Mezzanine

| 53 |

Static overtook the television, along with a crackle of white noise, amplifying until it was the only sound. From within the flickering gray, two white splotches manifested like distant eyes staring out from behind the screen.

"What the fuck?" Carter whispered, but his voice was barely audible over the growling speakers.

The orbs flashed and grew brighter with each second, and the blips of static untangled from meaningless nothing, forming a dark figure behind the eyes. The shadow swayed back and forth, creeping toward the screen.

My pulse pounded in my temples, and sweat prickled the back of my neck. I held my breath.

"Turn it off," Lola gasped. "Please, turn it off."

"Shit," Damien hissed. He crawled across the floor and hit pause, but the static continued. The whir of gears spinning in the VCR grew louder.

The figure within the white noise drew closer.

"Turn it the fuck off!" Lola screamed.

"I'm trying!" Damien hit the pause button again. "Come on!" He growled and slammed his hand on the eject symbol.

The VCR gurgled and groaned. Finally, it spit the tape out, and the television went black.

My heart raced. I gasped to get oxygen, like all the air had been siphoned out of the room.

"What the hell was that thing?" Carter asked.

No one answered.

Why didn't he warn us about that? Carter thought. He shot an accusatory glare at Damien. "What the fuck was that thing at the end of the tape?" he repeated his question.

"I...I don't know," Damien responded.

"You've watched it before," Lola accused. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean I don't fucking know!" Damien yelled. He flipped his hair out of his eyes as he turned to the three of us. "That...thing...wasn't there last time I watched it."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. How was that possible? Unless he was lying...but why lie about something like this?

"Then...where did it come from?" I finally asked.

"I have no idea," Damien said.

We were all silent. I stared at the screen, expecting the image of those glowing eyes to flash across it again despite the fact that the tape was now lying on the floor in front of us.

"Wait...what the hell," Lola whispered.

I glanced over my shoulder at her. She stared at the far corner of the room, her face as pale as a ghost.

"What?" Damien asked.

"Did...did one of you move that?" She pointed across the room.

I turned to where she was pointing—at the painting Damien had been working on. He'd turned it to face the wall last night, but now, the eyes stared out once again.

Red. Glowing.

There was something different about it...I couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, they'd gotten bigger. Like whatever creature he'd been painting between those trees was drawing closer. Closing in on us.

Our time was running out.

"I swear, I didn't touch it," Damien said.

"Me neither," Carter said.

Lola looked at me, and I shook my head.

"I need to get out of here," she said. "I need air." Without another word, she leapt up and rushed to the front door.