Dr. Creepen's Dungeon - S4 Ep157: Episode 157: Bizarre Family Horror

Episode Date: February 17, 2024

Tonight’s feature length podcast story is ‘I just found out that my family has been keeping a terrible secret from me’, a wonderful story By Mandahrk, kindly shared with me via NoSleep and narrated here for you all with the author’s express permission: https://www.reddit.com/user/Mandahrk

Think about your health for a second. Are your eyes the first thing that come to mind? Probably not. But our eyes go through a lot. From squinting at screens to driving at night. That's why regular eye exams matter. And at Specsavers, they come with an OCT 3D eye health scan, which helps optometrists detect conditions at early stages.

We believe OCT scans are so important they're included with every standard eye exam. Book an eye exam at Spexavers.cavers.caps. Eye exams are provided by independent optometrists. Visit Spexsavers.com to learn more. Welcome to Dr. Creepin's dungeon. Families can be perceived as scary at times due to the inherent complexity of human relationships. The close bonds and intimate knowledge family members share can lead to heightened emotions, conflicts and expectations. Fear may arise from the vulnerability of exposing one's true self to those who know us best,

as well as the potential for emotional turbulence within these intricate connections. as we may well see in tonight's feature-length story. Now, as ever before we begin, a word of caution. Tonight's tale may contain strong language as well as descriptions of violence and horrific imagery. That sounds like your kind of thing. Then let's begin. I just found out that my family has been keeping a terrible secret from me. Part one.

The journey to the cabin was a microcosm of what my relationship with my father had become. long stretches of uncomfortable silences interspersed with awkward attempts at small talk. It had been that way ever since my mum's death. Dad had retreated into his shell, only popping out every once in a while to engage in superficial conversations, almost as if he was doing it just to confirm that I was still alive before darting back into his coco. Back to a world of dreams of happy memories of warm summers and cold ice cream, a world where mom was still alive and hadn't taken all the color

and joy in the world with her when she passed away. Things had gotten worse in the weeks leading up to my 13th birthday. Dad seemed more tense, more fidgety, jumping at the smallest of sounds, beads of sweat permanently resting on his graying brow. He'd been spending more and more time hold up in his study,

only shuffling out to grab his meals. Back then I believed it was because we were coming up on my first birthday without her, and he didn't think, think he could handle it. Didn't want me to see him break down again like he had at a funeral, throwing himself at her coffin and crying hysterically as he scratched the varnished wood until blood ran from his fingers. He couldn't deal with the fact that he came out relatively unscathed from the accident that had killed Mom. That's why I wasn't surprised when he suggested

driving down to the family cabin for my birthday. He needed a break. We needed a break. It'll be good for us, he said giving me a nervous smile, to get away from it all, put all of this behind us for a while. I nodded and told him that I'd like that. Little did I know at the time that he hadn't been telling me the real reason why we were going there. And it wasn't just mum's death that had him so disturbed. That things were about to take such a terrifying turn, they'd leave an indelible mark

on my soul. It was a cold, dark day. The sky swirled with the swollen grey clouds that blotted out the sun, threatening to burst any second. The woods made everything darker around us, growing thicker as we got closer to the cabin, crowding around the overgrown dirt track like they wanted to swallow up the path. But despite the weather, despite their thick forest canopy and their thorny branches that whipped and slashed at the windshield, Dad seemed to get less and less stressed as we approached the cabin. It was like the muted greenery of the verdure was washing away.

the creases on his foreheads. Why exactly was he looking forward to going to the cabin? It was practically a smile tonguing at his lips when we reached the small clearing where the cabin rested at the edge of the lake. It was an old two-story thing, built with solid wood that had stood the test of time. Broad windows adorn the stained wooden walls and strategically placed CCTV cameras winked at visitors from cornices above a porch that wrapped around the house before extending on to a small pier at the back where Uncle Barney had docked his fishing boat. Speaking of the man, he was waiting for us outside the cabin, standing with a grin on his bearded face next to a hastily constructed barbed wire fence

that seemed to form a semicircle around the house before ending at the lip of the lake. I frowned. There were no gaps in the fence to let anyone in or out, almost like it was designed to act as a thorny cage. It was another sign of something being unusually off about this trip. Before I could say anything, though, Dad had pulled the car up next to the fence,

kicking up a small cloud of dust in the process. Come on, honey, he said, and jumped out of the car after grabbing our luggage from the back seat. I climbed out after him and walked around the car to see Uncle Barney helping Dad hop over the fence before pulling him in for a hug. Good to see you, man, Dad said, before poking his brother's belly. Damn, it's only been a couple of months

as we last saw you You've already gotten fatten Uncle Barney laughed He's rich, throaty laughter One that instantly puts your heart at ease You know how it is, Freddy Emily treats me too well I smiled

I could see what Dad was talking about Uncle Barney had always been a barrel-chested man But now the barrel was beginning to sag Making his tummy bulge a little I reckon I could finally take you in her fight now. Dad quipped, earning a chuckle from Uncle Barney. He's still not quite there yet, little brother. Hey, Uncle Barney. I greeted him with a wave before, stuffing my hand back in the pocket of my sweatshirt. Broad smile lit up his face. Well, hello, Kiara. And how's my

freckled little Tigris doing today? Um, good. So, um, what's with the fence? I blurted out the question that they'd been gnawing at me like a pebble-stubes. in a shoe. His face darkened. He turned and glared at Dad. You haven't told her yet? My father guiltily averted his gaze. Told me what? I asked. My heart starting to beat a little faster. Uncle Barney quickly caught himself and smiled at me again. Told you how beautiful you've gotten. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Now, come on in. We'll talk inside. I knew I wasn't going to get any answers that easily from either of them, so chose to shut up and do as I was told. They pulled the wires apart, creating enough space for me to slip in, and we strode into the cabin as the sky found a way to become even darker than it had been moments ago.

The rain started soon after we'd entered the house, and I could see raindrops pattering on the dull gray surface of the lake through the sliding glass doors that led to the pier. Uncle Barney's boat was bobbing on the water. glistening happily under the shower while the grey sky grumbled with a barely suppressed rage. I carried my stuff up to my room, threw it on the bed and rushed back downstairs after quickly freshening up, ready to unravel the mysteries surrounding this trip. Dad and Uncle Barney had been arguing in my absence about why I was still being kept in the dark and when the appropriate time was, if it ever would be, to reveal everything to me. I only caught faint snippets of their conversation

as they quickly shut up when they spotted me coming down the stairs the storm having muffled my footsteps I poked and prodded begged them to tell me what was going on but they refused all in good time dad said after shooting Uncle Barney a sharp look whatever it was it wasn't good they tried to stay stone face but I could tell they were nervous

even Uncle Barney looked shaken and that really scared me and then it got, well, weird. I watched his dad and Uncle Barney pulled out long sheets of white cloth from a bag placed on the couch in front of the fireplace and went outside into the rain. Now these sheets weren't pure white, they had black Arabic writing painted on them, each and every single one of them. I tried to ask them what they were doing, but he didn't answer. All in good time, Dad repeated, and just trust us.

Boots plopping in and out of the mud, they went out and tied these sheets of cloth to the barbed wire before rushing back inside, the unrelenting rain lashing them mercilessly. I was really confused at this point. We're not a religious family. We're not superstitious and we're certainly not Muslims. So what in the world was happening here? And it didn't end there. Drenched to the bone with water dripping down from their clothes and onto the hardwood floor. they retrieved a hefty looking tree stump from Uncle Barney's room, hobbered out the front door

and placed it within the barbed wire perimeter. This stump too had Arab writing, painstakingly carved into it. Once again they brushed aside my questions and concerns and proceeded to change into dry clothes before coming back down to start heating up some burgers like I hadn't seen to do the most inexplicable things imaginable. While the sky still sulked, the rain had petered out by the time we wolfed down our lunch, so they took me out for some shooting practice. Uncle Barney disappeared down into the basement and came back carrying a bag full of weapons and laid them out on the coffee table,

pistols, hunting rifles, shotguns, scoped ARs. It was like he was preparing for war. It looked like he wanted to tell me more about what was happening here, but Dad shut him down. I could see entire arguments playing out between them simply by the way they were looking at each other. A slight shake of the head and exasperated sigh, little things that communicated so much. But none of it told me what I now so desperately wanted to know. I took out my frustration on the empty beer cans, rapidly emptying a whole magazine of the Glock that was given to me. Uncle Barney whistled at my aim, and Dad remarked that all that practice we'd done so far was finally paying off. I beamed at the compliments before I went over.

remark again and realize that there was something different about this target practice, something a bit more serious. The rest of the day was the same. A strange tension clogged the air in the cabin. The secrets were setting my nerves on edge. I wanted to scream, to shout, to cry, when I kept it all bottled up like my grief at my mom's death. I even gracefully accepted the medallion my father gave to me, a gold coin with Arabic phrase. is etched all over it. Worryed around my neck and swore on my mum's grave to never take it off, even as a thousand questions swirled around in my head like a maelstrom. Thankfully, or maybe not so much, I got my answers after dinner.

