Vision Of Darkness

5: Sleep?

Simoun tossed and turned in his sleep, unable to get comfortable due to the sound of the outside wind and the rattling of the floorboards. He was in a half-awake, half-asleep state when he abruptly experienced a rush of fear. His heart was thumping in his chest as he opened his eyes and peered around the room. He then noticed a strange thing. Someone who resembled his wife was standing in the doorway. The figure was still there, staring at him with vacant eyes after he rubbed and blinking his eyes, thinking that he was just seeing things.

Simoun's heart was pounding as he sat up in bed. Once more, rubbing his eyes, he tried to relax himself by inhaling deeply. He kept saying to himself, "It's just my imagination," but he knew something was wrong. His questions filled his head as he slowly made his way toward the figure after getting out of bed. Was his wife there, really? Or was it a ghost or spirit of some kind? The moment his hand touched the figure, it disappeared into thin air. He reached out to touch the figure. Simoun sat there, quaking with anxiety and fear. Was he losing his mind? Was he having mental issues as a result of this island? He made an effort to get rid of the impression that he was being watched so that he could go back to bed, but he was unsuccessful.

His chest was thumping as he dozed off on the bed. He tried to calm his racing thoughts by closing his eyes, but the unease persisted. He had the impression that someone or something was watching his every move from the shadows. He abruptly became aware of a faint whispering noise that sounded like distant voices. He listened carefully while sitting up in bed. The voices appeared to be getting closer together as the sound grew louder and more distinct. Simoun experienced a cold sweat on his forehead. He was at a loss for what to do. Should he rouse the captain and hurry out of the inn? Or should he look into the noise's origin?

The whispering sound increased in volume and ferocity as he sat there frozen with terror. Now that he could hear, the words were in a language he didn't understand. It was getting closer and closer, sounding like a chant or a prayer. Simoun felt like he was going to pass out as his heart was thumping in his chest. Never before in his life had he felt such fear. The chanting abruptly ceased, and there was utter silence. Simoun waited there for what seemed like hours, keeping an eye out for any sounds or movement. However, nothing was there. He was by himself with his thoughts and fears in the quiet stillness of the inn.

Simoun reached his breaking point. He had to be aware of what was happening outside. He approached the window slowly and quietly, taking care not to make any noise. He looked out and noticed some Americans carrying some substantial equipment out of the village. They appeared to be laboring under its weight as they carried it. Simoun wondered where they could be going with such a heavy load as he watched them vanish into the night. His thoughts were spinning with ideas. Did they intend to go to the naval base? Maybe in the direction of the cursed cave?
Simoun slowly turned around and met his wife's eyes, feeling as though his heart had stopped. He got chills when he saw her standing there, exactly as she had been earlier. Although he wanted to scream and run, his body felt frozen with terror. When he noticed she was holding something in her hand, he quickly looked down to her hand. Even though he couldn't tell what it was, the mere fact that it was there only made him feel more terrified. He hesitated briefly before slowly reaching out to take the thing she held out to him.

He noticed a cold, clammy sensation as soon as his fingers made contact with the paper; it seemed to seep into his very being. He had to remind himself to look at what was written there even though he knew he had to. The writing appeared to have been done by someone who was having trouble keeping their hand steady because it was shaky and uneven. It said:

"Run. Leave this place as soon as possible. You're not safe here."

Simoun read the words repeatedly as his heart started to beat quickly. Was his wife issuing a warning or was this some sort of sick joke? She just stared back at him with vacant eyes as he looked up at her in search of an answer. He thought he was going crazy. All of this was it real? Did he have a dream? In an effort to find something, anything, that could ground him in reality, he searched the room. But all he could make out was his wife, who was standing there motionless and holding the sinister piece of paper.