Monster

chapter three - catch

"They will always be there wherever I go, because no matter how much I run, they'll always catch me. Again and again."

Darkness engulfed me in a cloud that seemed suffocating, and there was nothing that I could see. Apprehension filled my empty heart as I scanned my surroundings, only to be disappointed by the absence of light, and my disability to see anything at all. My hands were flailing around, trying to find out where I was, in a place so devoid of colour.

I was all alone in a pitch black room, and the darkness made me feel a tad bit claustrophobic, like I couldn't breathe. A shiver went up my spine in fear of the hauntingly scarlet red eyes appearing once again. They haunted my dreams, my very soul, with their menacingly evocative vermilion colour.

I felt lifeless, but I had questions running through my head in a rapid pace, making me all the more confused about what was currently happening. However, I had no one to turn to. Darkness surrounded every line of my vision, creating a spark of fear in my heart. Little tingles of terror ran across the frail skin of my arms, like there was something running along the length of my arm.

I knew that they would always come back, and they would always chase me. Again and again. There was no way to escape what lived inside of me, inside of my very mind. Eluding what was inside of me would be insurmountable, something I could only dream of doing.

A spark of light at a corner of the entire room caught my attention and I went closer to it, the bright light temporarily blinding me. For a split second, there was nothing but the dazzling luminescence of what seemed like sunlight. Temporarily blinded, I shut my eyes.

Soon enough, I opened my eyes, revealing a field of flowers, surrounded by forestry, covering the rest of the area. The smell of fresh air and the blooming spring filled my nostrils as I inhaled the sweet scents, a relief from the choking darkness. Questions plagued my mind, my head spinning from them. Unanswered and alone, I wandered the stone path, and the aura of this place was one that was simply radiant, a gratifying feeling settling in my chest.

Suddenly, a figure appeared behind me, making me turn around in surprise. It was a woman who seemed familiar enough, like I had seen her before. Something about her features—soft and serene—sent a wave of nostalgia through my mind, setting me at ease, replacing the once uncomfortable atmosphere.

The woman in front of me smiled, showing all her perfect, white teeth. The whole place seemed like an illusion, that couldn't be real. The deceptive appearance began to waver, flickering, until she was gone, dematerialising in a small blaze. Once again, she ceased to exist when the meadow began to fade as well.

Everything else melted away, revolving into a whirlpool of light, implicated into it, leaving the darkness behind. Lifeless, grayscale trees emerged from the ground, encircling the area. I could only stand and watch as the dead of night filled up the sky. Tenebrous atmosphere sent a streak of horror through me, as I perceived my ineluctable fate.

Thick woodland obstructed the sky, impeding everything else until the only thing I could see were the trees under the shadowy growth, the air becoming stuffy. Like silent sentries, the trees seemed to gape at me through the smoky, musty air. A nauseating, acrid odour filled the area. With my heart in my mouth, I bit down on my tongue in a panicky state, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth.

The putrescent air and stifling atmosphere created the scrupulous abode for those who preferred the darkness over the light. Blood was sprawled over the forest floor, amongst the barks of the trees, encrusted into the veins of the looming evergreen, hauntingly so.

Arboreal creatures hid behind the hindering leaves, filling in as the sounds of the night. Unexpectedly, a howl resounded throughout the area. It was filled with an emotion I detected undoubtedly: pain. Poignant and sinister, a blood-curdling scream soon followed afterwards, sending the hairs on my skin to rise.