Wood crackled with a soft hiss in the fireplace as Dad sat me down on the couch in front of it. Uncle Barney stood off to the side with fear and worry etched on his face. Dad took my hands in his and attempted to smile. it was gruesome. So, I whispered, afraid of breaking the spell. Are you guys going to tell me what's going on? Kiara, that began. You know I love you, right?

Why not it? And you know your mother loved you as well. Yeah. Oh, she loved you deeply, more than anything in this world. I want you to keep that in mind when you've heard what I have to say. okay? I nodded again. Now I'm sure you're aware that your mother had a very difficult childhood. He continued. She was often very young. I was thrown into the faster system where she went through things that no human being should ever have to go through. I felt the heat from the fire

wash over my face. The medallion cold against my chest as dad's grip on my hands tightened. She developed a cocaine addiction in the early twenties, was on the verge of being driven homeless. By gult, I'd heard about this just last year. But then she put her life together, bit by bit, piece by piece, crawling out of the hell she'd fallen into, before meeting me and doing me the honour of building a life with her. Dad blinked, and tear drops fell down on his cheeks. Uncle Pani squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. and began speaking again. Well, honey, there's something missing from this story,

something we didn't tell you about, something we lied to you about. You see, much as she lectured you, it wasn't hard work that helped to get back on track. It was, well, it was something else. Now, this is going to sound unbelievable, and it did to me too, until I saw the evidence with my own eyes.

Your mother was going to kill herself. I gasped. Yeah, she felt like she was at the end of her robe. Felt like there was nothing left living for, and she just wanted to end it all. So she drove to the nearest bridge and prepared to jump down to the swirling depths below. She was standing at the edge,

holding on by the railing when she was stopped by a man. Complete stranger. what she swore appeared out of nowhere. She said there was something hypnotic, something otherworldly about this man. And before she knew it, she backed away from the edge and began telling him about her life.

And why she was choosing to end it. Now this man, and this is where it gets strange, so stay with me. This man offered to fix everything for her. He told her he'd give her a gift, love happiness the life she'd always wanted all she had to do was reach forward and take his hand and she took it and well the rest as they say is history only um there was a cat uncle barney had it

dad glanced at him and then looked back at me right the man wanted something from her something that your mother being as cynically hopeless as she was was more than happy to give what i asked dad's voice began to crank her first-born child to be collected on their thirteenth birthday you i shook my hands free this isn't funny dad how dare you make a joke of this Soul-crushing sadness flashed across his face I'm not joking honey I'd never joke about something like that I know what it sounds like I reacted just like you when your mom told me about this

but I believed it when I saw it for myself I had to what do you mean she couldn't give you up loved you far too much to do that she tried to break her promise try to fight it and the man really hated that.

What are you saying, Dad? I yelled. Kiara, honey, your mother didn't die in a car accident. Part two, my head fell like it was going to explode. Conflicting thoughts buzzed inside my skull, like the cacophonous chattering of a million crickets. And the rapid ebb and flow of emotions caused my mind to sway from one extreme to another so quickly that I was afraid I was going to end up collapsing onto the living. room floor a drooling, vacant-eyed mess. Well, at first I couldn't bring myself to believe what I was hearing.

Surely Dad was lying, pulling my leg, playing a prank on me just before my birthday to light in the mood. It seemed to be the only rational explanation. But there's no way he would do something that messed up. Just no way. On the other hand, if he was telling me the truth, and that meant I'd been lied to my entire her life. I was never meant to live. Mom knew that. It never felt it pertinent enough to inform me of the fact. She'd sold me after some creature. I was just a sacrifice, just trash to be disposed of,

to help her get a comfortable life. Anger bubbled up inside me, to be quickly replaced by guilt. How could I think something like that? Mom was in a very difficult place. I couldn't even imagine what life must have been like for her. And even after making a way out of that, Helen, getting the life she'd always wanted, she still chose to die protecting me. Tears stung my eyes reproachfully. Good God.

I'd been mourning a false memory all this time. For all these months I'd been unaware of how she had really died. I was told it was a car accident that the chrome teeth of a truck had bitten a chunk out of my beautiful mum. when in fact the truth had been much more sinister. She'd broken a promise to a monster and was murdered for it, and I was next. Fear crept up my back like a caterpillar.

Suddenly things began to make sense, like a translucent veil was torn from my eyes. The reason for the trip, that odd fence outside, the medallion around my neck, why Dad and Uncle Barney was so afraid. we had come here to fight the thing that had killed Mom. Could we fight it? Something supernatural that could grant wishes and demand children as tributes,

was there any hope of defeating something like that? Didn't Mum try and fail? Was I doomed as well? Anger swelled up inside me again. If I had just been informed of my fate earlier, I would have been better prepared for what's to come. For my death, I did not want to die

I excuse myself mumble good night to dad and Uncle Barney and lumbered back upstairs to my room thankfully they let me have my space I had a lot to process I just found out that fairy tale monsters were real that one had killed my mum was now coming after me the very existence of this thing turned everything upside down

the world seemed darker more terrifying now every shadow that moved seemed to hide a monster in its inky blackness. Suddenly mirrors seemed dangerous, like my reflection was going to jump out of the silvery pool and drag me off to a world without light. Even the soothing moonlight that bounced off the lake and painted my room in a pale white glow seemed terrifying, and the cold evening breeze nipped at my skin hungrily.

I shuddered, slithered into bed, pulled my thick blanket over my head and squeezed my eyes shut. knowing that I would never sleep quite as comfortably as I had just the night before. I wrapped my fingers tied around the medallion like it was the only thing standing between me and death and forced myself to fall asleep. It didn't work at all. For hours I lay there, imagining one nightmarish monstrosity after another lurking near the property, waiting to claim its prize. I could almost hear the graceless gnashing of jagged teeth, the smacking of smacking. of wet lips of some creature crouched under the porch outside my window where the water

lapped against the wooden beams. I all but yelped when I heard my dad whisper good night to me before leaving for his bedroom, his footfall softly echoing in the hallway. I flitted in and out of consciousness for hours before I was fully roused by a faint, dump, coming from downstairs. My body tensed up. Was that a sound? Did I just imagine it? there it was again like something was slamming their hand on a slab of wood was uncle Barney still up the sound was getting frantic now maybe someone was at the door maybe it was the monster i wanted to ignore it was too terrified to actually go and check out what it was but then another noise joined in this one even fainter than the thumping i got up on my elbow Strain my ears and listened. And with it, crying.

Soft, feminine cries of someone desperate for help. Fear curled around my heart like a rope and squeezed. Maybe someone was being tormented by the very monster that was hunting me. Some innocent drunk who was stumbling around in the woods ended up being attacked by the monster that was only out there because of me. It was too much for me to bear. I rolled out of bed and crept out of my room. The narrow hallway was dark, with the only illumination being the moonlight

that poured in from the small circular window at the far end. I noticed that the doors to the rooms of Dad and Uncle Barney were locked shut. The sound was louder in the hallway. Clutching my medallion, I ran up to Dad's room and wrapped my knuckles on the door. Dad, are you up? I croaked, before clearing my throat. I think someone's at the front door. No response.

He was asleep. Too exhausted from all the stress, I think. I knocked again to the same result. Help! I heard for the first time. Is anyone in there? The voice was muffled, frightened. My hands turned clammy with sweat.

Someone was in need of help, and it was up to me to decide what to do. I tried Uncle Barney's door, but he didn't. didn't respond either. Please. I saw the lights run. I could sense the fear in her trembling voice. Oh God, please help me. Dump! The woman was slapping her hands on the door now.

