Strange Things

Chapter 6: Nightmares By Aftereffect

I'm sitting down.

I'm bleeding.

I'm crying.

Why? No. Where? Where am I? Oh no...

There are chains around my ankles and wrists. I'm bleeding because of the chains, they're too tight. There's something poking my chin. I poke my tongue out and try to feel what the source is.

There fangs.

I lift my head and see a giant mirror in front of me. I gasp with horror. I'm not only bleeding from the chains, but I'm also bleeding from my head.

My horns? What the?

My eyes instinctively move down from my head to my upper body.

No. Oh hell no.

To my despair, I see enormous black wings hanging from my back. What happened?! I'm a hybrid now. A mixture of a fairy and a vampire.

No wonder I'm in chains! Some religious group must have confused me with a demon! With my long, sharp nails and fangs, anyone would mistake me with those beasts.

But how? I don't remember turning. I stay seated, baffled by this outcome. I hear footsteps and murmuring in the halls.

He..help! Please! I'm not what you think I am! I yell hoping someone will believe me out of the goodness of their hearts. I hear clicking and realize someone is opening the lock.

Thank you! Thank you so much! I thought I was going to stay imprisoned! I say crying, instead, tears of joy. The man is wearing a priest's uniform and holding a bible to his chest.

Thank you father! I'm grateful! I say smiling brightly at him. He's eyeing me coldly, giving a grim expression. F..father? I ask him. Another man steps in and gives him a tiny bottle of water.

No, not water. Holy water?! No please, you have to believe me! I say trying to break the chains. Obviously holy water doesn't affect me, but they believe it will. After the 'exorcism' fails, they'll try something else.

That's what I'm afraid of.

The father starts chanting verses from the bible and holds his cross tightly against his chest, while the other man starts splashing me with the holy water.

I merely sit there, watching they're failed attempts. The two men continue, but I'm not effected at all. The men, baffled by this, show anger building up inside of them.

The father yells at the other man as he leaves the room. The other man walks towards me and starts to unlock the chains.

I told you I wasn't evil! Your going to let me go now, right? Obviously after your failed attempts, you see that now, right? Right?! I plead, but the man only ignores me and yells a command.

Later men start pouring the room and after the man unlocked all the chains, I try to escape, but the other men block me.

No! Please! Listen! I try to talk to them, but they just throw more chains at me and in the next moment I'm already tied up.

My wings are thrashing widely under the chains and in response, the men hit me with thick metal rods. I'm bruised everywhere, but they still push and force me to walk.

I..I don't understand. Why is this happening to me!?

No.

I know what's going to happen. I can't stop it..I can't! Or I'll hurt them... I mumble under my breath as they practically drag me outside.