Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-27341133-20151209183620

Hello, I got my story deleted for re uploading again in the wiki. I think I am suppose to come here for a someone to review it for a deletion appeal. I had revised it over 5 times by different people. So I just want to know if it is ok enough for it to go back into the wiki. UvU Thanks if you review or appeal it to go back in.

The Darkest Truth

December 4th, 2010

All of my life, I have suffered from nightmares. These hallucinations which dwell deep in the void of my mind only to come out and torture me at the most vulnerable of hours. It’s mostly when I sleep. Some people say that because I’m blind I can’t dream, but I can. I often wonder what others dream about because when you’re blind there is nothing but darkness. Others say that because of this disability I only see black, but what I see is vibrant. I see schemes of color, and visions that only those with sight could describe. My dreams are never as pleasant as people would think. Just because I can’t see, doesn’t mean that I don’t know evil. Every night the same loathing dream haunts me. The image always seems to replay itself in my mind, showing me the precipice of my madness. The entire singularity of it all is that I am always afraid to sleep, and the lack of sleep is taking its toll on my body. My own insomniac suffering has resulted in tossing and turning. The hours tick by and before I know it, time has escaped me. When the nightmares begin I can never go back to sleep peacefully. I try, but the second my eyes close the show begins.

I find myself fighting. Fighting to stay awake, fighting to keep the nightmare away. The dream sets in, starting with me always walking in my pajamas in an open grassland of snow and ice. A cold breeze hits my body like a thousand knives. Hypothermia starts to take over me as I embrace myself hoping to keep in body warmth. A feeling of dread washes over me as I stop. In the middle of the snowfield stands a tall black figure. Everything seems to get quieter with every passing moment. The figure leaned its head towards me and as it turns around. The background behind the black figure glitches and begins to shatter like a mirror as the darkness eats away at the scenery. The floor then starts to crack and fall apart as I see the fissure get bigger. This is where the nightmare really intensifies. My heart starts to pound, I quickly sprinted away from the darkness that now seemed to follow me wherever I went. My cries for help went unanswered as the black mass chased me to the very ends of my mind.

Emotions flew and my only escape was to wake, but that was taken away from me as I quickly spun around. There, behind me, stood a tall black mass. It loomed over me, so close I felt its cold breath upon my neck. The sensation was too real, even for this nightmare. My eyes locked into place as I gazed at the black mass approaching. Then and there, my determination to wake grew ever stronger. I then, in a panic, screamed out at the top of my lungs.

“IT’S ONLY A DREAM! IT’S NOT REAL!!!"

But the fear was real and I had to find a way to wake up. The darkness followed the black figure, flowing from its form to surround me. I backed away, tripping on a rock and falling into the broken, cracked ground. I felt as if I were diving down into an endless dark abyss. I screamed as I saw the light fade away, only for me to awaken screaming and falling out of my bed. A cold sweat settled over me and my heart rate increased from the aftershocks of my bad dream. For a moment I covered my face with my hands, shaking still from the entire experience. I called out to the only person in the household.

“GRANDMA!”

With that single cry, I could hear the footsteps of my elderly grandmother hurrying up the stairs. Then I heard her coming down the hallway and opening my door in a very rude way. I could tell my grandmother was upset by the irritation she held in her breath.

“What is it this time?! This is the second week in a row, you have woken me up for your silly dreams.” She said with exasperation.

I have known that she hated me since the day of my birth, always telling me that I am nothing more than a burden upon the family. I knew for a fact that ever since I was born there has been nothing but bad things happening to me. I hear her slight growl in-between her teeth. The old woman walked into the bathroom where I kept my medication. Though my refusal to take them grew with each passing night, each nightmare grew more intense than the next. In my lingering thoughts I felt my grandmother slam the pills into my hand.

“Here are your stupid pills Adarian. Now for ONCE take them and go back to sleep. Stop waking me up for these pathetic dreams you keep having!”

I could feel the vibrations of her footsteps moving towards the door and then she slams it on the way out. The room stayed quiet for a moment and I took time to gather my thoughts. I then shook out of my trance and let my hands feel around for a glass of water to take the pills with. The pills were used to calm my anxieties and help with my insomnia. I continued to search around for a glass of water and finally gave a long sigh, realizing that my grandmother forgot to give me water for them. It did not seem to matter anyway, she never did anything for me. Why would she? She was not the kind of woman to show pity for anyone, for not only was she a cold, brooding woman she also was very religious and believed that my nightmares were just cries for attention. Which she refused to give me due to thinking I was faking my nightmares just to annoy her.