And both the adults in the house were refusing to wake her. I debated with myself as to what my next step should be. Do I ignore her or do I go help her? I couldn't just leave her. I couldn't. Please, it's going to kill me. I felt the strain in her words, like a rope stretched to the point of snapping. Oh, fuck it.

Wait, I'm coming, I yelled, and began descending the creaky stairs that were enshrouded in darkness, taking care not to trip and fall. After reaching the bottom, I quickly flipped the light switch on, squinted and saw that the knob to the front door was turning fruitlessly. Please open it. Oh God, it's here. Oh, God. Oh, God. Loud, animalistic growls ripped through the air, and the chill jolted down my spine like an electric current. I paused, an involuntary action driven by pure fear. It was out there, the thing that was slathering for me just beyond the door. Please. Hurry, it's almost here.

Those growls again, this time closer, much closer. I clutched my fists and bolted towards the door, reach for the latch, my trembling fingers wrapping around the cold metal. Kiara, stop. My heart nearly gave out at the loud yell. I whirled around and saw Dad at the top of the stairs, clad in a white T-shirt and boxes. Eyes wide open, yet a hunting-righting.

rifle in his hand. Stop, he repeated. Don't open it. Please, let me in. Don't. What do you mean, Dad? She needs help. It's not who you think it is, honey. Barney.

Please, I don't want to die. I don't want to die. Can't you hear her? Yes, I can. It's not what you're thinking is okay. Barney, wake the fuck up. I don't understand. Open the door, please.

I'm begging you. An anguish-filled scream rang out, slashing through the wood and reverberating in the cabin, followed by nauseating sounds of teeth, tearing into flesh and blood gurgling in the throats. She's dying out there. Step away from the door, honey. Barney,

coming. Uncle Barney's footsteps came bounding down the hallway as Dad began running down the stairs. He took my quaking hand and pulled me off to the side before aiming his gun at the door. Uncle Barney was the next to join us. His hands wrapped around his trusty shotgun. The screams continued unabated. Each piercing note bringing fresh tears to my eyes. Dad, what's happening? He didn't answer. Just nodded Uncle Barney, who, marched towards the door before taking position next to it. He turned his neck to look at Dad.

Ready? He mouthed. Dad nodded. Uncle Barney unlocked the door and swung it open. There was no one outside. And yet the screams continued regardless. It was as if someone invisible was being murdered on the doorstep. I saw the white sheets with Arabic letters painted on them gently fluttering in the

win for just a second before Uncle Barney slammed the door shut. That's when the screams came to an abrupt halt, like they'd never existed in the first place, and the cabin was plunged into a heavy silence. Dad quickly propped the gun up to the side of the couch and pulled me in for a hug. Oh dear God, I thought I was going to lose you. I'm so scared, Dad, I cried into his chest. It's okay. I'm here. Do you have the Tarzeman with you? I nodded, my heartbeat thumping against the cold metal on my chest. Good.

He pulled back, taking my face in his hands. You have to be very careful, Kiara. This thing can cause very powerful hallucinations, okay. Don't do anything like this again, not without talking to either of us. I did, I protested. I knocked on your door. Uncle Barney's too. His eyes widening, he showed a quick glance at Uncle Barney, then slowly shook his hands.

No, you didn't, sweetie. You couldn't because our doors were wide open. They'd been open the whole night. My knees wobbled. Then... That thing tricked you into thinking you'd try to get out of help and drew you downstairs. Uncle Barney said, his gruff voice a bit shaken by the ordeal. But it was all so.

so real. My heart thumped so hard in my chest, it felt like my stern and was about to crack. I know, honey, Dad said, and that's what makes this fight so damn difficult. Listen, he continued as Uncle Barney pulled aside the curtains on a window next to the door and peered outside. He wants you to leave the safety of the house, okay? So everything that you do, every action that you take must be taken, keeping that in mind. You cannot trust anything that you see or here. She understands. Keep your safety first and foremost. I nodded and dad wiped my face before kissing my forehead. You should have told her all this before you got here. Uncle Barney ground. Yeah, I was just trying to protect her. Dad said weekly. And look where that's gotten us.

She almost sorted out of the house. Yeah, you're right. Dad admitted before focusing on me again. It's my fault. I'm sorry, honey. I should have told you everything. I just... I just couldn't. Thought that I could shield you from it so that you wouldn't have to be exposed to any more of this. I'm so sorry. It's okay, I replied, even though it wasn't. My mind was still coming to turns with the fact that it had been so utterly fooled. I'd never experienced such powerful hallucinations ever. I could still feel the slight burn in my knuckles where they'd scraped against the doors to their bedrooms.

How could that not be real? I'm going to go grab my laptop. Let's check the CCTV footage and confirm once or for all whether Liam was right or not, yeah? Uncle Barney said and stomped upstairs without waiting for a reply. Who's Liam? I asked. Barney's friend. He's been helping us with all this. Dad replied.

He then took my hands as we sat on the couch. "'Gyara, I need you to promise me something. "'Promise me that if you have even the slightest shredded doubt that something's wrong, "'you're going to run to the basement and lock yourself up in there, okay?' "'Okay?' "'Okay if me or Uncle Bonnie seem to be in danger.' "'I open my mouth to protest, but he quickly cut me off. "'This is not negotiable.

"'You will do this. "'You're the one it wants, not us. "'We can take care of ourselves. Remember, I've already survived an encounter with that thing, so you promise me. I nodded reactantly. Good. Tomorrow Uncle Barney is going to teach you how to run the boat. In case the worst happens, you're going to have to use it to cross the lake and go to Mr. Shaw's house on the other shore.

Stay with him till Aunt Emily comes to pick you up. In case what happens, Dad? I asked, already knowing the answer. Uncle Barney's heavy footsteps saved us from that conversation. He plopped himself down on the chair beside us and placed the laptop on the coffee table. In less than a minute, he'd poured up the CCTV footage from the front of the house for the last half an hour. The grainy, silvery video showed the relative stillness of the night outside the house. Wind pressing the unkempt grass down to the ground.

White sheets fluttering lazily. Puddles gleaming under the moonlight. tree branches swaying in the distance. And that's it. Nothing else. Nothing that would suggest that a wounded woman was desperately trying to enter the house. The shudder ran through me. Uncle Barney heaved a tense sigh.

Lally M was right. This thing can't break the barrier we've set up and is instead trying to draw Kiara out using hallucinations. Yeah. That's sad as he leaned back. Looks like we really are dealing with a gin. Hey Ontario, come on down to Bed MGM Casino and check out our newest exclusive. The Price is Right Fortune Pick. Don't miss out.

Play exciting casino games based on the iconic game show. Only at BetMGM. Access to the Price's Right Fortune Pick is only available at BetMGM Casino. BetMGM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly. 19 plus to wager, Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact Connix Ontario at 1866-531-2,600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BenMGEM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario.

Part three. Fragments of old memories splattered on the back of my eyelids. A fuzzy kaleidoscope of images from the past. Cuddling with Mom under the blanket after watching the animated Aladdin movie, asking her about genies, feeling her warm fingers on my forehead, gently falling asleep in her embrace. Little old me could never have imagined that the lovable blue-skinned creature that hissed out of an ornate lamp would one day kill her mom. A gin, I asked.

A genie, like in the movies. Uncle Barney chuckled. Yeah, well, this one certainly is not helping you become the queen of some mystical kingdom. I spent the next several minutes grilling him and dad about the gin that was after me. They didn't tell me much, however, simply because they just didn't know. They were stumbling around in the dark, and if it hadn't been for Uncle Barney's old drinking buddy, Liam, we would have been completely blind. It was a total coincidence that Uncle Barney had run into and become friends with a bona fide monster hunter at a dingy bar. Liam, who was grieving the death of a friend at the time, proved to be a godsend, a lance of lightning streaking through the darkest night.

based on the feeble evidence presented to him after a drinking binge, he quickly survised that we were dealing with the gin and prescribed some countermeasures, the fence outside, the tree stump within it, the talisman around my neck, an old curving dagger with a silver pommel tucked in the waistband of Das jeans, the only thing that can hurt it. We had it all courtesy of Liam. Does that say to your curiosity, my lady? Uncle Barney asked, stifling a yawn, because it's getting quite late.

