ERICA

The Nightmare

Corridor after corridor...on an endless run...fear bubbling inside the chest like molten hot, boiling fire. Run away, hide, before they find out...red orbs surrounded by an unusually darkened sclerae and then a piercing bloodcurdling scream...Gasping, Erica sits upright in her bed. Sweat-sodden, breathing heavily she tried in vain to clear her mind. "It's okay, everything is fine, it's..."Erica kept quavering out loud to herself. Taking a deep shaky breath, she looked at her trembling hands for a second and covered her face with them. A lone sob escaped her lips. Eyes watering she once again said out loud," I am okay." No you're not said the dreadfully honest voice inside her head.

 The nightmares never ceased, not even after 16 years, like a broken recorder playing that single line of a lyrics again and again and again. Enough to drive anyone to the brink of sanity and yet somehow she managed to hold on and to not give in to the urge of jumping off. No, Erica could not afford that. After-all she had businesses to take care of.

 She looked out of the window of the inn, her temporary sanctuary, dawn was breaking. The street below was slowly coming to life. Erica got off the bed, walked into the washroom and splashed ice cold water on her face in hopes of washing away the weariness and eerie feeling. As she looked up, a pair of pale blue cat like eyes were staring back at her through the mirror. Her shockingly pale complexion, flawless of any visible scars, long, waist-length, jet black wavy hair lay carelessly behind her shoulders. Trembling seemed to have finally come to a halt. She squared her shoulders, in an attempt to get her act together, it appeared to be working. The look on her face went from disturbed to determined to placid. The expression in her eyes went blank leaving behind the intensity it carried a few moments ago. 

Coming back to the room, she conjured a flask out of thin air, filled with transparent liquid easily to be mistaken as water until one smells it. The scent was that of a foul medicine. Erica held out her arm in front of her, tied a tight knot with a maroon cloth around her upper arm, just above the elbow. One end of which she held between her teeth, and injected the liquid inside her vein.Then she rubbed the injected area roughly. It had become a routine, a necessity. 

She closed her eyes, taking one long breath and suddenly black fog like substance started creeping up and down her body, finally covering her entirely. It seemed to settle in and then dispersed, leaving Erica in a black frilly knee-length dress, a cloak of the same color to conceal it and high-heeled black boots. She turned her back to the window and walked to the door leading her to the hallway. It's time.