The Twins

I writhed in my bed helplessly, unable to wake up as I felt the familiar pressure on my chest. Choking for air, I fought against the sensation of someone pulling me apart, wanting me to see something. I knew what was coming, I knew; fighting against it was making it stronger this time. Unknown and distorted images flew across my eyes. fluttering and shutting them tight was of no use. I didn't even know if my eyes were closed or otherwise. Sweating and heavily breathing, I gave in.

There is no use I thought as I sank down to unknown darkness and dreadful feelings with my paralyzed limbs and let my eyes see what it wanted me to show. As soon as I gave up fighting, I was pushed down to a blurred scene of a richly furnished room. As I felt myself standing beside a couch; carved in beautiful swirls of ethnic designs, I knew I wasn't in the place and time of the present. The golden drapes and the sight of lavender carpet with golden slender lilacs gave it a hint of richness and comfort.
In looks at least.

Even though it looked like a welcoming room with a burning cider crackling across the cream settee, it radiated a coolness only felt in crematoriums.

A jolt of shiver ran down my spine.

I  shrugged off the feeling and walked to the window to look outside but a quick movement caught my eyes. I turned to see and realized a door I never noticed was left ajar. The dark mahogany wood creaked open an inch as if the passage itself was inviting me towards it. A heavy feeling of uneasiness settled over my body, leaving it numb and terrorized.  But, as if my legs had their own mind, I walked toward the dark corridor.

I could hear my heart beating against the wall of my chest, screaming silently in an unknown language.
I walked as a possessed toy, like a moth heading to light.
As soon as I stepped into the threshold,  the lights flickered on and the long hallway being flooded with light,  had an endless row of doors on either wall. The narrow florescent-lit corridor had something wrong about it, I could feel. I made my way ahead and almost reached midway when suddenly my hair in the neck stood; someone was watching me. Without a second thought, I turned around to see, only to find empty space but there on the floor, a green book was lying lifeless giving out an ominous aura.

To grasp on something, hoping that it will lead me to somewhere, I  hurriedly picked up the green book and looked at it closely. The cover had intricate gold swirls of fire and ivy thorns.

'The twins', it was titled.

I flipped through the pages and realized it was written in English but I couldn't comprehend a single word. I panicked as I turned the pages illustrated with finely sketched drawings of faces. The pictures were becoming more disturbed as I flipped through the pages. A witch, a feeding vampire, orbs, laughing injured faces, disturbing bodies... I was terrified to the bones as I turned the last page. A ghostly woman, eyes white as pearls, face completely disordered stared right into my eyes. I closed my eyes in reflex and my heart thudded heavily.

I opened my eyes and realized I wasn't in the hallway anymore. Instead, a beautiful wide dimly lit bedroom filled my line of sight. The room was neatly furnished and my eyes finally fell on the slender figures sleeping peacefully on the wide bed.
I looked closely.

A mother, arms circling around a much smaller version of her, slept in the plush bed. I could hear them breathing slowly in their sleep. I moved closer to them, to feel anything other than the dread settling over me slowly.  But when I looked up, I was paralyzed with a thunderous roar of fear. A beautiful girl, skin as pale as polished porcelain was sitting cross-legged beside the sleeping daughter on the edge of the bed. I shuddered with fear as she stroked the sleeping girl's hair with delicate bloody fingers. The thing got me wobbled on my knee was that she was looking right into my fearful eyes, a malicious grin escaping her mouth; taking away the beauty that could've been blinding.

I felt someone's breath on my shoulder, exposed to the eerieness of the whole atmosphere. I turned around with a heavy drumming heart. I stiffened as I saw her. Fear and panic took over every tissue in my body.
I saw her.

The same beautiful face with the same malicious grin moved in front of me and proceeded to the bed to her twin.

The twins.

She walked backward, eyes on me all along and sat silently beside the sleeping mother who was oblivious to the intruders who were soon going to wake them up. I just knew.

The mirror images were sitting stroking their hair with slow movements of their bloody hands. I wanted to scream and warn the sleeping couple of mother and daughter but I was numb to the core with limitless fear and dread. My legs went wobbly and a sudden wave of confusion and horror took over me until I saw it.
I saw it.

The twins turning into their true selves. They laughed, cackled in ominous loud voices as their face continued to become disordered in front of my eyes. Face and eyes a dark hollow of nothingness and tattered evil grins and hysterical laughs.
In a blink, the room was on fire but I couldn't feel it, the fire was climbing up my legs, the heat never touching my skin.
I looked up to the bed and saw that the daughter and mother were up and screaming. Their terrifying expressions chilled me to the core. They screamed and their pitched voices made me want to hold my ears. I wanted to, but I couldn't move my limbs. The twins screamed for the last time as they took over the woman and the daughter and I wish I hadn't seen their heart crunching expressions. The fear, the terror, the shock... all fresh and vividly painted across my mind.
I woke up with a jolt, sweating, panting, helplessly gasping for air.
I was relieved that I finally woke up from the dreadful nightmare.

I sat up but my body went cold with fear as I widely stared at the green book lying perfectly at the foot of my bed.