It's already 3 a.m. we should catch some sleep. Yeah, I replied begrudgingly. 3 a.m., dead a. surprised. Wow, I almost forgot. He poured me in for a hug. Happy birthday, Kiara. What little sleep I got that night was plagued with the most horrid of nightmares. I was in the woods outside.

It was a nightmare the forest floor was dappled with pale moonlight that silted down through the tiny gaps in the thick canopy. I was running, running like my life depended on it, jumping over mossy overgrown roots, hurtling through dense underbrush, twigs and fallen branches

cracking and snapping under my bare feet that splashed in the muddy morass. And I ran with sharp thorns of nettles slashing my calves open, I ran and ran until my lungs burned and my muscles began to cram. And then I ran some more. I could feel something was following me, soundlessly slithering along with the shadows that slipped around wet tree barks. A terrible monstrosity gained on me with a relentlessness that could only be displayed by something not bound by the laws of nature. I couldn't see it, but I knew it was

there, stalking me, hunting me, watching me with a thousand red eyes nestled in the dark, sopping leaves of the dense thicket surrounding me. And so I ran, my legs pumping like pistons. I ran until I felt like my life was going to escape out of my mouth. That's when I stumbled upon the clearing. It was barren, bereft of all vegetation, like the very land itself was cursed. except for a small patch right in the middle where a dense grove of lightning-struct trees grew out of the ground like the gnarled, blackened fingers of some subterranean entity.

But it wasn't the trees themselves that grew my attention, rather what was spayed out on top of them. As the branchless trees grew skyward, they bent inwards towards the centre of the grove until their tops were woven together. And on this uneven lattice rested the naked and mutilated corpse of my mother. A swarm of flies hovered over her rotting body like a black cloud,

descending every now and then to suck away at my mother's right flesh. I could smell her, even though I knew I was dreaming, even though I knew it wasn't real, I could smell the stench of death on her, and it made me wretch. I woke up with the star, But my heart pounded and my body ate like I'd just run a marathon at my top speed. The white sheets beneath me had darkened with my sweat.

Was that a dream? Why did it feel so real? Was it the gin messing with my head? If so, then why did he choose to show me this? I twisted my body and prepared to roll out of bed, blinking furiously as the sunlight shone off the lake and stabbed at my eyes. I looked at my phone and saw this. it was already 10 a.m. Touching my talisman to confirm that it was still indeed there,

I got up, yawned, and trudged to the bathroom. After splashing my face with water, quickly brushing my teeth, I hurried downstairs, the smell of eggs and bacon wafting from the kitchen, having reinvigorated my entire body. I smiled as I saw Uncle Barney in front of the stove. There was something endearing about watching a big bearded man like him in an apron, sashing around in the cramped kitchen like he belonged there. Dad was seated at the dining table, slathering jam on his toast. Hey there, birthday girl, Uncle Barney said in his usual gruff voice. Hi, I replied as I slid into a chair next to Dad and wished him a good morning.

So, I said, drumming my fingers on the table, how long till breakfast's ready? Uncle Barney Playfully jabbed his spatula at me You must learn to be patient, little dragon A chef needs time to create the perfect meal Well, in that case, I began I'm going to go outside and have a look around

What? Dad asked Swiveling his neck to look at me Why? Because I just saw mum in my dream I didn't tell him that Bad idea, I know, but I knew that if I told him He wouldn't let me set foot outside

and I really wanted to to see the spot where I'd imagined the lady standing and screaming the night before to check and confirm that the fence was still there to try and see if my gaze could pierce through the dense woods and spot the grove where mom...

No, I definitely couldn't tell him that. No way. Dad furrowed his brow. Okay, but stay on the porch. I nodded, grabbed a slice of bacon off the plate when Uncle Barney wasn't looking, eating it as I made my way out of the front door. It was bright outside. The sun was sucking away the water that had been clogging the ground.

Puddles were drying up, their edges cracking with the heat. Even the stump with the arabic carving, though soaked to the core, was starting to lose its moisture. The air was warm, fresh, and made my skin tingle pleasantly. I grinned, stretched my limbs, gazed at the still-in-tack fence, and froze when I saw a figure walking next to it. It was a woman. I narrowed my eyes, shielding them from the sun with my hand and focused. My breath hitched when I saw who it was.

It was mom. She was gliding over the grass next to the fence with as much grace as she'd always had. She was glowing, like she was draped in sunlight itself. Her yellow sundress shimmered with each step, her long dark hair bouncing on her shoulders playfully. Oh my God, I whispered. She twirled like a dancer, brushed her hair behind her ear and walked, running her hand over the now dirty white sheets tied to the barbed wire. She was beautiful, so beautiful, so flush with life,

unlike in the dream where she was cold, pale and rotty. Tears pooled in my eyes. Mom, I found myself saying. Her head shot up, almost like she'd heard me. She bent over the wire, squinted, trying to sue who it was who'd called out to her. I sucked in my breath when she spotted me. She was looking at me, right at me, with her honey-brown eyes. A smile danced on her lips, her face relaxing into an expression of such peace it wore my heart.

My mouth dropped open as she brought her arms up in front of her and gestured at me to come to her. It was a sight I was so intimately familiar with. How many times had I gone running into her arms when she spread them out like this? How many times I have fallen asleep in there, listening to her whisper sweet nothings into my ear as a warm hand gently patted the back of my head. Oh, my body lurched involuntarily, and I took a step forward. I'd never even gotten the chance to say goodbye to her. She was taken from me in such a cruel and abrupt manner.

Another step, and I felt the splinters of the wooden steps biting the soles of my feet. There was a voice gnawing at the back of my mind, telling me this was really dangerous. I ignored it. Another step. Grass tickled my feet as they dug into the soft dirt. It should be fine, I told myself. I'm just trying to get a good look at her, to try and capture her visage with my eyes and sear it into my memory, permanently. Another step.

I was halfway between the house and the fence now. I could practically smell her. Just a little more, and I could reach out and touch her too. Another step. My leg bumped into something. I stumbled, looked down, and saw that I'd hit the stump. my brain felt fuzzy legs wobbling

I flopped down onto the stump what was I doing this seemed to be quite reckless didn't it was I doing this of my own volition or was the chin dragging me out like the pied piper I wanted to get close to mum but there were alarm bells going off all over my body

rattling my bones trying to jolt me out of the dream like trance I was in Kiara I could hear someone calling for me but it sounded distant, like the voice was dropping down from the top of a tall building. Who was it? Was it, mum? Scalped tingling with sweat, I raised my eyes at her. Her lips were moving, but no sound came out.

What? Kiara? I felt heavy hands on my shoulders, and my heartbeat boomed in my ears. Sound suddenly exploded around me. I hadn't even realized just how silence it had gotten. the chirping of the birds rustling of leaves dad's labored breathing all rushed into my ears all at once it was dad who was standing next to me his hands wrapped tight around my shoulders giara we need to go inside now he looked terrified shooting glances at mum out of the corner of his eyes so he could see her too yeah yeah sure i muttered

as I took his clammy hand. Uncle Barney had already laid out the breakfast for us by the time we got back in. I saw what happened out there. That was really reckless, he said as we sat down at the dining table. Dad cupped his hands on his face and took a couple of very deep breaths. I didn't say anything. Just grabbed a glass of water with my trembling hands and took a sip.

Starting to hit me now. How close I got into leaving the safety of the fence. just a few more steps and... Oh, God, how could I have been so foolish? You can't be this careless, Kiara. Uncle Barney admonished me. The more you let yourself be exposed to the gin's hallucinations,

the more you become susceptible to them. If you keep on doing this, soon you won't be able to tell all the difference between what's real and what's not. You're practically inviting that bastard into your head. Yeah, yeah, I said. My head bowed in guilt. It's only a matter of one mistake.

One misstep. Look, lay off her, Barney. Dad interrupted. She gets it. I'm just looking out for her. You're adding to the stress. I'm reminding her how dangerous the situation is. Uncle Barney insisted.

Dad, look bewildered. You think she doesn't know that? God damn it, Barney. She just lost her mom. You really think she wouldn't be affected? by it, even I almost passed out when I saw her out there. I know, I know, I'm just... I had a dream last night, I said, and they both immediately fell silent and turned their

attention towards me. Mom was there, in the dream. The words flooded out of my mouth as I rambled on about the horrible nightmare I'd heard. Both of them had a deer caught in the headlights look on their faces by the time I'd finished. Whoa, Uncle Barney exclaimed. You can even invade your dreams? Dad's eyes flitted around as he tried to make sense to me.

