If the constant banging and whispering wasn’t enough to give Kane the chills, then the shadowy apparitions would just terrify him.

Kane laid in his room staring into the ceiling, already getting a cold chill in his spine(which he swore he would never get used to), and the hairs on his neck began to tingle and stand on end. The temperature would constantly change, going from freezing cold to humidly hot. Usually it was cold. Though the windows to the balcony were closed, the curtains swayed with much force as if a strong draft of air was circulating throughout the room. The room was dark, and Kane could see the stars glimmer like unmoving fire-flies.
“Him,”said the cold and powerful voice.
Kane went rigid, and once again found that he couldn’t move.
“Him...Him…,”it said again.
This time even his eyes froze.
“Him...Him...He is Him…”
Then the knocking started. First it started out softly, and sounded like a heartbeat, but got louder each time, even to the point of where Kane could feel the vibrations of every knock. The multitude of sounds would go on and on, leaving the young 12 year old boy thinking that there would be no end, until, all at once, it stopped. There was not a sound to be heard, not the unknown breeze which wafted through Kane’s room, not the sound of his mother sleeping with the occasional snort, nor the sound of the distant city ruckus like cars or yelping dogs. Silence...total silence.
That’s when Kane saw the shadows begin to move.
First they were just masses of darkness. Then, they took humanoid form, but their dark silhouettes still slightly contorted and disfigured. They shifted and mingled with each other, becoming more distinct when they passed through a ray of moonlight, then faded into the darkness once again. Suddenly, the Voices again took up their barrage of clamorous babel. There was something different, though, about this new cacophony. They did not recite their usual phrases, but Kane would catch small words of warning.
“He’s coming!!” one would say.
“Beware!!”said another.
“Morona Lak-!!” said a powerful voice, but was cut off, once again, by the eerie, pure silence.
That last part interested Kane. Morona...why did that sound so familiar? It was a piece of knowledge that was hidden deep within the recesses of Kane’s mind. A minute later, Kane realized that he could move again, but after the night’s recent activity, he couldn’t make himself go back to sleep. Slowly, Kane sat up, removed the covers, and walked towards the balcony glass door. He slid it opened, and walked out into the cool night air.
The evergreens and ashwood trees swayed in the wind, giving the surrounding area a ripple effect, like grass in the wind. Far to the distance, a faint eerie glow, shown along the horizon. Kane would have thought of it to be the coming sun rise, if the sounds of the city weren’t heard from so far away. Leaves covered the deck floor, and the plastic deck chairs looked dark and formless like the shadows that moved through Kane’s room. Down below, Kane could see his Mom’s tiny sliver Saturn, and a long dashed white line, which was the newly made picket fence that Kane and his mother put up last week.
Last week. It seemed so long ago, yet Kane could remember everything that took place in those first few days, and what transpired afterwards. The image of forks and knives sunk deep into their dining room wall, still, and will probably forever more, remain stuck in his head. Kane still remembered finding his mother scarred and hiding under their mahogany table, maroon hair covered in powdered glass and hands concealing her eyes. It was after that moment, Kane started to hear the Voices. The first few days after the incident, they would just start their usual recitation of useless warnings, but last Friday, while Kane was working on an online English assignment, he heard some tapping on the wall next to him. At first thats all it was, just a tap, but as the day went on, the light tapping, grew louder and more concussive, eventually resonating off the sides of the wall. The vibrations were so strong, it knocked down one of the small pictures of some canyons, that his mother had got in Utah as a college student. Ever since the Voices and “tapping”, would become more frequent. Now to add on to that was moving shadows. Great.
What was even stranger, was that all of the paranormal activity only happened around him and while his Mom was away at work. Also, Amy seemed to have no recollection of the incident that took place last week, but Kane eventually figured that it could have been a result of shock or trauma. Yep, just another part to add to Kane’s crazy messed up life.
Tears ran hot down Kane’s cheek, and by the time he noticed, they were already forming a small puddle at the tip of his thumb. He quickly wiped away the streaks and turned to walk back inside. As he layed in his bed, once again staring at the plain bare ceiling, he thought about what the Voices meant, with their warnings and constant shouting. Morona…where had he heard that from?

