The depth of short stories and micro-fiction 2

Beyond The Veil Of Sleep

Melinda had always been one to have vivid dreams, but last night was different. It felt more real than any she had ever had before. In the dream, she was walking down a deserted street, the buildings looming above her like giants. The sky was a deep, foreboding grey, and the air was thick with an eerie, unnatural silence.

As she walked, she heard footsteps behind her. They were heavy, deliberate steps, and they seemed to be getting closer and closer. Melinda tried to run, but her legs felt like lead, and she couldn't move. The footsteps got louder, and she could feel the ground shaking beneath her feet.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around. Melinda saw a face that made her blood run cold. It was twisted and grotesque, with eyes that seemed to bore into her soul. She tried to scream, but her voice was frozen in her throat.

The face leaned in close, and Melinda could feel its icy breath on her skin. She tried to push it away, but her arms felt like they were trapped in concrete. The face whispered something in her ear, and Melinda felt a chill run down her spine.

She woke up with a start, her heart racing and her sheets drenched with sweat. It was just a dream, she told herself. But the memory of that face lingered, haunting her.

The next day, Melinda was on her way to work, walking down a busy street in the city. She had tried to shake off the memory of the dream, but it still lingered in the back of her mind. As she walked, she noticed that the sky was a deep, foreboding grey, just like in her dream.

She quickened her pace, feeling a sense of unease creeping over her. The street was crowded, but Melinda felt like she was the only one who noticed the eerie silence that had fallen over the city. She could feel eyes watching her, and she spun around, but there was no one there.

As she turned back, she heard footsteps behind her. They were heavy, deliberate steps, just like in her dream. Melinda's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a chill run down her spine. She tried to run, but her legs felt like lead, just like in her dream.

The footsteps got louder, and Melinda could feel the ground shaking beneath her feet. She spun around, and that's when she saw him. The face from her dream was standing right behind her, its eyes boring into her soul.

Melinda tried to scream, but her voice was frozen in her throat. The face leaned in close, and she could feel its icy breath on her skin. She tried to push it away, but her arms felt like they were trapped in concrete.

The face whispered something in her ear, just like in her dream. "You can't escape me," it said. "I'm always with you."

Melinda felt a wave of fear wash over her, and she stumbled backwards, tripping over her own feet. She fell to the ground, and as she looked up, she saw the face looming over her.

It was then that she realized that this was no dream. This was reality. The face was real, and it was coming for her.

Melinda scrambled to her feet and ran, not stopping until she was safe in her office building. She locked the door behind her and leaned against it, trying to catch her breath.

But even as she stood there, she knew that she wasn't safe. The face could be anywhere, watching her, waiting for her. Melinda felt a chill run down her spine, and she knew that she would never be able to shake off the feeling of being stalked.

As the day went on, Melinda couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. She kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to see the face looming behind her. She tried to focus on her work, but her mind kept wandering back to the dream and the face that had haunted her.

She knew that she had to do something, but she didn't know what. She felt like she was trapped in a nightmare, and she couldn't wake up.

As the sun began to set, Melinda decided to take matters into her own hands. She couldn't just sit around and wait for the face to come for her. She had to act.

She started by researching the meaning of her dream. She scoured the internet, looking for any clues that might explain what was happening to her. She talked to her friends and family, hoping that someone might have some insight into what was going on.

But the more she researched, the more questions she had. The dream seemed to be a premonition, a warning of something that was to come. But what?

As the night wore on, Melinda became more and more obsessed with finding the answer. She barely slept, her mind racing with possibilities.

And then, just as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard footsteps outside her window. They were heavy, deliberate steps, just like in her dream.

Melinda's heart skipped a beat, and she knew that she was in grave danger. The face had come for her, and she was running out of time.

She knew that she had to get out of there, but as she turned to run, she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. The face was right behind her, its eyes boring into her soul.

Melinda tried to scream, but her voice was frozen in her throat. The face leaned in close, and she knew that she was doomed.

The last thing she saw was the face, its eyes gleaming with malevolence. And then, everything went black.

The next morning, the police found Melinda's body, cold and stiff on the floor. The window was open, and the curtains were blowing in the wind. But there was no sign of forced entry and no sign of a struggle.

It was as if Melinda had simply given up, surrendering to the horrors that had haunted her. The police were baffled, but as they looked into her eyes, they saw something that chilled them to the bone.

A look of pure terror, frozen in time.

The face was never found, but some say that it's still out there, watching and waiting. And if you listen closely, you can still hear footsteps, heavy and deliberate, coming for you.