Who's Afraid of the Darkness?
A Black Tiger! Extremely rare and very dangerous …
Just My Imagination ...
It’s after midnight when Jordan Albright finishes her story at the Daily Register Newspaper. All the other reporters have gone, but Jordan (Jo) didn’t want to leave before she put the icing on her story.
“The Miller Robbery is such an interesting caper,” Jo replies to the air. “Who would have thought that the whole thing was just a hoax to defraud the insurance company? The Millers had overextended their credit and were knee-deep in debt. What better way of covering your tracks than to fake a priceless jewel heist?”
The telephone rings, and it’s her father, Jacolby Albright. He doesn’t like it when his daughter stays late at the Register.
“Jo, honey—it’s late. Couldn’t this wait until morning?” Jacolby asks his youngest daughter. Her twin brother only beat her arrival by a couple of minutes.
“Dad, I’m fine. I’ll be heading out of here shortly,” Jo reassures her doting father. Her mother is always globetrotting on some big assignment in Peru or Belgium, but Jo is still a rookie and has yet to get that ‘big story.’
“Do you want me to send Cody after you?” Jacoby offers. Cody—also known as Jacolby Arlington Albright III—is sound asleep upstairs. He works as a police lieutenant and has been detrimental in breaking the Miller Robbery Case. Getting some much-needed sleep—his father wouldn’t have minded waking him.
“No dad let Cody get his rest. He’s risen fast at the Madisonville Police Department and the high altitude is probably too much for his brain.” Jo chuckles.
“Ok, Jo—make sure you lock up tight after you finish. Don’t dally around and call me as soon as you are on your way,” The concern father replies.
“Sure thing dad, bye.” Jo returns the phone to its cradle. “I hate to admit it; but things do seem a bit creepy when everyone is gone.”
Jo glances up at the large glass window and there seems to be a pair of eyes staring back at her. Jo blinks in surprise and then there is nothing.
“I must be working too hard. I’m on the 10th floor and unless it’s a bird; I didn’t see what I thought I saw.” Shaking her head—she leaves the light on at her desk; looks around once more and then exists the room.
A steadfast pair of eyes staring unblinkingly at Jo!
Is Something Following Me ...?
Jo is glad that she found a parking space near the front of the building. She’s not an alarmist, but she finds it disconcerting to venture into the parking garage at night. Madisonville is normally a quiet, average town with a normal amount of activity. The Miller Robbery has been an exciting deviation.
Jo reaches her light blue Lexus and sits inside contemplating the events of the last few minutes.
“I couldn’t have possibly seen those eyes at the window.” She admonishes herself. Then she looks toward the alley and again she notices what looks like a pair of eyes staring back at her.
“What on earth is going on?” Jo replies as she pushes the ignition and heads for the city limits.
It is a pleasant drive—not much traffic this time of the day. Too early for the sun to be up; her likewise for that matter. Jo keeps thinking about the eyes she saw in the window and again in the alley across from The Daily Register’s Building—Shumaker’s Towers, named after the architect Billy Shumaker. It is as if something is following her.
Once she gets out of the city limits—she can let the sunroof down and press the accelerator with purpose. The bright lights of Madisonville fade and the darkness envelops her surroundings. These areas are heavily wooded, and an occasional deer or fox can be seen when they come in contact with the headlights. Then Jo hears the strangled cries of an animal. It sounds like it’s in great peril. Soon, all is quiet again.
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“I would hate to be whatever that was,” Jo remarks, pushing the accelerator down even further. “It sounded as if it came to a most horrifying ending.”
There are a few more miles of darkness before Jo reaches her father’s gated community. During the nighttime hours, the guard Percy Morgan is halfway between dozing and watching his favorite programs. When he notices the lights of Jo’s car, he becomes fully alert.
“Ah, Ms. Albright—your father told me to be on the lookout for you. You’ve been working awfully late these past few days,” Morgan replies. Morgan has a granddaughter close to the age of Jo and he wouldn’t want her roaming around—especially at this hour of the day, since it was nearing 2:30 am.
“Oh, I’m alright Mr. Morgan. Although, I seem to be having slight hallucinations,” Jo laughs.
“What do you mean, Missy?” Morgan is intrigued by this comment. “Let me just call your father and tell him that you’re here.”
“Please, don’t share with him what I’m going to tell you. He thinks I work hard enough as it is. I’m sure this will just push him over the edge,” Jo cautions Mr. Morgan.
“Don’t worry—but I do think you need to stop working so late considering ...” Morgan turns to call Jacolby Albright. After he returns, Jo anxiously waits for him to continue what he had started.
Anybody being stopped by the night guard Percy Morgan can rely on him giving the best of service as well as the latest gossip!
It’s About to Happen Again ...
“Mr. Morgan, you were saying that I should stop working so late considering—?” Jo encourages him on.
“Considering what happened at the Christmas Cottage Inn a couple of years ago. Hugo Molnár, the handyman at the Christmas Cottage Inn and Webster Townsend were brutally murdered,” Morgan informs Jo.
“Oh yes, I remember. They said that a murderous lunatic had ripped them to shreds. Blood everywhere and the culprit just vanished and was never heard from again.” Jo tries to remember what she had read. There was a lot of hush regarding the details of that event. She wished that she had been there to get a firsthand report.
“It wasn’t no murderous lunatic—it was a werecat!” Morgan replies.
“A what?” Jo looks at Mr. Morgan in utter disbelief. “What on earth are you talking about, Mr. Morgan?”
“They got another fancy name for it but that’s what done it. Hugo was my brother. We kept it secret about our relationship but somehow Sheriff found out about it,” Mr. Morgan reveals.
“Sheriff Hamilton—werecat? Thanks for the information, Mr. Morgan but I think I’ve had enough unexplained events for one day.” But before Jo can pull off, he yells back at her, “What unexplained events?”
“I thought I saw two cat-like eyes staring at me from a window ten floors above the street.” Jo yells back and heads toward her parents’ house.
"It's started!" concluded old Morgan.
To Be Continued ...
Who's Afraid of the Darkness 2
- Who's Afraid of the Darkness 2
The trio (Jacolby Albright and his twins) will soon discover that they are up against a most diabolical, ruthless, cunning and evil foe of their careers. It only stalks at night and has an insatiable thirst for human hearts … but not to whisper sweet
© 2019 Jacqueline Williamson BBA MPA MS
