The Dark Stranger Page #4

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When he was finished with her

she would be another addition

to his collection of death.

Calah then produced a magical

crystal orb

that revealed to Alyra

a wizard named Telvin

who had been hunting

the stranger for years.

She would find her answers with

him.

Alyra only had time to see a

gold ring

with a red gemstone on Telvin's

hand before Calah vanished.

Frightened by this revelation

Alyra and Meric ventured out

to find the bearer of this ring.

Enraged

the dark stranger

unleashed a plague of death

to stop anyone who dared help

her.

- Leah, you in there?

Did you read the paper?

Jesus.

Come one.

Come on, come one.

Come on dad pick up.

- Hey, hipstamatic

can you not leave your stuff

lying around?

Are you even in there?

Toby.

Spiffy.

- Well, I wanted to make an

impression

on Mr. Toth.

- Yeah, right.

- Thanks.

Are you okay?

- Oh, yeah, yeah, I just

I get a really bad feeling

from this Toth guy.

I mean

he comes in out of nowhere

and he wants to know all about

my mom.

It gives me the creeps.

- Well, not everyone can be as

naturally charming as you, Ms.

Garrison.

I don't know as far as I can

tell,

I think he seems harmless.

- I don't know.

I don't trust him.

I haven't trusted him

since the moment I saw him.

- How come?

- Okay.

You're going to think that I'm

way weirder

than you already do.

- That's not possible.

- Oh, good.

- Seriously, did he

did he say something to you or

something?

- Oh, no, no, no, no nothing

like that.

He just

I've been working on a new story

and

somehow he made his way into the

drawing.

- Well, he made an impression on

you

and artists they take

inspiration

from you know the world

they live in all the time.

- Yeah, that's not it.

- Ouch, how'd that happen?

- Oh, it was an accident.

- Was this an accident too?

- Hey, hey.

Look it's complicated.

- Try me.

- It's also none of your

business.

- Leah, I know

I know that your mom

thought that she had to drink to

paint

but you don't need to do

the same thing with cutting.

- My god, I can't believe he

told you.

Of course, of course he told

you.

- He's just worried about you.

- Did he tell you what happened

to my mom?

Did he tell you it's my fault?

- That you blamed yourself

but that you shouldn't.

- Okay, well, neither of you

were there

so you have no idea how much

blame

I should or shouldn't take.

- Leah, you need to see that

you're not at fault here, okay?

- How do you know?

- I can tell.

You're not.

- Yeah, just right this way.

Hey, well, well, well the gang's

all here.

I just invited Mr. Toth in for

some tea.

Either of you wanna join us?

- Hello.

- Leah, Randall was hoping

he could ask you a few

questions about your art.

- I'm sorry.

- I understand.

- Hey, don't touch me.

- Leah.

- Telvin.

How could this be?

Were the wizard Telvin

and the dark stranger one in the

same?

Alyra wanted to flee

but she looked deep into

Telvin's eyes.

Instead of the dark

stranger's heartless gaze

she found only kindness and

truth there.

Telvin warned her that no

one had ever escaped from

the dark stranger until

he got what he wanted

which was to crush and

consume your spirit.

Feeling trapped Alyra

considered never using

her beautiful voice again

since that was what drew

the dark stranger to her.

The wizard assured her

that wasn't necessary.

"The key to defeating him",

Telvin said

"wasn't by giving up

"but by taking control of her

voice

"and using it to her advantage."

The doll wasn't sure if she

had the courage to do this.

Nevertheless the wizard insisted

that he could see great

strength within her.

But until she learned to use it

the dark stranger would destroy

anything

or anyone until she gave in.

- Leah.

- What

oh my god, Toby.

- Hey, hey, are you okay?

I thought I'd come up and

see what you're doing.

- How long have I been up here?

- You've been up here a while.

- Where's Mr. Toth?

- He's downstairs with your dad.

- Okay, mark, can you do me

a really big favor please?

- Okay.

- Don't let him leave,

don't let Mr. Toth leave the

house.

- Why, why, why is everything

all right?

- I don't know can you trust me?

- Yeah, I trust you.

- Okay.

Toby.

Toby.

Where's Toby.

- Give me what I want.

- She's okay.

Yeah, she said she'll be down in

a minute.

- Thanks for checking, mark.

She'll be down in a minute.

- Mom.

Mom, I'm scared.

I'm scared. I need you.

- Oh, angel

don't give him what he wants.

- Well, Brendan, I guess

we'll try this another time.

- Please don't go she said

she was coming right down.

- We can reschedule.

Leah's had a tough time since

we...

- Mr. Toth, Mr. Toth, Mr.

Toth, do you know who this is?

Please because I think

he's got my brother.

- Oh god, Leah,

what are you talking about?

- Dad, please just let him look.

- Mr. Toth,

my daughter is not well.

Obviously this was a bad idea.

- Dad please

just let him look. Look.

- Leah, I know who this is.

- Mr. Toth

please don't enable this.

- I know everything about the

stranger.

I first contacted you after

reading about your mother.

Now, I used the cover at the art

show

to learn more about her.

For some years now I've

been following something

that has been killing a lot of

artists

just like your mother.

- The dark stranger.

- Yeah,

my father.

- Your father.

I thought this was just a

character that Leah made up?

- Well, that's what he'd

like you to believe.

My father was a terrific

painter.

He was renowned in the

art world for years.

Then fashions changed and

well he couldn't sell a thing.

And he felt completely

abandoned.

He was in a terrible rage all

the time

blaming these new artists for

his failure.

In despair he signed his last

painting

the dark stranger.

- What the hell does this

have to do with any of us?

- For years after he died

I kept hearing about more

and more artist killing

themselves.

I wanna show you

the final paintings of

two of the suicides.

- So.

- Look closer.

- It's him.

- The stranger.

- They're faked photographs

anyone could've made those.

- How do I destroy him?

- There's no one to destroy,

honey.

They're fake.

- Well let me tell ya

what I've learned so far.

The dark stranger is a spirit

who infects artists that he's

jealous of.

He poisons their imagination

like a virus.

Now, I'm not sure how.

I think he uses their blood as a

way in.

But once he starts corrupting an

artist

he makes the outside

world seem their enemy.

Then he compels you to

abuse yourself until

you're too weak to go on.

As he gets stronger

the stranger is able to

come into the real world through

your art

or even pull you into the art

with him.

Finally when you're too weak to

go on

the stranger collects

your soul through suicide.

That's his power source.

He can kill others who get in

his way.

But for the artist it

must be by their own hand.

The stranger always leaves his

image

on the creator's last work

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