I stopped feeling around and got up off the floor. Then I stopped to listen, an ominous feeling hung over me. I shook it off not minding what was going on in my surroundings and grabbed my cane, which helped me get around, using it to tap around to feel where I was going. I soon made my way to the kitchen with some difficulty in my shocked state, but it was nothing I could not handle. I felt the cold tiles of the kitchen floor make contact with my feet as I made my way to the sink. I left my cane leaning against the wall as I felt around for a glass. I kept searching until one seemed to be put right into my hand. I stopped for a moment and questioned if it was my grandmother who gave it to me.

“Grandma?” I whispered, hoping for a response.

Nothing. There was no reply.

I asked again, but a little louder, “Grandma?!”

Still no reply. I decided to feel around for her, but to no avail. I did not feel the warmth of her body, nor anyone else for that matter. That deep, ominous feeling washed over me again. I then felt someone’s breath hitting the back of my neck.

“Grandma? Seriously, stop, okay? That is not a nice thing to do. You know 'I' can’t see you!”

I figured my grandma was doing this on purpose because she believes I am the one responsible for my mother’s death. My mother died from complications after I was born and I was left alone. The only person who would take me was my grandmother. Though, she is disrespectful to me, I still am grateful she did not give me up. She said the only reason she took me was because that was what my mother would have wanted. I always heard her say that I was the ‘bastard son of the devil himself’, but I never took into mind who my father actually was. I ignored her. Quickly, I turned and felt around with my hands for anyone who could be with me in the room. Still nothing. I grabbed the glass and filled it with water from the sink and walked as quickly as I could back to my room. In my haste, I left my cane behind, though I soon realized my mistake. A deep feeling within me dreaded going back into the kitchen, which was only a few steps behind me. I turned around and headed back feeling around to see where I had exactly left my cane. Only, the place where I left my cane behind was empty. I cursed under my breath and shuffled around searching for my cane.

“It was there. Right there!” I whispered to myself.

What was minutes felt as if they dragged out for hours? Time seemed as if it stopped while I felt around and touched one of the kitchen walls. Was it always this close? I paid no mind to it and turned around, walked forward, and bumped into another wall.

“Dammit!” I spoke softly from under my breath.

The walls felt as if they were moving. I placed my right hand on a wall and then used my left to feel around and felt another one too close for comfort. My heart quickened in pace as I slowly felt them closing in. I cried out for help.

“GRANDMA!!!!”

This time it was different, I felt awake. I knew that I was wide AWAKE. This dream felt more realistic than any other I have ever had. How was that possible?! I was unable to move. My heart, my mind, all pounded at once. I felt my very soul burning from within my body. It was as if someone was ripping out my heart. The pain was unbearable and unreal. This was not happening not while I was awake. How could I be having a nightmare while I was fucking awake?! I tried to move, but nothing seems to work. The minutes passed, I struggled to move, to snap out of it. A splash of cold water hit my face hard and I soon fell out of my induced trance. The taste of distilled water and vinegar fell into my mouth and that is when I realized, my grandmother threw her holy water at me. Goosebumps formed all over my body and the cold wet sensation of water trickled down my face. My hands shook as I felt my grandma slap me out of my trance. The force of her slap made me lose my balance and fall back. I felt a sharp pain hit my head as hard as I gasped and gripped my skull only to feel a warm liquid coming from the point where I made an impact. The thick liquid seeped down my brow and onto my face as I realized I was bleeding from an open wound that was inflicted when my head hit the sink.

“M--My head!” I cried out in pain.

My grandmother only scoffed at me.

“When you are done crying wolf clean up this mess you made and pray! Pray and hope that God forgives you for lying about being blind and sick with these useless dreams! You pathetic child.”

