Oak town, whilst usually a peaceful town, has been going through a strange time. The town itself, hence the name, is nestled deep in the heart of a great oak forest, nearly untouched by man. There is a single highway running in and out of town. It’s a popular place for small families that usually come for the small population, barely over 100, and the public school. However, things are not always as they seem….
One chilly October night near the end of the month strange lights could be seen, resembling those of headlights in a car, coming from both sides of the highway. The citizens waited in their houses for the cars to pass but none came. Eventually around 9 o’clock the adults of the town put the kids to bed and began to amass around one entrance to the village to investigate
One brave man, Mr. Connor Jackson the local math teacher for all grades approaches the light
“Is anyone out there?” he calls into the blinding light. No answer. Only the soft sound of white noise. After a second call a shadow looms out of the light, its dressed in a midnight back suit with a pattern that looks like the screaming faces of tortured souls. Its face was milky white with no eyes or a mouth and what seemed to be soft shapes drifting and changing just below the surface. Its shadow was the same. It morphs and changes into different shapes until it settles on a vaguely chair shaped object and the figure settles into the chair.
“What are you?!” one woman calls. It tilts its head to the side but doesn’t answer. The villagers back away slowly as they go to check the other side of the highway and sure enough the same shadow sitting in his chair was there. The villagers, deeply disturbed by the figure, rush back home to hide and try to sleep. But sleep does come, at least not to some. And those who do sleep, including the children, are plagued by nightmares and waking dreams.
For one young girl by the name of Kathy, around the age of 10, the nightmares are the worst. They come in long sequences all ending with tragedy. The girl plunges into a dark abyss before landing on a slab of obsidian colored rock with a dull thud. Where am I? What is this place? She looks around terrified as the slab floats downward. Suddenly a voice rings out from all around like the darkness is speaking to her directly.
You are in a dream child.
Kathy tries to speak but her mouth won’t open, she feels her face gently and her eyes widen with horror as she feels her mouth stitched shut. Where are you? She looks around for the body belonging to the voice.
I am everywhere and nowhere; I am a Schrödinger.
As Kathy looks around she feels her face more and soon realizes something terrifying, it’s not darkness that’s the problem with her vision, she can’t even see the floor she’s on for as she feels her eyelids she finds something unexpected and horrifying, her eyes are sewed shut as well what have you done to me?! She begins to franticly scratch at her face trying to open her eyes and mouth
You don’t want to do that child. The sound echoes around the empty space.
Get out of my head!! She struggles more and soon pulls the stitches out of her mouth and takes a deep breath through her mouth but the air is toxic and tastes of sulfur. She tries to hold her breath but she jolts out of the dream and wakes in a cold sweat. Her parents open the door and rush in having heard her scream when she awoke. Kathy takes deep breaths and savors them oh how clean it is
The next morning the shadow figure is gone and the lights have disappeared. The adults tell their kids to stay at home as they go to the town hall for a meeting.
“Order! Order I say!” the mayor calls to the chattering crowd gathered in the hall “take your seats and we will discuss everything”
“Mayor my daughter Kathy had nightmares last night! We think its connected to that thing!” it was Mr. Jackson.
“Mr. Jackson were trying to contact the city to get an exorcist out here to deal with this please be patient.” The mayor explains. He was exhausted from all the complaints and worries of the townsfolk.