Nightmares

As I slowly awoke, the first thing I noticed was absolute darkness, followed by the fear ‘Where am I? What happened? How did I get here?’ A million terrified thoughts running in a million different directions. ‘Stop’ I told myself forcefully, ‘stop and try to figure this out.’ I began to take note of my position and surroundings. I was lying on what I presumed to be forest ground; I could hear the leaves crackle underneath me and the trees whisper menacingly in the wind. Then I noticed the smell; it smelt of mold, blood, and something I immediately recognized as decaying flesh. My heart rate skyrocketed and a dagger of icy fear stabbed deep into my gut. I shot to a sitting position and gasped as a wave of dizziness and nausea overtook me; my head was pounding, pain radiating from right above my left ear. I raised my hand to the spot and felt something warm and liquid. Slowly, I brought my trembling hand to my mouth and tasted the unmistakable coppery tang of blood. Before I had time to process this, my head whipped around at the sound of a footstep in the leaves, I screamed from the electric pain now reverberating in my head from the small movement and utter terror which consumed me. Another step, another shot of pain, another scream, then I fell into the darkness.

When I once again regained consciousness, I was in immense pain and chained to a wall. I struggled violently but the handcuffs held tight, chaffing my wrists and pulling at my shoulders. I cried out; my pain echoed loudly in the small room. Tears poured down my cheeks as I whimpered, praying to God for someone to rescue me or for me to die so the pain would stop. I heard creaking and saw a beam of light enter the dark room; my eyes sought out the source as I cowered to the unforgiving wall. I saw figure, a man holding a lantern. I chocked back a scream and tried desperately to get closer to the wall in a vain attempt to avoid being seen, but the man kept coming in my direction. As he approached me I saw his face; he had dark hair and darker eyes, his skin was pale, his jaw square and his nose slightly crooked. I relaxed slightly as I noticed his look was one of concern. “Are you alright?” he asks “Are you hurt?” The earlier struggling and screaming had drained my energy all I could do was nod.
“That must not be comfortable” he remarks as he grabs a key off a nearby shelf which I had failed to notice during my struggle. He unlocks the rusty metal chains and catches me when I fall to the ground.
“Can you walk?” he questions gently. I shake my head no
“Ok” he nods. He grips my waist supporting almost all of my weight and we walked toward the center of the room. “You must be tired” he says.
I am so exhausted I can barely pay attention to him and my vision is blurring, I can’t even muster the energy to nod. We arrive in front of a bed ‘how did that get there’ I briefly wonder, but I am beyond caring at this point. I lie down on the soft mattresses
“Get some rest” the mystery man whispers. I hear the door gently shut, and then I am gone.

“What are you doing here? Why aren’t you chained up you filthy little rat?” a malicious voice half spits half growls at me. He has both my arms in his vice like grip and he is shaking me viciously.
I cry out in pain.
One hand lets go of my arm only to slap my face. “I asked you a question! Answer me!” he demands.
My mind is all jumbled up; I can’t think or see straight. I try to focus my vision as his face swims into sight, I involuntarily gasp in horror- it is the same man who helped me to the bed earlier. I stutter and in shock and terror I manage to get out a strangled
“Who are you?”

My eyes open wide in panic and I jolt up to a sitting position panting and covered in sweat. I get my bearings and realize I am in my own bed, safe. I relax and try to calm my erratic heartbeat and breathing. It was the same nightmare I have been having for months, every since it happened. I am now almost healed, physically at least. I look around to see what awoke me, because usually the nightmare continues until I feel the cold metal blade against my throat, shortly before the cops had burst in, freed me, and taken my crazy captor to jail. As I survey the room I notice something in the corner ‘it’s just my dog’ I think and lay back down.

The voice slithers from the corner and admonishes “Silly Girl, I told you I would come for you.”