The old woman seems to never stop her infernal banters upon me. I knew she talked about me to the neighbors, saying how ‘I was pretending to be blind and having insomnia just for the attention’. But it was not a lie. Why would I lie about something as serious as this? Who cares, I was tired and left alone to clean up a mess I could not see. I sighed and simply felt around for a cloth to clean up the blood. The cold surface of the sink was covered in my blood. Then I felt a sharp pain hit my hand as I cut myself on the glass I was going to use to drink water from. I thought for a moment and realized that it was not the sink that cut me, but the glass cup itself that broke, leading to my head wounds. My hand shook in pain as I felt the shard of glass in my hand digging deeper into my flesh. It had to be pulled out. Left there in my agony, I gathered courage and ever so gently began to pull the shard out of the palm of my hand. The shard of glass came out quickly and I threw it aside, hearing it hit the ground with a clang.

Blood streamed down the palm of my hand and the pain intensified where the glass shard had breached in. I slowly got up and reached for the sink. Feeling around I turned on the cold water as my breath became heavier, I could feel the sting of the water hit my hand. The water only seems to turn warm and for a moment I dozed off but soon reawakened. Water abounded over from the sink and onto the tiled floor. I quickly realized what was happening and shut the water off. I rubbed my eyes in exhaustion, not realizing at first that as soon as I opened my eyes I could see. I quickly turned around and for the first time I could see the details of the kitchen. The moon’s light shined in gently through the window, but only seem to project a display of shadows from the outside that soaked in through the glass itself. I then gazed upon my shadow. The light made my silhouette stretch out immensely until the head of my shadow hit the ceiling. I observed the shadow, seeing the outline of the many shades it gives the impression to hold in its darkened pit of monochrome colors.

The more I gazed upon my shadow the more it seems to move. Then I realized that it was still growing taller. I couldn't be possibly dreaming once again. The nightmares have now manifested into my own reality as intense hallucinations of my mind. The shadow grew immense in size while it twisted and distorted into a form that seemed unreal. The shadow released a horrid ear-piercing scream. The scream projected many other voices from within it. The wails made me shudder and the shadow stretched out to try to grab me with its claws.

“Why do you keep haunting me?! Please, just leave me alone!” I chanted to myself over and over again as I gripped my hair, shaking like a helpless child.

I quickly felt around for anything that would try to ward off the shadow. I grabbed the nearest thing that my hands could possibly get a hold of, a plate from behind me in the sink and threw it at the shadow to no avail. The plate only hit the wall and shattered, it went straight through the shadow.

My legs trembled, I felt stuck in place as the shadow came closer and closer towards me. The attacks from the shadow seem to grow stronger and more mind consuming with every passing second. My eyes widened as I saw the shadow figure raise his hand and out of his form came the shape of a giant mallet. The mallet’s shadow rose over me, I saw the hands of the shadow man swing down at full force. I dodged and my senses flew high, my hands touched the wall of the kitchen. Trembling, I stuttered, my voice trying to bring out the words needed to cry out for help but I could not seem to pin them down. My tongue twisted and choked in the back of my throat as I grabbed the handle of the door to the kitchen and turned the knob. The door than flew open and I ran out of the house as quickly as I could, adrenaline pumping through my veins. My only instinct was to run. Run fast and hide. I looked behind me and saw nothing.

I took a moment to gather myself and glanced around at my surroundings. Had I somehow run this far into the woods behind my grandmother’s house and lose track of where I was going? I shuddered as I felt a chill of cold air brush up my back and from the howling of wind in the trees I believed I heard my name being whispered. Paranoia ran through me and I heard more whispers saying my name from all corners of the forest. The realization that I would not be able to escape this nightmare was even more frightening. It was the sickening reality and the fear that I may be losing my mind. I know that these visions are more than just dreams. They are ‘LIVING’ nightmares that I cannot escape from. The fear and the pain here are more real than anything I have ever experienced.

Soon the wind stopped, the sounds of the forest ceased and I cast an eye over the area. An apprehensive mood of being watched fell over me. The sound of leaves being walked on echoed in every direction of the forest. Each crunch grew louder and louder, I backed away, hoping not to meet whatever was coming towards me. The noise grating at the back of my head. With every crunch my anxiety grew, with every step I stood there in a deep fear, hoping that whatever was there would leave. Then the sounds stopped. I looked around and as soon as I turned. Something pushed me down with incredible force. I fell back and slid several feet away from where I had been standing. The crunching of the leaves commenced once more, but this time they were much more frequent. I tried to get up but was pushed again, my head hitting the cold, solid ground. I felt two hands wrap around my shoulders, the nails digging into my skin. I cried out in a hoarse voice, calling for my grandmother to no avail. “Grandma!” I cried out, my calls went again unanswered.

