Supernatural | Mini Series | Ep. 8
The One You Let In
The mystery concludes — Jay has a dream encounter with the person responsible for hypnotising children into a zombie state
Previous episode here
It wasn’t easy to run in bare feet, so Jay took a route over as many front lawns as possible, the grass was cool on his feet. Behind him, he could hear Danny’s heavy footfall and laboured breathing and he didn’t dare ease up. There were street lights to guide him for now, but soon he planned to turn down a path which was unlit and stony, where his advantage might be lost. He gritted his teeth and hung a right, taking the route he often chose for its shade, when walking with his dog on hot days. It couldn’t be more different now. He felt both the heated sting of nettles and the tear of brambles which grabbed at his legs as he powered past.
It took his eyes a few moments to adjust to the dark, but he knew the route well and it was straight for 200 metres.
Behind him, Danny was grunting and swearing under his breath. J heard his pursuer’s footsteps falter and stumble, but he kept running. Sharp pain made him bite back a yelp, surely his feet were being cut by broken glass amongst the stones. J kept running, even when a stitch stapled the side of his stomach and while his lungs were wrapped tightly by bands of steel. The adrenaline which flooded his system made him feel springy and shaky, alongside the urge to clutch his waist and throw up.
He had to keep going. The path forked up ahead, and J took the turn which led to the lake. He flung up his arms to protect his face from any low branches, but continued to blunder ahead. He needed to get to the far bank of the lake before he dared turn and confront the danger the older boy presented.
From the crashing behind him, J knew that Danny was still in hot pursuit, but perhaps not managing to stay on the path. Desperate to make the precious extra seconds count, J hurdled the stream, straight into a clump of nettles. Cursing quietly he managed to drag himself up the bank and around the edge of the lake.
The water was still and calm, like a black mirror, intermittently lit by the moon each time it emerged from the clouds.
Panting hard, and gripped with fear, J stood hunched over but facing Danny. He was bent at the waist to alleviate the grasping, vice-like stitch he had from running full-tilt. Danny now reached the bank of the lake, and soon waded knee-deep in the reedy water, glaring at J with menace. J kept his head low, watching Danny via his reflection, to avoid looking at him directly.
“You’re gonna regret interfering kid!” Danny’s voice was loaded with fury. “You haven’t a clue what you’re dealing with.”
When he pushed his hood back from his face, his skin was eerily pale in the moonlight. Although not wearing his clown make-up, J wondered if he used eye-liner, because his huge eyes seemed to dominate his face.
“You won’t get the better of me,” he raged. “I can’t stop now, I have too much to do. My power is growing. No-one will miss those brats, they were weak and ineffectual. Using their power, I can achieve so much more.”
As he spoke he glared at J, his focus never wavering.
Even looking at his reflection, J felt unable to tear his gaze away. He got an uncomfortable feeling from Danny, like something compelled him. J was required to keep looking at him, staring deep in his dark, unblinking eyes.
J began to relax, allowing his body to drop its guard. He could still hear Danny talking, but the words no longer made sense. A buzzing sound was building in his head which simultaneously made him feel heavy and tired. There seemed no reason to be standing by the lake. It would be so much nicer to sit down, perhaps even lie down, because he was very, very tired. As if weighted with lead, his eyelids yearned to droop closed, yet something about the buzzing kept him focused on the pale boy’s face, viewed upside down on the surface of the water
At that moment the moon went behind the clouds. A blanket of darkness made Danny’s reflection disappear, as if a switch had been flicked. This broke the hypnotic eye-contact and J gasped a surprised breath. Almost as if he’d been plunged into icy water, he was snapped out of the trance. He realised that, unlike the Greek legend, watching a reflection of Danny had offered no protection at all. He’d been moments away from becoming a successfully hypnotised zombie.
Danny, however, was still chanting mystic words and using his trance-inducing stare. He’d failed to notice that his intended subject was no longer under his influence. He continued to recite and stare, while moving his feet ever deeper into the still lake. He stumbled a little, and this was his undoing. His wobble shifted his point of focus as he struggled to regain his balance. He continued his mesmerising routine, but now — when the moon pulled free of the scudding clouds — Danny was looking at his own reflection in the lake.
He continued his droning speech and his eyes remained unblinking. Now J had the presence of mind to stick his fingers in his ears and turn his head to the side so that he was only aware of the movements of the hypnotist from his peripheral vision.
Without hearing Danny’s words, J wasn’t lulled into a trance as he had been before.
From the corner of his eye, he observed the older boy continuing to creep forwards, the water at the lakeside already soaking up his trousers. J tensed. Did the crazy fool plan to reach him by wading through the water? Without knowing how deep the lake was, it seemed an extreme plan.