The gin showed her that nightmare to make her feel despair. To get at her, at her lowest point, at her most vulnerable. Seeing her mom like that, he knew her to take a toll on her. So he used that vulnerability against her, showing her what Zoe used to be like in her prime, to get her a guard down and have her leave the barrier. Carrot and stick approach, Uncle Bonnie whispered, Jesus. He tugged at his beard, forcefully. We need to stick together as much as possible.

Dad nodded. Yeah, I don't know why I let her exit the house alone. Another result of the Jin's machinations. I don't know. What do you think? What do I think? Uncle Barney's side. I think we've been severely underestimating what the gin is capable of. We need to be more cautious, way more cautious. Dad nodded thoughtfully and focused on me. "'Ghiara, honey, sorry for saying this again, but please, please be careful.' I answered with an eager nod, but I wish I told him to listen to his own warnings instead, because if he had then, things wouldn't have gone to absolute hell later that day.

Part four. That afternoon is the blue sky fumed with puffy white clouds that veiled the sun. Uncle Barney took me out to the pier at the back of the cabin and taught me how to operate the boat. Just in case, he said, exactly the same thing that Dad had said to me. We didn't dare venture out into the lake for a practical lesson for obvious reasons, so I had to make do with the theoretical knowledge of running the boat. Uncle Barney didn't seem to like that, cursed under his breath and said he wished we had more time. I said I wish we didn't have to do this at all, certainly not in preparation for a due,

gin-induced emergency. After he was satisfied, he taught me everything he could under the circumstances. He let me leave and began doing some maintenance work on the boats. I entered the cabin through the sliding glass doors and found Dad sitting on a cane chair in the living room, right next to a window adjacent to the front door. A book was propped up on his lap, ignored, as he drew the curtains off to the side, just a bit using the little gap to peer outside. looking for mom i asked he jumped the book falling from his lap what he asked his eyes large like those of a child

caught with his hand in the cookie jar no no just checking the fence nothing else you shouldn't let the gin mess with your head i said that's what you told me remember i really wasn't he trailed off he could see i didn't believe him so didn't bother defending that weak lie. Mom's not coming back, Dad. No matter how much we might want that to happen. Well, I didn't say that, of course. Didn't have to.

The heavy sadness that filled his eyes was evidence enough of the fact that he understood that the wrath outside had just been a pale and decidedly malicious imitation of the real thing. But even a cold, false light can give hope to a man lost in the darkness. I gave him a reassuring smile

and went upstairs to my room. My phone had been blinking non-stop since the morning with birthday wishes from my friends and those who pretended to be my friends. I didn't have the heart to reply to any of them. It all seemed so distant. The girl getting the messages wasn't me, but some stranger on another planet. Scrolling through those messages, the perfunctory happy birthday text on group chats that looked like they were simply copied from the ones preceding them. It made my heart feel heavy. Sluggish.

They were going about their lives without an inkling of what was going on in mine. I just wished I could be like them, carefree, ignorant of the things that lurk in the shadows. I dozed off looking at Mom's Facebook profile, last night's exhaustion and the sound of Uncle Barney clattering around in the boat and gently lulling me to a short and restless sleep. I jolted awake, some forgotten nightmare hurling me back to consciousness. Blinking my dry eyes open, I checked my phone and saw that only about ten minutes had passed

since I was last alert enough to check the time. An unnerving silence had descended on my surroundings. I frowned. That's odd. Had Uncle Barney already finished working on the boat. From what he told me, it would take at least half an hour to get it done. Did something happen while I was napping? I jumped out of bed and ran to the window overlooking the lake,

breathing a sigh of relief when I spotted Uncle Barney. He was next to the boat, crouching on the wooden slats of the pier and staring down at the lake. His nose almost touching its clear surface which shimmered and rippled under his breath. What? Had he dropped something in the water? I waited for him to move, to do something, to plunge his hand into the water, to begin grasping for wherever he was he was looking for. Nothing.

He just stayed there on his hands and knees like a daze gargle. Something was wrong. I could feel it. Uncle Barney, I croaked, fear robbing my voice of its usual strength. No response. I could hear the water gently sloshing around, the wooden beam supporting the pier, but, well, nothing else. Uncle Barney was motionless, as if he was frozen to that spot.

I clad my throat and prepared to call out his name once again. A louth splash cut me off as Uncle Barney was yanked towards the water by something invisible. His head sank into the depths of the lake, and that's when his body finally started to move again. He was fighting to break free from whatever was trying to drown him. His limbs shook and flailed and writhed as he desperately tried to pull himself out. But he was useless. Whatever was pulling him down was far too powerful. and instead of breaking free he began to be dragged towards the bottom of the lake,

his neck and shoulders sinking into the water, even as he slips his fingers between the thin gap between the wooden slats to try and stop his descent. It was when his feet went up in the air because of gravity that I finally snapped out of the shock that I was in. Dad! I shouted as I darted out of my room and began running downstairs after quickly shooting a glance at my father's room and confirming that he wasn't there. Maybe he was still down in the living room. My bare feet pounded on the steps as I stomp my way down. Dad, I yelled again.

He wasn't there in the living room either. Where was he? Dad! I could see Uncle Barney through the sliding glass doors. Everything from his waist up was now in the water. My father was nowhere to be seen or heard. I thought about calling him again. No time.

Uncle Barney was going to die. I hastily crossed the room and reached the sliding glass door, before hesitating. What if this wasn't real? What if the Jin was making me see all of this? What if Uncle Barney isn't really out there? And what if I hadn't actually called out for dads? My fingers reached for the comfort of the talisman.

Maybe I should just walk away. I shook my head. I couldn't take that chance. What if my assumption was wrong? What if all this was real? I couldn't lose another family member. I wouldn't be able to take it again. I slid the doors open with such force that they slammed off to the side,

the glass panes rattling in their frames. Uncle Barney's struggles were growing weaker and weaker. His body was becoming slack. I was fast running out of time. I ran out across the solid hardwood of the porch, which soon gave way to the slats of the pier that pinched the flesh of my feet. Uncle Barney's frantic splashing had made the entire area wet, and I had to be careful to make sure I didn't slip and go tumbling into a watery grave beside him. As I reached Uncle Barney's now lifeless body, I fell down to my knees and grabbed his legs, just as they began to be dragged into the water.

The meagre muscles in my spindly arms stretched to the point of snapping as I tried to pull him up. He was so heavy it felt like a ship's anchor had been tied around his neck. My face burned with the strain and exhaustion as I tried to pull him back up. I could feel my butt sliding across the slats. Too heavy, too damn heavy. And I wasn't strong enough. And my hands were slipping on his soaked jeans. I reached forward and grabbed him by the leather belt wrapped around his waist,

the effort causing him to slip further in, but letting me get a better grip on him. I then tuck my ankles in the gap between the slats and brace them against the edge of the pier. The new position swung things in my favour as Uncle Barney's descent came to a sudden hold. I pulled and pulled and pulled until it felt like my arms were going to pop off. But Uncle Barney moved. I was beginning to drag him out. Little by little like a rope being yanked out of a well.

I began pulling him up. His waist, his back, his shoulders. I pulled them all out inch by inch. Relief ripple through me as his head popped out. His hair now, a tangled mess of matted locks that were sticking to his scalp. I turned him on his back and checked for any size of breathing, whimpering when I found none. Come on, Kiara, it's not over yet.

I placed my hands on his chest, one on top of the other, and began pressing down on his squishy shirt with what little strength I had left. Come on, come on, come on. his chest sank under the pressure I applied on his body but he didn't move oh please not like this went through the entire process of CPR as well as I remembered it hoping it would be enough but I wasn't sure maybe my hands were too weak to properly compress his chest

maybe my lungs weren't strong enough maybe my technique was too improper too amateurish and riddle with errors oh God please work please work work. Tears stung my eyes, but I did not give up. Uncle Barney finally rewarded my efforts with a gurgling cough that rattled his chest. Fummy water gushed out of his mouth and trailed off to the side as his eyes shot open. My exhausted lungs sucked in air in spasmodic gasps as a terrible fit of hacking cough shook Uncle Barney's body. Black dots of exhaustion and relief began to blot out my vision.

