Harold of Hoaxes

That night hardly anyone could sleep. Rosey had her phone playing the white noise of a college party. I laid in bed facing the ceiling, just feeling the bags under my eyes growing.

Dialogue was traded among party goers in the sounds such as, “This is the craziest party I've ever seen!”

Just as I thought I could tune it out I hear one of them drunkenly yell, “Let’s go driving!” Promptly it was followed by loud police sirens and someone getting handcuffed while crying. Another saying they were too young to die.

The next span of time being ambient sounds of jail. I wiped my hands over my face with a quiet growl, “I swear. Is this just an entire freaking show?”

I rolled to one side while desperately clutching my pillow to the side of my ears. But then I heard something else. Straight ahead now were my drawn curtains. I lifted the pillow from my ears as I heard it again. A small scratching sound on wood. It wasn’t from Rosey’s show either. It came distinctly from outside my window.

I slowly sat up while inspecting the sound as it happened again. It was similar to a squirrel chewing on wood but seemed much larger of a bite everytime. It was all in the same spot though. Something literally gnawing on the side of the house.

I grabbed my phone from the night stand and turned on its flashlight. I got up and headed out of my room. The lights were all off and no one else was awake so I made it to the front door with no issues. It felt wrong opening it however. It still had no locks and not even a slight creak as I stepped out.

Most of the yard in front of me was already lit up by moonlight. I headed down the steps and towards the back of the house slowly and carefully. My grip on my phone was tightening as my other hand gripped my pocket knife.

Turning the corner I saw the backyard had short grass leading to a thick tree line full of brush and low hanging branches.

It was hidden amongst the leaves well above eye level. What seemed like a ring of hundreds of eyes peered down at me from the dark. My phone’s light didn’t quite reach and neither did I dare to step closer.

It spoke quietly but sternly. Something otherworldly lingering behind its tone, “Michael, is it still?”

I stuttered out, “E-excuse me? Who are you? What are you?”

“I am the herald of hoaxes. I show myself to you as a likeness. I bear a warning. If you do not heed it, then surely wrath will fall upon you. Taking the form of that you will forever dread.”

My eyes widened as my hands continued to shake. Surely this thing isn’t real. But there wasn’t anything to lose in humoring it, “What is the warning?”

Its figure began to steadily creep out towards me. I instantly stumbled further back until it stopped approaching, “Your own ransom is to be paid in wisdom. With it the mighty against you will fall. Bring me the weakness of this lodge’s ruler by the next full moon and God will show you mercy.”

I stayed quiet a moment before having another bad idea, “...you said you were a herald of hoax. How do I know you're not just telling a lie right now? How do I believe you?”

“You fail and no amount of nails or claws will help you dig your way out of a metal coffin.”

Behind it rose a pair of massive wide wings, “You are going to die. At least postpone it.”

With a single strong beat of its wings, it flung itself back into the woods with a gust of wind. The sudden lunge made me jump and nearly drop my phone as I stood watching the treeline for a few minutes. The night bugs slowly begin to make noise again.