Into the Darkness

Prologue: Story Time

In a rather drab-looking room with peeling gray paintwork, a sickly-looking wrinkled old man stared off into space deep in thought, with a grim expression clouding his features. He stared at the landline telephonec as the call he had just picked replayed in his head and he shook his head in denial

"Grandpa, Grandpa tell me one of your stories," a young boy yelled as he saw the man, his grandfather, whose features instantly morphed, and a smile spread across his face at the sight of his grandchild.

"Hey, Ian, you six-year-old little munchkin, not even a hug for your old grandpa," he said with a grin, only be thrown back in his wheelchair as Ian crushed his withered frame into a bear hug.

"Gotta strong grip there kid," he said fondly as he adjusted the pole on which his IV bag dangled precariously.

"I miss you, Grandpa Max why did you have to come here," Grandpa Max sighed and shook his head.

"Ask your mother, she's sacked me...""Now now Dad, you and I both know you were growing too old for us to take care of, since we already had our hands full with Ian," Ian's Mother says interrupting Grandpa Max mid-sentence as she strolls into the room.

She settled to stand at the door and stared at the paintwork with a grimace.

"Ah, you and that Richard of yours, hmph. Kicking me out of my own house, why I'll have you know that I built that place right from scratch...,""I know Dad I've heard that line more times than I would like and it usually continues with a seriously long story one which we don't have the time or ears for," Ian's Mother says interrupting Grandpa Max.

"Yeah, Grandpa I want to hear another story."

"I'm going to settle a couple of things at the main desk, so I'm leaving Ian in your hands." She turned to Ian, hugged him, and whispered in his ear. "You be a good boy okay, Mommy got to take care of some business, I'll be with you right before you know it."

She planted a kiss on his forehead and he wiggled away with a playful expression on his face. "I'm all grown up down, you can't just kiss me whenever you want."

She chuckled and rubbed his hair fondly, making him stick out his tongue at her as he ran away from her to a corner, she smiled and walked out the door.

Ian turned to his grandfather with a grin on his face, climbed his grandfather's bed, and began bouncing on it. Grandpa Max frowned at Ian whose grin widened.

"If your mother comes she'll have both our heads I'm sure you know that right."

"Yeah, but she's not here, is she and the walls don't have ears right and I know my secret's safe with you because you want to keep your head so I'm all good."

Grandpa Max chuckles and says, "You are way smarter than your mother gives you credit for, you remind me of myself...," he pauses as his smile falls, "In my younger days that is."

Grandpa Max thoughtfully stares at a spot on the wall for a minute or two then turns to Ian with a smile back in place.

"Hey, do you still want to hear a story."

"Yeah, why," Ian asks as he stops bouncing and moves to sit at the edge of the bed in anticipation of his grandfather's stories because they were... unique.

"Well I have one for you but this one is uh... special so don't tell your mom just as you said what she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"Deal."

"Good, then let's begin, once...," a fit of throaty coughs racked through his withered frame interrupting his story and causing Ian's eyes to widen in panic.

"Uh Grandpa are you okay or do you want me to call Mom."

"I'm fine... no, in fact, truth is I'm dying, your mother knows it, even that dumbass Richard knows it, but they don't want you to know, that's one of the reasons why the brought me to this... wilderness of an elderly home."

"So will you be taken by the angels to that place high up where Mom told me people go to when they die."

"Yes, I...,""Nooo, who will tell me exciting stories then," Ian whined and a small smile found it's way onto Grandpa Max's face.

"But, but before then I need to tell someone, anyone who will listen to a wonderful story and guess who the lucky person is," Grandpa Max pointed his index finger at Ian who grinned.

"Me."

"Yes kiddo you but remember when I die soon don't be too surprised, those witches...""You mean the ones in the stories," Ian interjected.

"Yes the ones in the stories, they cast a terrible spell on me when I was younger because I found out a terrible dark secret and so they watched me closely so that I couldn't tell anyone but little do they know... a fierce knight called Ian Hensworth who they ignored because he is a child knows all their secrets."

"Yaaah, die witches die," Ian shouts and his grandfather cracks up laughing.

"Okay, okay enough of that you don't want the witches to come and catch you do you," Grandpa Max cautioned and Ian shook his head vigorously.

"Good, then let's continue and no interruptions, don't ask me any questions while I speak or the witches will come for you." Ian a zipping motion with his hand on his mouth and his grandfather narrowed his eyes.

"Okay then, let's begin...", Grandpa Max said in a whisper

'Once upon a time in a land long lost and forgotten, a valiant hero and a group of his trusty friends joined a battle which had spanned for centuries, a battle against the forces of Darkness. They fought through hordes of the creatures of myth, leaving no survivors. As they continued fighting against these forces of the Darkness, eventually their numbers grew but the battle was still not in their favor. But over time the hero's friends became corrupted and began making deals with even darker beings than they fought to level the playing field, and those who did called themselves witches. These were the first of their kind, they were called the Primum Sagae, or primal witches. The hero, realizing how corrupt and powerful his people had become, he became afraid of them, even more, the monsters, then he began trying to persuade them against these foul means but they turned on him and cursed him for the fear that he will slay them. He left their midst and sought the creatures of Darkness to try to tell them that the humans had darkened but he was too late. By the time he reached their cities, he realized the witches had somehow wiped them clean of the Earth. Frightened by their immense show of power he went into hiding, for several decades till they eventually found him and decided to keep watch over him till he died. But then, one day they made a mistake and he found it, their big secret it was...'

Grandpa Max stopped talking when Ian's mother's voice reached their ears and he gave Ian a look that making him know their discussion had come to an end.

"Ian remember this, don't cry when I die, I have barely two weeks left to live but don't tell anyone. I'm telling you all these things because a time will come when these things will come in handy and I know the witches will be watching you as they watched me," he said in a whisper.

Ian stared at him wide-eyed and said, "I thought all of these were stories, they are aren't they and why shouldn't I cry, I'll miss you."

His grandfather stared at him with a twinkle in his eye and said, "Sometimes the best truths are hidden in stories and as to why you shouldn't cry, well don't cry because as soon as I die your story will just be at it's prologue, waiting to start."

And true to his word, Grandpa Max died a week later mysteriously and unexplainably, everyone at the funeral wept except Ian who kept on smiling and staring and the ceiling.