Dreams

Looking in the rear-view mirror I see myself staring back. My face is ragged I haven't shaved; my eyes are hollow and sunken. Pulling my eyes away from the mirror I stare back out at the traffic around me, watching and hoping nothing would happen today.

The dreams came again last night.

Surrounded by darkness; screams of pain, of fright, and of madness they are all around. Each scream promising a horror never before seen. There is nowhere to run or hide, there is only darkness. Hand trembling, fear wells up within me, tears stream down my face, my legs give out. The darkness becomes heavier, thicker, somehow like it knows it has won and will soon claim another victim.

My heart seems to flutter, and then the pain starts. My arm starts to hurt, Breathing comes harder; and this pain is familiar to me. There is no stopping it once it takes hold, I try to take a deep breath to scream but nothing but a whimper comes out. The screams around me grow louder, but they have changed, the screams seem to be enjoying the pain, feeding on the suffering. Eyes close, darkness descends, there is no more pain, no more suffering. There is only the darkness.

When I wake covered in sweat, the bed sheets are torn and on the floor. My head pounds, my breath is ragged. Every part of me is shaking. The dream starts to fade, but a voice seems to hang around and just as it starts to fade, I hear, "Soon little one, soon."

Forcing myself to stand I stumble to my desk, I have to write. Have to get this out of my head; or the madness from the dream may consume me in the waking world. As I finish writing, I look at the clock. I will be late for work if I don't hurry. Quickly I take the dog for a walk and rush to my car.

Time seems to drag while I am here, the dream never completely fading from memory. The world seems shrouded in gray today; and shadows seem to stretch out further than normal. Lunch time comes; I am not hungry, deciding to take a walk, maybe clear my head with some fresh air. 

I find myself standing in front of an old building the outer shell of this building is falling down. There is dirt covering the windows (or what’s left of them). The front door swings in the wind with an ominous creak. The smell coming from inside the building reeks of mold and mildew. There is something frightening about this place, but there is something else about it too, something I can't place.

I start to walk towards the building drawn to it. I place my hands on the door pushing slightly just so I can get a better look inside. The inside of the building is just as bad as the outside. The doors lining the hallway have either fallen off the hinges or have been torn off. There are beer cans scattered about the smell of stale beer fills the air. Bits of newspaper lie strewn here and there.

There is a door marked office to my left, the door is closed. The door itself seems to be intact there are a few dents, dings, and scratches in it, the knob is gone, I push on the door. It sticks a little, but opens with a creak; just as I am about to take a step into the office, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, something is watching me. The shadows start to deepen around me. Something moves, a scream fills the air, the dream comes rushing back, the terror, the madness, the pain consume me, I run, not stopping till I get back to the office.

I can't work, the shadows in the office seem to be jumping out at me, I tell my boss I need to go home because I am not feeling well. The voice and the screams follow me all the way home.  My house looks different when I get home the normal bright colors of the flowers that have greeted me for years seem to have faded. Standing there looking at my house; a fear gripes me something is inside.  My hands start to shake dropping my keys they land with a dull thud. Reaching down to pick them up I see movement out of the corner of my eye. Looking up with a start there is nothing there.

I pick up the keys and head towards the door, my hands are shaking and my legs feel like rubber. The shadows of the porch seem to reach out to me. Fighting back the fear that threatens to consume me I reach for the door. Barely managing to keep my hands from shaking long enough for me to open the door and get inside.  Shutting the door, I lean up against it. The house is quiet; the dog is asleep on the couch. Everything is as it should be.

I turn to lock the door and stopping, there scratched all over the door “Soon” the room seemed to darken I could see the shadows moving, my legs give out. Screams fill the air there is a faint laugh it is cruel sounding. Then a voice whispers in my ear “soon”.  The world faded to black.

I don’t know how long I lay there, but I found myself curled into a little ball holding my knees to my chest. The room had grown darker the sun was setting. I laid there listening for the screams and the voice but they did not return. I forced myself to my feet my head pounding, stumbling to the bathroom I flip on the light, it burns my eyes, I push back the pain, looking into the mirror I see myself staring back my eyes have a look of madness in them.  That’s when I notice the blood.