I squeezed my eyes shut and I had a series of silent sobs. I had done it. I'd saved him. Thank, thank you, Uncle Barney whispered. His voice hoarse and heavy, like his throat was ripping it out from the murky depths of an ocean. What happened? I asked. What were you doing? He coughed.

It was deep, emerging from his chest with a long rumble. I... I heard her voice, Emily's. I was checking the motor to see whether the water was properly being discharged from it or not, and I heard her calling out to me. He shook his head and propped himself up on his elbows. Oh, I knew it wasn't real. It couldn't be. She's not here, right?

But the pull was so damn strong. I just couldn't resist. Had to see where it was coming from, her voice. I climbed out of the boat and just strayed my ears to listen. and there it was again, but it was distant and muted. You know what I mean? Like it was coming from under the water. It couldn't be, that's just impossible.

So I bent my head and looked down. My knees nearly gave out when I saw her in the water. She was pale, so damn pale, and bloated like a corpse. Oh, it scared the shit out of me. He wiped water off his brow with trembling hands. She was smiling at me A cold, vicious little grin stretched on cracked, blood, red lips

She spread her arms out As if she was beckoning me to join her in the water I found myself moving towards her Even though I didn't want to It was like I wasn't in control of my body anymore As my face neared the water Her hands shot out Wrapped around my neck and began pulling me under

My face splashed through the water And that's when I realized what was happening I tried to fight, but she was too strong. It was like her arms were made out of iron. He took a deep breath. You... Oh, you save me, Kiara. I would have died if it wasn't for you.

Thank you. I hugged him, drenched clothes and all. I was supposed to be the one protecting you, little Tigris. He said, not the other way around. It's okay. "'Kiar!' "'My heart skipped a beat as dad's panic yell "' rang out from somewhere inside the cabin.

"'Freddy,' Uncle Barney said. "'Where is he?' "'Kiar.' "'I don't know,' I replied. "'I tried to find him as I was coming to help you, "'but he wasn't there. "'It wasn't anywhere in the cabin.' "' Loud footsteps boom like gunshots on the stairs inside the cabin.

"'I scrambled for the house as Uncle Barley staggered onto his feet. Go tell him you're fine, he yelled, before he does anything stupid. I burst into the cabin, anxiety turning my brain into much. My eyes rocketed towards the front door as Dad threw it open and dashed out. Dad, I screamed, but he paid my voice no mind. I ran after him, snaking around the furniture and bolting out of the cabin. Dad was already jumping over the fence, trying to make his way into the house.

the woods. Kiara, he screamed. Come back! As I exited the cabin, I saw why Dad was in such a hurry. He was chasing after me, or the Jin's mirage that looked exactly like me, who had now entered the forest. Dad thought it was me, that the gin had somehow fooled me into leaving the house. My heart sank in my chest.

The gin was going to kill him. "'Bastard!' "'No, no, I wasn't going to let that happen. "'I wasn't letting him take anyone else from me. "'I'd saved Uncle Barney, and now I was going to save my father.' "'My hands wrapped around the barbed wire. "'I poured it apart to create just enough space for me to slip out. "'Part five.'

"'Stop!' "'My hands shot away from the barbed wire fence "'like they've been zapped by a sharp electric current. "'A world or a world of, around and saw Uncle Barney hobbling towards me, huffing and puffing along the way, his cheeks burning red with exhaustion. Stop, he said, stumbling on the front porch steps. I have to go, I replied, fast and curt.

Dad's in danger. I know, he said. That's why I'm going, not you. You're in no shape. Kiara, he snapped. I'm not asking. Now, go fetch my shotgun from my. my room. I hesitated. Now! I took off running. Back the way I'd come, past Uncle Barney, who shambled

over to the carved tree stump and sat on it. His still wet clothes dripping water on the patchy grounds. I came back in record time, heavy shotgun in one hand and a box of shells in the other. Panting, with beads of cold sweat trickling down my jaw, I handed the gun and the box to Barney. He plucked out some shells from the latter. stuff them into his pockets. I'm going to go now, he said, as he hoisted himself up on his feet. You stay here. No matter what happens, you are not to leave the perimeter, understand. But what if... Promise me. I gave him a nigh imperceptible knock. He smiled and began marching towards the fence. Don't worry, Kiara. I'll be back in a jiffy. I watched, breath stuck in my chest

as he pulled the wire down and climbed over it, before jogging towards the tree line where the light was swallowed up by the shadows dancing in the thick foliage. A lump formed in my throat, growing bigger and bigger the smaller Uncle Barney became until his broad back disappeared behind the thick tree trunks.

And then, the waiting began. It was excruciating, waiting out there with nothing but silence for company was pure torture. It wasn't a comfortable silence either, but one of anticipation, fear, not knowing what was happening in the woods, not knowing how long I'd have to wait, not knowing who would make it back, if they'd make it back at all. Oh, it was nerve-wracking. I bit my lip, chewed on my fingernails, paced around like my legs were possessed, until the sun broke through the clouds and slinked back in again. At one point I went back into the cabin and retrieved my glock, but quickly darted.

it back out again. I couldn't stay in there alone. I just couldn't. The empty house spoke of a future whose vision stabbed and slashed at my sanity. The very air in there was thick, slow, like it had been weighed down by an unimaginable sadness. I was glad to be away from it, and almost welcomed the anxiety that flooded my veins like adrenaline when I came back outside. After an indeterminate amount of time that felt like a decade, I had a gunshot. I had a gunshot. I had a gunshot. The sound ripped through the air, echoed across the forest, pierced through my body and rattled my bones. The world spun around me. Who was it that had fired their gun just now?

Was it Dad? Did he come across the gin? Was he fighting that monster? Was he winning? Guilt, helplessness, frustration, anger, anxiety and a thousand other emotions sloshed around in my belly. And I felt like throwing up. It wasn't right, I thought. I shouldn't be hiding here like a cow while Dad and Uncle Barney fought my battles for me.

I should be out there, standing and fighting beside them. But I couldn't just leave. I'd promise not to. The sound of rustling leaves and crackling twigs forced me to look to my left. My grip tightened on my gun. I sensed movement in the woods. Someone stumbled out into the clearing through a particularly thick patch of trees on the exact opposite side of the path chosen by Uncle Barney.

"'Dad?' I yelled. "'Giarra,' he shouted back. "'Oh, thank God!' "'Eyes wide, face covered in bruises and grime, "'shirt slashed of tattered ribbons. "'He looked like he'd been through hell. "'I ran up to the fence as he plodded his way over. "'Are you okay?' I asked.

"'What happened?' "'He stopped near the fence, "'wrapped his hands around a dirty white sheet "'draped over it and caught his breath. I I saw you running out of the house screaming my name I thought

he weised I thought you'd been fooled into thinking I was going out there that you were trying to stop me so I grabbed my gun and began to running after you it wasn't real I know

I thought so too but what if it wasn't I couldn't take that chance I looked around the house as quickly as I could I didn't find you anywhere so I chose to follow you or the fake you out into the forest

I just had to Did the gene attack you? He nodded I didn't even see the bastard coming He snuck up on me and tossed me around like a rag doll Would it kill me if I hadn't cut him with a dagger He patted his waist He ran away before I could truly hurt him though

That's when I knew I'd made a mistake If he'd lured you out and captured you He wouldn't have stuck around So I'd double back and Here you are "'Did you see Uncle Barney out there?' I asked. "'You frowned, bewildered.' "'Oh, why would I?

"'He followed me out there, didn't he? "'My mouth was dry, and yet I swallowed, nonetheless. "'No, no.' "'Dad ran his fingers through his hair, "'as he looked around wildly. "'He wasn't supposed to do that. "'He was supposed to stay with you, damn it. "'Why?'

"'I didn't tell him how I was the first one to run after him, him and that Uncle Barney had in fact stopped me before chasing after him himself. Okay. Okay, so which way did he go? I pointed in that direction. Okay, I'm going to go bring him back. You wait here and do not step outside. He popped the magazine out of his pistol, check the bullets and slid it back in.

You still have that talisman on you, yeah? Yeah, I replied. Give it to me. What? Give it to me. I'll bring your uncle back as quickly as I can. If that fucker tries to come after me again, I'll use the dagger and the talisman to put him down permanently. You told me never to take it off. He chuckled. Well, I wasn't exactly planning on leaving my house, was I? Come on, hand it over.

