Shadow Effect

A Night Terror

I arrived at LAX by 11. I slightly worried, since my usual thing was to arrive two hours early before a flight to allow time for security and such. My granma and I did this for our trips and though she was gone by then, it was still something that I preferred to do.

I found a coffee place and checked out the nearest security post. The line wasn't too bad, as more people fly during the day. I didn't love the idea of sleeping during flight and I didn't plan on it, so I made time to grab something. You can't take drinks on a plane, of course. I was at my gate and full of caffeine by 11:50.

You know how sometimes you load up on coffee or Red Bull, but are left only with a fast heart beat, still tired? That was my case. Damn, I was tired already and there was a long night ahead. Even if I wanted a nap on the plane it wouldn't happen. I have a hard enough time falling asleep in bed. Actually, I was slightly afraid to fall asleep again after my last dream.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention something. This was the last night I slept at my hotel, so Tuesday night into Wednesday. I got back from working around 11 and fell deeply into sleep the moment I touched the pillow. I'm not prone to night terrors. A difference between these and nightmares is that terrors happen early into the night, the other more frequent towards morning. I have always dreamt more near the early morning. The nightmares I had at home would end around 6am. Well, I had my first in Cali and they are fucking awful.

I heard a high-pitched static noise and thought I'd woken up, because in my dream I sat up and looked around my hotel room. Except then it was like, a horror movie version of it. It was pitch black, except for red light coming in through the window, giving the room a blood-colored glow. The wall in front of me that usually had the TV and dresser in front of it looked like a pool of black, a void. It looked like it never ended. It felt ominous and I was scared right away. The silence was broken by a distant rasping sound. The best way to describe it is the way it sounds when someone with a respiratory illness breathes. If you've been unlucky enough to listen to someone die of pulmonary edema ( leakage of fluid into the lungs caused by overdose), that is what I heard way deep in the black hole the wall. Then something stepped out. It was a giant shadow, tall as the ceiling with thin legs that were way too long. When I looked at it I became paralyzed. I no longer controlled my body movements.

I was slammed onto my back on the bed and held down by some force. My arms were forced out from me and held down, as something broke my bones one by one. Right leg first. I heard the bone snap. I screamed out in agony but made no sound. Other leg. Left arm. My eyes wide, I saw it bent back the wrong way at my elbow in my peripheral vision. Snap. At this point it hurt so much I didn't know how I was still alive. The shadow just stared at me as my right arm was contorted and broken. I'd felt pain like this before, once.

I must've fallen out of bed while lunging forward trying to wake myself. I startled awake on the floor, glad I'd left the lights on. My heart was pounding and head swimming. Drenched in sweat yet had also fresh goosebumps. I waited a minute, making sure I was in the right world and listened. No noise but the TV in 608. I searched the room to make sure no one had been in. Obviously my bones weren't broken, but it really felt like someone held me down. That was around 2am and I couldn't sleep any more since. Needless to say, I was exhausted by that night.

I thought about my dreams for a while seated at the gate, and how things that have happened in my life long ago are being incorporated into them lately. It must just be the trauma. That will manifest itself in all kinds of ways.

The intercom sounded to announce my flight was now boarding. Everyone else was already in line getting on while I gathered up my iPod, earbuds, new book, and empty vending machine snack wrappers. I dug for my ticket and pass to show to the woman at the doorway. The sleep deprivation was starting to take its toll as I momentarily forgot where I put them. I searched my entire purse for the third time when I got frustrated and mouthed "what the fuck". Only other place it could be is the carry-on. I fumble through that and there it is, thanks, whoever.

I swung my bags back on and and hurried toward the door. Everyone in line was already boarded. My documents checked, I stepped into the vestibule that takes you to the airplane's door.

I felt something I can't quite explain, right away. A change in the air. All of the noise of the airport vanished quickly, except for the buzzing. I heard that static sound from my dream the moment I stepped in there. The lights brightened for a half-second. I walked on through this hallway, around at least three bends and still didn't see the entrance. No way these things are that long. I stepped faster but it only continued. Logic wasn't applying any longer. I sprinted but came to a halt at the sight of the door and a flight attendant.

I felt relieved slightly but didn't know what to think. I told myself that the thing was extra long or that I wasn't walking for as long as I thought. I got up to the girl and she kept her eyes fixed on me, wearing a way too-wide smile. She creeped me out. We didn't exchange words and I took my seat. I saw my coworker, Dana a few seats ahead. We were both placed in California locations, arriving different days but departing on the same plane. We did the nod-and-smile as I passed by her.
I checked the time, which showed exactly 12:15. We would land in Philadelphia approximately five and a half hours from now. Yeah, I had a lay-over this time. I'd catch another plan at PHL for 6:15am to Baltimore. This added extra travel time but it was still better than waiting until Thursday morning for a direct. Things were still normal at this point, but I had a sick feeling in my stomach and growing sense of dread. I can't describe how much I yearned just to get home.

I saw one more person board the aircraft, a child traveling alone. He had a male staff member with him who seated and buckled him, and then headed into the flight attendant area. From back there, he looked like my brother, River, when he was that age.
Then, I started to hear scratching sounds underneath us.