"Did it really happen? Or was it all a dream?" I've been having that feeling lately as I have been reflecting on my life. I recall memories that I have had, but it's hard to believe it was actually my reality. Once crisp images in my head of faces are now nothing but blurs. I have a hard time remembering the exact experiences I've had with people, yet one thing stays, the feelings. However, I will say many of the feelings that echo in my body hurt; almost as if I was forced to swallow a cauldron of molten steel. Images fill the black canvas in my skull, bringing along with it the sharp pain of agony and sadness. The fiery metal courses through my veins as I try to force the images out of my head. I scream at myself, begging me to let them go, yet they remain. Trying to run away from your problems is significantly harder when they're intertwined with your DNA. An endless chase, between me, and the demons from Hell who thirst for my damnation.
My feet pound against the pavement, my heart bounces in and out of my chest, on the breaking point of bursting. My legs are tired, and my body is numb, so badly do I crave rest, but I won't stop. The city's darkened lights, faint in the fog, give me just enough to see the road ahead of me. My breath puffs in the cold, the sleet penetrating into my skin, an icy burn with each droplet. Blood drips from my forehead clouding the vision in my right eye, yet I have no time to wipe it away. Looking above me, the looming skyscrapers look down on me, as if they were watching me. The city was huge, but it was a ghost town. No movement, no sound. Then I heard it. The harrowing shriek. The scream bounced off the buildings, entering into my ears, sending chills through my body. I stop, frantically darting around me, hoping to get a glimpse of where she might be. My breath is heavy, and I'm afraid it might give me away. There's no point in hiding anyway, as she already knows where I am. She always knows. The rain pours down around me. "I need to keep moving." I think to myself, restarting my brisk pace through the streets. The squeal rings through the streets again, closer this time. I needed to get out of the open. Forking a left, I find an abandoned apartment complex. Trying the wooden door, it refuses to budge. Panic starts seeping into me as the screams get closer, and closer. I plant my foot down on the cement, the other forcing down the door. Each kick resonating throughout the streets, luring her towards me. Perspiration forms on my brow as the last kick breaks the door jam free. I fling myself into the cold hallway of my newfound safe haven, for now.
The screams subside, leaving the faint dribble of the downpour of the rain. I'm submerged in darkness as the pale light from the outside door creeps into my surroundings. My clothes soak the wood floorboards. The damp wood groans with each step, the gust inhaling fresh life into the floor. Before me is doors on each sides, each room once filled with the souls of families. Now, what remains is the must of paint residue which fills my lungs, exhuming shaky breaths as I enter the first room. The apartment looked ransacked as I looked around seeing storage boxes sliced open, cans of food littered across the counter, and half packed suitcases strewn about the couches. Searching the drawers, my hands grace across a cool steel flashlight. Grateful I can now see a little more ahead of me, I make my way through the rest of the complex. My light floats up the wall, making contact with what looks like a bloodied hand streak across. My mouth goes dry as I make my way towards the room that the blood trail leads to. Broken glass riddles the ground, my eyes darting ahead of me. My heart rate rises as my boot steps into a puddle onto the floor. Quickly I shine my flashlight onto the ground immediately regretting my decision. Scarlet red liquid lies below my boot, coating me with fear. Broken glass cracks with each step I take as I make my way through the room, cautiously observing any movement that may come through blasted window in the corner. I shudder against the crisp wind blowing from the outside. shuffling around drawers inside the apartment, to find myself empty handed. Deflated, I exit the apartment and made my way to the next door. Reaching for the cold steel handle when I hear the scream again, louder than before. My heart rate rose, as I quickly turned the handle and locked the door behind me, and shrink to the ground. Tears well up in my eyes as how desperately I yearned for this to end. Choked sobs emerge from my throat as I clutch my legs next to my chest, wishing to disappear from this nightmare I'm in. "Snap out of it Garrett! Keep it together!" I yell at myself, repeating the sentences until my heart rates slows. I clear my vision from my tears as I shine my light from my corner of the room to the other side. Unlike the previous apartment, this one was spotless. A hunter's home for sure, as I notice deer skulls in a corner of the room with a bear rug on the floor. The room was neat, and helped ease the claustrophobia that was collapsing on my rib cage. I began to breathe as I got up from the floor and began examining the household looking for anything that could be of use to me. The cool torch in my hands gently rolls up the wall, making contact with a dark brown wooden casing with glass revealing its contents. A faint smile creeped up on my face as I inched closer to the handle, leaving me breathless. "Is it too good to be true?" I quickly dash that thought out of my mind as I softly swing the door open. Inside my light glosses over the hardened steel, the crisp stained stock matching the pump handle. Electricity rings through my hands as I feverishly pick up my new best friend. The shotgun was sturdy, with the simple lettering of Remington engraved into the side of the weapon. Looking above the case, I notice a sling, and 2 boxes of 12 gauge shells making my stomach giddy. I slide the ammunition into the sling and syphon 5 rounds into the firearm. Grateful I have something to combat with, I