The Nocturnal Hex

I awoke to a complete blackness, and an eerie feeling permeated through me. "Something's odd about this place," I thought to myself. It appeared to be drenched in melancholy. Even in the stillness of the night, I couldn't hear the faint sounds of insects and buzzing that only revealed themselves when the world was asleep. Yet, this environment seemed both familiar and unknown. Everything appeared at rest, but simultaneously stimulated by nothingness. I understood why people feared the dark- it was the fear of the unknown that incited panic. If I could only turn on the light, I could bring some color to this void. As I attempted to turn to my side, I realized I couldn't feel the bed beneath me- was I floating? I tried to calm my racing heart and search for my phone without any sense of touch. As I turned to the side, I heard a creaking sound above me. It was the first noise I had heard in a while, and I didn't know if I should be happy or frightened that something existed besides this void. I wasn't sure if my eyes were open or closed at this point. I forced myself to look at the source of the noise. My vision slowly formulated a perception. I first noticed a swing that went back and forth. Struggling to focus on the sound and the movement, I saw something move on the swing- something red.

Two red dots pierced through the darkness, like laser pointers in the void. My heart pounded with fear and relief, for I knew I wasn't alone in this empty space. As the lights drew closer, my eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, revealing a shapeless form darker than the black that engulfed me. I was paralyzed with terror, struggling to comprehend the absurdity of this experience. How could something so formless and dark exist in this place of nothingness? My mind raced with questions, but no answers came. The red dots glared at me with an unrelenting intensity, as though daring me to make a move. I was trapped, a mere speck in this vast emptiness, at the mercy of whatever lurked in the darkness.

I never realized the importance of being able to move and scream for help until now. A sinister being swung above my head, and every time it approached me, its cold gaze bore into my soul. I could feel its breath on my face, rancid and putrid. The air between us hung thick with an oppressive darkness that threatened to smother me. The fear gnawed at me, a ravenous beast feasting on my sanity. As the swing moved away, I fumbled in the darkness, searching for my phone, clinging to the hope that it was all just a nightmare. But my fingers found something rough and bumpy instead, a hand. Another one of those beings lay beside me, silently watching me all this time. Suddenly, my body regained the ability to move, and I fell from the bed, too afraid to turn around. My screams were choked by an invisible force that robbed me of my voice.

My chest tightened with terror, and I struggled to crawl my way out of that otherworldly place. But these weird looking forces seized me. Despite my desperate attempts to flee, I was dragged back towards my motionless body on the bed, where these beings awaited. I fought with all my might to reach the safety of another room, every muscle in my body straining to resist the powerful pull from behind. As I entered the room, I spotted someone else asleep on the floor and tried to scream for help. Summoning all my courage, I crawled towards the person to awaken them, but before I could even touch them, I lost my grip to the floor and the force snatched me up and hurled me back into my own body, leaving me gasping for air and shaking with terror.

A faint ringing pierced through and I woke up in my run-down house. Thick layers of dust collected on every surface, and the air was heavy with a stale, almost toxic odor. The pale furniture and carpet seemed to reflect the shades of grey. The ceiling was like the eyes of a decaying old man, with humidity clinging to it like cataracts. "The same nightmare again," I groaned. Dragging my feet across the floor, I dressed myself and slogged through the house with my hands hanging limply by my sides, my back hunched in a defeated posture with every step.

Raj and I stood amidst the trees, gazing at the cityscape and corporate view while smoking. "I feel hopeless about going back there," Raj said, looking at the skyscraper with an empty expression. "This place only brings out the worst in people. Only a narcissist can survive working here."

The clouds in the sky always distract me, making me realize how puny I am in this vast, infinite universe.

"So, what's up? Did you look at that girl sitting next to you? Isn't she gorgeous?" he exclaimed.

I swiftly disconnected from my usual poetic mind and responded, "Oh yes, she's beautiful." I've never felt any jealousy or envy when a girl is being complimented. I believe beauty has a price to pay.

"I wish I could talk to her, you know?" he said, looking like a beast hunting for power.

"Most women like being admired, so just talk to her. It's no big deal," I said in a monotonous voice.

"Yeah, right!" he rolled his eyes as he breathed in the smoke.

"Hey, were you around when our manager embarrassed himself?" Raj asked, leaning forward with a mischievous grin. "So, he walks in and...." he continued, his gestures filling the air with energy. Despite his vivid retelling, my vision wandered towards the smoke from the cigarette between his fingers.

Lost in thought, I observed the smoke swirling like a hypnotic dance in a surreal world inside my head, where time seemed to have no meaning. As a detached spectator, I watched everything fade before me.

Suddenly, Raj's playful punch snapped me back to reality. "Hey, are you okay? Did you even hear what I said?" he asked.

My life had become a repeat. Everything felt lethargic to the point where my chest felt heavy, causing breathlessness. I worked for a while and took a smoke break with Raj, laughed around with my friends, and took another break to talk to two other work friends, mostly to bitch about my ex. Every time I laughed, I felt like I was close to crying, not happy tears, but something screaming from inside and wanting to be exposed. Something that was eating me out and would eventually completely devour me. I didn't know how many people felt this way, but if there were quite a few, that alone should be the reason to not throw shit at each other. I must say, for a world full of broken people, we can be mean to each other.

After yet another repetitive day, I returned home to my empty house. I slumped onto the couch and turned on the TV, playing a series without any real interest. I ordered food but couldn't taste anything. Hours passed by, and I finally decided to hit the sack. I walked over to the bedside table, opened the pill box, and swallowed a pill. I placed the bottle back on the table and lay down on the bed.

The pill box sitting on the table read "Anti-Depressants. Side effects may include drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, changes in appetite or weight, or nightmares. Followed by a warning that stated "In case of negative or disconnected thoughts, reach out to the healthcare provider and discontinue the medicine".