The Fallen Angel

Chapter XIV

I lied awake for hours, listening to the sound of the rain as it hit the window, watching the branches of the large oak tree cast eerie shadows on my ceiling. I couldn't sleep, no matter how much I tossed and turned. The old house creaked and cracked as the wind howled outside, stripping away the dying leaves from their branches.

I looked over to the clock on my nightstand. 3:34. I had to get up in a less than three hours. My Dad had gotten home late, again, and I could hear him snoring. 

I got up, my feet colliding with the cold floor. I shivered and pulled out a blanket to wrap around my shoulders. My feet padded down the hall and to the kitchen downstairs where I poured myself a glass of water. I sat at the kitchen table, the room only lit up by the dim light above the oven. It was quiet and peaceful and lonely. I thought about Nathan and Lucifer and wondered how my whole life could have fallen to pieces so quickly. It was probably a bad idea to let my mind wander, but I couldn't help myself.

The sound of floor boards creaking down the hall shook me from my thoughts. I looked out, the corridor swallowed by darkness. And then another creak.

"Dad?" my voice was quiet but I got no reply. And then another. I stood up slowly, leaving the glass and blanket behind. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. I backed away slowly, never ripping my eyes away from the hallway and reached for the top kitchen drawer. I pulled out a knife, swallowing hard. I jumped slightly as I heard my Dad's snores start again upstairs. And then my eyes widened as another step echoed in the hall. I contemplated everything, from the amount of steps it would take to walk to the stairs to how many times my heart would beat before I was lying in the safety of my bed, in a matter of second. 

I ran across the hall, the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I climbed the steps two by two and ran into my room, holding the knife tightly in my hand. I hid under the covers, like I did as a child, pressing the knife flat on my chest and squeezing my eyes shut.

And then the steps started again, down the hall. The floor boards creaked, the sound growing louder and louder. They were in my room now, and then they suddenly stopped. The only sound was my shallow breaths and low cries.

I felt cold hands grab my ankles and my body was dragged off of the bed. I collided with the floor and let out a shriek, scratching at the ground as I was pulled across the floor. And then nothing. I crawled across the room, tears flowing down my cheeks. I pressed my back against the bed and looked around. There was nothing. I stared up at the mirror on my dresser, my entire body shaking.

A figure began emerging from the mirror. First an arm, and then a leg as it crawled out into the darkness of my room. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe. It crouched onto my dresser and jumped on the floor, its limbs folding in ways that weren't humanly possible. Its long raven hair covered its face and it looked around for a second, until its gaze turned to me.  But it had no face. There were indents where the eyes should have been and stitches along the crevice of the mouth. It looked like a mannequin doll, its face pale and white and skin seemingly made of felt. It advanced towards me but I had nowhere to go, I was pressed against the bed and my knees ached from being dragged onto the floor. It tilted its head and watched me; its elbow folded the other way over its head. It had a long white dress, stained with old blood and cuts along its hands. I closed my eyes shut and let out a piercing scream. And then nothing.

I rose up from my bed, out of breath, my heart pattering in my chest. I looked around my room frantically. It was intact, my mirror still placed on the other side of the room and my sheets perfectly placed on top of me. I started to calm down again, closing my eyes, trying to get rid of the nauseous feeling brewing in my stomach. I lied down again but flinched once my back hit the sheets. I sat up ran my hand over my shoulders, letting out a cry. It felt like fire ripping through my skin.