Growing up I never really had a normal life. I wish I had friends, I wish I went to school, could go ride a bike, have sleepovers. But unfortunately I was never allowed.
I grew up in a small town. There wasn’t alot of houses here and so everyone knew each other pretty well. My family was the only one with children. It was just me and my little brother. I never went to school either, my parents wouldn’t allow me outside the house without supervision.
Our town isn’t just a quiet place, it’s not just as simple as a ghost town. It’s a prison… filled with innocent men and women who just want to be free. I never knew exactly what was going on in our town until I was much older. All I knew was once the sun set, we had to lock all the doors, all the windows and ensure that we couldn’t see outside.
One night however. I broke the rules.
I lived with my mom and dad, my grandmother and my little brother. Me and my brother were each others only friend. I was only a few years older than him so we got along quite well. One morning my father told us to get dressed as we were going to visit our neighbours, they had just had a baby girl so the town was all going to celebrate.
We went round and there was a few other families there. Everyone was out partying and my parents told us it was Time to leave. Me and my brother practically begged to stay a little longer as it was one of the few times we were ever allowed out of the house. They reluctantly agreed to let us stay and our neighbours offered to drop us off when it would get dark.
And so my parents walked home and me and my brother continued to play around and enjoy the company of the other guests. Everyone had left and the sun was starting to set. Our neighbour, Mr Walsh, offered to drive us home but I ensured him I could get me and my brother home safely, I didn’t know this mistake would cost me my best friend.
We set off for home, jumping off of walls and chasing each other on the way. Our house was just in sight when the sun finally set. My brother suddenly ran off stating he saw a cat. He ran down an alleyway between two homes and I lost sight of him. I decided I would run home and get my dad to come look for him. As I approached back onto the street I froze in my steps. My mind wanted to run but my body just wouldn’t listen. Everything was covered in a blanket of fog. The road, cars, houses, everything. I ran home and my dad was standing with the door just cracked open, as I walked up to the door he swung it open.
“Where is your brother?!” He yelled with a panicked tone to his voice.
I explained what happened and he told me to stay in the house and to lock all of the doors. He disappeared into the fog yelling my brothers name. My mother was shaking in her chair while my grandmother tried to comfort her. I asked what was going on but I was told to be quiet and just sit down. Half an hour later and we were all waiting for my dad to get back, burst through the door breaking the lock and slammed it behind him.
No one could get a word in before he threw his body against the door. It appeared someone was at the other side trying to push in. Finally the struggling stopped and he pushed our sofa infront of the door. Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.
“Mom.. dad.. please let me in”
It was my brothers voice coming from the window. I could see his silhouette through the curtains knocking against the glass. My mother shot up from her seat and went to open the door however my dad grabbed hold of her and moved her back into the room.
“That’s not our son anymore, you know this…”
I didn’t know what to think anymore. What was my dad talking about. We all sat in silence for what seemed like hours before I fell asleep. When I woke up our door was already open. I heard so many voices all screaming my brothers name. I walked outside and the streets were filled with all my neighbours calling for my brother. My dad ran up to the house and he sat me down and explained everything.
“Son, the fog you seen last night. Something lives within it. You have no idea how lucky you are to be here right now, unfortunately the same cannot be said for your brother. Whatever is in that fog took him. Last night when he came to our house it wasn’t him, it was this… thing… its evil. It only wants to take us too so no matter what you do you must promise me you won’t go out at night. Promise me son.. please. I can’t lose you too”
I promised him I wouldn’t go outside again knowing full well that was a lie. If my father was telling the truth, I had to find my brother. I knew he wasn’t gone yet.
That night, the doors were locked, windows and curtains closed and everyone went to bed. I silently snuck downstairs and opened our door as quietly as I could. I took one step outside and closed my door behind me. I found my father’s old baseball bat from when he was a boy and took it with me. I walked down to the alleyway I last saw my brother and continued down it.
The fog had consumed everything around me. I heard a very distant whisper calling out to me. I turned around and standing at the end of the alley was a figure. I was too far to make out any features but when it started to move closer I recognised him as my brother. As he approached something pulled at my leg and dragged me to ground. The last memory I had was my brothers foot coming down to my head before I awoke in a strange room.
The room was empty apart from chains scattered against the wall and.. my brother. He was lying on the ground unconscious. As I moved over to him the fog filled the room and a man appeared from what seemed to be thin air. He had his back turned to me and when he spoke he filled the room with terror. The tone to his voice wasn’t human. It had a rough, deep and scratchy tone.
“He is mine now..” he said “he belongs to me, to do my bidding…”
I reached over to my brother but before I could even lay a finger on him my body was forced up off of the ground. The man turned and his eyes were glowing red. As I stared into them I felt myself getting weaker. My vision began to blur until all I could see was darkness.
As my sight returned I found myself standing outside of my home. I tried to yell for my dad but my mouth wouldn’t open. My legs would move. I couldn’t turn my head or even lift a finger. Suddenly my body started to move on it’s own towards my house. I tried to fight back but my movements weren’t my own anymore. Something was making me do this. As I stood on my doorstep my hand reached out to grab the door handle. I left the door unlocked… I’ve put my family in danger… I was jolted back and I found myself in the room once again. My brother… he was charging at the man. He yelled at me to run and so I did just that. I left the room and as my brother ran towards the door it slammed shut.
I couldn’t open it anymore, I could hear his yells coming from the other side until there was nothing but silence. I ran from the door and found my way back to my home. The door was cracked open by an inch and I closed it behind me. I awoke my father and I couldn’t even tell him what happened.. I couldn’t help but burst into tears.
The following day I returned from the building I had ran from but the room I was in was no longer there. It was just a brick wall.. a few years later I managed to move out from that town. I never spoke a word about what happened to anyone. Recently I’ve been having visions of what happened. Of my brother, that man, the room. All of it.
I’ve decided to go back. Maybe my family is still there I don’t know anymore… what I do know is my brother is trapped there. He has no control of his actions. He’s a prisoner. Knowing he’s there, suffering, i can’t believe it’s taken me so long but I need to go home. I need my brother, I need my best friend back.