front window, scanning for any little black idols. Nothing. I checked my back garden, nothing. It looked like I was all clear for now. I decided I’d leave the house for today and go for a walk somewhere distant to clear my head.
I contemplated the serene nature around me, the sound of the dry autumn leaves rustling across the ground and the last of them clinging on to their branches above me. Some geese moved gently across the surface of the lake before squawking loudly and beating their wings; their trailing feet causing a quiet mist to rise with them off of the surface. I breathed in the crisp morning air, feeling calmer. Somehow I convinced myself I’d had a sleep walking episode, and now I’d thrown away the idols I could put this behind me. I listened to the wind push the lapping water against the edge of the lake as I leant forwards to put my head in my hands, when I saw a familiar shape on my left hand. I flinched and tried to drop it, but the shape was part of me. A red mark, almost a burn, in the shape of one of the idols. I tried to rub it away with my thumb, but the shape just returned as the blood came back to the surface. I began to tremble again, no longer able to say it wasn’t real. As the tears welled in my eyes I saw something just below the surface of the water as it came in and out. I rubbed my eyes on my sleeves to clear them, and looked back at the lake. There, under the bobbing surface, was the familiar shape of an idol. My jaw tightened as I saw a distinct face, more detail than any idol before. I stood up and swivelled around, looking for someone or something. I was alone. My fear replaced by anger, I took up the idol from the water, briefly noting it was much larger than the others, before launching it with all of my might into the lake. It plunged below the surface with a deep splash.
I sped home and spent the rest of the day in bed hiding under my covers. My sleep was fevered and I was mocked by fragmented and terrifying images in my dreams.
This brings us to yesterday.
I opened my bleary eyes, savouring the moment before I remembered the idols. As soon as I turned my head to the window, it all began again. There it was, staring in through the glass. The dark obsidian shape, drawing the morning light into itself and consuming it. Even from my bed I could see it had distinct features now, outlined by the purple veins. Monstrous almost indescribable features. Long elongated fingers, boney pointed joints and a hollow face with long dark fronds escaping its maw. There was one in each window, each with a slight variation from the other. I moved slowly around my house, feeling like a prisoner and unable to escape the hollow eyes that followed me from room to room. The house pulsed to my heartbeat, each beat drawing the walls closer to me until I was screaming with claustrophobia. I couldn’t get out and the idols were surrounding me, their darkness reaching out and searching, probing at me. I could hear the whisper and see the hieroglyphs carved into their shape. I could feel their heat surrounding me, boiling me.
Haa’rh Huu’rh Kaghn. Haa’rh Huu’rh Phu’un. Haa’rh Kaghn Huu’rh Phu’un.
Today I woke up with a fresh mind. I’ve stopped resisting and I’ve put the idols on display around my house. The pattering doesn’t bother me anymore because I understand its whispers. The idols were always a gift for me. I’ve started making some of my own gifts, and I’m going to be sending them out soon. I want to share this gift with you all.