Page 35 of The Cursed Sebastian Storm

So many little things would have made his life at Storm House more bearable, like music, but Sebastian couldn’t dwell on the unfairness of how cut off from everything he’d been. That kind of negativity would consume him. It was better to just enjoy what he had now, and he’d always loved music.

It was too bad the piano wouldn’t fit in the duplex. Sebastian didn’t think wanting to play it would be enough to make him venture into that part of Storm House, so he wasn’t sure when he’d be able to play again. Unless he got an electric keyboard.

After dinner, he decided to bake bread. He put one of his new favorite songs on repeat until he knew the words and could sing along.

Hours later, the loaves were finally in the oven. Sebastian could barely tell how late it was with the bright kitchen lights on. He felt like a time traveler, marveling at all the modern shit he’d been deprived of. Where was the challenge in getting the oven to the right temperature when you had buttons to do it for you and you didn’t have to light and stoke a fire?

Every time he had a thought like this, he grumbled at himself in annoyance. “Don’t be such an old man.”

This kitchen felt bare compared to his old one, and the sight of the sparsely stocked pantry kept giving him a jolt of panic. Sebastian had only brought some of the food he had at Storm House, and he wondered if Eli would mind helping him pack the rest tomorrow. Would it all fit in his car? Sebastian had lived like a prepper for so long that he didn’t think he’d be able to break the habit. He needed enough dried goods and preserves stocked to survive for six months minimum, or he wouldn’t be able to relax.

Sebastian stayed up way too late eating bread. Eventually, he made himself retreat to the bedroom.

He couldn’t sleep. The room was too dark without the warm glow of the fire he’d had in his old room.

After lying awake for what felt like forever, Sebastian got up and stared out the window. The duplex was two stories, while most of the buildings in the center of town—other than the library and town hall—were only one. He had a good view from his bedroom as a result. He was around the corner from the small bar on the opposite end of the circle from the ice cream shop and could see all the way across.

With all the new lights that had been installed, Sebastian could see the tall stone in the center of the street. It was a weird landmark, almost like a natural monument, jutting toward the sky. Supposedly, it’d been there since before the town was founded.

A shade swooped around the stone, running its hand over the smooth rock as it circled. It almost looked like it was dancing. Another joined it. Sebastian watched, mesmerized, as they wove between one another.

More shades flew into the center of the circle, and after a few minutes, there had to be about a dozen. The light was faintest where the stone stood, but Sebastian wondered why so many shades had come into such a brightly lit part of town.

Shades swooped above the stone in addition to the ones circling it. A flash of color caught Sebastian’s eye. One of the shades was wearing his purple robe! It had been lost the night he and James made their first attempt at the transfer spell, but he’d never have guessed the shade that snatched it would have kept it. He’d never seen one wear human clothing before.

“That little shit,” Sebastian grumbled in disbelief. He wanted his robe back. It looked ridiculous flowing off the shadowy beast.

The thief joined the shades swirling around the stone. As Sebastian watched the odd display, he noticed a dark mist gathering on the ground. Shadows seemed to be seeping out from between the surrounding buildings and spilling into the street like water, flowing over the pavement illuminated by the streetlights. Sebastian had never seen anything like it.

The shadows converged on the stone, winding up the smooth surface as the circling shades melted into it seamlessly. Was the shadow nothing but hundreds of shades in semi-solid form? They moved like a river, over the ground and up the stone into the sky.

It gave Sebastian chills.

He thought he saw a figure at the far end of the circle, and his heart skipped. No person should approach that many shades. The figure emerged from the shadows and headed from the middle of the street near the ice cream shop toward town hall.

The way it moved wasn’t human. It appeared dark, more like a shadow than anything, and was hard to make out even under a streetlight. It glided, but its body didn’t look wispy like the other shades. It was much more humanoid.

The human-like shade made its way completely around the street. Then, it drifted forward and joined the others at the stone. The figure dissolved into the black shadow and wrapped around the stone. Sebastian thought he could still see it amid the other shades as it moved skyward. He watched until he could see nothing but blackness above.

There weren’t any stars in the sky, even though Sebastian could have sworn it had been a clear night.

The next morning, Sebastian woke up late to the sound of his phone. It was a text from Eli asking if he’d like to head out to Storm House in an hour. He replied with a quick yes and got up to get dressed.

Sebastian looked out his front window as he waited for Eli. It was a dark day. The clouds hung low, and it looked like it would rain. Sebastian’s phone chimed again, the screen displaying a message from James.

James

I’m going to go for a swim while Eli is out at Storm House with you unless you want the extra company?

Sebastian bit his lip. He wanted James to do the things he enjoyed like he normally would have before Sebastian entered his life.

Sebastian

No. Go for a swim.

A car pulled up, and Sebastian spotted Eli in the passenger seat. He grabbed his keys and went out to meet him.

“The weather said nothing about a storm,” Eli said to Parker as Sebastian climbed into the back seat. “I can’t believe this.”

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