Chapter 2: Into the Upside Down
The man's glowing yellow eyes bore into Liam as the boy stood frozen in his bedroom. The air was thick, heavy, and suffocating, yet Liam couldn't scream. He wanted to run, but his body refused to obey.
"Not tonight," the man said, his voice a gravelly whisper that crawled under Liam's skin. "But soon."
With that, the man stepped backward, his shadowy form fading into the darkness until he disappeared completely. The room fell silent once more, but the lingering dread remained. Liam sank to his knees, his heart hammering in his chest.
The next morning, sunlight poured into his room, washing away the nightmares of the previous night. At least, that's what Liam tried to tell himself as he hurried to get ready for school. But no amount of normalcy could erase the memory of those glowing eyes.
The day at school passed in a blur. Liam couldn't focus on his lessons, couldn't shake the sense that something was wrong. He kept glancing at the windows, half-expecting to see the man standing there, watching him.
"Alright, class," the teacher announced midway through the day, snapping Liam out of his thoughts. "We have a substitute today. Please welcome Mr. Wren."
The door creaked open, and in walked a tall, gaunt man with dark, piercing eyes. He smiled faintly, but there was something off about it—something Liam couldn't quite place.
"Thank you," Mr. Wren said in a deep, smooth voice. "I'll be with you for the rest of the week."
Liam's stomach dropped. There was something familiar about the man, though he couldn't figure out why. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as Mr. Wren's gaze swept over the class, lingering on him for just a moment too long.
The rest of the day was uneventful, but Liam's unease only grew. By the time he got home, he was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Dinner with his parents was the same as always—his dad buried in his phone, his mom barely acknowledging his presence as she scrolled through work emails.
"Everything okay, Liam?" his mom asked absentmindedly, not even looking up.
"Yeah," Liam lied, poking at his food. He didn't see the point in telling them about the man in the window. They wouldn't believe him anyway.
That night, as he lay in bed, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him. The shadows in the room seemed to shift and twist, and the silence was deafening.
Then came the whisper.
"Liam."
He bolted upright, his breath hitching. The man was standing at the foot of his bed, his glowing yellow eyes the only thing visible in the darkness.
"It's time," the man said, his voice cold and commanding.
Before Liam could react, the man raised a hand, and an invisible force dragged Liam out of bed. He tried to scream, but no sound came out. The room seemed to dissolve around him, replaced by swirling shadows and an icy chill.
Liam found himself in a twisted version of his house. The walls were dark and pulsating, the air thick with an unnatural fog. Shadows moved of their own accord, whispering unintelligible words.
"Where are we?" Liam asked, his voice trembling.
"The other side," the man replied, his tone devoid of emotion. "A place where the veil between worlds is thin."
Liam's knees wobbled as he took in his surroundings. This wasn't real. It couldn't be real.
"Why am I here?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"There's a family in danger," the man said, turning to face Liam. His glowing eyes seemed less menacing now, though no less unsettling. "And you're going to help me save them."
"What?" Liam's voice cracked. "Why me? I'm just a kid!"
The man stepped closer, his towering figure casting an imposing shadow over Liam. "Because you saw me. That makes you different."
Before Liam could protest, a chilling scream echoed through the air. It was a sound that cut straight to his core, filled with pure terror.
"They're close," the man said, his voice calm despite the horror around them. "Stay close to me, and do exactly as I say."
The two made their way through the warped landscape, the ground beneath their feet feeling strangely alive. The whispers grew louder, more insistent, and the shadows seemed to reach out toward Liam, their touch cold and clammy.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the darkness. It was humanoid, but its features were grotesquely distorted, its mouth stretched into an unnatural grin. The creature let out a guttural growl and lunged at Liam.
"Down!" the man barked, shoving Liam to the ground. He raised a hand, and the creature froze mid-air before disintegrating into black mist.
Liam stared in shock, his heart pounding in his chest. "What was that?!"
"One of them," the man said, offering no further explanation. He grabbed Liam's arm and pulled him to his feet. "We don't have time to waste."
They arrived at a decrepit house that seemed to flicker between two states—solid and ghostly. The screams were louder here, accompanied by the sound of something heavy dragging across the floor.
"They're inside," the man said, his tone grim. "Stay behind me."
The door creaked open as they approached, revealing a family huddled in the corner of the living room. A woman, a man, and a young girl, all trembling with fear. Standing over them was another creature, larger and more monstrous than the last.
Liam's stomach churned at the sight of it. Its eyes glowed red, and its elongated limbs ended in razor-sharp claws. It turned its attention to them, letting out an ear-piercing screech.
"Stay back!" the man commanded, stepping forward. He raised both hands, and a wave of light shot out, forcing the creature to stagger backward.
"Go!" he shouted to Liam. "Get them out of here!"
Liam hesitated, fear rooting him in place. But the man's voice cut through his paralysis. "Now!"
Liam rushed to the family, his heart racing. "Come on!" he said, grabbing the young girl's hand. The parents hesitated, their eyes wide with fear, but Liam's urgency snapped them out of it.
As they made their way to the door, the creature roared, swiping at them with its massive claws. The man stepped in its path, taking the full brunt of the attack. Black ichor dripped from a gash in his side, but he didn't falter.
"Go!" he roared, his voice echoing with unnatural power.
Liam and the family made it outside, but the house began to collapse, the walls folding in on themselves like a living thing. The man emerged just as the structure imploded, his form flickering but still standing strong.
Back in the real world, Liam found himself in his room once more, the family nowhere to be seen. The man stood by the window, his glowing eyes watching Liam intently.
"You saved them," the man said. "You have courage, Liam. More than most."
Liam frowned, his fear now replaced with confusion. "I thought you were… bad."
The man chuckled, a deep, gravelly sound. "Not everything is as it seems, boy. There are things in this world—things in the shadows—that would devour your kind without hesitation. I am here to stop them."
"Why me?" Liam asked again, his voice softer this time.
The man didn't answer. Instead, he turned to the window, his form already starting to fade. "Get some rest. This is just the beginning."
And with that, he was gone leaving liam to wonder if everything he had just experienced was real or fake