Brett McBean - Tales of Sin and Madness

“I understand,” the reporter said.

“I’ve even got an agent now,” Bill continued.

“You’re going to be more famous than Sam Drayton.”

Bill’s smile faded a little. He finished off the coffee and gazed at the young reporter. “Yeah, I guess so.”

More famous than Sam Drayton .

Those words haunted Bill for the remainder of the interview.

My second published story, and my second to be posted on the Horrorfind website. I wrote this back in 2001, just as reality TV was really taking off. It infuses my love of tacky game shows, late night talk shows, and my fascination with cults.

The first time Clayton saw the light, he didn’t think much of it.

He was trying hard to fall asleep when a flash of light forced his eyes open. He lay gazing at the window. The light, or whatever it was that had shone at him, was gone.

Thump thump thump thump…Thump thump thump thump …

As the footsteps continued above, a second flicker caught his eyes.

He rolled on to his back and stared up at the darkness.

Lightning perhaps? he thought, even though it was a sultry summer night.

He shrugged it off and was about to attempt another restless slumber, when once again a gleam of light flickered into his apartment.

Clayton sat up.

The light vanished again, only to reappear moments later, glinting through the window like sun reflecting off a car’s windshield.

Only it was night and he was five stories up.

Just what I need , he thought. If the footsteps weren’t bad enough.

He rubbed a hand over his face, felt the prickle of stubble, and sighed.

Thump thump thump thump…Thump thump thump thump…

Tiredness sat heavy on him, like the oppressive heat of the past few days, and even though he wanted to sleep, needed to, the footsteps of his upstairs neighbor kept him awake.

He glanced over at the alarm clock. The red numbers glared back at him: 12:51.

He had ten more minutes of footsteps marching above, and then he would try and get some much-needed rest.

Not if this damn light continues .

Just like the footsteps, it too seemed to have a definite rhythm.

Where’s it coming from? he wondered.

The light blinked on and off for another ten minutes. It eventually stopped, along with the footsteps.

“Finally,” Clayton breathed, lying down and closing his eyes.

He could now try and sleep. The footsteps would be back tomorrow night; hopefully, the strange light wouldn’t.

Clayton fell asleep soon after.

The light returned at twelve-fifty the next night, just as the footsteps started.

Clayton was in bed watching some old black and white movie and drifting off to sleep when his eyes were hit with the same sharp, almost glowing light.

He sat up, rubbed his eyes and cursed.

Not again .

Thump thump thump thump…Thump thump thump thump…

He was too aware of the footsteps now and knew there was no way he was going to get to sleep until both the footsteps and the light had stopped.

He turned off the television, threw the remote down and hopped out of bed. He didn’t bother turning on any lights — the faint glow of the moon let enough light in for him to see his way around.

He stopped in the middle of his apartment, looked up and shook his head.

Stop your damn worrying, Rose. Keeping me awake won’t bring him home any sooner .

Of course, he knew one way he could solve both his and Rose’s problem. It would only require a bit of guts on his part and a willing soul on Rose’s.

Yeah right. Who am I kidding? A gorgeous woman like that wouldn’t want anything to do with me.

Then there was Rose’s husband, Hal, to worry about. And Clayton certainly didn’t want to get on the wrong side of him.

Clayton wandered over to the refrigerator and grabbed a lukewarm Coors Light. He popped the can open and took a mouthful. It was tepid and bitter, but did the job.

He stood by the fridge and watched the strange rhythmic flickering of the light. Listened to the steady beat of Rose’s footsteps.

Thump thump thump thump…Thump thump thump thump…

Clayton walked over to the window. Sirens and the sound of tires screeching and the occasional scream wafted up through the open window. Somewhere a baby was crying. He liked to keep the window open during the warmer weather. He liked having some air flowing into his stuffy studio apartment, and he didn’t mind the sounds of the city.

He looked down at the alley. Thought perhaps it was somebody with a flashlight playing games with him. He saw nothing but shadows and dark shapes. Shapes that could’ve been the trashcans and abandoned shopping carts that littered the alley — or perhaps something more sinister.

Whatever was down there in the foul alleyway, it certainly wasn’t the source of the light.

It continued to flash at him.

It reminded him of the light catchers he used to have as a boy. The way the sunlight or moonlight used to cast its reflection through the hundreds of tiny mirrors, as the catcher twirled slowly with the wind.

There was no light catcher hanging from his window now.

Maybe in the future, when he got back on his feet and was able to afford some swank apartment on the Upper East Side. When he moved out of this dump, moved out of The Village, then he would buy as many light catchers as he wanted.

He gazed up at the full moon and took a sip of beer.

His mind wandered with thoughts of a new and better life. By the time he had finished his beer, it was past one o’clock and the footsteps had stopped and there was no more light.

He turned away from the window, tossed the can to the floor and hopped back into bed.

He stayed awake until Hal arrived home, thinking about the light and what, or who, was causing it. The light didn’t return and he eventually drifted off to sleep.

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.”

Geoff sighed. “Christ, Clay. I set up these interviews for you and you don’t even show up. What the hell kind of message does that send out, huh?”

“Listen Geoff. I’ve been real tired lately. Haven’t been getting much sleep. I just overslept today, that’s all.”

“That’s all? Well listen, buddy, I’ve managed to set up another interview with my boss the day after tomorrow, eight-thirty sharp. Think you can handle that?”

Clayton wanted to tell him that he didn’t really want the job, that he didn’t want to gain fifty pounds and lose his hair like Geoff. But the guy was his best friend and he was sticking his neck out for him. “Sure. Thanks.”

“Be early, huh? Wear a nice suit and act real sorry about today.”

“I will.”

“Now tell me. What’s up? Why are you so tired lately? You don’t work, you haven’t got a woman to keep you up, and you hardly go out anymore.”

“I’ve been having trouble sleeping, that’s all.”

“There are drugs for that.”

“I don’t want to take drugs. You know that. It’s nothing serious. Just…”

“Just what?”

Clayton knew what Geoff was going to say, but he had to tell someone.

“That Rose babe still keeping you up?”

“Yeah.”

Geoff laughed. “She still pacing back and forth waiting for her dear husband to call every night?”

“Yeah.”

“I tell ya, that Hal is one lucky man. What I wouldn’t do to get into her pants.”

“That’s not all that’s keeping me up,” Clayton said.

“Okay. So what else is?”

“A light.”

Geoff was silent for a moment. “Huh?”