Dead Within but Still Alive

Chapter 8

(* "When one is on the brink of insanity, a dance with death is all that is needed." *)

It was too early in the morning to eat and I had just learned that I am not to disturb anybody in the morning because everybody here.....well they aren't morning people.

I made my way down to the living room and sat on the small couch in front of the fireplace and watched the flames engulf and destroy the wood. Ben must have gone to bed and forgot to put the fire out.

I walked over to the pit and squatted in front of the blazing flames. The red color hypnotizes me and I reach for the flame, knowing that it would burn me. My hand grew hotter and hotter as I got closer and closer to the fire. 

"Yaaaa...........wn! Huh? Sera? what are you doing up at this time in the morning?" someone said from behind me.

I pull my hand away from the flames quickly and turn to see that Masky was slowly walking down the stairs, hands rubbing his eyes from under his mask. 

I stood and backed up and took a seat on the couch," I......I just couldn't sleep. What are you doing up?"

He walked over and took a seat next to me," Hoodie was all up in my bed and he kicked my off. How does that happen? We have bunk beds, and I'm on the top bunk too. Let me just say, My head's killing me."

Chuckling I stood again and went to leave," I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back before everyone wakes up though. "

With that I grabbed a jacket from the coat stand by the door and walked out, slipping shoes on as I left. I must have grabbed Slender's peacoat because when I put it on it was like an ankle length trench coat on me. I walked back to my sitting stones by the water, except this time I continued walking. After a few minutes I realized that I was lost and surrounded by dense woods. 

'Great. What have I gotten myself into this time? Now how am I going to get back?' I thought to myself. I had not been paying attention at all when I was walking and must have walked too far.

I look around and see nothing but trees and dead leaves on the ground. Suddenly I heard crunching behind me, and I spin around. No one. I try to re-trace my steps back from where I had come but it didn't work very well. I started walking towards the rising sun's rays that I could just see over the tree tops.  

Leaves and twigs crunched behind me again and I looked behind me. I caught a glimpse of a dark shadow behind me, as it ran behind a tree. It was tall. Not as tall as Slender man but not too far off, either.  I began to run. I ran and ran and ran. I could here the being, person, thing behind me running too. Too scared to look back again I continue to run as I finally see the mansion I had come out of fall into view. 

Just as I was to run out of the edge of the woods, the large black figure that was following me steps out in front of me. I stop as look up at it's head. It looked like a human, but definitely wasn't. Tall like slender, skinny as well. It was covered in scales. It possessed three arms on each side and its legs were bent backwards like a goat's. It's six hands were solely long black claws that matched with the rest of it's skin. Long black strands of course black hair reached down past it's shoulders hiding it's face. I could see however. It's wide smile that was open and looked as if it had once been stitched but was forced open ripping it's lips and some just snapping and still there. It's stared at me with glowing orange eye with goat like pupils.

I stood there in fear as it approached me. It smiled down at me and laughed, "welcome to hell."

I felt an excruciating pain in my stomach. looking down, my eyes widened in horror. It's hand was plunged deep into my middle as blood poured out around it's hand. Ripping it out of my skin, I screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground.