Enigma

Date Night pt.3

Tony!! Help me!! Tony!!!

I slowly opened my eyes to find myself still strapped in my car seat, just a few meters before falling off the cliff right in front of me. I kept gasping for air as if my lungs are severely damaged, I looked over to the passenger seat... Gone. Ellie's gone. I looked behind and noticed that the door behind her seat was open, maybe Ellie went out and called for help? I looked in front once again, took a second to think about what I should do to get out whilst trying to avoid total death. I breathe slowly, thinking of a strategy, then a bulb lit inside my mind. I tried to test if I could move my body properly- My right arm seemed to be fine, although there is a slight pain that could be felt, I could work through it. My left shoulder shot pain through my whole body like fire. The pain was like needles dipped in alcohol is being shoved through my skin, it wired strong electricity straight into my spine as I tried to move my left arm. I groaned as I felt the pain being shot at my whole body, I puffed and puffed air into my lungs, trying to control my breathing and my mind once again. I reached for the glove box and grabbed a handkerchief, carefully and slowly, I lifted my left leg and wrapped the handkerchief around the steel piece sticking out of my left thigh. I sucked in deep breaths, recoiling the enlightenment that I gave myself a while ago. It's going to be fine, it's going to be fine... That'll just be a walk in the park... In a swift motion, I tightened the knot, I squealed in pain, fighting back the tears but they refused to be fought. I whimpered and shivered in pain as I struggle to breathe. Suddenly, I heard a faint voice, calling my name, calling for help... Until the voice became clear to me. It was Ellie!

Ten seconds passed... Twenty... Thirty... Forty... The pain started to pull back which gave me enough time to force myself out of the vehicle. I slowly unbuckled my seat belt and opened the door, I froze before I could even put my leg out when the car wobbled back and forth. Without a single second to lose, I jumped out of the car and fell on the wet and mushy ground, reeling in the pain once again, I groaned and palpitated, grabbing my left arm. The car made a rickety sound and fell onto the cliff, I heard it crash below in not less than 7 seconds. The fresh wounds still oozed blood with the entire left of my body wearing purple-yellow bruises and bloody cuts. It hurt so bad that I could hardly see clearly where I am. I absorbed the trauma and the pain going through me and kicked my way slowly back up. I kept walking at the same pace, unsteadily, like I was so drunk that I kept staggering as I try to look for the highway.

The moon is above me; clouds began to scatter all over the sky as the wind gust, brushing past my open wounds. I kept stopping whenever the wind hits my skin; it kept sending shivers all over my body. I could feel blood seeping from the cut in my left leg. The pain that I kept enduring, never left neither my body nor my brain, like a sharp-toothed, starving creature devouring me from the inside. It felt like I was walking for an hour now. Not a moment later, I began to feel shock waves of nauseating pain deep in my stomach- I stopped for a moment as I started coughing and vomiting blood. I made a low growl again, straining to continue walking.

I began to see things unbelievable. I was hallucinating; The trees around me, in this dark forest, began to dance in a waving pattern, all nicotine-brown started glowing. The musty air began to be difficult to breathe. In the dense and darkest depths of the shadows, spiders clutched their prey; its' webs shimmers like steel. The forest was old and otherworldly- clumpy combs of moss dangle in their rotten boughs. I started to see silhouettes of naked women: Their hairs are greasy and knotted, they have thin, bloodless lips curled up into huge, eerie smiles, and skin of colorless palls. They were gobbling on fresh meat and grinding on bones, salivating over their kill, smearing the blood on their faces and spider-like bodies. It was a teeth-gritting illusion. I bit my tongue with the hopes of getting my sanity back to normal as the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. The decaying air and the haunting atmosphere provided the perfect dwelling place for those who worshipped the darkness. Whether you are prey or predator, only the forest would be able to hide your deepest, darkest, and most hideous thoughts and motives. It was a forest to be avoided.

