???? POV:
Blood was dripping out of my hand, as I stared at my dead mother's remains.
Only horror remained within me.
I couldn't comprehend it. It was just a regular day! But then that white flash, that black shadow.
No, not a shadow. He!
He killed her!
Just…, just as we were free of him. Just as we were happy again! And he! HE!!!
I… I can't anymore.
I was unraveling at my seams.
Just as he wanted. That's why he left me alive.
I was completely paralyzed. The fear I felt was insurmountable.
And he'll come again for me. That devil will come again.
To claim my soul. Then everything will have been for nothing.
All my choices. All that I care about. All my freedom. All my love for my mother.
He'll turn everything into ashes, just to have me again.
I… I can't allow it. Even if…, even if there will be nothing left of me.
I'll stop him!
I knew how. I had done it before. It was the only choice left for me.
With the last of my composure…, I focused my very being.
And my mind grasped the switch again.
The one I had flipped once before.
At the cost of everything.
…I'm sorry Elise…, Ken.
But I have no choice.
To save myself, save you two.
This is the only way!
You can hate me. Want to have nothing to do with me anymore.
But that's alright. As long as you two are safe. That's all that matters to me.
But afterwards, if we're all safe again…
I… I pray that you'll please find it somewhere in my heart to forgive me.
And with that last prayer and hope…
I found the courage to go through with it.
I flipped the switch!
But during that…
Something impossible happened.
Elise flashed through my mind.
Everything stopped.
The switch got stuck halfway.
My soul broke.
My mind went blank.
…
Nothing changed. I was still paralyzed with fear.
But I felt something slowly grow within me.
My body moved again.
Because I wasn't in control anymore.
A monster was.
***
Jack Sporo's POV: 20 minutes earlier
"I mean, if that teacher could explain things well I might begin to understand it, but he is so boring."
"Yeah, having that teacher on Friday afternoon really makes me almost fall asleep."
In the backseat of my car, Elise and Ken were discussing the Advanced Placement math lesson we just had while I was driving us back to the town we live in.
Since I recently got my driver's license and bought this cheap, used, brown, but still reliable Honda SUV, they started carpooling with me while paying the gasoline for the trip.
Taking the car sure beats taking that overfull bus from town to school, and our trip home is way more fun since we're able to talk more comfortably with each other.
"But, Jack really fell asleep during the lesson, you know! And he still understands everything! It's so unfair!"
Did… did Elise just slander me!? I somehow couldn't bear that coming from her…
"I already know everything, you know. I look up and study everything online beforehand. So unlike you, I can afford to take a nice and rejuvenating nap during boring lectures."
"Why even come to school then, huh, if you already know everything?" Ken asked me.
"Because you guys are fun? Besides, it's been a while since I studied all that stuff."
"Been a while? Wait, did you already study that far ahead while you were still homeschooled?"
"…"
A tense silence fell in the car as I didn't respond to him.
"Ah…, sorry," Ken said in realization.
"…Don't worry, it's alright."
"Anyway, I've heard enough about school. Let's talk about something else," Elise said, trying to save the mood.
We continued making some small talk until we arrived back at New Freedom, the town we live in. Nearing Ken's massive house, Elise asked us about our weekend plans.
"Being forced to study as always. Perhaps we can all study together if you two have time." Ken asked us.
"Sorry, I can't spare the time right now." I responded.
"Same with me, sorry." Elise added.
"I see. Don't sweat it, I know you two are always busy". Ken said nonchalantly.
After I dropped Ken off and Elise and I said our goodbyes to him, my next destination was Elise's house in the middle of town. After I started driving again, Elise struck up a conversation with me.
"I feel kinda bad that we never have time to hang out with each other outside of school".
"He knows our circumstances. He's a considerate guy. You haven't heard him complain once, right".
"I know, but I wish things were different and we could have some more fun together".
"Well, soon we'll have vacation, so you can already think about what fun things we three can do together".
