Burnt

The first and last of me

A cold breeze awoke me. I shivered and reached for my duvet to find nothing but air! Lazily I opened my eyes and before me stood two black boots, soaked in what I hoped was mud! My eyes glazed upward to rest upon a masked face. The black and white mask had a bright red smile painted onto it and the eye holes revealed nothing but darkness. The figure said nothing, did nothing and stood in such eerie silence I thought it was a dream. The room was dark, a single lightbulb swayed above the figures head, illuminating his tall structure in shadows. My stomach churned as I saw the axe held aloft in his right hand. Fear took hold of me as a red substance dripped off of it and onto the floor beside me! I felt my breath catch in my throat and I realized my breath wasn't the only thing caught; around me lay several other people, all lying deadly still! "awake?" a voice asked from behind me. The masked figure nodded slowly, menacingly and the smile seemed to grow! I felt a pain grow on the back of my skull and was launched into darkness!

"Darkness can be created by many things but only destroyed by me. I made the darkness. I made you. Now you, you will suffer for me, if you are worthy enough."The passage repeated in my head as if whispered by a thousand voices. A piercing cry awoke me from a dream that would render Stephen King breathless.

My eyes shot open as I remembered my situation. The ground I lay on was cold and wet. I wasn't where I was before and there was not a soul in sight. I lifted my head and was met with a cloud of fog in every direction. Tree branches stood out above the fog all around me. Slowly I stood up and the higher I got, the more my head ached.I stood in pure darkness with nothing but the moon to illuminate my way. I began to walk, somehow more relaxed by the sound of my lonesome footsteps. The stars were covered by clouds and the moon was beginning to hide behind them as well! Quickly, I stumbled my way over to a tree just as the light faded completely. I held onto the tree although the bark scratched my skin. It was the only way I knew I was still up straight.

After a moment the light came back and the darkness retreated into the shadows. My hands shook frantically as I let go. I walked only but a few steps before the light began to recede again! I knew if I was to get out of here I would either have to wait for the light or learn to walk in the dark and the thought of staying here all night made me terrified. I grabbed hold of the closest tree as darkness consumed the world. I stretched out my hand and was met with tree bark. Slowly, I walked from tree to tree, the light coming and going. A strong breeze made me cold to the bone, I shivered and my teeth chattered. I was consumed by a sudden urge to go faster and get the hell out of here and the fact I hadn't killed myself yet gave me a much needed confidence boost. I shoved one hand in front of the other, stopping at each tree for a mere second and then carrying on to the next.

I pushed forward my left hand and cried out into the silence of the night. A thorn tree. My scream echoed back at me as I pulled my hand off the thorn that had pierced my palm. My entire being shook from the cold, from the pain, from the fear. I waited for the light to come back so I could find another path. The darkness enclosed around me made me dizzy, as if my feet had left the ground. When the light made its presence known I moved quickly to a thorn less tree, not wanting to be stranded in darkness again.

I ran to the nearest one but tripped! Something impaled my foot and I fell over like a pole. I cried out for a second time and reached down to my injured limb. I slid my hand down my leg till I felt what I thought was a sharp stick protruding near my ankle. A tear slid down my cheek and the wind froze the trail it left. I managed to pull my foot free but interested in what it was that injured me I waited once more for the light.When at last it came back it shone off the steel nail, what it was attached to was covered in fog. I pulled on it and plastic made to look like skin emerged from the cloud. It was a baby, a toy doll none the less! Nails stuck out of its head, creating a halo of steel and its right cheek had a giant claw mark indented on the plastic. What scared me most wasn't the fact that the doll looked neglected and abused, what scared me is that from each of the nails and the scratches, blood poured out! I screamed and flung the doll away from me. I scrambled up, my injured foot was useless but I ignored the pain best I could to get up and away from that thing! The darkness fled back into being and I was left alone, in pain, terrified and with no guide.