Bali's still out there. We don't have a lot of time. I took a shaky step back. No. What? No. You're not Dad's. He would never ask me to take the talisman off. I felt like I was going to be sick. Dad snarled. His face warped into an expression of utter hatred. His eyes turned so red it looked like all their blood vessels had exploded simultaneously. You, you fucking bitch. How long do you think you're going to hide in there? The venom in his voice made my knees feel weak. I clutched at the talisman for comfort. You are mine, he spat. You are promised to me.

How dare you try to defy me. Just leave me alone, I screeched. Just you wait. I'm going to kill your useless father and his fab pig of a brother and drag their corpses here. I want to make you pay for this. I blinked. and he was gone. I wiped my eyes using the sleeves of my sweatshirt and sucked in some deep breath to try and calm

myself down. The rage on Dad's face, the sheer hatred in his voice. My brain forced me to experience it over and over again until physically painful sobs rack my chest. I couldn't do this. I felt so alone, so terribly, horribly alone. It wasn't going to work. The gene was too powerful.

We were being played like a damn fiddle and he wasn't even breaking a sweat. It was hopeless. We were going to lose. We were all going to die here. Dad and Uncle Barney would be lost forever in the forest. Their bodies rotting under some bush while I was going to be ripped apart by that monster. Hopeless. Utterly hopeless.

I was wallowing in despair and self-pity when I heard noises again. From the very same spot where the gin had sent his little hurried. hallucination. Did he really think I'd fall for the same thing again? Dad stumbled out of the forest. At least he wasn't injured this time. I gritched my teeth, hissed out an angry breath and brought my gun up, aiming center mass at the thing. He wasn't real, and I wanted the gin to know that I knew that. Kiara! My finger neared the trigger as not Dad grew closer. Wait. "'Wait, wait,' he said. I ignored him.

He stopped, put his hands up in the air. "'It's me. It's really me.' I hesitated. "'You're not seeing things okay,' he said. "'It really is me standing in front of you.' "'How do I know it's you?' I asked. My finger tense against the trigger. He shuffled on his feet, thinking about what he'd say.

Oh, yeah. He snapped his fingers. Kiera, sometimes you sleep on your back with your legs, bend at the knee, and crossed one over the other. Your mom would always giggle when she saw you like that. Bring me over to watch you, and ask how anyone could possibly sleep like that every single time. My hands began to tremble.

He began walking towards me. When I know, you sneak out at night and eat chocolate ice cream when you think we're asleep. You only swipe a little bit off the top, thinking no one had noticed. We did, honey. Always. Dad? I asked. My voice cracking. Yeah, it's me, honey. He said as he climbed over the fence and pulled me in for a hug. I'm so scared, Dad. Don't be. He patted my head.

There's nothing to be scared of, okay. The gin can't come in unless we let it. Don't forget that. after I'd stopped trembling I told him what exactly had happened in his absence beginning all the way back from when I'd saved Uncle Barney from drowning to my run-in with the Jin's illusion he in turn told me that he went out into the woods because he thought I'd gone there but decided to return when he lost all track of me

let's go back in Sykia that's it what about Uncle Barney he'll find his way back I made a big mistake right running out there. I shouldn't have left you alone. Are you sure? I asked, both relieved and guilty. Yeah, he knew what he signed up for. You don't have to worry about him. He won't be taken down that easily. Besides, from what she just told me, I think it's best we keep you far away from that fence. I held his hand for comfort as we began walking back to the cabin. Dad was on the steps

of the porch when something roared out in the woods. Oh, it was loud, thunderous, stentorian, like the king of the forest announcing a successful hunt. Only it didn't sound like an animal at all. The sound was alien, at once both low-pitched and shrill, scraping at my eardrums like jagged fingernails and seeming to go on and on and on. I froze, twisted my neck and scanned my surroundings to see where it had come from. dotted silhouettes of birds flew from their shaded perches atop trees up and up into the dull grey sky above seemingly trying to escape whatever it was that had made that noise did that mean that the sound was real or was the jinn manipulating the birds as well well al-grown followed as if a tree was being uprooted leaves rustled on the ground something was coming it was close too close

"'Khiara,' Dad whispered, "'go and sigh. "'Before I could protest, "'he'd push me into the cabin "'and slammed the door shut. "'I ran to the window, "'he opened the curtains aside "'and pressed my face against a glass.

"'My vision was limited. "'I couldn't see much to the sides, "'and that's my dad's reactions "'wereactions were the only thing "'that made me aware "'that something was happening out there. "'His jaw dropped open. "'Oh, that can't be good.

He quickly caught himself, brought his gun up and began marching out towards the fence, away from my view. I cursed under my breath and ran for the door. I knew it was dangerous that I was disobeying him, but just couldn't stand the thought of Dad disappearing off into the woods again with me and not being able to do anything about it. As I rushed out to the porch, I finally caught my first glimpse of the gin. He was big, bigger than my six-foot tall. dad and looked like a charred corks come alive. His skin was burnt black, with slashes of dark red flesh pressing up from beneath the surface. He had no eyelashes to protect his bulging bloodshot eyes, no lips to hide his rotting teeth, and no hair to cover these pusdural riddle scalp.

His body was speckled with scabs that seemed to ooze and writhe on his body with each step, like tar bubbling and flowing on his monstrous body. I was at once terrified and repulsed. And that wasn't the most horrifying thing that I saw out there. No. What truly caused my stomach to lurch and what made Dad tremble in his shoes was the fact that as the gin trouched towards the fence, he carried a shotgun in one hand

and used the other to drag a lifeless body by its foot. Uncle Barney's body. Dad screamed in a way I hadn't heard since Mom's funeral. And with a corpse in hand, the gin took that opportunity to climb over the fence. Part six, the side of the gin climbing over the fence was a solid punch to the gut, knocking us out of the shock that had set in after we'd seen Uncle Barney's corpse being dragged across the bumpy ground. He's now far as dry in blood staining the yellow grass. Dad was the first to move.

He drew his pistol up, aiming at the charred monstrosity as quickly as he could. But he wasn't nearly fast enough. The gin let go of Uncle Barney's leg after he crossed over to our side and tossed the shotgun into the air, grabbed it by its barrel and swung it like a baseball bat. The butt of the gun connected with Dad's wrist, with a gut churning. Dad screamed, dropped the gun and fell to his knees. clutching his wrist with the other hand. The gin roared, and it shot, paralyzing fear up my spine.

But looking at Dad, groaning on his knees, was enough to get me moving again rather quickly this time. I pulled my own gun up and prepared to fire off a shot at the Jin by shifting just a bit to my right. The Jin swung the shotgun batten again. Dad ducked and it sailed harmlessly over his head. He flung himself at the gun. the oozing monster, slamming his shoulder into the jean's torso, sending them both crashing into

the stump. The monster yelped, rolled and brought his blackened fist down on my father's back, again and again and again, slamming them onto his spine with a sickening impact of hammers pounding a cracked anvil. That grunted, but didn't give in. He took the blows even as they rocked his body. And when the gin paused for a second to catch his breath, he be able to be. He began raining down punches on the white outline of his ribs. I ran and positioned myself to their side. Dropping down on one knee, I raised the gun and began waiting for Dad to give me a clear line of sight. For that one moment, that one straight shot through the monster's forehead.

But that moment never came. Their fight grew more and more chaotic. As they fought and struggled and writhed, they became an entangled mass of fire. flesh and bones, and even thinking about firing my gun was now out of the question. And so, I charged at them. I dropped the gun, picked up a pointy rock, and ran towards Dad, and the beast he was fighting. I was so close to them now, so close I could smell the stench of roasted flesh emanating from the Jean's body, see the tar-like pus trickled down his dark red muscles, scalp tingling with anxiety,

I prepared to jump into the fray. And then that moment arrived. They rolled, the gin shifted and came out on top, wrapped his large hands around Dad's skull and began squeezing, like he wanted to pop it like a watermelon. A powerful, rage-filled scream and swung my hand as fast as I could, slamming the rock onto the gin skull. It pierced the bones and sank into his brain with a wet crunch.

