Who's My Mama?

Mama

Her eyes began to slowly flutter, bringing her to a groggy state of consciousness. She had woken up to an uncomfortable, slow stroking sensation on her left cheek. It felt to her like a sharp object attempting to be gentile. Lilah gasped in shock when a sharp pain suddenly laced through her left cheek, and a warm liquid ran down the side of her face; the pain almost immediately turned into an intense burning sensation. She jerked into a sitting position, eyes shooting open and flitting around, trying to assess the situation she was in. Continuing to scan the room, her mind began to recant the last moments in time before she had blacked out. Flashing through her mind was the cemetery, the dirt path, the running, the eyes; and her last memory, the voice. All of it ran through her brain as fear began to entrap her and violent shaking started to wreck through her body. Fingers cold as ice wrapped themselves around Lilah's arms, squeezing tightly in an attempt to still her body. However, the attempt was in vain, for she had frozen in fear as soon as the fingers touched her body. The hot breath of this presence behind her ran down the back of her neck.

"Lilah."

The voice slowly whispered into her ear, drawing out the ending of her name. A piercing shriek came out of nowhere. It seemed to manifest the entirety of the room she was in. It took a moment to realize that it had come from her own mouth. Lilah's eyes widened in horror. The voice had been raw and scratchy in her ear, awakening more repressed memories of those piercing red eyes, glowing like embers, branding their place in her head.

The fingers loosened their grip at her shriek, slowly letting go of her. Lilah relaxed slightly with the loss of the pressure. But as quickly as they had disappeared, a hand was replaced onto the middle of her back and slowly began small, painful circular motions with the tip of the nail. It was meant to be a calming motion, she knew, but it was only painful and sickening to her. Then, in a painstakingly slow motion, the fingers began their journey from the middle of her back to her left arm, then up to her shoulder and took a tight grip on it. Footsteps moved in sync with the motion of the fingers, making a nauseating cracking sound, as if every bone in the foot broke when weight was put on it. She could feel the color of her face drain as the feet came to a halt in front of her. Refusing to look up at what stood before her, she tucked her chin in closer to her chest, training her eyes on a single speck of dust at the toe of her tattered black boots. Minutes passed before there was a heavy thump as the back of her skull was hit, face flying forward and smacking into her knee.

"You look at me when I grace you with my presence! That is what we call respect, child!"

The voice thundered and echoed throughout the room, tears began to roll down her face as her body started to shake. The fingernails, more like claws, took a firm grip of her chin and jerked her head upwards, forcing her to look straight into a never forgotten memory. The burning red embers seared through her retinas, eyes widening even further in fear. And, if it were possible, even more color drained from her face, making her appear as ashen and lifeless as the dead. For some reason though, the pallor and expression of her face made the red eyes dim and soften in sorrow. An apology was etched deep into the wrinkling lines of this monster's gruesome appearance. Its face was not of a normal shape, being very dilapidated and mutilated with scars, gashes, and discoloration. Dulling blues, murky greens and muddy browns all blended together, giving the face a sort of decaying look. The shape looked as if someone had taken a hammer to its skull and bashed it in one too many times. Its ears were small like a child's and ended in a rather sharp point. It had no nose, except for two slits like a snakes, no eye brows, and its lips were split, dried, and torn up. It was a very nauseating and painful sight for eyes to behold.

Lilah jerked her head away from the hideous beast standing before her, ripping away from the clawed grip, no longer wanting to look at her captor.

"Where am I?" Lilah spat out at the crumbling stone wall beside her.

Silence.

"Where am I?!" Lilah shouted more forcefully.

Anger seemed to fill the aura of the room, anger and annoyance.

"You dare speak when I do not grant permission, child?"

The voice came out as a thunderous boom, echoing off of the stone. It vibrated her whole body, as she wondered how no on had heard the bone chilling roars of this vile beast. An idea began to formulated in her head, it was not very well thought out, but it was her best one in this moment.

Shrieks, screams, and throat ripping cries of bloody murder filled the air, all coming from her mouth. Lilah continued like this for hours more it seemed, until her voice became hoarse and her throat raw. She turned her head to face the being with a victorious grin. Chuckles sounded from across the room, not realizing that the creature had moved while she made fierce, but vain endeavors to call for help. Leaning on a mold covered nightstand, the creature's body shook with hysterical laughter. It continued for a moment.

"You'll find, oh dear sweet Lilah, that you attempts to scream for a rescuer will always be in vain. For I have taken you somewhere that no human, or otherworldly force could ever find. Besides, I doubt anyone much remembers your name even."

A sly smile spread across this monster's face.

"W-what do you mean?"

Another laugh.

Knots twisted the insides of her stomach as the cold fingers of fear gripped her body.

"Help! Anybody! Come save me!"

Lilah attempted severely to call for help again, but with her voice being hoarse and raw the attempt was almost immediately ceased. Rumbles of laughter broke into the air, only to instill more fear into her being.