I was then lifted off the ground by the shoulders, my feet dangling in the air trying to reach something solid to stand on, but there was nothing there. The black mass, then held me tighter, I could feel blood running down my shoulders from its claws digging deeper into my flesh. The black mass, then started to shake me, making my body sway back and forth like some rag doll.

I shut my eyes crying, screaming, “GOD! Please, I beg of you! Make this stop!”

The force got stronger until I felt the shadow grab me by my face with both of its clawed hands squishing my face firmly. The shadow’s tongue licked my ear and whisper into it with a symphony of numerous distorted voices.

“Sssshhhhhhhhhhhh”, the shadow hushed.

At that moment I screamed at the top of my lungs. He let me go, but the shadow figure drew in closer. My senses ran high once more and I quickly searched around for something, anything to help me fight back against my demonic oppressor. I gripped on tightly to a stone and desperately tried to hit the black mass. At that moment, I felt it back off. It gave me enough time to get on my feet and start running back to the house, my face full of tears as I choked on my saliva. Blood ran down my back from where the shadow had clutched on to my shoulders. I ran all the way back to my grandmother’s house and opened the back door. Ineptly, almost tripping on the shards of the plate that I threw at the shadow earlier, I then grabbed the door and locked it. Hurrying down the hallways towards my grandmother’s bedroom, I unlocked her door, limping to her bedside dropping the stone on my way towards her bed. My tears would not stop flowing as I pleaded to my grandmother to wake up. Who would have thought that at that single moment my vision began to blur. I blinked once, twice and then darkness. I could not see any more. In that split moment I realized that I must have been sleep walking only to awake here. I shuddered, feeling around to only find my grandmother still in bed. My hands trembled as I called out for her help.

“G-Grandma I-I am scared. I think that I need my medication please. It’s g-getting worse and I am scared, G-Grandma?” I stuttered for a moment.

Feeling where she lay, I slowly reached around and searched for her hands, finally I found them. I felt around some more and touched her face as I did my heart sank to the pits of my stomach. Her entire head presented to be bashed by a heavy blunt object, as if someone came in and slammed something heavy down upon her, breaking her head like it was nothing. I felt her soft flesh all over the pillow, her blood ran down my hands and through my fingers like it was Jello.

“G-GRANDMA!” I screamed in a panic.

I unexpectedly heard the sound of people running. I could hear my name be called out by one of my neighbors named Jason. I overheard banging on the door and then it being torn down by him. Jason’s heavy footsteps carried all the way upstairs, closer and closer they got, his voice growing intense with more authority in it. I swiftly turned hearing him call my name one more time, then silence. Jason’s heavy breathing, then twisted into shutters of disbelief. He backed up a few steps and I then realized, I had my grandmother’s blood on me. I could not see where Jason was but I could hear him as clear as day. I pleaded, my eyes filled with tears from the experience that overshadowed me all night. Quietly I got on my knees pleading with Jason that I did not kill my grandmother.

“Please, it’s not what it looks like. THIS WAS HIS DOING! I would NEVER do this! Please believe me Jason!” I felt his hand on my cheek, the sirens of police cars approaching from the distance.

I felt Jason’s hand leave my cheek. I gripped my hair, rocking back and forth, repeating that I did not murder my only family member. The footsteps of the policemen were heavy. I heard multiple officers push Jason aside and then felt one of them quickly grab me by my arm and pin me down. A gun was put against my head as I screamed, struggling to convince them I did not do it.

“I DID NOT DO IT!!! IT WAS HIM! IT WAS THE SHADOWMAN! YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME!” I screamed.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do will be held against you in the court of law”, the officer screamed to me.

I trembled under the pressure and for a moment, feeling truly alone. The police officer cuffed me, then picked me up from under my arm. Tears flowing from my red, swollen eyes ever so slowly as I was pulled away and put into the back of the police car. I heard the sirens go off and the mumbles from the other officers. One officer started up the engine which whirred loudly as I was taken to the police station. I leaned against the window, hearing nothing but the common talk of the two officers deciding what to do with me. Jail most likely. Time passed and we finally reached the station. I was taken out and felt the police officer grab me with force from the back of the police car and lead me into the station. All I could hear in my surroundings were phones ringing in the police station among the chattering of officers. My blind eyes remained irritated and stinging from all the crying they endured and only more suffering would follow. I was then taken a jail cell and thrown inside like some damned street dog. I sat down upon, the cold hard floor feeling the concrete wall from behind my back. That is when I finally let go. I began to cry out everything that has happened to me for the rest of the night. My nightmares, the shadow who loomed over me and my grandmother’s untimely death. I slumped over my tears streaming down my face. How was I going to explain this to anyone? They would consider me clinically insane. My fears, then would become reality the next morning.