The next morning, Kane woke up to bright sunshine and warm air. The covers were soft against his skin and the forest green walls made his room look like it was the inside of a wood. Kane slowly shuffled toward the bathroom, and began to wash up for the day. When Kane had washed his face, combed his hair and changed clothes, he ran down stairs and into the kitchen. The house was quiet, and there was no sign of Amy. She must have gone to work early today. Which means Kane should also get busy. First Kane cooked himself breakfast and chopped some fresh fruit. After eating waffles with bacon, eggs, and oranges. Kane headed into the living room and sat down at the computer.
“So commences the school work,”Kane said quietly to himself, and began typing an english essay. Minutes went by, and soon those minutes turned into hours. English became Math, and later Kane found himself switching from solving linear equations, to reading historical dates and timelines. A couple of hours later, he was trying to figure out how the carbon cycle worked and how it affected the environment. By the time Kane was done with all his online assignments, both his fingers and eyes ached, and he thought his neck might have a crick. He turned to check the time: 1:00. About 3 more hours till his mother got home from work. Kane’s stomach gave a low growl, and his throat was dry and felt gritty, like someone poured sand down his throat.
I forgot to have lunch! Oh well, better late than never, Kane thought to himself. Slowly, Kane stood up, stretching out his stiff legs and flexing his sore hands. Then, he walked towards the kitchen, taking the back hallway, as to avoid the dining room. He still didn’t trust that room; besides it was still under repairs. He walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge and began to pull out the stuff to make himself a sandwich, along with the chips and the pitcher of punch. A few minutes later Kane returned into the living room to carrying a plate stocked full of chips, fruit, cheese squares, the one sandwich (which wasn’t all that small), and a iced glass of punch. He set down his colossal lunch, then plopped down on the couch. As he reached for the remote to turn on the TV, there was a slight, faint tap. Kane spun around, to face the entrance to the dining room. Nothing...no sign of anyone...like always. Once again, there was a tap, no louder than a whisper, but instead of coming from the wall, it came from the ceiling.
Kane sat, waited, and listened, his heart starting to race. He heard it again, except this time it sounded like...footsteps. Slowly, and cautiously, Kane stood up, and began to walk to the stairs.
“Hello? Who’s there?!” Kane shouted up the staircase. No one answered...only silence. Suddenly, Kane saw a huge hulking...no...two huge shadows, move swiftly across the walls. Kane went rigid, and he felt that all too familiar chill, that coursed down his spine. He heard no voices though, and the Silence never came...just the evil chill. Kane tried to start up the escalating staircase, but something was holding him back. The cold had left his lower spine and now seemed to collect at the middle. It tugged at not only him, but….at his shirt has well. Kane turned his head, but before he could see what, if anything, was behind him, he was yanked with a very powerful force, and the next thing he knew, he was flying toward the window.

