The Backroom and Other Short Horror Stories

Random

(No picture on this one. Sorry!)

It was dark. When I opened my eyes, I seen nothing but black. Slowly, my vision grew clearer. I was where I was meant to be, in my bedroom located in the attic. It was fairly big, for an attic. My bed was pushed in the corner, below a giant open window. There was a table with a TV and video game station placed across from the bed. Next to me were a couple of shelves, decorated with souvenirs and gifts I've received from friends. Across from the shelves were a couple of drawers, stuffed with my clothes. Before the stairway was a small section of random items. A table and chairs for me to pull out, boxes stuffed with books and childhood memories, and many more. All in all, it felt quite empty. 

A gentle breeze kissed my body, cooling me down and shuffling my clothes a little. Outside, a last quarter moon hovered above my neighbor's roof. Some stars were visible, but many were drowned out from the light in the city. 

I closed my eyes and felt the serenity once more. The silence. The comfort. Everything was perfect.

Something shuffled next to me, then I remembered. My love, sleeping next to me. Cuddling me. Her body resting against mine and breathing slowly. I didn't hear her breathe, but I could feel it. My arm wrapped around her body, her body rising up and down calmly. I felt more peace than I ever have.

I dreamed of many things. I was an astronaut lost in a sea of stars. Then I explored deep in the jungles, where hardly any sunlight reached and new species of animals were to be documented. Lastly, I wandered endless hallways and opened doors to memories, both good and bad. I never felt fear. I never truly felt lost. I never felt alone, nor watched. I continued on, knowing that staying calm will save me. Serenity will save me.

And it did. Countless times. When I accidentally dropped into a black hole. When I accidentally got mauled by a predator. When I accidentally opened the wrong door. I would simply open my eyes, blink, then go back to sleep. I had one fear. These dreams were none of them. Though they may be realistic, though they stuck in my memory like glue, I know they're fictional. Fictional things can't hurt me. Therefore, they cannot interrupt my serenity. 

I felt my love shuffle next to me again. She groaned this time, muffled. She must've had her face squished in my stomach. She often did that. I don't mind, or notice for that matter.

Many nights, I have spent my time alone in this room. Counting the dots on the popcorn ceiling, wondering how many stars would shine if there were no city lights. My mind traveled far. I'll think about my future, then shoot back to the past. I wonder if I'll ever achieve my dreams. I wonder if I would've gotten let off easily if I kept my mouth shut in the past. All these thoughts. All these emotions. They come flooding to me, like a crowd of money-hungry people at the casino. But I never let them play the machines. I never let my emotions out. To myself, and to all those around me, I'm a robot. 

My love thinks otherwise.

She knows I have flesh and bone inside of me. She knows I have a beating heart that pumps real blood throughout my body. She knows I have a brain that functions to think and store memories. She knows I have working muscles that make my body move. There are no wires. There are no metals. There are no chips. I am a normal human. I just refuse to act like it.

They could never understand our love, she often said. You study the meaning of life, while I study how life works. We are perfect. We are serenity.

Serenity. She was the reason I became obsessed with that word. 

From the word alone, one can tell it is calm. It is a sip of cold water after staying in the heat for too long. It is a quiet room after dealing with a noisy crowd all day long. It is a cooling breeze kissing you in the middle of a field, in who knows where. It is one arm outside the window as you're driving down a country road. It is stepping on crunchy fallen leaves as you walk on a path during autumn. It is slowly falling asleep underneath the stars, soft music playing over and over in your head.

So many times I feel serenity. I never realized it until I heard the word. Now I feel it all the time. At least, whenever I'm with her.

I tightened my arm around my love, just tight enough so she won't let go. She didn't react. She continued breathing the way she always breathed. Exactly the way I liked it.

Another breeze came in. Faintly, a wind chime rang in the distance. A soft melody, longing for the desire of love. I hear it every night now, ever since the other one broke. They used to sing together, a sound that made wailing babies smile. A sound that made serenity seem happy. A lonely chime, sings the one left behind. A song made not for the next chime to come, but for the one that will never return home. 

Trees spoke among each other as the wind brushed past them. They whisper gossip, rumors, whatever they could get their branches on. They know everyone's secrets, the newcomers and the homegrown. They knew all of mine. They share it with each other. They mock me, or at least they try to. Serenity holds me back. Serenity is far more powerful than gossip or rumors.

In the far distance, if I focus enough, I can hear the sound church bells ringing every hour. It had a similar melody to the wind chime, only they weren't lonely. They were filled with sorrow, but their song was powerful enough to lift the lost souls to the place they desired. Serenity at it's finest, I figured. To be so calm and so moving at the same time. 

Although I didn't like it, I listened to the sounds of city life as well. People hustling by, cars honking at each other, items being dropped. Many, many mixed emotions. But they all have one thing in common: a goal, a dream, a wish. They are all different names, but they have the same meaning. Even the broken souls, ones that carry a broken, shadowed heart. Even the lax souls, ones that struggle to show sympathy. Even the cheerful souls, ones that keep happy only so others can feel happy. They all have a goal, a dream, a wish. They are different. They are from different souls. But they all are a goal, a dream, a wish. A desire.

Serenity. Serenity will lead them to their desires.

Eventually, I opened my eyes. My love was right next to me, breathing ever so calmly. A small smile crept on my lips. I loved her. I loved her. My serenity.

I couldn't feel a thing she was doing to me. Even if I had known, I would've let her carry on. What I thought was her breathing, she was sucking on my blood. When I thought she was resting her head on my stomach, she was tearing open my stomach. When I pulled her closer, I gave her the opportunity to mess with my organs. 

I could hear nothing. Nothing but the sounds of serenity. The wind chime mourning, the tress gossiping, the church bells singing, the city life blossoming. I didn't hear anything else. I didn't feel anything else. I allowed serenity to envelop me.

As my vision began to fade, and my mind started to go blank, I took one last glance at my love. Working her way into my body, so peacefully and taking her time. I looked at nothing else but her. Though my ears and mind were in other places, my vision was focused on her. Her working her way to become closer to me.

Serenity... you have saved me once more.