"Yeah, you're right. I'll definitely put some thought into it."
While we were nearing Elise's house, the conversation steered off to the thing that was the most relevant to all three of us, our parents. Elise was the first one to touch the subject.
"Hey Jack, if I might ask, how is your mother?"
She knows it's a touchy subject, so we tend to avoid talking about it casually. But since it is related to a previous conversation of us two being always busy, I guess she decided to bring it up carefully.
I didn't mind talking about it with her, but I always had to give her saddening answers, so it always was a mood dampener. Although this time, I was glad that I could give a more positive response.
"Well, she still drinks a lot, but gradually she does more stuff than just getting drunk. She also smiles and laughs more, so I think it is going in the right direction."
"That's good to hear. I'm glad. I'm sure she's doing better because she has such a wonderful son who always takes care of her," she said with a kind smile.
"Says the daughter of the year, always taking care of her workaholic father."
"Oh, stop it. Actually, recently I have started to wonder who the parent and who the child really is."
"Same for me. Maybe Ken needs to start being a parent too, then he'll truly understand how busy we two are every day."
"Haha, can you imagine? I think his parents would lock him up in handcuffs if he ever dared talking back to them."
Elise and I started laughing as she arrived at her big house.
"Have a nice weekend and see you next week". Elise said giddily as she stepped out of the car.
"Well, I sure don't hope to see you this weekend. I'm a little bit too busy for a doctor's visit."
"Haha, well in case of the worst, my father and I are always available to look after you and quickly cure whatever ails." she said happily while sounding like a saleswoman.
After Elise and I waved goodbye to each other, I started driving back with a smile, and started reminiscing.
As I looked at the buildings in town, I thought that not much has changed in this town since moving here with my mother about 2 years ago. Maybe that was just the case with old historical small towns compared to Washington.
Or, maybe I just didn't notice the changes since I finally was somewhat at peace with how things are going now.
Although, I still hoped to be at peace after I found out what state my mother is in today.
I arrived at my old, small house, and my heart started beating slightly faster.
I got out of the car, grabbed my backpack from the backseat, and locked it up. I then moved to the front door.
I used my house key to open it and stepped inside. I took off my shoes and jacket, dumped my backpack in the hall, and walked to the living room to see what state my mother was in today.
I entered the living room and saw my mother sitting on the couch reading a book.
There was only one, still almost full, beer bottle on the parlor table, together with a clean ashtray, untouched cigarette and a matchbox. I felt relieved, it seems that what I had just told Elise still holds true
"Hey", I greeted my mother.
"Hey", she responded back without looking up from her book.
"Another romance novel, I see".
"Maybe if you start reading some too, you'd finally learn how to get further with Elise."
"…We're friends."
"Sure you are. Next time I see her, maybe I'll ask her. How good of friends you two really are."
Ugh. She had hit me in a sore spot. But nevertheless, a small smile appeared on my face. It was a good sign that Ruby Sporo regained her sharp tongue from the past.
She was often called a rose with thorns while she was still acting, and I always found that description very fitting.
Her deep black hair contrasted with still young looking and fair skin. The hypnotizingly striking green eyes that drew everyone in unconditionally with love. It all really sold her image as being as beautiful as a flower in bloom.
Combining that all with her sharp tongue, with which she endeared people and sold herself with, had earned the world's most famous actress that nickname.
There's no winning a verbal argument with her while she was in this sort of mood, so I'd best not give lib back to her right now.
"I'll grab some fruit, you want some to?" I asked her.
"Yes, an apple without peel, please".
With my mother finishing the conversation without looking up from her book even once, I moved to the kitchen to prepare the fruit.
The house my mother and I lived in was small, so a few seconds walking in a straight line from my mother was all it took for me to be in the kitchen.
I moved to the kitchen counter and stood next to the sink. It was a small kitchen, but that just means that everything was in handreach.
