the twilight hallway. As the sun rose, it shone in through the windows of the living room and dimly lit the hallway.
“Ruth? Is that you?” She whispered.
There was no response. Patti walked down the hallway and heard the scuffle coming from Richard’s room. She rushed in and switched on the light. She was horrified to see a strange man lying halfway out of the closet with his arms stretched out in front of him. The man was naked and seemingly unconscious. His hair was growing wild and his beard was long and scruffy.
“Who are you?” She demanded, “How did you get in my house?”
She knew in an instant that it had to be the man whom abducted her son. He didn’t respond, so she shook him with her left foot.
“Are you alive?” She asked.
She crouched down and rolled the man over onto his back. His body was full of scars and she didn’t recognize his face. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing in her house; specifically in Richard’s room. She had to wake him and get answers.
Patti sat down on the man’s chest and restrained his arms with her knees. When she was certain that he was restrained, she slapped him across the cheek.
“Wake up.” Patti ordered.
The man woke up with a jerk. He started hyperventilating and seemed scared.
“Who are you?” Patti asked, “Where’s my son?”
“Mommy?” The man whimpered.
It was only then that Patti noticed the black semi-circle around the man’s irises. It wasn’t possible. She was astounded at what she saw, but there was no doubt in her mind that this full grown man was her son.
“Richie?” She whimpered.
“Mommy…” Richard cried, “I made it back.”
She could feel the life drain from her and then she stumbled off him and fell down next to him. She sat within a few inches from him and kept staring at him. It didn’t make sense, but she knew he was her son.
Richard grabbed her hand and embraced it as tightly as he could. He was so glad to see his mother. He couldn’t stop crying. Patti embraced him tightly.
“But how?” She asked astonished.
She finally let go of him, though he was reluctant. She grabbed one of the sheets from the bed and covered him with it.
“How is this possible?” Patti asked, “Where have you been? What happened?”
Richard seemed agitated, scared and fragile. He was extremely aware of his surroundings and it was like he was expecting someone to snatch him away again.
“Where have you been?” Patti asked, “What happened?”
Richard looked at Patti. His lower lip was trembling as his eyes started tearing up.
“The dark.” Richard muttered.
It was the only word he could force out of his mouth. It was the first human interaction he had in a long time.
“The dark?” Patti asked confused, “I don’t understand.”
Patti started whimpering.
“Please don’t let them get me again.” Richard cried.
Patti took a hold of his trembling hand. He was as cold as ice and his skin was pale – almost transparent. It seemed like he hadn’t seen the sun in decades.
“You’re freezing.” Patti said.
Patti couldn’t wait to tell Ruth, though she knew her sister would have a harder time accepting what was happening. She could already play out the conversation she would have with Ruth in her mind;
“Patti,” Ruth would say, “Can I speak to you for a moment?”
Patti would then get up despite Richard being reluctant.
“Don’t leave me!” Richard would cry, “Don’t leave me!”
“I’m just going into the hallway.” Patti would assure him, “I’m right here.”
Patti and Ruth would then step out into the hallway to talk in private.
“What?” Patti would ask
“Don’t you find this very odd?” Ruth would whisper.
“Yes.” Patti would say, “But I know it’s him.”
Ruth would then stare at the man with a suspicious mind before continuing.
“That’s not what I meant.” Ruth would say.
“What then?” Patti would ask.
“He’s been gone for how long now?” Ruth would say, “A couple of hours? Now he’s back and he’s aged at least twenty years. Does that make sense to you? I’m just pointing out that his disappearance was no ordinary disappearance. Wherever he was… time obviously works different wherever he was.”
“What do you mean?” Patti would ask.
“I heard him mention the darkness.” Ruth would say.
“I think it was the dark.” Patti would correct her.
“Whatever.” Ruth would say, “You should be careful. Whatever is happening might not be over just yet. What if this is some kind of hoax?”
“I know my son.” Patti would say.
