Read Online Translucent by Nathaniel Beardsley - Free Book Online
Authors: Nathaniel Beardsley
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control.
“No,” she said quietly, not sure whether to be relieved or not. “No, I don’t.”
“He’s standing right there,” Shawn said, gripping t he sides of the chair violently as if he were on a roller coaster. “Right behind you, in the doorway.”
Karena kept looking. “There’s no one there,” she confirmed.
“Stop!” Shawn suddenly cried out, and he covered his face his hands, whimpering. Karena had never seen him like this before. Normally he was confident and sure, but now his demeanor had diminished and he looked utterly helpless, as if he were a baby. And indeed he would be a baby soon. He sunk down low, unmoving, and waited for the Sandman to take him.
Suddenly, Karena had an idea. “Shawn,” she said. He didn’t move. “Shawn, I need you to look at him again.”
“Why?” he asked, his voice muffled.
“Because I need to test something out.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Shawn, you said yourself that we needed to get as much information about him as possible. It’s the only way we might actually have a chance of getting anywhere. Look up!”
Slowly, Shawn, overcoming his fear and trying to focus on reason, raised his head and looked . Instantly, the terrified look in his eyes grew worse.
“Is he still standing in the doorway?” Karena asked.
“Yes,” Shawn whispered. “Of course he is. He never moves except to follow me if I move.”
“Ok, I need you to watch him.” Karena picked up the glass Shawn had been drinking out of and aimed at the doorway. She then, trying not to think about what she was actually doing, threw it. The glass went stra ight through the doorway and smashed on the floor behind it, breaking instantly.
“Did you just see it go through him?” Karena asked Shawn , turning back around.
Shawn’s eyes were fixed on the doorway like he was in a trance. “No,” he said. “He just caught it in his hands.”
Karena whipped around to make sure she’d seen corre ctly. The glass was still on the floor, shattered into pieces, just as she’d seen it before. She turned back to Shawn. “Are you positive?” she asked. “You’re sure he caught it?”
“Yes, I’m sure! I’m staring right at him!” He was gripping the chair even harder now.
“What’s he doing now?” she asked.
Shawn’s eyes grew wide. “The glass is changing. It’s morphing into a different shape , and the glass is becoming foggier, and the water is turning a different color and…” His voice faded away.
“And what?” Karena asked desperately. “What!? I need to know!”
“It’s an hourglass,” Shawn whispered. “It’s the hourglass.”
K arena’s eyes grew wide . “How is that possible?” she muttered, not really to Shawn, but more to herself. “How can you be seeing something different than I am? What is he? Is he a ghost? No, he can’t be. Then you would’ve seen the glass go through him. How can he do this?”
“He’s raising it up!” Shawn cried. “He’s lifting his finger. He’s tapping it!!!! He’s…”
Karena was left alone, sitting in an empty room with nothing but a broken glass.
18
Karena lay awake, as usual. The day had been terrifying, and Shawn would be gone forever in this life, and maybe even in her next life, but she had information about the Sandman. Only the per son who is a victim can see him, even if another person has seen him in the past. He cannot interact with objects exc ept when viewed by the victim. To a viewer, it is impossible to detect his presence unless you are the victim.
But what did all this mean? Did it even mean anything? How was she ever supposed to get out of this? She could find out all she could about him, but there was no guarantee that that would get her anywhere. There was no guarantee about anything really. That was why all she could do was do the best she could.
Shawn was gone. She would have no one to talk to, no one to confide in , no one she could really trust. The other people would continue on
“No,” she said quietly, not sure whether to be relieved or not. “No, I don’t.”
“He’s standing right there,” Shawn said, gripping t he sides of the chair violently as if he were on a roller coaster. “Right behind you, in the doorway.”
Karena kept looking. “There’s no one there,” she confirmed.
“Stop!” Shawn suddenly cried out, and he covered his face his hands, whimpering. Karena had never seen him like this before. Normally he was confident and sure, but now his demeanor had diminished and he looked utterly helpless, as if he were a baby. And indeed he would be a baby soon. He sunk down low, unmoving, and waited for the Sandman to take him.
Suddenly, Karena had an idea. “Shawn,” she said. He didn’t move. “Shawn, I need you to look at him again.”
“Why?” he asked, his voice muffled.
“Because I need to test something out.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Shawn, you said yourself that we needed to get as much information about him as possible. It’s the only way we might actually have a chance of getting anywhere. Look up!”
Slowly, Shawn, overcoming his fear and trying to focus on reason, raised his head and looked . Instantly, the terrified look in his eyes grew worse.
“Is he still standing in the doorway?” Karena asked.
“Yes,” Shawn whispered. “Of course he is. He never moves except to follow me if I move.”
“Ok, I need you to watch him.” Karena picked up the glass Shawn had been drinking out of and aimed at the doorway. She then, trying not to think about what she was actually doing, threw it. The glass went stra ight through the doorway and smashed on the floor behind it, breaking instantly.
“Did you just see it go through him?” Karena asked Shawn , turning back around.
Shawn’s eyes were fixed on the doorway like he was in a trance. “No,” he said. “He just caught it in his hands.”
Karena whipped around to make sure she’d seen corre ctly. The glass was still on the floor, shattered into pieces, just as she’d seen it before. She turned back to Shawn. “Are you positive?” she asked. “You’re sure he caught it?”
“Yes, I’m sure! I’m staring right at him!” He was gripping the chair even harder now.
“What’s he doing now?” she asked.
Shawn’s eyes grew wide. “The glass is changing. It’s morphing into a different shape , and the glass is becoming foggier, and the water is turning a different color and…” His voice faded away.
“And what?” Karena asked desperately. “What!? I need to know!”
“It’s an hourglass,” Shawn whispered. “It’s the hourglass.”
K arena’s eyes grew wide . “How is that possible?” she muttered, not really to Shawn, but more to herself. “How can you be seeing something different than I am? What is he? Is he a ghost? No, he can’t be. Then you would’ve seen the glass go through him. How can he do this?”
“He’s raising it up!” Shawn cried. “He’s lifting his finger. He’s tapping it!!!! He’s…”
Karena was left alone, sitting in an empty room with nothing but a broken glass.
18
Karena lay awake, as usual. The day had been terrifying, and Shawn would be gone forever in this life, and maybe even in her next life, but she had information about the Sandman. Only the per son who is a victim can see him, even if another person has seen him in the past. He cannot interact with objects exc ept when viewed by the victim. To a viewer, it is impossible to detect his presence unless you are the victim.
But what did all this mean? Did it even mean anything? How was she ever supposed to get out of this? She could find out all she could about him, but there was no guarantee that that would get her anywhere. There was no guarantee about anything really. That was why all she could do was do the best she could.
Shawn was gone. She would have no one to talk to, no one to confide in , no one she could really trust. The other people would continue on
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