But also, because it was so open and small, it had no privacy whatsoever…
If I looked to the right in a straight line, I could see the couch with my mother reading.
She, of course, could also stare at me from the living room, which had been quite nerve wrecking when I first started to fumble around with cooking when we moved here.
Luckily, after 2 years I had improved to a point where I didn't feel judged anymore.
I even had a part-time job as a cook at a restaurant in town, so you might even consider me a semi-professional at this point.
Anyway, to start I grabbed two small bowls from the cabinet and a small knife from the knife block. I grabbed an apple from the fruit basket.
I first washed it under the faucet, then peeled it with the knife over the trashcan under the sink. I quartered the apple and peeled off the core still present in each quarter over the trashcan.
After putting my mothers peeled apple pieces in her bowl, I grabbed another apple for myself. Since I was not as spoiled as my mother, I had no misgivings in leaving the peel on.
As I held the apple in my hand and moved it under the faucet to wash it, my vision suddenly flashed white. It lasted however for but an instant, like intentionally blinking and briefly seeing black. Only, I didn't blink, and my vision didn't turn black, but white.
What was that? I was stunned. I stood there now for a few seconds with the apple under the faucet, it still not having reached the water,
I looked to the right at my mother, but she was still reading her book. No wait, was she frowning a bit? It was hard to tell by looking at the side of her face. Her expression could also be caused by what she was reading.
Should I say something? I was contemplating it right after my mother started to shift.
She leaned forward, grabbed her beer bottle and took a small sip of her drink. She then held the bottle with a somewhat confused expression, but put it back again after a second and looked at her book again.
Something was wrong. Her behaviour was too unnatural, my intuition screamed at me.
"Hey, is everything alright?"
"Mmh, yeah it's nothing," she responded a bit dismissively.
So, there was something. My concern was growing. I felt like I should not ignore this.
"My vision flicked white just now, did that also happen to you?"
"Huh? Uuh, actually yes now that you mention it, but I was not sure before."
She even looked away from her book now and was staring at me. The alarm bells in my head were now really turning into sirens.
"Anything else, how do you feel," I tried asking calmly and clinically. I felt fine, it was not time to panic yet, although I wasn't sure about the expression on my face at the moment.
"I feel fine, but my beer just suddenly tasted very strong."
Something was definitely wrong. My heart was racing in my chest. I looked back at the sink and quickly thought.
What could affect both the vision of two people and the taste of one, although I didn't know if my taste had been affected too. Nothing came to mind quickly.
Then, consciousness and taste? Something instantly clicked in my mind. Gas leak.
Shit, maybe we should go to Elise's house? Yeah, I'd do that.
I'd have to quickly disguise my mother first so no one recognised her. A hooded coat and mouthmask had to suffice now…
"AAAAAH!!!"
I swiveled my head immediately to the sound of my mothers scream, and I immediately saw the terrifying cause.
I saw the back of a black shadow standing there and looking at my mother. It was an entirely three dimensional black colored silhouette of a man that stared at my mother.
It stood diagonally to the right from my mother, right next to the parlor table, staring at her.
My mother also stared at the thing. Her face was flushed red while she looked with wide open and terror filled eyes at the black shadow. The book she held had dropped next to her on the couch.
For a second time today I was stunned and could not move. I felt like a deer in headlights, that was the feeling I got when I looked at that thing.
That shadow felt unnaturally threatening, like I unexpectedly saw something like a wild predator instantly appearing in front of me.
I was instantly on edge, perhaps the sudden surge of adrenaline I was experiencing started kicking in my flight or fight response.
About 3 seconds had passed since I heard my mothers scream. My mother and I kept dumbfoundedly staring at the shadow, and the shadow didn't move and just kept staring at my mother.
I could not move and I'm sure my mother couldn't either. We were at the mercy of that shadow, who stood between us.
I didn't know how or why it appeared here or what its intentions were. But I didn't have to know. I could instinctively feel and sense what that thing's purpose was.
