Mind Ruse

I found myself in an empty room, no furniture in sight. The walls were completely bare, except the occasional spots where dusty, gray pieces of paint were chipped off. I briefly wondered how I'd arrived, but all thoughts were drowned out by the unmistakable sensation of terror that overwhelmed me. I just knew I wasn't safe and I needed to find my way out of that dreary place. The only way out of there was a door across the room. There was no way of telling whether or not it was locked.

I suddenly became aware of an unidentifiable presence in the room. Chills ran up and down my spine as my eyes settled on the malevolent looking figure in the corner. Its features stood out against the light-colored wall, illuminated by the sole, fluorescent light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

The man—or creature—in the corner was completely wrapped in what appeared to be old, white sheets. This attire made him take on the appearance of a mummy. I studied the ragged pieces falling in patches around his body, and noticed how they revealed black holes. It was as if nothing was holding up the loose figure of a man under those sheets. The worst part of it was his eyes, which held nothing. They were like pits of black space and I felt almost compelled by them. I knew, without a moment's hesitance, that this man was my captor.

He sat motionless against the wall. There was no way of telling whether or not he was asleep. I wanted to get up, but I was still too stricken with fear to even attempt an escape.

"Well now, are you just going to sit there and do nothing, or must I do everything myself?" The voice came out of nowhere. It was quick and light but definitely a man's voice.

I searched the room for any signs of life, besides myself and the thing that was supposedly guarding me. I came up with nothing. The room was still bare. Had I imagined the voice? Was my mind playing tricks on me, trying to make sense of the situation I had laid before me?

"Obviously it will have to be the latter," I heard the voice sigh.

Suddenly, the door across the room was on fire, burning rapidly through the growing flames. I began to panic. It was slowly becoming more and more engulfed in flames. I covered my mouth with my loose top so as to block the incoming smoke.

As fast as the fire had started, the door quickly dissolved into a pile of ash. The newly emptied doorway revealed a tall man—about six feet or so—standing with his hands triumphantly settled on his hips.

He stood with a lean stature, dressed in black attire. His hair was disheveled, with uneven strands sticking out in every direction. It was blacker than the night sky.

Though he'd just provided me with an escape route, I wasn't sure if I could trust him. I'd never seen this man before and suddenly he was offering his help. It seemed a little suspicious to me.

"You there," he pointed a long finger in my direction, keeping the other hand firmly at his hip, "Are you going to just sit there, or are you coming with me? Tick-tock, my dear."

"W-who are you?" I asked. My voice was weak and scared. I stole a quick glance at the thing residing in the corner. It remained still, but I stayed in my position.

The man followed my gaze to the creature and his face immediately changed to one of amusement.

He waved the thing away, as if it had no importance at all. "Don't worry about that," he chuckled as if I was being silly, "The only enemy here is your mind. See?"

In one quick motion, the strange man had advanced on the creature and simply kicked it over. The once deformed figure of a man fell to the ground in a small pile of sheets, letting out a whoosh of air.

I looked at the man in shock, my mouth wide open. Could I have possibly made it up in my head?

"Was I ever in any danger?" I asked incredulously.