Nightmares

Lucille

I never thought I’d meet the monster under my bed until one day I finally did. I was terrified when I opened my eyes and looked at the foot where my legs lay. I felt paralyzed. I couldn’t move, I’d sealed my fate. I swallowed hard and gasped for air as my lungs tightened in my chest. I felt the weight of an elephant fall onto my ribcage. I couldn’t breath and I couldn’t move. I looked around to see my nightmare staring back at me. He had dark greasy hair that rested on the bridge of his nose. He had red glowing eyes that glowed like rubies and and a smirk that’d turn your blood cold. I closed my eyes hoping he’d go away and when I’d open my eyes everything would be okay. That’s not how it worked that night. I opened my eyes and he was closer. Only inches from my face. A long dagger like nail dragged itself slowly across the skin of my cheek. I whimpered still unable to move. I tried to scream and wail and cry but my voice was mute and the blood curdling screams only lodged themselves in my throat. With all the strength I had I only wanted to cry. I wanted to be safe but the man wouldn’t go away. I closed my eyes and tried to turn away from him and when I finally succeeded I could breathe again and everything seemed fine. I sat up and noticed the cold sweat gathering on my forehead. My cheek stung as if someone had burned me. I checked the clock and it was 4 a.m. I felt my cheek where his nail had dragged and felt the raised skin. I winced as I touched it. Goosebumps gathered on my arms and a chill went down my spine. I couldn’t think straight. I cried. I cried until I realised there was nothing more to cry about. He was gone and my nightmare was over. He never said a word and only looked menacingly into my soul. I had no idea what I’d done to deserve such horrifically realistic nightmares but I never spoke of that night to my family. The same nightmare kept recurring and I kept getting the burns. Mostly in different places such as my arm, the back of my leg, and under my chin. I felt as if He were trying to tell me something but I was always to terrified to listen. All I wanted was for these nightmares to end. When I’d stopped sleeping Mom had noticed and started to worry. I told her I was fine, she wouldn’t have believed me anyway. I always had a vivid imagination but I wasn’t imagining it. This was real. All too real for me to handle. She still seemed worried even after I’d reassured her multiple times that I was fine and I’d just been having some trouble falling asleep. I finally couldn’t handle not sleeping. My grades were slipping and my friendships were ending. I fell asleep in English one day and woke up on the floor of the nurse’s office because I’d had such a horrific scene while Mrs. Adam’s gave her lecture about Shakespeare. Three of the guys in my class had carried me kicking and screaming to the nurse's office. Since I wasn’t sleeping I stopped eating because eating made me tired. I started to drink nothing but energy drinks. I felt like I couldn’t even stand on my own two feet by myself anymore. Soon enough others had noticed. Since the day of my scene in English class my mom has been keeping a very close eye on me. When I stopped eating dinner with the family she thought I was going through a phase and that it would pass within a week or so. Of course, the “phase” hadn’t ended and I was scared of everything. I felt like I just couldn’t do anything. I stayed in my room all day and the school psychologist  said it would be easier on my mental stability if I were to just take online classes. I couldn’t even do that. Staring at a computer screen would make me tired and being tired leads to sleep and sleep leads to nightmares. I was sitting on my bed crying because I was slowly but surely coming undone at the seams. I cried every night and no one seemed to notice. Mom had given up on keeping an eye on me. She had three other children and a husband to look after and feed. I felt as if I was drowning and no one would throw me a line. I must’ve drifted off while I was crying because an all too familiar feeling came over me. I couldn’t move or breathe. I felt the elephant sitting on my chest. I felt my lungs burning. I felt the blood rushing in my ears and the feeling of being watched. I couldn’t scream or cry or anything. I tried to inhale but the air was stale and burned my throat. Tears welled in my eyes as I faced my nightmare once again but this time the smirk that usually played on his lips was bigger. His teeth were sharp like knives and his long nails dragged along my skin slower than usual. The atmosphere was thick and dry. I couldn’t swallow. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. I wanted to die. I looked at the ruby eyes staring back at me glimmering with Hellfire. The tears fell from my eyes and I couldn’t fight anymore. The dragging of his nails against my skin burned. I felt them cutting through the skin on my thighs but I couldn’t do anything about it. I closed my eyes praying that he’d go away and just leave me alone. Finally the dragging feeling on my thighs was gone and the elephant on my chest disappeared. My lungs swelled as I inhaled the sweet sweet oxygen. I shot up and the tears that’d been falling in my dream were real and they kept falling. They continuously fell from my eyes unintentionally. I uncovered the bottom portion of my body and noticed the fresh wounds across my thighs and on my shins. I cried endlessly. I looked at the clock. 4a.m. I dressed my wounds and cried still. I cried until I physically couldn’t anymore. I just wanted it to end. Mom must’ve heard the racket I was making because she stormed into my room as I walked back from my bathroom. She looked at me sternly with worry lacing through her gaze.