It kept staring at my mother like she was its prey.
A predator and prey, every living being instinctually knows how that situation concludes itself.
Was I going to let that situation play itself out?
No!
Between flight or fight, to protect my mother, I would fight!
As I resolved myself, the shadow started taking a step with his right leg towards my mother. I had to be fast to intervene.
I dropped everything and swiped the peeling knife with my right hand as I started sprinting towards the shadow.
I ran so fast that I was already in a near lunging distance when the shadow had just finished its step. I held my hand in front of me to plunge the blade into its back while lunging at the thing.
The shadow instantly turned on the balls on its feet and moved its arms and hands in front of itself in a martial arts stance to face me.
The front looked as humanlike as the back, but I didn't care.
With all the momentum carrying me I could only go forward.
I extended my right arm to stab the knife into its chest, the largest target that was lethal, going straight between its arms.
But the shadow moved too.
It put its left arm to the side and swept it back back as my arm passed his.
Just before the blade stabbed him, our arms collided, and the shadow redirected with that my stab to the side of its body.
I couldn't react at all. And the thing wasn't done yet.
It still had another arm.
When my knife was off to the side, it punched me with an open palm straight into my diaphragm.
"Kugh". All the air escaped my lungs as I made that gasp.
All my momentum ceased. That thing stopped me dead in my tracks in a single punch.
Strength left my body as I flew away and fell over backwards while the shadows arm extended fully.
I still held the knife while I was falling, but the punch left me incapable of doing anything with it.
And the knife went past the shadow again, it grabbed the blade with its left hand.
The knife slipped away from my grip.
The last thing I saw before hitting the ground was its right hand grabbing the handle.
I laid with my back on the floor, still incapable of drawing air. My right arm lay limply at my side and my left arm lay bent with my hand by my head.
The shadow quickly came to me and dropped to its knees to straddle me by my hips.
When its position was secure, it immediately moved the knife down towards my face.
It did it all so fast that I could only react when the knife started moving down. My arms started moving to protect my face and chest, but the knife already left my vision just as my movement started.
"Aaaarrrrrrggggg". A breathless and almost soundless scream came grasping out of my airless throat as I felt an unimaginable pain in my left hand.
When my scream ended, I twisted my head to see the source of my agony. I saw the ghastly sight of my left hand.
The whole knife blade had gone straight through the palm of my hand and was embedded in the wooden floor. The knife had literally nailed my hand to the floor.
The moment I saw the state of my left hand, the shadow stood up again. My body, its movement now unhindered, instinctively moved to remove the source of my agony.
Not moving my left arm, my body shifted to lay on my left side. Whilst my body was shifting, I grabbed the handle of my knife with my right hand to yank it out.
"Aaah!"
I gasped as a sharp pain shot through my hand again. I reflectively let go of the knife handle, letting my right hand hover next to it.
My movement ceased as my instincts were in deadlock.
I couldn't remove the source of the pain because grabbing the knife hurt me even more. I laid there in agony, not moving a muscle, letting my instincts formulate an approach as to how to relieve me of my suffering.
"Jack," I heard my mother say in an astonished voice after laying still for a second or two. I moved my head towards the direction my name was called from.
I looked straight in my mother's green eyes, which looked at me with shock, sadness and dread. Her face was even more flushed red, and she stood bent forward, leaning on the couch with her right arm.
My mother wasn't the only thing in my field of view. If my mother filled the left half of my vision, the shadow filled my right, as it now stood right in front of her. It walked another few steps and grabbed my mothers neck with its right hand.
*Snap*
I briefly heard the sound of a twig snapping as you stepped on it. The shadow had twisted its hand clockwise so quickly and with such force that my mothers left ear now touched her left shoulder. Immediately after the sound, the shadow let go.
My mother dropped like a puppet with cut strings face first on the floor in front of me.
I was in shock the moment I heard my mothers neck break. I could not move or think, and I didn't even notice the pain in my left hand anymore.
