Shadow Chaser Chapter Two

The micro switch on the electric kettle clicked to the ‘off’ position, in unison with the timer on the microwave, announcing that the ready-meal he eagerly awaited to devour was ready.
After turning on the TV, the ritual was complete. Gerhard shuffled into his trusty arm chair and settled in readiness. No sooner had the first mouthful passed his lips than the phone rang.
"Geez!" Gerhard cursed, the sudden shrill ring, causing him to jump and momentarily choke.
"Hello!" he snapped into the receiver, obviously his normal calmness eluded him tonight, his nerves were still fraught from his earlier incident at the priory.
"Are you coming round tonight?" Came an equally irritated voice in reply.

Pausing for a second to swallow the hot food, and mull over his decision. The unmistakable voice of his long suffering girlfriend, Emma, was instantly recognizable;
"I’m not sure love .. I’ve only just got home."
"Well I need to know," came the instant irate reply, obviously, once again, he had failed to offer the answer she wished to hear.
"I’m not sure…I’ve had a pig of a day!" he added feebly.
"Then you decide what you want to do," her anger now seemed to dim to biting sarcasm. "And take your time because I’m going out with Laura and the girls."
Gerhard scooped up another forkful of steaming mash potato, smiling to himself at Emma’s naive attempt lay her usual guilt trip on him. On this occasion, however, it paled into insignificance in comparison to the days events.

"Ok sweet-pea. You have a great night out with the girls!" Gerhard offered sarcastically into the phone, sure that his satisfying quip would never reach the recipient.
With his meal appreciatively consumed, Gerhard set about the second part of his evening ritual, that of relaxing. Gradually the toll the eventful day had had on him ebbed away, allowing him to drift into a well-earned slumber.
No sooner had his head laid heavy against the backrest of his chair than the sound of the TV faded away into the distance. The darkness of his sleep began to lighten, as if a new dawn were breaking, illuminated by hazy illusions from his subconscious. The further he allowed sleep to carry him away from the reality around him, the clearer the images became. The blurry hues slowly transformed into solid objects, all which seemed alien to his instant recognition. Buildings formed from the blurriness, sounds began to emerge. Piece by piece the scene he viewed from within his mind manifested into a majestic landscape, dotted with ancient style buildings, built from pristine sandstone boulders, that towered skyward.
Robed figures wondered from place to place with carefree abandon. The sound of voices drifted on the gentle summer breeze. The words where clearly audible, but vague in their meaning. The language was alien to Gerhard.

The scene was peaceful, even joyful to watch and caused Gerhard no concern, until, with an unreal hastiness the blue summer sky turned a menacing grey, much worse than any storm sky he had ever witnessed. The robes worn by the dozens of wondering figures began to billow and flap as a sudden angry wind assailed them. Suddenly a sense of panic seemed to manifest among the people. Women screamed, and dashed around, grabbing their children from play. Men, women, children and animals were besieged by chaos.
With merciful speed, Gerhard emerged from his sleep with a jolt. For a few agonizing seconds the vivid images he had witnessed stayed in his forethought, with searing clarity.
In the moments that followed he became more and more convinced that the landscape he had emerged from was his treasured Monk Burton Priory. However, it was obviously at a period way back in time when its construction was not long since completed. The masonry looked free of aging and its current long established moss and lichen covering. The poor souls engulfed in that sudden chaos were also obviously from a distant time.
Whatever the cause of the chaos and panic it felt akin to the fearful sense he had experienced, earlier that very day.

Instinctively Gerhard searched for his cigarettes, convinced that only a nicotine fix would calm his nerves to a bearable level.
The ‘dream’ he had just experienced had left a lasting impression on him, scaring his memory so much that he brought the vivid images back to the waking world with him.
Whatever strange presence he had felt at the priory that afternoon had instilled such an instant fear and panic in him, he was sure he had just felt that same unseen, menacing presence which had just invaded his dream.
"What the hell is happening to me?" he pleaded, while pacing the room, soaked in icy-cold nervous sweat, and shaking uncontrollably. What dark evil presence had invaded his once uncomplicated existence and ravaged him so intensely with fear and confusion, to such an extent that he felt compelled to inspect and fear every shadow that formed in areas around him. In the space of a day, Gerhard Harrison had been plucked savagely from his mundane and comfortable world of reality and plunged into an unreal world where he felt pursued by some kind of shadowy predator. Was it his own fear, ignorance and confusion that held him in such inescapable terror. In that moment of increasing realization Gerhard felt sure, his only hope of finding a solution to his frightening dilemma lay in his ability to find the courage and resolve to venture further into the dark void of uncertainty that was beginning to engulf his very existence.