I closed my eyes and counted. One... Two... Three... Let the poison surrounding you disperse, Four... Five... Six... Ignore the noise of the illusions around you. Seven... Eight... Nine... You are going to look for Ellie and get the fuck out of this place, Ten... Ignoring the pain burning in my flesh and the horrendous feasting of the ladies, I moved as quickly and quietly as I possibly could, jamming my knees to endure and walk. I kept walking, but I am unsure where to. I could hear how loud and fast my heart is beating. I wanted to stop however, I couldn't. The wind kicked up, whistling through the trees- the cold wind seeped through my body, making the hairs on my arms, legs, and neck stand up. The ground felt like quicksands with every step I took felt like I was being sucked on the ground. 

"Tony!!! Help me!!!"

I heard it. Not so far from me this time. I froze and placed my attention on the voice that shouted my name, the echo of the forest that kept growing wider and wider until there was nothing but silence. I listened again; nothing. Suddenly, I heard a scream so clear that I could tell that it was her, crying and pleading with someone to let her go. Maybe those witches deep in the woods wanted to eat her? Maybe a wild animal is trying to attack her? Then, it came to me, the horrific realization of what might be happening. It might be the Bryer City Murderer. I felt the blood left in me seized to circulate. My chest tightened as I sprinted towards the wailing voice of Ellie before the forest could mask the echoes trying to reach me. It hurts everywhere. My legs hurt, my arms hurt, my head hurts, everything hurts too much that I couldn't acknowledge the thought of being careful not to waste ounces of blood. My eyesight began to blur as I started hearing faint sounds of bells, still, I kept walking towards the echoes of Ellie's voice- even if it's not clear enough for me to tell that I was heading in the right direction.

I could hear her, closer, just a little more. But as I thought I was finally closer to seeing her, everything went silent. I could feel the sound of the howling winds brushing through the trees as it covers the light of the moon. I looked around, scanning every piece of Ellie I could find; maybe her necklace, a hair tie, a part of her dress torn, anything that might be significant to her. But, to my luck, I could see nothing. Her wailing disappeared, her screams flew away unseen as the wind. Just as I was about to cry in despair, I heard a cackle- laughter just a few inches from me. It wasn't Ellie's. It was low and menacing, frightening even. My heartbeat louder and louder as if it wanted to leave my chest. The laughter surrounded me like the forest- everywhere I turned to, I could hear it. 

Suddenly I felt a hard punch on my back near my ribcage...

"Who's there?!" I shouted. I felt fluid trailing on my back. I thought it might be water droplets from the leaves above me due to the rain, but the fluid felt sticky and warm. I reached for my back and felt that something was sticking out of it; I pulled it out, and to my horror, I dropped a knife that was stabbed at me. The reality of the pain set in; I knew then, that I was on my limit... I fell on the ground, burning hot. Everything felt painful. I kept coughing, and not a moment later, I started to vomit blood once again. 

"Tssk tssk tssk" A voice came from behind me, not too far away from where I am. I hear his heavy footsteps slowly approaching me, with the sound of steel clanging together. 

"You're so fragile" My arms grew weak as I fell on the ground, my back facing the sky above. I wheezed for air, trying to fight the urge to close my eyes, no matter how many times death wanted me to stop fighting the pain and embrace it.

"This is sooooo... fucking terrible!! The whole accident ruined your face! Now your skins' all jacked up from the crash... I shouldn't have flattened your tires UGHH!!" I vaguely heard him groan in disappointment as he closes in on me. I could barely see clearly. My hearing is now indistinct, the sound kept going in and out. Everything's a blur in red and the sounds are clouded and muffled. I felt another punch on my right side, I knew I was stabbed again for I felt fluids running down my side, but I can't react to it. My body felt numb from all the overwhelming pain I have been feeling. 

"Well... I guess I could still stitch your open skin? Maybe hot glue some parts? I dunno...Let's see what could work, such a shame though..." I tried to lift myself but all the strength left in me was gone. 

"Peek...." He grabbed my hair and lifted it towards him. Everything's moving in slow motion. I could see after images of the man standing in front of me, and the darkness of the night blocked my sight furthermore.
"A...."As my eyesight adjusted to the scene, my eyes widened in disbelief, my jaw dropped and the look on my face became frightened. I felt my soul being sucked out of me as the horrendous face of the person in front of me, smiled... 

... It was a face, that I could never forget...