The shadow kept moving all the while, turning around and taking a few steps away.
But it barely registered for me, as I only stared at my mother.
That was until the thing moved towards me again and stopped next to my mother.
I then looked up at it.
The shadow was facing towards me and stared straight at me. It now had my mothers beer bottle in one hand and the matchbox in the other. Once I saw that, the thing faced towards my mother again, and poured the remaining beer over her body.
It took a few seconds until the bottle was empty and my mother was doused.
Then, the shadow took a step back.
It lit a match and threw it at my mother.
Her body ignited instantly with a fierce bluish white flame, and I felt the great heat the fire produced. The thing then dropped the empty bottle next to him, whereafter it shattered on the floor.
My mind was completely blank.
Ever since being pinned to the floor by the knife, I hadn't managed to formulate a coherent thought as the events had unfolded in front of me.
I hadn't even noticed when the shadow started moving again, as it now stood by my feet again, where it stopped.
It stood perfectly still and stared at me, it contrasted from the fire in the background, and I could do nothing more but to look back at it in defeat.
The shadow had the silhouette of a fairly muscled tallish man, judging by its proportions.
After looking closer at its face, I noticed its features were sharp and manly, evoking a sense of authority and domination.
That thing and I just kept staring at each other as I burned its silhouette into my retinas.
Suddenly, as I took in the shadow, my eyes shot wide open. A sudden realization made me instantly process everything that happened, and why it had happened.
My shocked, shattered, and scattered mind was able to manage this, because it came to me that I know who the shadow in front of me is. The features of its face were the same as the face of someone I knew all too well.
"YOU BASTAAAARD!!!"
Years of animosity, hatred, anger, wrath, all screamed out of me. I could not forgive the atrocities the man in front of me had committed.
I looked and grabbed the knife handle again, pain be damned, and yanked the blade out of my floor.
My vision flashed and grew faint, but my murderous focus on the man let me ignore the pain.
The blade was out of the floor, but still stuck in my hand. I sat up and took the man in my sights, as I was ready to pull the knife free out of my hand and try to stab the shadow again.
Only, the moment I laid eyes again on the man, the shadow disappeared into thin air as the flames simmered out.
I froze and stared blankly in front of me.
After a few seconds, I got my wits about me and frantically looked around, but the shadow was nowhere to be seen.
After some seconds of looking around, I realized I was now alone in this house.
Tension left my body, and my vision grew hazy and unfocused from the pain, anger, befuddlement, loss and sadness I felt.
The only things I could still clearly see was the blood that came from my left hand, and the black burn marks and ashes on the wooden floor that once was my mother.
I could do nothing. Not even scream.
Only my soul screamed.
For Elise and Ken.
Yet all I heard was fear.
I felt my mind go blank.
And then…
My thoughts returned.
Changed. Cold.
Fearless.
My body could move again.
***
The world had forced its fear upon me.
I yielded.
My soul broke.
My fate was sealed.
All faded to lies.
***
AUTHOR NOTE: Dear reader. Thank you for reading the first chapter of my webnovel Outwhite. If you want to read ahead and support the story, you can find early access chapter link via X: @Rickyochet or my Discord server (link in synopsis and my profile). Free chapters will always continue here with an upload rate of 1 chapter (2000-4000 words) every week on Sunday 3 PM EST. I'll also put a content warning for the story below. Kind regards, Rickyochet.
CONTENT WARNING: This story explores mature themes, introduced and developed gradually in the first 13 chapters. The psychological intensity ramps up slowly, allowing you to naturally pause if it becomes overwhelming.
From Chapter 12 onwards, some content may be psychologically disturbing. At that point, a reading age of 16+ is recommended for the remainder of the story.
Additionally, this story does not contain 18+ explicit erotic content or gore, though such themes may be implied at a level appropriate for readers aged 16+.
Handle this story about love, fear and mystery with care.