Dreams: A Compilation of Short Stories

Story VII: The Play

It's a cold, damp Friday night, and I tug my scarf tighter around my neck. I'm walking to the playhouse from my apartment. The theater is going to be packed and tonight, and I'm the star. I'm ready; I have my lines memorized from days of practice. As I pass the park, I notice how different it looks at night. The shadows from the trees and benches make it seem like a whole new place altogether. Reality seems a bit altered in places like this- parks at midnight or bus stops at 3 am. I put my face up against the metal fence and stick my fingers through the holes. I hear a car speed by behind me.

I look around at the playground draped in darkness, hoping to minimize the amount of time I'll have to spend waiting anxiously backstage for the show to begin. I am procrastinating heavily- that's always been a habit of mine. I am about to walk away when I see a shape strewn on the ground. It looks oddly human. I am frightened, and I know I shouldn't waste any more time... but what if the person's hurt? I decide to check it out so I bolt from my current spot by the fence and around to the front of the park.

I cautiously shuffle towards the body laying on the ground. It's a girl- or maybe a boy with long hair, I can't tell. The hair is matted down on their head, and their face is in the dirt. I hastily get down on my knees and carefully turn the pale head. I look directly into its eyes. The eye sockets are completely black, and stare into my soul with a glare as cold as ice. I shudder as I feel my soul start leaving, and the creature rises up off the ground and grabs my neck. It releases a daunting, guttural sound from deep inside.

I can no longer breath; I am flailing about until I finally see the world around me fade away.

***

"You made it! I was worried something happened to you. Now go to the dressing room, you need to be ready in five!"

And so he got ready for the show.