He stopped, dazed. I hit him again. He swooned, and I swung again. But he was waiting for me this time, caught my hand mid-air and twisted it. I yelped and the stone fell from my hand. Stars speckled my vision, and I staggered and fell backwards. A sharp pain exploded in my head. I blinked rapidly. He'd backhanded me with enough force to almost knock me out. And the gin roared again, each discreet. Gordon note of that noise like needles piercing my ear drums. But this wasn't a declaration of rage. No, it was induced by pain. The gin was hurt. As his screams faded away, a gentle humming filled the air. It was gentle, peaceful and washed over me with the warmth of a fireplace and a cold winter

evening. I frowned and pulled myself up on my elbows to see what had just happened. It was Dad. While I'd distracted the gin, he'd managed to pull out the dagger from the wristband of his jeans and stabbed the monster with it. The blade sank into the rotting flesh, right up to the hilt and began emitting a bright orange glow.

Daed twisted the blade. The gin screamed again, his lidless eyes showing fear for the first time. Dad yanked the blade out and stand. him again, this time right in the gap beneath his sternum. With a groan, it escaped out of his decaying mouth, along with all the air in his lungs, the gin collapsed on top of Dad, who pushed him off with great effort, began taking in deep, anxious breaths.

I immediately jumped into his arms, crying and blubbering nonsensically. It's okay, he whispered, it's over now. my body would not stop shaking even as a modicum of relief was beginning to wriggle its way past the tension turning my stomach into knots is it really over i asked yeah dad said showing me the dagger this was the only thing that could hurt him and i got him good there's no way he survives that i nodded it was over the nightmare that had haunted our family for decades was finally coming to an end. Or so I thought. Sometimes things take a turn for the worst just when you're expecting it all to get better. It's darkest right before dawn, isn't it? What if dawn never comes and the world is blanketed in darkness for all eternity? I was helping Dad get up on his feet

when a little giggle pierced through the air. I froze, looked at Dad wide-eyed. He was shocked too. together we glanced at the Jin's corpse but he lay motionless someone giggled again with my heart threatening to leap out of my mouth i turned my neck and looked to where uncle Barney's corpse lay his chest rumbled with laughter my god dad whispered uncle Barney shot up to his feet like a bullet turned and faced us a vicious grin slapped on his face my head swam. There was a giant hole in his chest, probably from a shotgun. Hey there, Sia. He said, his voice hoarse, looks like we finally meet. I look back at the Jean's corpse on our feet and choke back a gasp. It finally clicked, like the last piece of a puzzle sliding into place. How the gin was able to come across the fence. Oh, dear God, why didn't we think of this. At our feet instead of the charred corpse of the gin, like the dead body of Uncle Barney. Dad looked at him with his mouth dropped open. The gin who was standing in front of us,

giggled again. It's poetic, isn't it? Brother killing brother, almost seems religious. He thought he killed me, the gin snorted, dragged me all the way over there to show the monsters body to his frightened little niece. And what does he see when he gets here? Oh, poor little Kiara standing right next to the monster he thought he'd just killed. Poor bastard couldn't take it, screamed in rage and charged at the gin. I mean, his brother, while tossing the real gin over the fence he'd so carefully constructed. You bastard, Dad swore through his clenched teeth.

I didn't even have to do anything, Freddy. you did it all yourself killed your poor brother with your own hands impressive really my stomach dropped just when i thought i'd made it out of the dark hole i was in i found myself sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss i couldn't even look at dad god what must have been going through his mind then to kill your own brother with your own hands no man should ever have to go through that come on kiar The Dean urged, still wearing my uncle's face. It's over. No one else has to get hurt. Come with me and I'll let your dad live. Run and hide in the basement, Kiara.

Dad said, pushing me behind his legs. Have it your way then, the Jean said. He made a show of cracking his neck and began advancing towards us. Dad lifted the dagger in front of him in a threatening manner. Get inside while I have him distracted, and the talisman will protect you. I didn't reply. No way was I going inside. I swore to myself now that if he died, so will I.

No hiding like a coward, not anymore. The gin volleyed a punch at Dad, who raised his hand to block it but was easily swatted aside. The fist slammed into the side of his head, sending him reeling. Dad shook his hand. and tried to slash the gin with the dagger. I began fidgeting. What do I do? How can I help?

If I jumped in right now, I'd only end up getting in the way. No, so what then? There has to be a way for me to help. I began looking around. My eyes fell upon the stump, and suddenly something clicked. When Dad had thrown himself at the gin, and they'd both slammed into the stump, the monster had yelled. Touching the wood had hurt it.

him. But why? He'd easily crossed over the fence when Uncle Barney had brought him in and sheets hadn't heard him at all. Maybe there was something different about the stump, something more powerful, and that's why Uncle Barney's friend Liam had insisted on keeping it there. I dashed towards the stump, positioned it between me and the gin, and began pushing. It wouldn't barge. It was too heavy. I remember that it had taken both Dad and Uncle Barney to move this thing. I was just a little girl. Fuck that. Don't give up, I told myself. I pushed it again. This time near the top, it began to tip over. I got down on my knees and pushed it again. It scraped against the mud surrounding it, so I pushed it again. Yes, it wobbled and tipped over,

allowing me to begin rolling it towards the gin. The curve made it much easier to push it, and my arms were no longer crying out for release. inch by inch brought it closer to where my dad was fighting the gin. I could hear them struggling, the grunts and yells and the sound of flesh hitting bones, urging me to push harder. And then Dad screamed. My head shot up. I trembled at what I saw.

The gin had taken the dagger from Dad and stabbed him in the stomach with it. No! I screeched as Dad began to fall on the gin, who pulled the bloodstained dagger out and stabbed him again. As Dad rested on the gin's shoulder, his eyes caught mine. Blood had begun to pool in his mouth. His lips gently curved into a smile. I recognised that smile.

It was one he'd given me many times. At night when I was afraid of the dark, after scraping my knees, after falling off my bike, when I told him about being bullied at school, he'd always smile at me and tell me it would be okay. But for the first time ever, that smile seemed like a lie. Things were not going to be okay, ever. With one last burst of strength, Dad grabbed the gin by the hand,

holding the dagger in his stomach and pulled him down to the side. The gin's head slammed into the stump, and he screamed, like he was being burned alive. He began to rive to try and free himself, but Dad held him in place. I knew what I had to do then, knew that it would destroy everything, but it needed to be done nonetheless. I jumped and reached for the dagger embedded in Dad's flesh, pulled it out, fighting back tears as blood squirted out of his wounds and splattered on the grass. The Gien began to move, but I sank the blade right into his chest. His torso quaked like an electric current had run through his body.

I pulled the dagger out and stabbed. him again. He roared, weaker this time. The dagger hummed in my hand, gave out a bright orange glow, but I was too focused on killing the bastard to busking it. Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab. I kept on stabbing him until his chest had turned into a gooey black mess. He was dead long before I let up and pulled my hands away from it. They were completely soaked in the disgusting black red blood oozing from the now dead gin. I turned to look at Dad, bit back a sob and hurried over to him.

I wish I could say that I got to talk to him one last time. That I cradled his head in my lap and told him I loved him, that he replied that he was proud of me. Then I got to see him smile again one last time. But he was gone. Left behind his cold, pale corpse punctured full of homes. I sat down on the ground slumped against the stumped surrounded by three dead bodies and allowed myself to cry to my heart's content to grieve to let despair wash over me to let it seep into my bones and nestled into a deep dark corner of my soul after my tear ducts ran dry in my throat felt parched in hoarse I retrieved my phone and called Aunt Emily I didn't have the heart to tell her what

happened but she could tell from my voice the awkward silence she responded with broke me all over again an immense wave of guilt struck me and began apologising hoping she wouldn't hate me for getting uncle Barney killed she told me she loved me i wanted to crawl into a hole and die she said she was going to pick me up and that she really loved me and she was glad i was okay after the call I took the boat and crossed the lake to go to Mr. Shaw's house. As the boat cut across the clear surface of the lake, I white tears off my eyes and resolved to make them all proud, to make their sacrifices matter.

Dad, Mom, Uncle Barney, I was going to live a life they could all take pride in. for although I was orphaned, I was still alive. And so once again, we reach the end of tonight's podcast. My thanks as always to the authors of those wonderful stories, and to you for taking the time to listen. Now, I'd ask one small favor of you. Wherever you get your podcast wrong,

please write a few nice words and leave a five-star review as it really helps the podcast. That's it for this week, but I'll be back again, same time, same time. place and I do so hope you'll join me once more. Until next time, sweet dreams and bye-bye.