The Seris Story: Visitor in the Night

"W-what…what are you doing here?" Seris stared in shock.

     The Pant Devil cackled, "I've been watching you. You are not worthy of this friend. You are meant to be alone and die just like your sister."

     Seris started at him. "What does my sister have to do with this?"

     The blue, glowing creature laughed again. "More than you think. Your sister used to do…er…a little business with me. Of course, I won't tell you that. It will all be revealed to you in time…" The ghost laughed once more then started to spin around in midair. He started out slow but eventually went faster and faster until Seris couldn't see him.

     "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Seris yelled. "Come back! Please!"

     The Pant Devil then cackled once and disappeared into the darkness...

     Seris Scrikard sat up in his bed, sweat beading down his Fiery head. He looked around the dark room frantically until his eyes adjusted to the darkness. The bookcase that bordered at the other end, the dark blue wall, the desk...and his bed, which he was lying in. The white covers were pulled up and the pillow had an indent from where his head had been. The Draiks' tail hung over the edge of the bed, out of Seris' view.

     It had been over a year since he had been at the Haunted Woods for a vacation. The Pant Devil had appeared, taking his only friend, and planting memories that Seris had no will to recollect. But every night, when he would close his eyes they'd come back - haunting and taunting him until he woke up again. Just like every night...except for something strange tonight. The door that led out of his room and into the hallway was open. Seris was sure that he had closed it as it was a standard procedure before going to sleep. If the Pant Devil ever got through...what would happen?

     But now, as Seris picked himself up off of the bed and onto the floor, he realized it was a false sense of security. With only a turn of a knob, the Pant Devil could be in the room in a second. And it would only take a second more for him to be hovering over the bed with a knife, trying to kill him in his sleep. Seris walked towards the door and pushed it open wider. A shaft of light shone into the room. Seris squinted in confusion. He had turned all the lights off. Someone was in the house... Seris stopped walking and looked around, panicked. What if the Pant Devil had come to finish him off, once and for all, never to learn about his sister...

     His sister...Seremdra was her name. A green Eyrie that died all those years ago, though Seris never forgot about her. She was so energetic and happy. But, during the last month of her life, things had changed. She had become more secluded and...just different. Never herself. And then she died in the water. And Seris had seen it happen...

     It had started to rain when they were walking near the riverbed. Seris offered his jacket to his sister, who took it with no argument and wrapped it around her arched wings. The river was raging and was almost deafening. But Seremdra seemed calmed by it and Seris wasn't about to upset her little sister. He knew the consequences in that - a tantrum.

     "Let's sit here," Seremdra said, smiling only a half-hearted smile. She adjusted herself and then sat on the ground, her knees close to her chest. "Look, Seris, I know you've noticed some changes in me."

    Seris nodded.

    "And I want to say that...that it's just me growing up. I've become a bit grumpy," she laughed sourly and continued on. "I'm going to try to act nicer because I really don't want to act this way. I...I don't know. I guess people change. But I don't want to be like that. I love you, Seris and I love Mom. I just..."

    Seris smiled. "It's okay. I understand."

    "Thanks," the Eyrie said and shrugged the jacked off her shoulders a bit. "I really want to know you better. I know I haven't been--" She stopped talking and started to fall off the grass, uprooting it and leaving mud in its' place. Seris jumped up and attempted to grab her but she kept tumbling and rolling down the hill towards the river. Seris ran, trying to catch up with her but...

    She was dumped into the river and dragged violently by the current. She screamed and Seris looked at the water before jumping in and starting to try to swim for her. But her screaming stopped abruptly. Seris climbed back up to the damp edge of the shore, tears welling up in his eyes. And he put his head on his knees and started to weep...

     Seris shuddered and bit his lip. Every time he recalled the memory, he'd cry. But he couldn't now. He had to see who was in the house. Who could it be? The Fire Draik inched forward toward the light, which he now noted came from the living room. He put his back against the wall and looked into the room, which was furnished with simply a dresser, two chairs, a couch, and a coffee table. A strange looking Faerie Zafara was sitting at the couch, looking over a large stack of papers with a pen in her hand, making notes every few seconds.

    "Who are you?" Seris called out, still not going into the living room.

    The Zafara looked up and around the room. "Are you Seris?"

    "Maybe," he replied, not wanting to give up too much information. "Who are you?"

    The Zafara reached into a pocket in the black vest it wore and pulled out a shiny badge. "I'm Zor from the Neopian Detective Agency. I was sent to bring you news about your sister, Seremdra."

    Seris whirled into the living room. "What about her? She's dead."

    "Oh, you already know?" she said in a curious fashion. "Geez, word spreads fast. Only happened two days ago. Well, I'm sorry for your loss," she said and got up, taking her papers with you.

    "What?" Seris yelled loudly. "My sister died five years ago. Don't come in here and say she died a few days ago. You've obviously got your people mixed up."

    "Your Seris Scrikard, right?"

    Seris gave a nod.

    "There's no mistake. Your sister was killed by a sniper. She was killed before my own eyes. A green Wocky."

    "There's no way she's my sister. She was a green Eyrie," Seris commented, walking over and taking a seat in a chair adjacent to the couch.

    Zor nodded. "You're right. But she took a potion. Listen...Your sister, a year and a half back, was a witness to a crime and then supposedly killed my partner and got away, but that was proven false. But just recently, she turned up again as a green Wocky and told me some...secrets about Arkados...I mean my partner...that I didn't know previously and soon after, while walking down the hall, someone killed her."

    "But...it can't be..." Seris put his hands on his head and massaged his temples. "I saw her drown...all those years ago. But...she survived? And she never came back to us? ...I don't understand."

    Zor nodded. "And, actually, nor do I. And, even though I am a detective, I really...I really don't feel I can do this case. It's more of a personal problem and, to be frank, I don't deal with personal problems. Just crimes. And, it's late, so I must be going."

    Seris nodded and held back tears and, just as the Faerie Zafara was leaving the room, he looked up. "Is...is it possible if I could have your card or something? Like your address. In case I ever needed to see you..."

    "Yeah, sure," Zor said and fished around in her pocket again. Her hand came back up with a beige business card. She walked over slowly and held it out to Seris, who took in into his hand and put it gently on the chair, tears now welling up in his eyes. "Listen," Zor said and smiled. "It's gonna be okay."

    "Shut up," Seris reacted harshly. "You don't know anything about this."

    Zor's facial expression turned from trying to be cheery to glum. "I know more than you think..." she said distantly, barely above a whisper, and took her leave out of the living room and, eventually, out of the house.

    Seris, the Fire Draik, sat in the chair, weeping like he did those many years before...

The End