He blinked and rubbed his eyes, finding it hard to watch without looking directly. While his fingers weren’t blocking his ears, he detected Danny’s speech had a less commanding tone than previously, he sounded almost sleepy. The older boy continued to creep forward and was, shockingly, thigh-deep in the water.
It seemed to J that Danny was falling in a trance instead. J risked a direct look, and what he saw amazed him. Danny’s eyes were locked onto the eyes of his own reflection. His lips were moving, reciting whatever he usually said to bring vulnerable children under his influence, but it seemed he was hypnotising himself.
At that moment Danny bent at the waist so his upper torso came forward, his face almost touching the water.
J gasped in shock. “Stop! Wait!” he called, but Danny took no notice.
Smoothly, calmly, as if it was the most obvious thing to do, Danny’s head sank into the water. The sky went dark, thick clouds had obscured the moon again, but even without visibility, J stumbled forward to help. His legs sank into the water, which was achingly cold. He strode forward with big, slow steps, feeling the drag and suck of the black lake mud around his lower limbs. He still couldn’t see a thing, the moon remained behind its blanket of cloud, but he knew the direction he should head.
J swirled his hands blindly under the surface, feeling the tickle of water weeds, but no arms or legs to grab onto. The lake was silent, no sound of splashing as the other boy swam to shore. J was filled with dread, he wondered how much time had passed? When the moon broke through again, he could see more clearly, but there was no sign of Danny.
On numb legs, J waded to the place where Danny had sunk into the water, but the older boy had disappeared without a trace. As he scanned the lake’s surface all around, his bleak feeling escalated. There was nothing to be seen. Apart from the ripples that his movements were making, the lake was smooth as glass and just as silent.
‘Silent as the grave’ - the ghoulish phrase popped into his head.
J’s electronic alarm blurted, which jolted him awake. His body felt stiff and cold and, as he swung his legs out of bed, he saw they were badly scratched and scraped. His feet were cut up and sore, his toenails encrusted with mud. He needed to get in the shower before his Mum saw the state of them, but first, there was something he had to check.
J tiptoed along the landing and put his head round his sister’s bedroom door. His heart lurched with relief. Lulu was sitting on their mother’s lap, arms wrapped around her neck, talking softly. His Mum looked up and, caught his eye, to smile.
“Lulu would like boiled eggs and soldiers for breakfast.” she told him.
He grinned and backed out of the room. He managed to call the food order downstairs to his dad, despite the lump that was suddenly in his throat. Next minute Dad thundered up the stairs to join Mum and Lulu in the bedroom. J smiled as he stepped carefully to the bathroom to grab a shower, a bubble of joy lodged in his chest.
Sunday rolled around, sunny and mild. J was clipping the lead onto the dog’s collar, preparing to take her for a romp in the fields, when Lulu dashed into the hall. She skidded to a halt by the rack of wellies and outdoor shoes.
“Can I come?” she asked, looking at him with pleading eyes. She was already sliding her toes into pink glittery boots.
“OK,” said J.
Everyone was spoiling Lulu this week, they were so pleased to have her back to her normal, cheeky self.
“I hold the treats J,” she told him firmly, reaching up for a bone-patterned tin, where they stored bacon-flavoured bites that the dog loved.
He smiled to himself, stuffing his pockets with bags and grabbing a tennis ball, before they set off. The dog was excited to get going and fairly dragged him along the paths towards the field. Lulu kept up a stream of little girl chatter; J listened, but an answer wasn’t required very often. When they came to the fork in the path which led to the lake, their dog dragged them towards it, loving to sniff and paddle round the edge of the water.
J approached the lake with great trepidation. It was the last place he’d encountered Danny, even though it was in a dream. Nothing had been seen of the boy since, it was splashed across the local paper. J felt guilty if he’d played any part in Danny’s disappearance, but he was glad that the danger he’d presented was now removed. Not only had his sister got better, but he’d seen Katie Thompson around school. She too was back to her bright, perky, pre-hypnotised self.
The dog strained to be let off and scamper about, but J couldn’t shake a feeling of foreboding. Lulu sneaked her smaller hand into his.
“I don’t like this place,” she said as she sidled up close.
“Nor me Lulu,” he replied, calling the dog back. “Let’s take this crazy hound to the fields, shall we?”
He called and tugged on the lead. Lulu held out a treat, which the dog vacuumed from her fingers with enthusiasm. J cast one last, wary glance at the surface of the lake and the dark secret it hid, then he and Lulu walked away.
The end … probably
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