EVOLUTION Vol.2

THE REALITY OF NIGHTMARES

Write a story inspired by a song.

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Chasen drove his rental car down the winding road that snaked through the lush hills of Saint Lucia. The sun had set hours ago, and the only light came from the moon and stars above. He had been driving for what felt like an eternity, and he was exhausted. But he couldn't stop now; he had to reach his destination. Up ahead in the distance, he saw a shimmering light. It was far and flickered like a candle, and he couldn't make out what it was he had to get closer. He rubbed his tired eyes and focused on the light. As he got nearer, he saw that it was a small cabin in the middle of nowhere.

Chasen parked his car and knocked on the door. There was no answer, but the door creaked open. He cautiously stepped inside, calling out for anyone who might be there. The cabin was small and dimly lit, with strange symbols painted on the walls.

"Hello?" he called out again, his voice echoing through the silence.

He heard a rustling behind him, turned around to see a figure standing in the shadows. "Who are you?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

The figure stepped forward, revealing itself to be a woman. She was brown, tall and thin, with long, curly hair and piercing grey eyes giving her an eerie look. "I am Maria," she said, her voice low and raspy. "What you doing here?"

Chasen explained that he was on vacation and had gotten lost on his way back to his hotel. Maria listened carefully, but something about her made him uneasy.

"You should leave," she said abruptly. "This not a safe place for outsiders."

Chasen nodded, relieved to have found someone who could give him directions. He turned to leave but stopped when he heard a strange sound coming from the back of the cabin. "What's that?" he asked, turning back to Maria.

But she was gone, disappeared into the shadows once again. Chasen cautiously made his way to the back of the cabin, where he saw something, he could never have imagined. A group of people, all dressed in white robes, were performing a ritual around a large stone altar. In the centre of the altar was a young woman, tied up and screaming in terror. Chasen watched in horror as the group began chanting in a language he didn't understand. The woman's screams turned into howls of pain as the group began to carve strange symbols into her flesh. Chasen turned to run but was caught by one of the cult members. He struggled to break free, but they were too strong. The last thing he saw was the shimmering light of the altar and the faces of the cult members staring down at him.

The next morning, the local police found Chasen's rental car abandoned on the side of the road. They searched the area but found no sign of him. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. But what the police didn't know was that Chasen was still alive, trapped in a nightmare world of cults and sacrifices. And he knew that he would never escape the horrors of.

As days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, Chasen found himself sinking deeper and deeper into the nightmare. He was held captive by the cult, forced to witness their gruesome rituals and sacrifice.

Every night, he dreamed of escape, but the cult members were always one step ahead of him. They knew his every move and made sure he was always under their watchful eye. Chasen had given up all hope of ever escaping until one day, he was assigned to help with the preparations for the cult's most significant ceremony of the year. As he worked, he noticed a small crack in the wall of the cabin. Without hesitation, he began to dig, and as he dug deeper, the crack grew bigger, until it was large enough for him to squeeze through. He took one last look at the cult members, who were busy with their preparations, and then he ran. He ran as fast as he could through the dense jungle, never looking back, until he finally collapsed from exhaustion.

When he woke up, he found himself in a small village, surrounded by friendly locals who welcomed him with open arms. They listened intently as he told them his story, and they promised to help him escape and return home. But as they prepared to leave, Chasen noticed a strange symbol etched into the back of his hand. It was the same symbol he had seen the cult members carving into the flesh of their sacrifices.

He realized then that he could never truly escape the horrors of that place. The cult had marked him as one of their own, and they would always be watching, waiting for him to return. Chasen returned to the hotel to the shock of all. He knew that he would never truly be free from the nightmare that he had experienced. The cult would always be with him, haunting him, until the end of his days.

© 27 April 2023