Through The Eyes of Our Horror

Chapter Two: The Boy

The nightmare began on the very first night Aubrey set foot in her new abode. A place so cheap and secluded, with not a soul for miles around. It was a sanctuary of solitude, a haven she sought after summoning the courage to flee her oppressive past. But little did she know, the darkness that awaited her. In the depths of twilight, she caught sight of him.

A boy, seemingly untethered, forever wandering through the sinister woods. He appeared neither lost nor found, a specter haunting the very essence of her new dwelling. As the sun dipped below the horizon, she would often glimpse him, tracing an enigmatic path near her abode. Yet, not a single sound betrayed his presence. It was as if he existed solely in the realm of her nightmares.

Aubrey, consumed by her fear, even succumbed to slumber while perched upon the bay window of her room. When she woke up with a petrified gasp and jerk of her body, she suddenly saw him standing outside. He was peering up and yet he seemed to be looking directly through her. What exactly could he possibly be looking at? She adjusted to get a better look at him, but when she retrieved her phone to take a picture, he was gone.

Seemingly vanished from sight altogether.

The days crawled by, and the enigmatic boy vanished into the shadows, fading from Aubrey's memory like a forgotten nightmare. His existence became a mere whisper in the wind, until that fateful night when the heavens wept and darkness swallowed the world. Panic gripped her heart as the power succumbed to the storm's wrath, leaving her stranded in a sea of blackness. Desperation clawed at her, but the flickering flames of the candles brought a glimmer of hope. With trembling hands, she arranged the glass plates, their feeble glow casting eerie shadows upon the walls.

And then, in a moment of cruel irony, a bolt of lightning tore through the sky, illuminating the window and revealing a haunting silhouette. Fear coursed through her veins, igniting a primal instinct to seek refuge. Like a wounded animal, she scurried to her bed, seeking solace beneath the safety of her blankets. In that fragile cocoon, she clung to the remnants of her childhood, hoping it would shield her from the encroaching darkness. That was, until the door creaked as it opened. Slowly, the sound of rain became louder, and a draft swept in, taking out the candles.

Now left in the dark, she could only stay as still as possible and try to pretend she wasn't there. That whoever was entering her home couldn't find her. Then the sound of rain was snuffed out, and silence took its place. The sound of whispers slowly became audible from inside the hallway. It started with one voice, but the closer it got, the more split the ambience became.

Aubrey closed her eyes as a presence made its way across the bedroom towards her. What it was, or what it wanted was a mystery to her. Horror filled her blood, her heart thumping in her ears. This wasn't a nightmare. It couldn't be. She was not in a state of slumber.

The act of succumbing to sleep eluded her memory. The anticipation of settling into a new abode had prevented it. The entire day had been dedicated to adorning the space, adorning it with posters and framed images. This was meant to be a fresh beginning in an ancient dwelling; the very place she had spent her formative years. Aubrey believed that the passage of time had eradicated any remnants of the past, rendering it pristine and untainted.

Just as the cells of the epidermis undergo constant renewal, transforming one's appearance over the course of seven years, she expected this experience to be different. So, why was this peculiar occurrence unfolding? Aubrey clung tightly to the covers, her eyes tightly shut. The howling of the rain-laden wind was the only sound that reached her ears, but even that gradually faded away. Before long, it felt as though she had been transported to an entirely different realm.

The tranquility of the eerie silence was abruptly shattered by a violent tremor coursing through her body. A chilling coldness and scorching heat enveloped her, as if she had dozed off. As she sat upright, the reason for her concealment slipped from her memory until her gaze fell upon... Him. The boy's shadowy figure loomed on the opposite side of her chamber.

Immobile and fixated, he seemed to be observing her every move. Dread seized her, compelling her to retreat beneath the safety of her blanket. Then, she detected the faint, calculated approach of footsteps inching closer to her bed. Despite her certainty, the sound of those footsteps remained eerily silent. The wooden floor creaked softly under the weight of unseen footsteps. Aubrey's heart raced as she embraced the eerie silence, a mixture of anticipation and dread.

Suddenly, a rush of air shattered the stillness, invading her sanctuary. This was no ordinary occurrence, and fear gripped her tightly, causing her heart to thump violently in her chest. In an instant, the covers were violently ripped away by an invisible force. A scream escaped her lips, but it was swiftly silenced. Helplessly, she gazed upon the figure before her, cloaked in darkness.

As his ghastly figure materialized, a bone-chilling sensation crawled down her back, freezing her in place. His lifeless, frostbitten hand extended towards her, accompanied by the creeping tendrils of darkness. In an instant, she was ensnared in his icy embrace, succumbing to the embrace of eternal darkness...