 Part 2 May we all get to heaven before the devil knows we're dead. Turnpike troubadours. What's going to happen now? He asked. I looked into the bright blue eyes that belonged to my eight-year-old nephew Iuan. I don't know, I answered truthfully, and I didn't know. How could I know what was going to happen next? Why the hell would you? I suddenly saw the fear in his eyes and came to my senses. Instead of yelling, I hugged him. It'll be okay, buddy. We'll ask grandma for help, I said, trying to calm him. You won't let anything bad happen to me. Will you, Stephen? I forced a smile. I won't let anything bad happen to you. Checking the alarm clock on the old antique bedside table next to us, I saw it was nearly two hours past midnight. Now come on, let's go wake her up. I said, patting him on the back. He smiled genuinely, and as he did, an ominous feeling seemed to pass across me. I suddenly knew that none of this could end well. For a brief moment, I understood that when Iuan had looked at whatever ghastly figure had been on the other side of the window, it had sealed the fate of himself, myself, and possibly even that of our entire family. But perhaps it wasn't entirely his fault. This had started with the death of our grandfather Isaac, something dark had finally found us. Maybe whatever it was could sense the happiness and innocence of a family that had lived without a fear of death, that had lived without that inevitability hanging over it. That inevitability, my mind repeated. Death can't be cheated, and your family has cheated me for too long. Stop it Steven, I told myself angrily, pushing those thoughts back into a deeper recess of my mind. I took a breath, and opened the door to the hallway. It seemed darker than usual, and a certain musty smell hung in the air, almost like the smell of... Stop it. We walked quickly down into the darkness and towards my grandmother's room, ignoring the thick silence. When we got there, the door was already wide open. Stay close to me Iuan, I said. Before realizing he couldn't have been any closer if we had been tied together, he was terrified. Grandma? I said, trying to muster a courage that wouldn't come. This felt wrong. Everything felt wrong. As I stepped slowly into her room, I saw that a small lamp was flicked on near her bedside. The bed was empty. Grandma? I called out again, this time with even less courage. I somehow knew she was gone. I could feel it. She's not here, I said, looking down at Iuan. Come on. We knocked on the door to Uncle Carl's room, which was a short ways down the hallway. Uncle Carl? I called out through the door. Nothing. Opening the door quietly, I saw that his bed was empty as well. Where is everyone? Iuan asked, looking up at me. I don't know. The noise that came next almost brought on a heart attack, even though I was only 18. I could feel my heart tense, and then my breathing stopped. A great howling boomed against the walls around us. But this time it wasn't coming from outside, the thick brick walls of the house acting as a barrier between us. It was coming from inside the house. It was even louder the next time, and it held a power within it. With each howl, items in the house around us would shake and then fall weakly under the floor below. First, a mirror shattered far too close to Iuan. Somehow he was unharmed. Then the old grandfather clock that stood at the end of the hallway began to shake violently before crumbling like an old statue. We have to go. I whispered, holding my nephew's hand more tightly and rushing towards the back stairway on the second floor and away from the cries of the monster. At least I thought it was away. While the howling did fill up the entire house, it had seemed stronger at the front of it near the kitchen. We rushed down the stairway, trying to stay as silent as possible. When we reached the bottom, I headed for the door and felt Iuan's hand slip out of mine. No, it didn't slip. He pulled away. Iuan, what are you… looking back. I saw it a moment later than he had. On the other side of the back room stood a dark figure. The room was unlit, but judging from the height of its eyes, it seemed to stand nine feet tall or higher. Its eyes, its yellow eyes that seemed to call out to you, seemed to beckon for you. Iuan was lost inside of them, and so was I. The thing floated closer slowly, and the two of us were helpless to move. Maybe we didn't want to. I'm not sure what would have happened next, if not for the strong hand that clasped onto my shoulder and the bright light that seemed to blind the monster for a moment. It howled wickedly as if wounded, and its eyes looked away. When it did, the spell was broken, and the two of us could move again. We looked up into the eyes of our great grandfather Isaac. He was alive. Boys, what do you say we get the hell out of here? He said, pulling the two of us through the doorway and into the cold air of the night. The thing recovered and howled once more as it made its way towards us, but Isaac shut the door quickly and braced his back against it. His eyes were wide as he called out, the vile, and suddenly I realized that there was a small container of liquid lying on the ground in front of us. The door seemed to crack and bend as the thing slammed into it again and again, desperate to reach us. Get the vile, he screamed out again, his eyes even more desperate. An unexpected feeling of understanding came over me then, and I knew what to do. Picking up the vile, I opened it and dipped my index finger inside. As it touched my skin, there was a cooling feeling that came over my entire body. Maybe it was courage, I thought, as a determined look passed across my face and I reached out for the door. I drew the symbol just as my grandmother had, and it glowed back brightly as if pleased. Then the slamming stopped, and the howling started up again. It was even worse than before, I realized, watching as Isaac's back slid down the doorway and he sat on the ground. He hadn't been injured, but looked as if he'd been in a brawl. His thick muscles seemed worn and tired, but he stood up anyway. I realized then what the light that had blinded the monster had been, the light on his old coal mining helmet. It's trapped in there, he said, but it won't hold for long. His hands reached out as he placed them firmly on our shoulders and stared down at us. We have to go now. Not another word was said as the three of us ran towards the thick forest behind our home. Each step we took away from the how seemed to enrage the thing farther, and its screams followed us far into the darkness.