As they sat on the floor of his bedroom, Patti knew she was embracing her son. She could tell it the second she looked in his eyes. The only thing she couldn’t quite figure out was what had happened and how he aged nearly two decades in only a couple of hours.
7
Patti and her grownup toddler sat at the kitchen table. She had a cup of strong coffee while he had a mug of hot chocolate. She needed something strong to process what was happening. She was glad her sister wasn’t there when Richard reappeared. She’d have a hard time explaining to Ruth how she knew the grown man was her son. She just knew. A mother always knows her young. Even when a mother is separated from her child at birth, she never forgets the bond they shared.
She clasped her hands around the warm cup as the steam twirled up and vanished before her face. She had so many questions, but the burning one was where he disappeared to. He had mentioned the dark. It was a vague explanation and she wondered whether he was ready to open up. He seemed distant; somewhat tentative at his actions and surroundings. His skin seemed even paler in the bright kitchen.
“Honey,” She said lovingly, “What did you mean by the dark?”
He looked up from his mug of hot chocolate with a vacant expression on his face and a hint of fear in his eyes. He didn’t answer her. Instead, he simply lowered his head and stared at the mug again. He didn’t know how to explain to her where he was or what he had seen. How could anyone explain the shadows of hell?
“Time moves differently there.” He finally said without looking up, “In the dark. There is no sense of time. The darkness can last for a second or a decade. It doesn’t matter. You’re still trapped there.”
“Where exactly is there?” She asked.
He gently shook his head and stirred the hot chocolate. Memories of the nightmares he experienced in the dark came back to him, but he tried to block them out.
“I don’t know.” He said and looked up at her, “All I could see was darkness.”
“Were you alone?” She asked.
He shook his head and looked down at the mug again.
“I could hear them.” He said, “In the dark. The unseen creatures breathing and eating next to my ear, and then I’d pray to God that I wasn’t next.”
There was a moment of silence. She didn’t know how to respond.
“I met a man there.” He said, “I met a man who wasn’t there.”
“What do you mean?” She asked.
“In the dark, how do you tell what’s real and what’s not?” He asked, “He told me I had to look for the light. It was the only way back. They can’t go into the light. It hurts them.”
Patti’s eyes started tearing up and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She didn’t want him to see her cry. No boy should ever have to see his mother cry.
“You’re safe now.” She assured him.
“They won’t let me stay.” He said, “They will come back for me… when it’s dark. Mom, you can’t let the darkness get me again.”
She adamantly shook her head and said, “I won’t.”
“Don’t turn off the lights.” He whispered, “It creates a doo
rway into our world.”
“Then we won’t let them in.” She said, “We’ll leave the lights on.”
8
Patti didn’t want to let her son out of her sights again. She was terrified that he would disappear again and this time forever. She kept him close to her for the rest of the day as she tried to call her sister. She wanted to tell Ruth that Richard had come home, but she wasn’t answering her phone. Patti was growing concerned as her sister wasn’t one to screen calls. After 6 missed calls, she finally left a message on her voicemail.
“Ruth,” Patti said, “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you the entire day. Where are you? Please call me back as soon as you get this message.”
She glanced over at Richard who sat on the living room sofa. He still had the linen wrapped around him as he had outgrown his clothes. He probably had to spend the majority of his time in the dark buck naked. She wanted to embrace him and keep him in her arms forever.
“We should get you cleaned up.” She said, “And see which of my clothes will fit you.”
She felt silly suggesting a grown man that he should wear woman’s clothing, but it was all there was.
Richard nodded and got up. He clung to the linen as if it would protect him. The two of them walked down the hallway to the bathroom and she ran a bath for him. She took out some towels from the linen closet and placed then down next to the tub. She wanted to wash her little boy like she did only yesterday, but felt a bit uneasy. He was still her boy, and yet he was a stranger to her.
“I’ll be right outside if you need anything.” She said with a smile.
He nodded and she left him alone. He stood uncertain for a moment and then saw his own reflection in the mirror. He stepped closer and examined the reflection. He didn’t recognise himself. The