December 5th, 2010 - Court Day

I was scheduled to go into court and to be tried as an adult for the murder of my grandmother. There I sat in the pew of the courtroom alone and scared; being put on trial for something I did not do. The pain was almost too real as I told my story, pleading to the Judge that it was not me, I was not the one who committed the murder that it was the shadow man in my home. The same shadow who haunted my dreams turning my nightmares into reality. The judge then stared at me long and hard. The attorney then presented evidence going against my hearing and deeming me criminally insane and unfit to go to a normal prison. The evidence he presented to state that I had a critical case of insomnia and showed anti-social behavior which lead to me being a possible schizophrenic and hearing voices, seeing hallucinations, which directed me into killing my grandmother. The jury soon decided on the verdict and I was deemed guilty of murder in the third degree.

My judgement was set, and the court was over as it soon began. I was taken away, struggling under the stress of the officers who then transferred me to an institution for the criminally insane. I was placed in a room where the walls and floors were cushioned on all four sides. This truly was a nightmare, but at the same time comforting. I was tired and for the first time I wanted nothing to do but sleep. There was nothing more that could be done. I was here, I was tried, and I was guilty. Maybe I did kill my grandmother, maybe this was where I truly belong. This was my world, this was my reality, my own nightmare that I sank to far into. All I can think is that there is another world. That there is a better world. Well, there must be if this is to be my demise.

January 7th, 2015

Five years passed and I remained in my prison of cushioned walls. My nightmares have ceased ever since that day my grandmother was murdered by the shadow man. I was 14 then, now I’m 19, a young man already. I heard the sound of the door to the room open and the voice of one of the institution’s guards. Drowsy and confused, I stirred awake and lifted my head from the wall I leaned against. I recognized the strong hands of some of the guards that picked me up from the ground and stand me up to my feet. I slowly began to walk and leave the room, feeling a cool breeze from the hallway hitting my face. Dazed, I was led down a series of hallways, hearing people talking, and then put into another room that I was forced to sit in. The cold metal chair sent quivers up and down my spine. I heard the door open and someone walk into the room I occupied. From where I sat I could feel the guards untie me from my restraints of my straight jacket. I felt. For the first time in a long time, freedom. My hands gently touched the table that was in front of me. I perceived the man sitting on the other side speak to me in a stern voice.

“Well, Mister Mallory. You are looking well. How are you feeling?” The man questioned me.

I remained silent and unsure if I even should answer this stranger or even associate with him, but something deep inside made me speak up.

“DEFINE, feeling. I have been here in this shit hole for five whole years and NO ONE believes me”, I felt around my surroundings, trying to make sense of it all amidst the tapping of the man’s fingernails.

“Well Mr. Mallory that is what I am here for. Your case has been disregarded many times and I am proud to say you could not have done the deed. How could a blind child of 14 even think to commit such a murder? We have strung all leads and have one witness, a mister Jason I believe, saw you screaming out in the woods in the back of your house. Your grandmother was found to have died way before you entered the room. She was killed by an immense object that inflicted blunt force trauma to the head. The stone that was found at the crime scene was tested and could have only provided enough force to merely break her nose. The murder weapon we researched after by our forensics team is supposed to be a giant hammer of some sort.”

I remained silent. The man had described everything I was trying to tell these people all along. Deep down I could feel the beginning of a new emotion, one that I had not felt for so long. My eyes swelled up with tears, I knew that this was it. I was proven innocent after my long imprisonment, it was finally over. I wiped my tears and felt the man place his hand onto my shoulder and grip it tightly as I breathed slowly. The man leaned into my face, I could hear his raspy breaths through his voice.

“Congratulations, you are free to go home. And for your troubles, a specialist would like to see you and help you fix your eyesight. A little compensation for all you have been through”, the man explained.

I remained silent and grasped my shirt, confused by the man.

“B-But why? Why are you being so-?”

