1. A New Beginning. A New Nightmare
“Everything is noise for those who are afraid.”
Sophocles
Once upon a time, there was a charming family living in the vastness of the City. It had everything: stores to satisfy the wildest desires, schools for education, hospitals for healthcare, amusement parks for fun… Everything one could wish for to live a happy life was provided by the City. With the sun reflecting off the buildings’ windows, it shone brightly. They called it the “City of Light.”
Captivated by its beauty and modern comforts, our family took full advantage of the opportunities offered: the Father was hired at a cabinet-making shop, where his skills were recognized at their true value. The Mother, meanwhile, took care of her little boy and her beloved husband. Thus, life was sweet in the City that cared for its inhabitants.
Then, insidiously, this golden life began to tarnish. Beneath the veneer of appearances lay a darker truth: the benevolent glow of the sun was obscured by the smoke rising from the factories’ chimneys. People, seemingly happy, looked sad when scrutinized closely. Draped in their lies, they projected a falsely cheerful image of reality: “Look how happy we are! Look how we thrive! See my beautiful car, my lovely house! Isn’t it great to live in our City?” Trapped in their routines, they had become captives of the modern world, like flies ensnared in a spider’s web. The City made them dependent, having been deceived by beautiful promises. But what the City gives, the City can take away. The Father experienced this cruel reality...
Everything was fine until he lost his job at the furniture factory. From a prominent member of the community, he became a pariah, an unproductive individual. Life, which had been easy and pleasant, became stifling. The people’s attitude towards him changed. Accusatory looks from neighbors were joined by venomous words, malicious rumors, and backstabbing. The Father and his family were no longer welcome in the “City of Light.”
All of the Father’s attempts to find work were in vain. Day after day, he braved the elements, knocking on factory doors in search of a way to save his family. The long walks wore out his last pair of shoes; through the worn leather, the white of his socks was visible.
Alas! The City remained indifferent to the family’s distress. Cruel, unforgiving, it showed them no mercy.
The future seemed bleak for the Father, the Mother, and the little boy when providence knocked at their door in the form of a simple registered letter. After discovering its contents, hope was rekindled: they had inherited a house, bequeathed by a distant relative they hadn’t even known existed.
Without looking back, the family left the City in an old Cadillac filled with their meager possessions.
Joy was evident on the faces of the Father and Mother as the car drove them to their new home: Black River, a small town in Maine. After a long journey filled with many stops, the Village appeared before them in all its simplicity.
The House perched on the hill was the first to welcome them. A silent sentinel, it watched over the Village from the heights.
Everything in the Village inspired well-being and security. From the smiling faces of passersby to the laughter of children in the gardens; from the summer sun in the azure blue sky to the air laden with floral scents: a fragrance of happiness filled the streets.
When their car parked in front of their new home, a charming beige house with a wide wooden porch, the family knew their lives were about to change. Everything was so wonderful here. So pure. So far from the City with its negativity and pollution.
The Father mentally thanked that distant relative, who, in passing, had liberated them from the grip of the “City of Light.”
After so much suffering, they would enjoy their first evening of tranquility in their new home. As night covered the sky with its starry cloak, the Father and Mother fell into a peaceful sleep.
Everything would be fine now; they were convinced of it.
But they had not counted on a shadowy force that, under the cover of darkness, coveted the innocence of the little boy. A prime target for the Boogeyman, eager for purity, he was doomed to endure a thousand torments, night after night, year after year, with no hope of release.
That first night in his new room marked the beginning of his torment.
When evil attaches itself, it is a bond “for better or for worse.” An intimate and unbreakable relationship that cannot be severed by any means...
My name is Josh Rainer, and this story is mine. Since the age of four, I have been living an endless nightmare. My arrival in Black River thirteen years ago marked my descent into madness and despair. The terrifying trials I face weaken me a little more each day.
To understand my situation, one must return to the moment when it all began..
