A sense of dread

I have to write this down. Something strange is going on here. I should have never moved in. My new apartment is on the west side of this old building, which if I remember rightly used to be the old staff quarters. As a 'number' we weren't allowed in this area. If we were caught playing there we would be punished. In fact, some of us weren't seen again. It still gives me shudders to think about it, but that's what happened.

Day #1

I woke up with a burning sensation in my nose. My nasal passages felt raw and stingy and just touching them made my eyes water. I switched on the bedside lamp as I sat up and reached for a tissue, dabbing it lightly against my nostrils. The appearance of blood prompted me to go to the bathroom. Stepping out of bed, my foot grazed something smooth, cold and hard on the floor. I bent down to pick it up and discovered that it was an old dusty empty brown bottle. The cap was stiff to open but once it turned the same smell permeated the air irritating my nose again.
It puzzled me as to where the bottle came from but I remembered the smell. It took me back to an incident when Layla and I had snuck into the staff quarters and found a wooden box. It had small vials of blood in it and I was just about to take the empty one out when we were caught. As punishment, the nurse with the black eyes held us down and poured antiseptic up our noses to make us choke.

Day #2

After a heavy day of unpacking and moving furniture, I was glad to climb into bed. Coming to in the night, I woke up with a horrible taste in my mouth. I could feel my tongue rubbing on some gel like sticky substance in mouth, my teeth felt coated and the taste was very familiar. Fear rising, I rushed to the bathroom. Switching on the light, I projected the contents of my mouth into the sink. I watched the red and pink blobs slide down the basin. Hunched over the sink I glanced at the floor and noticed a bar of soap lying there. Picking it up with my trembling hands I gasped as I saw that half of the bar looked like it had been eaten.

My mind transported me back to when I was thirteen. Layla and I were on dish duty in the dining room. We were supposed to be clearing the dinner plates but instead we had snuck out the backdoor to smoke cigarettes behind the shed. We were caught coming back into the building. The nurse with the black eyes punished us again. I remember her yelling 'this will teach you to put cigarettes in your mouth' as she ground the carbolic soap against my gritted teeth. That was the last time I saw Layla.
The atmosphere in the apartment has changed. The air feels heavy and thick. I'm convinced the floorboards are creaking and I'm sure I can hear tapping on the walls. I'm telling myself that my mind is just playing tricks on me. It is an old building after all. Night is coming and I am dreading going to bed.

Day #3

I dreamt that I was ten again. Layla and I had snuck into the staff quarters to dance to one of the nurses' record players. We giggled as we twisted, turned and sang along to Vera Lynn. Remembering there was a wooden box, I peered under the bed to find it but I was suddenly yanked out by the legs, my chin hitting the floor. Silence filled the room and I looked up to see the nurse glaring menacingly at us. Her eyes danced with fire and her mouth was slightly ajar showing a row of what looked like razor sharp teeth. I woke with a scream just as I felt myself being yanked out of bed with such force.

The pain seared through my legs as I lay there on the floor in absolute terror wondering at what had just happened. My head was pounding from smacking it on the dresser and hot liquid seeped from between my legs and onto my nightie. Pulling myself into a sitting position I felt something sticky running down my calves. I glanced at the clock and noted that once again it was 3.33 am. Rocking back and forth I shivered with fear as I listened to the tapping and creaking. With my head in my hands I sobbed until daylight.
Dark bags had appeared under my eyes as I inspected myself in the mirror. The lack of sleep was certainly taking its toll. Looking down at my legs I saw deep scratches followed by bruising around my ankles. What was happening to me?

Day #4

On Thursday, I tried to stay awake for as long as I could. I had just finished watching my TV program when I could feel my eyelids getting heavier. I had just lain down on the sofa when I could hear the faint sound of music coming from the bedroom. With my mouth dry and my heart racing, I made my way to the bedroom and pushed the door open.
Vera Lynn was singing 'We'll meet again' over the stereo. With my hands trembling, I reached down to unplug it only to find that it wasn't plugged in! The music stopped abruptly and I didn't fancy hanging around to see what happened next so I sprinted into the living room and slammed the door shut behind me.

Day #5

Another sleepless night. I am so jumpy these days. I constantly feel as though I am being watched and I can feel the coldness in the apartment as it follows me from room to room. I found a vial of blood on the kitchen work top today.

Night is here...