Candle Face Chronicles: The Master Shadow’s Inspection

December 22, 2024

The attic is quiet now. Too quiet. The Fugitives, thirty-one fragile souls who risked everything to escape Candle Face’s Lair, are no longer scattered across the beams, hiding in the insulation. They are sealed now, each one contained in one of the small glass bottles I received from Amazon yesterday.

It wasn’t a decision I made lightly. Aaron, from Gen X Paranormal Investigations, who specializes in spirit harvesting, suggested using specialized boxes to trap their energy safely. The boxes his team makes take time, sometimes weeks, sometimes months, but they’re the best way to ensure spirits remain secure and undetectable. Time wasn’t on my side. I needed something fast.

So I settled on glass bottles. They don’t amplify energy like other materials, and they’re easy to seal. I added glitter to the bottles as another layer of cover. It helped obscure the spirits’ energy and made the bottles look like decorative trinkets, harmless and unassuming. It wasn’t ideal, but it was the best solution I had.

Getting the Fugitives into the bottles was easier than I expected, but emotionally grueling. I returned to the attic last evening, carrying the bottles in a padded case. Each one gleamed in the dim light, the curved surfaces reflecting faint rainbows. I placed the case on the attic floor and turned to face the leader of the Fugitives.

“You need to enter these,” I said quietly, holding up a bottle. The leader studied it, the shadows of its form shifting uneasily. I could sense the doubt, the fear.

“They’re safe,” I added. “Glass will shield your energy. It’s the only way to hide you from Candle Face and her Master Shadow. Once sealed, your energy won’t combine with the others, which means it won’t grow strong enough for them to sense. This is only a temporary solution, though,” I continued, my voice soft but firm. “Once you’re hidden, I’ll distribute the bottles across the country. That way, your energy will stay scattered, far enough apart to keep you safe for now. Eventually, I’ll figure out how to free you permanently.”

One by one, the Fugitives moved toward the bottles. As each entered, their ghostly forms condensed into faint, swirling lights hidden among the glitter. I sealed each bottle tightly with a cork. Each seal shimmered faintly, a sign that the energy inside was stable.

I counted them as I worked. Thirty-one. One more than I had counted in the attic. The extra soul hung back until the end, and when she came forward, I recognized her. The young woman who stood in my dining room the night the Master Shadow first came through, the one who got as far as hello before she screamed at the others to hide. She must have made her own run for the attic sometime after that night. She never did give me her testimony. I sealed her bottle last.

When the final Fugitive entered a bottle, I stood there silently, staring at the row of containers. They looked so fragile, so small, yet they held the weight of thirty-one spirits who once lived among us.

I carried the bottles down to the garage and placed them carefully in the back of my car. For now, it seemed like the safest place. Now, I need to contact trusted friends and serious members of the paranormal community to see if they’d be willing to serve as guardians for these Fugitives until I determine how to free them permanently.

Just as I closed the trunk, the air in the garage grew hot. My breath caught in my throat. I knew what that meant. The Master Shadow was here.

He appeared in the doorway between the house and the garage, his form towering, dark, and shifting as though it were made of living smoke. The garage lights dimmed around him, as if his presence consumed the light itself. He stepped forward, his shadowy figure growing more solid with each movement.

I stepped away from the car and stood tall, hoping I looked brave in front of the Master Shadow, who could tear me to shreds.

“You think you’ve outsmarted me?” His voice was a low growl, vibrating through the air.

I froze, every instinct screaming at me to jump into the car, throw it in reverse, and smash through the garage door, but I forced myself to stand my ground. “There’s nothing here for you,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

His shadowed face tilted as if studying me, trying to see through me. Slowly, he moved deeper into the garage, his presence radiating unbearable heat. He brushed past the shelves, his smoky hands grazing random objects. One hand trailed over the box that holds the crystal ball and slowed there, just for a moment, before he moved on. My heart pounded as he neared the back of my car while I kept my mind clear just in case he could enter it.

He circled the vehicle, his form rippling like heat waves. He paused by the trunk, his hand hovering over the button to open it. I held my breath, every muscle tense, but he didn’t open it. Instead, he turned back toward me, his shadowy face unreadable. Apparently, so was mine.

“There’s nothing here,” the Master Shadow said, though his tone carried a hint of doubt. “At least, not yet.”

He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a hiss. “But you won’t win this game. You can’t save them all. And when I find them...” He leaned in, his face inches from mine. “...You think you’re clever, but you’ve only delayed the inevitable. You can’t protect them forever.”

Forcing myself to meet his gaze, I said, “I’m not afraid of you, Kenneth McDuff.”

The name hit him like a slap. His form wavered, the shadows rippling violently as though fighting to hold their shape. For a moment, I thought he might lash out, but instead, he let out a low, menacing laugh.

“So, you’ve solved the riddle,” he said, his voice almost amused. “A name is a weapon, but it cuts both ways.” He leaned in closer. “But don’t forget, every weapon can misfire.”

“You should take your own advice,” I shot back.

The Master Shadow laughed one final time and vanished, leaving the garage still. I leaned against the car, my legs trembling. Somehow, he seemed to know I had the Fugitives nearby, but he couldn’t find them.

His words came back to me: “You can’t save them all. And when I find them...” Did he know they had escaped Candle Face’s Lair? Or was he guessing? His doubt gave me a slim advantage, but his confidence was unmistakable. The way he said “when I find them” instead of “if I find them” was a warning. He was certain the Fugitives couldn’t stay hidden forever.

Personal Note to My Readers

I wondered briefly if this mistake could cost him something. The Master Shadow was responsible for overseeing the Lost Souls, wasn’t he? Does Candle Face know she’s missing some of them, or is he searching on his own without her knowing? Six days ago, I was afraid her window had already shown her the attic. If it had, the Fugitives would already be gone. They’re still with me, which tells me she hasn’t seen. Not through the ball, anyway. If she doesn’t know, maybe I could inform her, after I distribute the bottles, of course.

If I could exploit the division between Candle Face and the Master Shadow, pitting them against each other, it might buy me the time I need. This divide-and-conquer approach would be a dangerous gamble. But the stakes here were higher than any battlefield.

The thought of creating a wedge between them was tempting. But the risk was enormous. If she saw me as a threat, I’d be next in line for her wrath. If I could make the Master Shadow her next target, though, it might be worth it.

Aaron mentioned that McDuff is buried in Huntsville, Texas, where he was executed in 1998. Dirt from his grave might hold some kind of connection to his spirit, a remnant of who he was in life. If I could use that, perhaps I could weaken him, or even bind him. It would require careful planning and precision.

I was still thinking about it as I locked the house for the night. As I passed the hallway mirror, I caught a glimpse of my reflection. My face was pale, my eyes heavy with exhaustion, but my jaw was set. I looked drained and haunted, but I wasn’t defeated. Not yet.

McDuff was tied to Candle Face’s Lair, and he wouldn’t rest until the Fugitives were back. Everything had changed, and I knew I was in deeper than before.