shuffle through the drawers, finding duct tape, to where I immediately tape my light to the front of the gun. While doing so, my attention was drawn towards the sound of scratching on the wood, as if someone was sawing through the wood. The scraping moves closer towards the door on the other side of the room. I hear faint growls past the walls. My blood runs cold, as the echoing pierce of the scream rings through my soul once more, now much than ever before. The sound of what sounds like 2 cats fighting, emits from the other side of the wall, rising my blood, and making my vision blur. The scraping pauses right next to the door, as for a moment, everything is silent. I wait and hold my breath, praying that the thing on the other side, passes by not taking notice of me inside. But my dreams quickly dissipate as the handle begins to turn. Fear clouds my thoughts, as I hope that what's on the other side is in fact not my worst nightmare. For so long I have tried from this thing, and now here I stand on the devil's doorstep, waiting for my demise. I shuffle a shell into the chamber, and point the cold steel towards the doorway, my heart pounding against the butt of the gun. My finger on the trigger, I prepare myself for what's to come as the handle continues downward. I take a deep breath after noticing I haven't inhaled for what seem like hours as I notice the door handle stops creaking downward, and slides back into its original place. Relief fills my body as I lower the shotgun, gasping for air as I realize I didn't breath that whole time. The claw scratching continues down the hallway outside of me, dissipating into the distance. "I need to get out of here." I thought, forcing my feet move towards the door. Everything in my body screams for me to stay back and hide out. Just stay. You're safe here. Nobody will find you. These thoughts bounce around my mind but I know I can't remain here. Toeing closer to the wood panel that protects me from the unknown, I creak the door open, and peak my head out into the chasm. Seeing fit to emerge from my shelter, I sling my friend over my shoulder and make my way down the hallway, swiftly, but quietly. I place my hand on the wall, guiding me towards the open light source from the open entrance at the end of the hallway. My fingers drift across sharp claw marks, feeling similar in size to that of a bear. I turn my walk into a brisk pace, closing the gap between me and my escape into the storm. My worn boots clop against the floor the cool steel bouncing off my back.The outside wind begins to hit my face, indicating that I am almost home free. The light begins to hit my face, when I notice a head looking down on me with two glowing eyes. The dark silhouette of hair covers the top part of the doorway, and the hint of bright white teeth, glaring back at me stops me in my tracks, horrified. "She found me." I slowly begin to back up as she spiders down onto the floor, inching towards me. Her legs were long, and twisted at the shoulder. Her arms were likewise as her limbs were similar to those of a spider. Her thick dark hair was frayed at the end, blood dripped from her mouth, as her head twitches uncontrollably from one side to the other. Yet, when she spoke, her voice was soothing, almost as if it was trying to draw me in. She coos, as she inches towards me. In the past, I would've allowed myself to become seduced to her sweet voice, but tonight I would not for I know the true side to the demon that stood before me. Her simple words became more intense as her words no longer were coherent and she became to scream. Her cry rang through the entrance way ringing my ears and freezing me in my tracks, unable to move. Sensing my weakness, she smiled a crazed smile as I began to see in my blurred her legs start cock back into place, ready to pounce onto her pray. My heart's pounding, my body is numb, and my arms can barely move. Hurriedly I reach for the firearm strapped to my back, my hands barely functioning enough to aim down the sights of the weapon. Seeing my defense, she pauses. Not afraid, yet more calculating the situation. Unaware of what I am to do, my finger stays on the trigger both of us at a standstill. I look behind me and see an open window, with a cool breeze rolling in, begging for me to embrace its presence. Turning back around I see that thing sprawled out in the air diving towards me. Instinctively I pull the trigger, the fiery orange blast knocking her back from me as I quickly shuffle another round in. She screams in agony and frustration as she bounds towards, her mouth unhinged with 4 protruding fangs. Her legs scuttle towards me her arms outstretched, blood seeping from her chest, the wound not stopping her momentum. I fire another shell, the smell of gunsmoke begins to cloud my senses. My ears are ringing and her wailings sends shivers to my core. I pull back the pump once more and aim down my sights, while observing the damage that I caused to the beast. Her left leg remained disconnected from the rest of her body, blood seeping from her wound, as she looks at me, hungry for my demise. "All you've done is piss her off Garrett. Way to go." The thought brings back common sense into my head that i realize I'm not invincible as I begin to run towards the open window, while I have a moment to do so. As I run, I begin to feel her breath against my neck, and tongue rolls down my head. I don't look back as I dive towards the opening, landing chest first onto the dark pavement. I groan, and a sharp pains emerges from my chest, possibly a broken rib from the fall. I roll onto my back, looking for the predator as I make contact with her crawling out of the window, her leg that once was discombobulated fully connected again. My panic rises as I crawl away from her, the shotgun fallen on the ground ahead of me, with no chance of getting it back at the moment. She begins to crawl around me, toying with her trophy. Tears flow from my face as I see arch her legs back once more, as I scream as she jumps on top of me fading my vision to black.
