Fading Into Nonexistence

Sacred Demons

We all have our own demons. Some come out when we're a child and some later in life, but they always find their way into the Earth's breath. They are always released out into this ethereal world, breaking and shattering everything they reach. The demons spread and fester into the minds of the pure and into the minds of the young: the minds of the children. They evoke the other demons to carve their way through their person, slashing at any weakness they discover. These demons, our personal devils, our maniacs that are tied to us with unbreakable shackles, they always find their way out, and I think mine has reached the surface. I can feel its breath from under my skin. Its hands are pressed against the inside of my chest, urking me to free it. I can feel it, and I know it's going to get out. I think I might let it.

My breath comes out in evident puffs. The visible breath is the sign that I've held onto; it's the sign that I am alive. I shiver from the cold, and I pull my legs up to bring any body heat I have to the rest of me. The rope that binds my feet to a metal pole on the wall causes my cut to bleed again. I stare down at it and instead of moving my feet closer to the wall to prevent the pain, I watch my blood slide down my cold body, bringing warmth for only a few seconds until, it too becomes cold. I blink once, slowly entranced by the russet colored blood making its way onto the cement floor that I sit on.

"Embry," his voice utters from above me. I blink my eyes quickly this time, hastily moving them towards the source of the voice. He stands before me once again, his black, tangled hair falling halfway past his eyes. "Eat the food," he commands in a demanding, yet soft voice. I stay focused on him, not tearing my eyes away. "Embry, you need to eat," he claims and tenses his stance. His face crinkles up, and I can tell he is biting the inside of his mouth. He looks down at me with his grey eyes. "Embry," he continues, trying to be stern, but looking nervous the whole time. "You need to eat," he asserts again. I just stare back up at him with the facial expression I have kept constant for the past week. He stares back at me, this time not saying anything. Stillness brushes over the room. Then, his eyes change. "God damnit Embry!" he screams and seizes the tray of food that had been on the floor. It comes soaring at my head, and I only have time to fold myself into my legs. The tray hits me, splattering food all around. "See what you've done," he mumbles and sighs as he exits the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Yes, yes I do," I whisper into my legs. I let a small smile form on my lips, knowing that it is hidden by the lack of light in the cellar. A quick breath slips from my mouth.

I straighten my legs, letting my blood from the floor stain them. The tray is an ordinary school lunch tray, plastic and a solid color, this time black, but it isn't the only thing I wanted. A fork lays to my left, and I immediately snatch it, holding it tight in my hands. He finally forgot to take his things; this is my chance. I shove one of the fork prongs into the rope, pulling at the segments, urging them to break.

"Come on," I say to myself in a hushed tone. I couldn't bite at the rope before now, or he would have known that I was still trying to escape. The first week I was here, he had to replace my rope twice a day. I needed him to think I gave up so he'd let his guard down. "Yes," I whisper and yank the rope off of my leg. Grabbing the tray and still gripping the fork tightly, I stand up. My legs quiver from underuse, but I prevail, gradually making my way to the small window in the corner. The fork rattles due to my shivers of fear. "This is your only chance. You've got to get it right," I utter in an uneven voice. I pull back the curtains, exposing the moonlight. The window shows it unclean faults in the moonlight, letting me see every crack and scratch it holds. I yank my arms back, pulling the tray with me, and smash it through the center of the window.

Glass turns to splinters and ruptures the silence that once ruled the air.

"Embry!" his voice echoes through the merciless house. Fright spikes through my mind, my body, and my soul as I throw myself out of the window. I land on my knees in clumps of fractured glass. Blood seeps through my skin and glass sticks into it, not letting go, even when I thrust myself onto my feet. "Embry!" His howl comes again as I begin to sprint away. I pass trees that have been here long before me and stand in my way of getting out. My legs ache with sorrow, my feet throb with torment, and my lungs are ignited in misery, but I keep running. I need to. "Embry, stop!" he cries into the night, and I can tell his voice is in a different spot than before. It's not behind me.