Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-5813834-20140702153906

I woke with confusion, my vision blurred. The room I was in was completely wooden, all of it aged and rotting.

I stood, shakily glancing around, only to see a single nightstand holding a small candlestick. I went to the candle, carefully avoiding the many holes in the floorboards. Before I even reached it the entire house began to shake. The wood that covered that house fell into nothingness, leaving me alone in total darkness.

My breathing quickened. Where did that candle fall? I needed to find it quick before something happened. I scrambled on my knees on what was left of the wooden floor. I needed to find my way out of this place and quick! I felt nothing before my outstretched hand and I tumbled forward, off of the safe platform.

I screamed as loud as I could. Where was I, what was this, and where was that goddamned light! Please oh God let me get out of this darkness. Please, please, please.

After time unknowable, my descent slowed and I floated to the ground. I curled up into fetal position, shivering. Eventually I looked up and saw that there was, in fact, light in this room. I crawled towards the light, out of the black monstrosity that was the darkness. I stood near it, the world swaying in my eyes. I grabbed on the table with blurry vision and focused on the candle.

I felt the sweat drip off of my brow as I waited for my vision to finally clear. As soon as it did I quickly grabbed the candle to survey my surroundings. This time the room was rather spacious with two torches on opposite walls mirroring each other.

I hurried to one end of the room to light the first torch, only to discover that it was soaking wet– it wouldn't light if I threw it in a volcano. I then hurried over to the next torch, which was, unsurprisingly, just as wet at the other.

I shook my head, annoyed at this turn of events. This candle wouldn't last forever, and I never wanted to be in the dark again. Things always happened when the darkness came. I shivered at the mere thought of it.

With no idea what was happening, I set out to find some answers. Before leaving into the dark unknown, I searched the small drawer in the table. I was elated to find a box of matches. Matches meant I could light other things easier, which in turn meant more light and less darkness.

I put the matchbox into my jacket pocket for later and turned towards the wooden door. When I approached the door, I heard the faintest sound. I couldn't tell what it was, but my best guess was that it wasn't good and I backed off. I hurried over and hugged the side of the wall. There was no real hiding place in here so I moved carefully back into the corner. From my hiding place I was able to hear scratching at the door. It was the kind of scratching a dog does when it smells a treat behind a door, quick and feverish. My breath caught in my throat.

I suffered quietly for an hour before I began to question whether it was real or not. I held up my candle and crept towards the door, holding my breath while I attempted to gather my courage.

"It isn’t real, John,” I muttered with trembling lips.

After another minute of the incessant scratching I threw open the door. My candle's light shined into the empty hall. A faint breeze blew past me into the room and my candle flickered. I bit my lip as the flame danced back and forth until it finally stabilized. I let out a sigh of relief. For now the light would stay lit.

Stepping into the newly lit hallway I looked around. Rain pelted both sides of the hall, I could hear thunder but see no lightning. I crept along through the hall, jumping slightly at the thunder crashing outside. The red carpeted floor was soft under my feet but sunk into water as if it was over a pit.

I heard cry behind one of the many doors lining the side. I did the logical thing and pick up my pace; hoping to get out of this hall as quickly as possible. The crying stopped before I reached the door and my heartbeat quickened. I reached the door and threw it open slamming it shut behind me.

"What's wrong mister?" A little girl called out behind the door giggling. "Aren't you going to help me?"

"No, go away, you are not real." I said quietly to the strange girl.

My hands trembled when I noticed where I was. The hallway was exactly the same again. When I walked forward, the crying began again. Exactly where it began last time. I shook my head.

"This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real." I repeated over and over again.

However it was real. Real enough to open the door that was behind me. I turned around, trying to find whatever this monster was.

"Goodbye mister." The childlike voice said in my ear and blew out the candle flame.

Something knocked me down on the watery carpet. I felt pressure on my back as a small child's hand grabbed my hair and forced my into the water. I was drowning in both night and water. And the screaming! She wouldn't stop. It felt like maggots burrowing into and out of my brain.

Then I woke up, drenched in sweat and screaming at the top of my lungs.

I sat the now empty coffee cup down on the small table and asked the man. "That is my story, can you help?"

He took another sip of his coffee before setting it down.

He then replied "Perhaps, I can't get rid of these dreams in one session. You'd have to come back quite a number of times. I can kill off the memories though. You're choices are coming to therapy for weeks or taking these pills."

He goes to the nearby shelf and pulls off a small bottle of colorless pills and hands them to me. I look at the faded bottle to find out what is in it. The label is faded though and all I can make out is potassium.

"I warn you, these are experimental and I don't know the side effects. If you want to use these 'amnesia' pills then you'll need to sign this waiver." He said handing me a clip board.

I was short on money so I wouldn't be able to afford coming back to this expensive place. My only choice was to take the pills. My only choice was the wrong one.

So what do you think? Some criticism please. 