My shirt is covered in it, it is dry I reach up to feel my chest and I feel a sharp pain right over where my heart is. I slowly pull my shirt off dreading what I might find, and there scratched into my chest is the word “Soon”. I stare in horror at the word. What do they mean?  Why is this happening to me? Am I going mad?” My reflection does not answer me. I stare into the mirror and a laugh escapes my lips, it is not a pleasant laugh it borders on madness.  I feel something brush against my leg I jump half way across the room before I realize that it was my dog wanting his nightly walk and treat.

I scratch behind his ear and put my shirt back on, I go through the house turning on every light just to keep the shadows and the darkness at bay. The fear that I felt earlier when looking into the mirror is fading a little but it remains there just under the surface, I get the leash and the treats out, putting the leash on we head out, the sun had set and the shadows that reached for me earlier today are now replaced with something else something far more sinister and evil. I hesitate at the door fearful of what might happen, even my dog who always enjoyed these nightly walks seems reluctant to leave the door way.

After a little bit, my dog whimpers and backs up. The hair on the back of his neck stands on end, I follow his lead shutting the door and locking it. I gave my dog his treat, but he would not take it continued to stare at the door growling every once in a while. He finally took the treat and very slowly crept into the bedroom almost like he was afraid something would take it way. 

Sitting there alone in my living room trying to figure out what is going on. My mind keeps coming back to the dream, what does it mean? The fear that has gripped me and kept me from thinking during the day seems to be fading. Whatever it means I won’t be afraid any longer I will face whatever it is and I won’t back down.  With that I turn off the lights in the house and laying down on the couch, knowing what waits for me in the dark.

I drift off to sleep; the dreams aren’t long in coming.

The building looms before me dark and deadly something inside calls to me, something stirs behind me the smell of death washes over me. Fear grips me for a moment I freeze tempted to let whatever evil is behind me to have its way to be done with whatever cruel game it is playing. Hot breath is on my neck, the stench is almost over bearing. Finding my voice I speak my first words to whatever it is that behind me.

“Leave me alone” I gasp. 
There is a slight chuckle behind me and then a whispering voice sounds in my ear.
“Why should we do that little one?” there is a slight pause as a scream comes from inside the building. “We have many great things planned for you! Oh the suffering you will enjoy” I can feel its hands on my arms gently stroking mine. There is something placed into my hand, looking down I see a razor blade the voice behind me speaks again softer this time “Just two little cuts and you can join us here.”

Staring blankly at the blade in my hand fear griping me, tears streaming down my face I move my hand to my other arm slowly. The thing behind tenses the blade pushes against my skin, the screams from the building become louder, full of fear and pain, and ecstasy. Falling to my knees the voice again speaks me “Just two tiny cuts and you can join us.”

My chest tightens there is no running from this thing no fighting it I should do what it wants and be done with it. I push a little harder I can feel the skin give way. The thing behind me sucks in it breath in anticipation, the screams grow louder driving me to the point of madness and despair. Rain starts to fall the thing behind me lets out its own scream a scream of pain. Barking fills the air outside of the building. I feel rough hands shaking me, slapping my face, yelling at me to wake up. Eyes flickering open I find myself staring into the face of the mailman.

“Easy there lad” he says “They almost had you” he looks around the room like he is looking for them to spring up out of nowhere. He looks down at me smiles and passes his hands gently over my face “Close your eyes lad they will not trouble you any more tonight you are safe”

My eyes close slowly sleep comes for me, the dreams do not.

When I wake up I am in my bed, my head aches and pounds and I am still wearing the clothes from the night before and I smell of alcohol. I stumble into the living room and there are beer bottles everywhere.  I stare at the front door and there are no marks there are no words scratched into it. I pull my shirt off there are no scars on my chest there is no blood.

It was all a dream, a very creepy, very scary dream. My dog glances up at me and sniffs a few times and then goes back to sleep. Looking around the house I realize that this mess is going to take a long time to clean, I decide to put it off until I feel better, and I head back to bed.

Laying down in bed, I sigh no more beer for me, just as my eyes are about to close the smell of death fills my nose, the room goes completely dark, screams fill the air, the voice from my dream whispers into my ear “Welcome home” my screams join theirs as the thing laughs in my ear.  Pain fills me; I am consumed by the darkness…..