“So nice?” The man questioned, “Because it is the only right thing to do to make up for all of your pain and sorrows. The judged figured this was a good way for you to start anew.”

I felt his hand move away and gasped at the news. I was soon taken from the room and given clothes to wear, from there I was put in a vehicle and taken to the eye specialist. Everything happened so fast, one change in my life turned out to be more than I could ever hope for. I finally arrived at the hospital where the eye doctor was waiting and I was put in the examination room before being checked for the problem that caused my blindness. Once checked out and set up the doctor gave me the okay to go ahead with laser surgery that would help fix my eyes. A month passed after the procedure and the day finally came where I would have my bandages removed. I sat in bed, still trembling with anticipation, wondering if the surgery even worked. I heard the door to my room open and then the doctor’s voice.

“Well Mr. Mallory. You seem to be doing great today. You are in good health, so let’s see about those bandages shall we?”

The doctor slowly gripped the bandage by the end and start to unravel it off my head slowly. It came off cleanly and at that instant I slowly opened my eyes. A glimmer of light and vibrant colors percolated into my gaze as my vision tried to focus. My eyes took time to adjust as I rubbed them, but my sight finally settled in as I stared at the doctor smiling at me. I examined the environment and took in every pigment the room had to offer, the doctor beaming at me as I gazed back at him with tears in my eyes.

“Thank you.” I spoke out on the verge of crying.

The doctor stared at me and did nothing but smile.

“We are going to discharge you today from the hospital. We have a cab waiting for you to take you anywhere you would like to go. He has already been paid, do not worry.”

I saw the doctor leave my room and then nurse then came in and checked me over once more before releasing me. Night fell soon after I was discharged from the hospital, I got into the yellow cab and smiled at the driver, telling him the directions on where I would like to go. The cab driver looked at me through the rear view mirror and nodded silently before the car then sped off down a long, busy road which led into a quiet suburban neighborhood. I observed from one place to another and saw the cab slow down in front of an old two-story house. Its windows boarded up since the glass had been broken. I slowly got out of the cab and gazed around, taking in the atmosphere. The yard was littered with trash and weeds as tall as my waist grew out from the ground. The old trees gave it a sort of desolate impression to it. I slowly grasped the old wooden gate, its paint chipped and faded gave the house a depressed appearance. I put my hands in my jacket and walked towards the estate. I gripped the doorknob, slowly turning the handle, only to find it open.

As I eyed inside the old home I saw nothing but furniture with white sheets over them and leaves scattered onto the tiled floor. I tiptoed inside and looked into the kitchen and quickly gasped at what I had seen on the floor. A broken plate lay by the door frame, left over from when I threw it at the shadow who haunted me for so long. My heart rate increased and I quickly made my way down the hallway to the room where my grandmother slept. Though I was blind at that time I still remembered what direction to go in now that I had my sight. I tentatively stepped forward towards the broken door, busted from where the cops had rammed against it to look inside. My grandmother’s bed was empty, but the bed sheets were still crumpled from where her body once laid.

I looked around the room, searching the entire house for some clues as to what made the events conspire that night many years ago. I finished searching the entire house, all clean except the attic. I made my way towards it and saw the stairway door. I firmly gripped the doorknob and opened it. On the other side was a small staircase leading up to the attic loft. I looked through the crack in the door and heard something fall from on top of the stairs. I jumped, only to see a silver bell roll down and hit my foot. I slowly kneeled down and examined the bell as I walked up the flight of stairs to the top. As I gazed at the silver trinket I shook it to hear a sweet chime coming from within. I blinked and squinted back at it again as I thought I saw a silhouette of someone behind me, but as I looked again there was nothing there.

Quickly, I turned around and gasped as I jumped back. A doll with pink hair was sitting on top of the shelf, her amber toned eyes held a blank, translucent stare that would make you get lost in her gaze forever. I picked up the doll from the shelf and saw her holding a cassette tape in her hand. Anxious, I grabbed the tape from her little hand and examined it. It was labeled with a name that looked to have been scratched out. I placed the doll back onto the shelf and backed away, sitting down on an old rocking chair covered in dust. Beside me, I saw an old tape player sitting on top of the nightstand. I leaned forwards, grabbed the tape player, and stared at the cassette tape before inserting the cartridge into the player. Unsure of what it would hold, I pressed play.