***

Crash!! Kane broke through the window and out toward the front lawn. He hit the ground with enough force to dent the semi hard earth. He rolled another few yards and into the street. Kane’s left arm was numb and he didn’t think he could move it. Cuts and scrapes from the broken window covered both of Kane’s arms, his neck, face, and legs. Dirt and grass stains splotched all of Kane’s clothes, and there were deep rips in his jeans. Kane felt shaky, numb, and saw blood start to run down his face and onto the concrete. He tried to sit up, but pain spiked in his legs and shoulder. They must have been broken or sprained. He wasn’t sure. He turned his hands over and saw that small chunks of glass had embedded themselves into his hands, so deep that blood gushed forth like a spring. Suddenly the world seemed to tilt; spots danced in front of Kane’s eyes and his vision blurred. Kane looked towards the house and right before he blacked out, he heard the cry of a woman, which sounded like his mother, and saw a face, not distinct or anything, but evil, dark, and with blood colored eyes.
***
Beep.
Where was he?
Beep.
What happened?
Beep.
Who was he? Did he have a name? If he did he couldn’t remember. He felt stuck...stuck.
Beep.
“Am I...dead?” Kane asked aloud, “Well, am I?”. Kane...now he remembered...that was his name...Kane.
Beep.
Pieces of Kane’s life started to come back, all the joys and sorrows, he could remember his parents, his kind and loving mother, his strong, brave, and deceased father. He remembered what their life was like in New York, and how happy they were, before the loss of Mr. Knox, and they were forced to move to Cape Fear. He remembered the hell, that Kane and his mother went through, and how Kane was thro-
Beep
-wn out the living room window.
“AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!” Kane screamed! Pain! It covered him, he REEKED of it! He grew cold, and frail. His bones felt like they could snap off at any moment!!!
“KANE!!!” cried Amy. Kane’s eyes snapped opened looking around frantically. To Kane’s right, was Amy, eyes red and stuffy, probably from crying so much, and full of concern. He looked to his left and saw that there were tubes going from his nose and arms to a machine that would be beeping every other second. Even though Kane’s vision was still slightly blurred, he could tell that, from the look of things, he was in the hospital. He tried to move, but Amy suddenly reached out and held him down.
“No! You mustn't move!” she cried.
“Wha-…What’s going on?Wh...Where am I?!” Kane asked his heart pounding(the beeping from the medical equipment also getting quicker).
“Son! SON!!!” Mrs. Knox said her grip getting firmer, but the look in her eyes becoming more gentle. “You're in the hospital...Can you remember what happened?”
“Umm...Uh...I...I think I...was thrown out a window?” Kane responded weakly.
“What?! No...you were hit by a car! You wandered out in the middle of the street right as a driver was passing by!” his mother cried, once again almost to the point of tears, “I...I saw it happen...I was pulling up the street, when I saw you walk out...and get hit”. Now she was really crying, big tears running down her face and her whole body trembling with grief. “I thought I was going to lose you! Like I lost your Father,” she said, her eyes becoming cloudy, as she remembered the day when they got news of the fatal accident, that killed Mr. Knox. “What were you THINKING!!?”
“I...I told you! I was thrown out a window!!” Kane tried to argue.
“No you were not! None of the windows are broken! I saw you walk out into that street and get hit! Then I ran to you and called 911. They came and rushed you to the ER and while I sat in the waiting room, they treated your wounds. You suffered from a lot of cuts, bruises, and a couple of bone fractures. So...you won’t be able to move for a while. But, while they were treating you, you...you...you flatlined,” Amy said, more tears pooling up in her eyes.
“What...What does that mean?” Kane asked, though he thought he knew the answer.
“When someone flatlines, it means they die!” Kane’s mother said, finally weeping uncontrollably.
“Bu-...But if I died then how am I still alive?” Kane demanded, thinking the idea of dying but still living and breathing to be ridiculous.
“Well, you did die because your heart stopped. When they saw that you flatlined, the doctors used a machine that revived you. It shocks the heart with electricity and jump starts it, like trying to get a car battery to turn back on,” Amy explained.
“Oh ok,” Kane said, finally understanding, “Hmmmm...I wonder if I can shock people?” Kane reached over and slightly tapped his mother on the arm...nothing. His mother gave off a small giggle and smile.
“Afraid not silly,” Amy said, then leaned in and gave Kane a gentle hug. After talking for a few more minutes, the nurse came in and informed Kane’s mother that visiting hours were over and that she would have to leave.
“Don’t worry, you can come back tomorrow. Visiting hours start at 8 AM and end at 10 PM,” the nurse said. Kane turned his head to look at his nurse and noticed how young she looked. She had dark raven hair which was tied back in a tight pony tail. Her eyes were also dark, but had a warm light within them. She had slightly tanned skin and wore green and white scrubs. She held a pink and striped clipboard like she was holding a baby. On the left side of her chest was a gold name tag, but the writing on it was so small that Kane couldn’t read it.
“Oh ok,” responded Amy, nodding and Kane watched her pick up her purse and stand up. Before she walked out, Amy hugged her son, then shuffled out. The nurse smiled at Kane and closed the door.

The whole night Kane was in the hospital, he stared at the ceiling, thinking of only one thing...his death. How could he explain it? To him it felt like...like a dream, but a dream with a sort of power. What could he remember? He could remember..nothing. Its not that he couldn’t remember, but that he remembered exactly that, nothing. He knew nothing, he felt nothing, he saw nothing, he was nothing, nothing but an empty shell, that just existed. The he remembered...That everything came back. Pain, memory, love, sight, anger, horror, kindness, life...all of it came back. He was once again no longer an empty shell, but a storage unit of everything that made him living and human. But...there was...something different now...something new...like an added feature to the living storage unit that no one else had.
“What is it?” Kane asked himself. Then he went to sleep.

