Twinkle (part 2)

a spooky story

In celebration of spooky season, Twinkle, part 2. (To read the first part, go here.)

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Stella closed her eyes tightly. This is not real she told herself. This can’t really be happening. But then she most definitely felt a cold bony hand touch her shoulder, and gently turn her around.

Inside her house was a very tall, uncommonly thin creature, dressed all in black. How did it get inside? And was it possible for anything to be that thin? It unhurriedly took its hand from Stella’s shoulder, and she shuddered.

Tipping its chin down, moving so slowly it almost looked as if it was under water, it leisurely reached towards its head, and removed its black top hat. It bowed slightly at the waist, tipped the hat, and as if making introductions said, “Twinkle twinkle, little Stella.” It smiled its unnaturally large smile, which was most definitely too wide for such a thin face, and the diamond in its front tooth glinted, looking expectantly at Stella. And it waited.

She was frozen, too afraid to move, too scared to scream. “Who...” she managed to whisper. Her voice felt scratchy. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d said something out loud. She couldn’t tell how long this endless night had lasted, the morning sun never rising, nobody coming or going, with just her fear and sadness as company. She cleared her throat. “Who are you?”

The creature flipped its top hat upwards, and in slow motion the hat rose through the air, sleepily making a loop, and finally landing back on the creature’s head. Tapping one of its long fingers on its chin, pondering, it said,

“Who am I? Call me what you will. Call me Abhaddon. But remember you called me.”

The diamond in its tooth sparkled, catching the light of the moon. Then it said, “Twinkle twinkle, little Stella, how I wonder who you are.”

“Abhaddon?” Stella said. “What?” She shook her head, which was beginning to feel fuzzy inside, trying to clear her mind. She felt entranced. The tooth sparkled again, and she couldn’t look away.

Then the creature–– Abhaddon, she supposed––reached out, as if to shake hands with her. Stella tore her eyes away from the glittering tooth and looked down at the skeletal hand. She wanted to back away but instead, as if in a dream, she felt her own hand rise, as of its own accord. Before she knew what was happening, Abhaddon’s bony fingers were tightly gripping her hand. Or was she holding fast to Abhaddon’s hand? She couldn’t tell. She thought she should shake her hand free of the cold, vise-like grip, but the more she thought about pulling away, the tighter her own hand clasped to the creature’s. And even though Stella was terrified, the scared feeling felt familiar, as a chill travelled up her spine. Then heat wrapped around her neck, and her own thumping pulse clutched at her skull. “What do you want?” Stella managed to say.

The creature, Abhaddon, loomed in close to Stella’s face and said, “What do I want?” Instead of answering, it slowly sat down on the floor, cross legged, still clasping Stella’s hand. She had no choice but to sit, too, as she couldn’t seem to let go of the creature’s hand. Her teeth began chattering. She was only wearing her nightgown. The fire had died down in the hearth and she felt a draft running along the stone floor.

What can I do? Stella thought. She wanted to scream or run away or do something. Anything, to get away from this terror. But she couldn’t seem to do anything but continue to spend this cold, dark, endless night frozen in fear, gripped by it, holding fast to it. So Stella sat with the hollow-faced creature, Abhaddon, who was staring at her, with its large uncanny mouth in a slight smile, as hot tears ran down Stella’s icy cheeks.

If only Mother were there, this Abhaddon would never have dared come into my house, Stella thought. If her mother were there, she wouldn’t be facing this nightmare. If only Mother were here, I would be protected. Stella closed her eyes and in her mind’s eye watched as Mother cried out, “Oh no!” Stella hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye. She watched Mother’s hand clutch at her heart. “Oh no!” Stella hadn’t even had a chance to say I love you.

“Oh no!” Then Death whisked Mother away. “Oh no!”

Stella whispered aloud, “If only Mother were here,” but she didn’t finish the sentence aloud. She opened her eyes and thought, If Mother were here, I would be safe. She could feel the fear settling into her bones. Abhaddon smiled their creepy smile, and their hand clutched tighter. The diamond in its tooth glinted. It whispered, “If only, if only, if only.”

Wriggling her fingers in Abhaddon’s bony grasp, Stella asked, “Why are you here?” The stone floor was cold on her legs, and she shivered. She thought, How can I escape the grip of this fearsome creature? She took a deep breath. What can I do? she thought. She inched away, but every time she moved, it moved with her, as if it were part of her. Abhaddon leaned in, murmuring close to her ear, “If only, if only, if only.”

Stella felt totally helpless. Utterly alone. Without hope. This isn’t the way to live she thought. She needed to do something, anything, if she were to survive this night. She needed to at least try. If only I could yank my hand away, she thought.

“If only, if only, if only,” Abhaddon whispered, again and again.

It felt like the whispers were coming from everywhere, not just from this frightening thing that had gripped her. Until something odd happened. Stella felt it first in her bones, where the fear had lodged. Something began to shift. She thought,

Has this thing gripped me? Or have I not let go its hand? Did I beckon this fearsome stranger and invite it into my home?

Abhaddon’s bony hand grasped tighter and tighter. Stella frowned. Wait. Was she the one holding onto Abhaddon? Then Abhaddon sat across from her, looking at her, its top-hatted head tilted at an impossible angle. It smiled wider and wider, until Stella was certain its face would split. Abhaddon softly said,

“When the blazing sun was gone, when he nothing shone upon, when you lost your little light, you twinkle, twinkle, embraced the night.”

Stella looked at it. “No,” she said. She stood up. Abhaddon had to stand, too. “I didn’t,” she said. Abhaddon raised an eyebrow. The stone in its tooth glittered. “No?” it said.

“No,” Stella said. “I didn’t lose my light. I lost my mother.”

Abhaddon replied, “Tho’ you know not what you are, will you twinkle little star?”

“Stop,” Stella said. “Stop talking in riddles.”

Abhaddon replied, “Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.”

“Enough!” Stella shouted. She shook her hand free of Abhaddon’s bony grip and it nodded its head. Moving slowly, as if under water, Abhaddon lazily reached up to its head, removed its black top hat, bowed slightly at the waist, tipped the hat, and said, “Twinkle twinkle, little star.”

Then Stella blinked and it was gone. Just like that.

She looked around. The light in the cottage was dim. It wasn’t darkest night anymore. She slipped a dress on and slid her feet into some shoes. She took a deep breath and walked to the door. Then Stella slid the barrel bolt on the thick wooden door open. It was rusty and stuck a little. With a tiny push it became undone. The door swung open wide, as if from a gust of wind. In shone the sun. It was day. Finally.

She had made it through the dark, endless night.

For a minute, Stella thought she should turn around to see if Abhaddon was truly gone or was hovering near. It might be,she thought. She stepped over the threshold and outside the house. It might always be near, she thought. She could not let that thought stop her though. She was afraid, but she would move forward anyway.

After being in the darkness for so long, the sunlight felt blinding. Shielding her eyes Stella looked around and there, standing in the lane, waiting for her, was Ayla.

Ayla, the baker’s daughter. Ayla, her friend.

“Will you come to market, Stella?” Ayla asked. “You’ve been in your house for so long. I’ve missed you so!”

With tears in her eyes, Stella reached out her hand, and Ayla grasped it. Ayla’s hand was plump and warm and firm. Stella smiled. This was what she would hold onto.

Then together, arm in arm, the girls walked down the lane, towards the village market. Stella felt the sunshine on her face. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair. She heard the trill of a sparrow and saw a flash of white tail as a bunny skittered under the hedge. She took a deep breath in.

It was morning. It was a new day.

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