'To my mother, Cecelia Antoinette,

You may or may not get this, but I need you to do me a favor. I fear I will not last long. My baby is about to be born, and well, once he is, he will be delivered to you. Expect him to arrive at noon. I only have a week’s time left. This is a true nightmare; this is my sin. Neither I nor you can put the blame on this child, because this was my own doing. I made a deal with the devil himself and I have my own selfishness to blame. I only wished for a child of my very own. I prayed to the Lord to bless me with one every night but no avail. In my impatience I turned to the dark arts, hoping for anyone's help. This 'being' who heard my prayers went by the name of Night Terrors. He heard my pleas and promised me the blessings of a child and much more. I was overwhelmed, no one had bothered to help me before. My long search was over and from that day forward, he did what he said he would do. Afterwards, I began to have problems sleeping. Night after night it grew worse. From the lack of sleep, I began to have horrible nightmares. They became more intense and I believed that this was my punishment from God, but no. This was far more than that. I only wished to rest, but that demon, Night Terrors, never lets me sleep. His entire being made sense, from when he and I met to that very moment. He told me he would bless me with so much more. Upon asking what he was, he had disappeared, and I realized too late that I have disobeyed God's one commandment. Night Terrors asked me for my entire being. My soul, my life. Everything. I went to God asking for atonement, begging for forgiveness, and this in turn angered the demon. I went against his wishes and now I am to pay the greatest price. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this sooner mother. But, I clearly made a mistake. I know you will hate me and never forgive me after hearing this, but if I truly disappear or die, please understand it was because of my mistake. I want you to grant me mercy. I love my baby so much, I do not want to see him suffering. So please. I want you to take care of my child. I screwed up, and I’m terribly sorry.’

My heart pounded, my blood ran cold, and a sweat formed all over my body.

“What is this? What kind of joke is this!? How would the woman in this tape know my grandmother’s name?! Why would my grandma keep this in her possession? How long was this up here?!” I questioned to myself.

My entire reality came crashing down around me and my thoughts raced, trying to come to terms with what was on the tape. I couldn’t think straight. My palms grew sweaty and my mouth went dry. The tape kept playing, but only the sound of static came out from the speakers of the tape player. I didn’t want to hear any more of what may be on it. As I was about to turn the tape player off a distorted and almost inaudible male voice could be heard from within the static. It was deep, and I could hear my name being called out in a regale tone.

“AAAAAAAdddddaaaaaarrrriiiiaaaannnnnn.”

The voice distorted, overtaken by the wailing of other screams coming from the speakers. My heart raced faster and faster, I grabbed a lamp that stood on the nightstand next to me and began smashing the tape player to bits. Pieces of it flew all over to room as bits of plastic dropped to the floor. I stopped myself, heart pounding with anxiety as I shook. Hugging myself, I fell back onto the rocking chair. I calmed gradually and moved my head towards the crushed tape that was on the floor, looking at the faded label once more.

I questioned myself and then finally realized the woman in this tape was my, “Mother.”

All my life ‘He’ has haunted me. All of my nightmares and my suffering. Everything came from ‘Him’. Night Terrors was the source for everything. I threw the remaining pieces of the tape player to the ground and screamed in anguish, tears swelling up in my eyes when the truth finally began to sink in. “Oh God. I cannot believe, him and my mother. Just to have me. She- Oh God NO!!! Please NO!” I gripped my hair, shaking. For a while it remained silent, until I heard someone laughing at me from behind.

My eyes slowly gazed towards whomever, I heard laughing at me from behind. As I turned a small silver bell rolled out from the corner of the attic. I leaned in, picked it up from the dusty floor and examined the bell to see strands of blue hair still attached to it. I lifted the bell into the moonlight, I heard a cackling laugh emanate from behind me once more. Enraged, I immediately turned around and saw nothing, only the little pink haired doll who I took the tape from. I gazed back at her with displeasure and noticed that she was not in the same place that I left her in. Her head was turned to the darkest corner of the attic and her soft amber colored eyes peered into the dark corner. I fortified myself turning my head to the left to see what she was looking at. There, standing in the corner, was a tall shadow which glared back at me with blazon, multicolored eyes of indigo and magenta.