A couple of days passed, and soon those days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to a month. Everyday Kane grew stronger and more healthy. Around the second week of living at the hospital he was able to walk again, but not that well. After a month had past, Kgane was able to walk perfectly and the only injury he was reduced to was a sling on his right arm. The doctor told Kane that he would only have to wear it for another week, then he would be free of all injuries, but he would have to be a lot more careful. Kane figured that he would have to return to see the doctor, he would stay another week.
“One week, that’s all,” Kane said over the hospital phone to his mother, “Don’t worry, It will go by like a breeze.”
But that week, in fact, went by slower than expected. The long hours of staying in Kane’s hospital room, left him bored with nothing to do. All he could was sit and watch TV or the clouds drift by high above. One day, when Jennifer, (the nurse he met on his first day in the hospital) brought Kane his breakfast, Kane tried to discuss his irrational problem with her.
“Ms. Jennifer?” Kane asked.
“Yes?” Jennifer said with a smile.
“Does the hospital by chance have anything I can use to entertain myself with?” Kane asked, hoping that his nurse may provide a solution to end Kane’s torture of never ending boredom.
“Hmm,” responded Jennifer, looking at the floor deep in thought, “Well...we have a couple of board games, but I can’t think of anyone willing or available to play.”
“Anything else?” Kane pressed, “I mean, there is only so much TV a person can watch.”
“True,” she said with a giggle, “other than that I can-”
There suddenly came a soft knock at the door.
“Oh! One moment please,” Jennifer said. She walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Kane’s mother carrying many parcels, her purse, and a drink in one hand.
“Oh my goodness! Here let me help you with that!,” said Jennifer, moving quickly to assist Amy.
“Thanks Jennifer!” Amy said, and walked quickly over to the bed, “Hey! How are you feeling today?”
“Good,” Kane replied, “Much better than when I got here.” That made Mrs. Knox laugh.
“True that,” she said. They sat in silence while Kane ate his breakfast, smiling at each other like they shared an inside joke. Jennifer stood at the other side of the room reading Kane’s charts and pouring water for Kane’s mother and herself. Finally, after half an hour of silence and eating, Kane was the first to speak up.
“So what is all that stuff you had brought in?” Kane asked, shifting to face his mother.
“Gifts from family!” Amy said, a wide smile spreading across her face from ear to ear.
“Really?”
“Yeah!” Amy walked over to the small pile of parcels that were on the floor, and started to hand them to Kane. Inside all of them were notes, letters, and cards of sympathy, ‘get wells’, and ‘thinking of you’. Kane received an assortment of presents, from food and chocolates, to little gadgets and souvenirs, sent by family all over the nation.
“Mom look at this! Its an ocarina from Aunt Terry in New Mexico!” Kane said excitedly, showing his mother the large round instrument. Native american patterns and symbols covered the top of the ocarina and the cold hard clay as smooth and shiny as a large marble.
“How neat!” she replied, also in awe of the delicate device.
“Look at the bracelet Uncle Ramon sent me! His letter says he got it when he took a trip to Ireland last summer,” Kane said, revealing the thick, leather bracelet, which twisted and weaved together like snakes. The shiny clasp was a mix of gold and silver, and bronze was also woven between the twisting leather. The material itself was as black as the midnight sky, and smooth like a stone picked up from the depths of a river.
Eventually, Kane had opened all his get well presents; paper covered his bed, and there was a plump stack of opened cards on the desk next to him. After talking a little bit longer with his mother, Kane watched as his mother stood up and left, Jennifer following her out the room door. Around 5:30, Jennifer came back in with Kane’s dinner. As she set the small plastic food box down, Kane noticed something small and thick beneath her arm. It was wrapped up in brown packaging paper, and had a decorative tag on it.
“Jennifer?” Kane asked
“Hmm?” she replied.
“What is that?” Kane asked, pointing to the mysterious object, “What is that thing under your arm?”
“Its for you...I guess. It was just sitting at your door.” She handed Kane the thick package, which to his surprise was lighter than expected. He slowly tore open the paper and found a book. The book was dark green with thick leather cord binding its cover and pages together. The pages themselves, which there were a great many, were not made of any ordinary paper. When Kane opened the dark cover, he noticed each sheet was either made out of pressed leaves, thin cardboard, parchment, or pulped paper. But there was one similarity between them all...all the pages were blank.
“If you ask me...it looks more like a sketchbook or a blank diary of some sort,” Jennifer said, tilting her head to get a better look at it, “Its quite extraordinary though.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Kane said. Who could have sent him the blank book? Jennifer had a point though, it was quite unique. Kane began to flip through the pages, until suddenly something caught his eye. At the very back of the book, was a note, written in very fine, wavy letters. Kane immediately knew who sent him the book, but Amy and him haven’t spoken with her in 8 years. It was quite a mystery.
Then Jennifer broke the silence, saying, “Well… I will be going now. Remember to press that button next to you if you need anything,” she pointed to a small bright red button to Kane’s left. He nodded, then Jennifer turned and walked out. As soon as Jennifer closed the door, Kane immediately began to read the note, his grandmother left him:
Dear Kane,
I heard what happened and I was so worried that I had to come see you. But they wouldn’t let me in to visit, saying that only your mother was allowed to visit. This all happened the tuesday after your accident. But don’t worry about that right now...There is something you need to know. I know it has been a long time since we talked, and I know I left on bad terms with your mother, but believe me when I say you and your mother are in grave DANGER . There is something you should also know about me. I can communicate with the dead, and sometimes when the dead want to warn me of something they send me dreams of things that will come to past. I know of the Voices and the Shadows that move freely through your home, but it is only the beginning. There are entities you must watch out for, especially the one known as Him. He is not just some ordinary ghost or spirit, he is a demon, a follower of the devil. There is a spirit, however, that follows this demon. He is very powerful, he can make you do what he wants you to do, even posses your body’s motions. He can even make you see what he wants you to see. Again I repeat, you and Amy are in GRAVE DANGER. But there is something or someone, that can defeat Him and his follower. This I know doesn’t make sense to you right now. But don’t worry it will. The spirits informed me that you went into their world the day of your accident. They said you died, but was pulled back into the world of the living. That now makes you what they call, a Sensitive, a person with a high psychic ability. Some Sensitives can foretell future events, some, like me, can speak with the dead, and some can even use a technique called Astral projection.. Remember to stay on your guard, and say hello to your mother for me. Sincerely,
Grandma Melinda
P.S.- if you ever need advice, help, or protection, Find the Cave of Diamonds at Morona Lake.
That’s where he heard it from! That one night, when the new Voices were speaking, one of the spirits said the name Morona. They must have been referring to the Lake located on the outskirts of the city. Morona Lake… a large body of water hidden in a valley of rolling hills. What was the Cave of Diamonds though? He had never heard of it before. But his grandmother had.
“None of this makes sense!” Kane said, racking his brains, trying to make sense of Grandma Melinda’s letter. Kane closed the book, and hid it beneath his bed, hoping to not worry about it for the rest of the day. Kane couldn’t forget though. His grandmother could talk with the dead? She knew of all the weird things that were happening in the Knox household. She even called him a...Sensitive? What is a Sensitive? All these questions troubled him, and they troubled him late into the night. After his accident, he had no trouble sleeping. Even now, as soon as he closed his eyes, he drifted off into a deep slumber. Tonight was different though. This time, he dreamed.
***
Kane found himself in a dimly lit hallway, old and rotting. A dark mist seemed to gather at Kanes feet and the all too familiar chill crept down his spine. To Kane’s right, he caught a quick shifting of movement in the dark. Kane Knox turned and what he saw haunted him forever. A face, a pale alabaster face with sharp and gruesome teeth and black lips, stuck in a sickening smile. What made it even more grotesque, was that the face’s head was turned upside down, and its spine was awkwardly protruding from its twisted neck. Then, the face started to speak.
“Kane Knox,” it said, the face’s mouth not moving a hair, “I AM the shadow man, servant to a demon of hell, and i bring you a message from him.”
Kane stared in horror, as the Shadow Man turned its head, untwisting its neck, making a disturbing cracking sound of its spine as it shifted into place.
“Beware, for you face many dangers in the near future, for the prophecy is coming to past,” the Shadow Man said, in a malicious tone.
“What Prophecy? What do you mean?” Kane cried, his voice trembling heavily.
The Shadow Man took a deep breath, then his eyes rolled into the back of his head, being nothing but white orbs. Finally he exhaled with a rattling breath and said:
“When the Sun turns Black, and Moon bleeds
a child of Purity will be born.
The Guardian must protect the Pure, and the Pure
will cleanse the unclean.
The immortal Evil and its Shadow.
The Pure and its Guardian.

