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Jimmy’s knees buckled and he sank.  Happy grabbed him and held on.  Happy, with Sarah’s help, led Jimmy to the basement door and down the stairs.  The stink of mold signaled nothing unusual, that was until Sarah directed them over to a small room in the corner of the room.

“Go through the wall,”  She said with a serious face.

“What are you talking about?  This is a serious situation and you want me to stooge my way into a wall.”

“Happy.”

“I am not going to walk into the wall.”

“Fine, I will go first,” Sarah replied.

Sarah let go of Jimmy and stepped forward.  She paused then disappeared into the stone wall.

“Did you see that Jimmy, the wall just sucked up your girlfriend?”

“She is not my girlfriend,” Jimmy moaned.

Happy held his breath and stepped to the wall.  He tensed up, stepped forward and felt the wall wrap around him.  The floor disappeared for a moment then returned.  Happy stepped forward and reappeared in a candle-lit room.

“Holy pants,” Happy shouted as Sarah stood in front of him.  Cathedral ceilings towered over him.  Painting of men and woman, with serious expressions, stared at him from the walls.  Jimmy fell to the ground and sobbed.

The witch stood, her back turned, over a book.

“What is wrong with Jimmy?”

“He met my father, that’s whats wrong with him.”

“Your father,” Happy replied.  “Your father?  That was…”

The witch turned.  “You stepped into my house.  Your friend is now stricken with my curse.  I have kept this from the world for thirty years.  Now, in one foolish move you have endangered another.”

“How long did you think you were going to hide this mother?”  Sarah shouted.  “When are you going to realize that we can’t run anymore?  I can’t do this anymore.”

The witch marched forward, wand in hand.

“Now, stop lady.  I’m sorry we walked into your house.  Honestly, it was Jimmie’s idea but if you fix him I promise we will leave.”

The witch cast a spell from the wand and it struck Jimmie.  Happy released him and he fell to the ground.  Happy scuttled backward and watched as the witch stood over him.

“It would seem that Sarah would have a problem with this,”  Happy thought but she stood waiting.  After a moment Jimmy sat up and held his head.

Happy smiled and walked over to him.  “Buddy, we need to go.  This nice witch lady is scary as hell and I don’t want to piss her off again.”

Jimmy sat for several moment quiet then spoke.  “Sarah… she has to come with us.”

“Are you serious!” Happy replied.  “How long have you known this girl?  Are you hiding things from you best friend?”

Jimmy shook dire thoughts from his head and looked up.  “Sarah is in danger.  The whole town is in danger.”  Jimmy’s eyes were alive with anger.

“How could you bring this creature here?  What have you done?”

The witch stepped back.  She dropped the wand to her side.

“Oh…”  She said as her hands rose to her face.  “You have been marked.”

 

“I’m not sure about this,” Happy said.

“You…  unconfident about something.  That’s a change.  You are usually the most optimistic.”

“You saw that house.  It’s the darkest house in the whole village.  It’s just creepy.”

“It’s just a house,” Jimmy assured him, even through the fear that began to pile upon him.  “but… she’s in there.  uhm… Sarah.”

Happy frowned.  “I don’t know who told you it was ok, to be a hero, because it’s not as fun as they make it out to be in the movies.”

With Jimmy’s urging Happy followed along.  Main street seemed to get darker with every step.  “Couldn’t we do this during lunch… you know… in the day?”

“Happy!” Jimmy growled.

The house on the corner of Main and South St. stood tall in it’s dark, spooky splendor.  “This was a light blue house last week,” Jimmy added.

“Uh.. yeah… that means don’t go in.”

Jimmy stepped forward and into a sheet of darkness.  Happy protested when he noticed that Jimmy became darker.  Happy stepped back and noticed a clear line extending from the house to the curb.  Darkness wrapped around the house.  It stained the white house next to it with a dark stain.

“Dude, this is some sort of magic.  We can’t do this.”

“If you don’t want to do this then just leave,” Jimmy shouted, anger piled upon his tongue.  Jimmy stopped then added.  “Sorry, Happy but I need you.”  Jimmy reached through the sheet of darkness and grabbed Happy and pulled him in.

Happy shouted and attempted to brush off the darkness as Jimmy watched.  After a moment, “It’s just darker.  That’s it.”

Happy frowned.  “You know there is a price to being your friend.  It’s steep dude… steep.”

Jimmy stepped forward till he stood in front of the front gate.  Happy hesitated but join him soon.  Jimmy opened the gate and walked into the front yard.  “Isn’t Sarah’s mother going to see us walking up from the front?”  Happy whispered.

“Do you want to go around back?”  Jimmy snapped.

Happy sighed, wondering if the darkness was causing his friend to be a little meaner then usual.  He thought, for a moment, about going around but followed Jimmy when the darkness shimmered a bit in that direction.

Jimmy approached the front steps and walked, one step then a second.  The stairs creaked with the additional weight and then again when Happy climbed them.  The door in front of them was open a crack and Jimmy moved it to the right.

“Hello?”  He said.

That prompted Happy to protest but a sharp stare stopped him.

“Sarah?”

“Dude, your going to bring the witch down on us,” Happy added.

Jimmy ignored him.  Inside the house the air was chilly.  Goosebumps rose upon the boys bare arms.  On the left was an empty room covered in dust.  An old rocking chair and ancient furniture sat neglected.  To the right was a kitchen, clean and modern with food packed in open cabinets.  In front of them was a set of stairs and a hallway beside it.

“Happy, where should we go.  Where would you keep a 13 year old?”

“I don’t know dude?  Do I look like a homicidal witch lady?”

“I don’t know.  You don’t seem to want to be here,” Jimmy replied, his voice raising.

“Well, you pulled me into this.  I didn’t even want to come.”

“You can just leave then,” Jimmy shouted.

“Something moved,” Happy said, fear overtook any anger.  The boys then heard shouting from somewhere beneath them.

“I think she is in the basement,” Jimmy said as he moved quickly past the stairs and stood in front of a basement door.

Both boys pulled on the door but it didn’t move.

“Jimmy?  Is that you?”

Both turned toward the front door to see the woman they feared the noise would bring.

Sarah’s mother stood at the door dressed in a black dress.  Her hair, blond, sat in a braid on her shoulder.

“I go out to the store and you allow two boys break into the house,” She shouted.

“Well, the door was open so technically we didn’t break in,” Happy said with a half smile.

The witch smiled, revealing polished, perfect teeth.

The witch was always dressed in black and the boys would see her walking through the neighborhood on occasion.  Most would avoid her but not because she was ugly.  She was actually quite attractive but for the Darkness that followed her.

The Darkness stepped into the house, barely seen but for slightly movements.  When the witch moved in the daylight the Darkness was a large shadow that towered over her.  In the house the Darkness sucked all happiness from the room and tears began to form within the corners of Jimmy’s eyes.  He recalled sad memories of his family that passed.  His mother talking with her hands all the time.  His father’s laugh.  Jimmy missed them both.  He almost lost his knees when someone caught him.

“Get out of here!”  Sarah shouted and clapped her hands loudly.   It echoed through the house.  The Darkness recoiled and flew up the stairs.  The witch sighed, a weight fell from her shoulders.

“Take him to the bedroom.  We need to find some happy memories.”  She passed by Happy and said, “Dear, follow us.  You can help.  Your friend needs you badly.”