The demon flashed towards me and in the darkness I could see his grotesque features. He stood over me, slumped down, grinning a horrid twisted smile. His spiraled horns that protruded out from his head where his messy, long, black hair fell to the bottom of his back. I backed away as he grew ever closer and panted heavily. His facial features were barely noticeable in the darkness, but the moonlight contributed an adequate amount of light to show at least a part of his face. The features was that of a skull and I noticed that he had three eyes blinking on his neck as well as spikes jutting out from his shoulders. His darkened, indigo skin displayed the imprints of human faces. The faces all carried heavy expressions of torment and I could hear their wails of beleaguered screams. His eyes glowered at me with such malevolence that I quickly grabbed the lamp I used to smash the tape player and threatened the demon to not come any closer.

“Stay away from ME!” I screamed out in desperation, but all he did was laugh. The demon gave me a contemptuous smirk as he gawked at me holding the lamp, clapping his hands together. The voices of many then spoke out from his mouth in unison. Black mist percolated forth with every word he spoke.

“I am the Weaver of Dreams, the source of your very existence. I am the heart of all Darkness, the origin of all Nightmares, and the devourer of Death!” Night Terror’s perverse grin turned into something far more callous than what it already was as he spoke.

His grin turned into a grimace filled of animosity, his eyes distended in ire. I backed away and tried to run down the stairs in my panic, but I felt a force push me down hard. Winded and trying to reclaim the air into my lungs everything took a turn for the worse. I turned my head to gaze behind me and saw the demon walking towards me. The shutters rattled as he approached me, his form changed back and forth from Night Terrors and then as a man he stepped between the shadows and the light from the attic windows. Then to a woman and then to a small child with every spasm of moonlight, until finally the shutters slammed closed. I felt around, crawling on the dusty floor until the moonlight flooded the room once more. I stopped and shook profoundly, looking up to find him scowling down at me. His appearance was now different, he seemed to be dressed like a royal court jester. His wild blue hair was pulled up into three ponytails and as he glared at me, I noticed his cheeks had purple circles on each side. Black lines extended from underneath both of his eyes, his clothing was faded in neon colors. Purple, black, magenta and teal. He wore a purple belt that had a blue jester skirt adorned with bells attached to the skirt’s ends. As he stooped towards me, his black, elf like, knee-high boots stomped down on my hand. I bawled in agony as he snickered, grabbing me and grinning from ear to ear. His sophisticated stare turned into one that radiated his true colors, that of insanity itself. His shark-esque teeth showed great maliciousness as he propped closer. When his cold breathe hit my face I froze in fear.

And within that second, the whole attic suddenly went black and I was free of his grip. Once again, I had lost my sight. But I was used to having no vision, I decided to extend my arms and try to at least sense where I was going. It was just like that nightmare I had five years ago, however, I knew that things were even worse this time. The first thing I noticed was that beneath my feet I felt a puddle of liquid, possibly water. Then something strange was crawling along my leg. I jumped, freaked out because it felt like a centipede crawled up my leg. Then a new bigger, sensation, followed. But this one had no legs, it was slithering itself around me. My legs started to tremble anxiously as I attempted to flee. But it clung so tightly around my legs I fell. Panicking, I pushed the unknown creature off, got to my feet, and started running. I didn’t know where to run, or if there was even anywhere to go. I just wanted to get away. I feel the liquid still splashing with every stride I made and I doubted it was water like I originally thought because it produced a foul odor of decay. The floor beneath me was slippery, I ended up falling down hard on the wet ground. Trying to get up, my hands pressed into the soaked floor. My right hand found something solid. It felt like a face. Like I was trying to push somebody out of the way by pressing against their face. Shoving them. But in this case the face felt small, like a baby. I felt its mouth open against my palm. I heard it breathing and then a baby's cry shot forth from its maw. I jumped back and landed on my bottom, juddering in shock. A tiny hand was scratching my elbow weakly and I jerked away, making a small sporadic scream in the process. More and more hands started tugging on my limbs and clothes. The sound of screams and cries of pain echoed around me. I sobbed uncontrollably. This literally felt like I suddenly died and went to hell. I just wanted this nightmare to end. I was scared, helpless, and didn’t even know what to do anymore. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. And at that moment of realization, I saw a single spotlight. I ran towards it. The blinding light pierced my eyes, but I saw it slowly fading away. I heard the demonic jester cackle amidst and the voices of children. Broken, I succumbed into the blanket of darkness with only the voices of children there to greet me.

“Welcome Home.” 