This is your future, and a great war between the living and the dead will take place. a war over the survival of a child, who is born with unimaginable psychic power, which will be used to destroy him. but this will not happen because him will kill the one who bears it.”

“What do you mean? Who will have the child? WHO is the child?” Kane screamed. Kane was worried...no more than that...he was scared out of his wits! The Shadow Man began to laugh, as if Kane told a very funny joke, then said,

“You have no idea do you? very well, i will tell you. your mother bears the accursed child, and the child is your sister! They will both die no matter what!”

“Nooooooo!!!!”Kane cried, but the hall went blurry, and then, Kane was falling.


Kane jumped out of bed, drenched in a cold sweat. His throat was dry, and every part of his body ached. “Mom! Mom!,” Kane yelled, “Mom! MOM!!”. Suddenly the door burst open, and Jennifer rushed to see what all the commotion was about.

“What’s wrong Kane? What is it?” she asked.

“My mom! Where is my Mom?!?” Kane shouted.

“I...I don’t know! At home i guess?” she replied, “What is the matter?”

“My mom! I think she’s pregnant!” Kane blurted out.

“Wha-...WHAT?!?...that...that’s great news! How do you know though?”

“A… a dream.”

“Oh...that...that’s nice,” she said, not sure whether the young boy was going crazy or just needed more rest; probably both.

“There’s one more thing, though,” Kane said, talking in no more than a whisper.

“Well...what?”

“I think she is going to die.”