Short Stories

Saved By a Mole - The Nameless Man

While on my way home, I began to notice the colors in the sky change into a warm pink-and-orange blend with all the colors in between. A soft cool breeze brushed against my face as I approached the broad bridge over the ocean water. You could hear the summer festival from earlier coming to an end.

Live music, artists painting odd portrait interpretation of people, handmade jewelry, and little small kiosks were set no further than 10 feet apart from each other. Most of the people were gone and only about 50 people remained. Of those who were still there, many were laughing cynically, others dancing to the music like there was no tomorrow. The sound of music slowly began to reach me.

I felt a sudden wave of dizziness, my vision slightly blurred and the chatter of voices and laughter faded away as I tried to hold myself up with my wobbly legs. I walked to the nearest vender and put my hand on the table for some extra support. I looked into the sunset blooming with colors and began to regain control over my senses again.

I felt a hard jerk on my left arm and saw this wrinkly old hand with long black nails hold onto me. I was startled but not threatened by the old lady who appeared to be a little under 5 feet tall. I tried to pull my arm out of her grasp but she only began to dig in her nails deeper into my skin. I began to feel dizzy again and fear took over my body. I then felt a shot of adrenaline, which gave me the strength to pull away and begin sprinting as fast as I could down the center of the bridge.  I ran and ran, my heart pounding - despair. Nothing felt right but all I know is that I cannot stop running because in my gut, they- whoever they were - were following me. And that old lady somehow knew something was different about me, but I knew it too.

My legs were shaking. I desperately knocked on every apartment complex I could find. Tall buildings left right and me running down the streets, ringing buzzers, knocking again, running to the next building, and the next, yet no one answered. That's when I noticed the streets were more than unusually quiet as the darkness began to creep in. Where is everyone?

I began to feel desperate, hyperventilating, yelling down the streets, screaming like a maniac, "HELP ME, PLEASE, THEY ARE FOLLOWING ME! HELP ME! THEY ARE FOLLOWING ME!"

But the only reply I received was silence.

My efforts appeared to be hopeless. And although I could not see with my own eyes anyone following me, in my gut, I knew they were coming after me.

I approach yet another apartment complex building and realized the buzzer was broken and the main entrance door was unlocked. I immediately open the door and run down the corridor, frantically knocking of the doors of the residents who live there. Once again, I receive no response. My hope slowly dying.

My heart was pounding so hard it physically pained me, I lost any glimpse of hope and gave into the pit of anguish I felt in my stomach. Tears started pouring out of my eyes like waterfalls and I started to wail - the pain I felt deep in my soul. I needed someone, but no one was there. I was about to give into the insanity when suddenly, I see a door open.

It's an older man, possibly in his late 50's, and all he says to me is, "Follow me."

I am far too desperate to reason with logic - everything already didn't make sense, but my first instinct was to trust him. I followed him into his apartment, right into his bedroom, and right in-front of his closet, in which he lifted the lining of carpet from it. Under the carpet was a metal square compartment in the floor with a thin handle. He opened it and I noticed the depth of it went underground. The tunnel was so dark and cramped I thought to myself, how could he possibly fit himself?

"We're going to hide down here," he assured me.

He put his feet in first and began climbing down the ladder. I followed, locking the metal door on my way down.

At first sight, there's a large room, with a leather couch and a small TV placed across from it. All four walls had shelves upon shelves of canned food, dried fruits, nuts and grains. As a matter of fact, there seemed to be food everywhere you looked.

"This is my kitchen slash living room area, over in this corner I have my stove run by these batteries I hooked up to solar panels on the side of this building. But in order to preserve energy, I have extra batteries that are already charged up in the bedroom down the hall.

"Come on now, no time to waste, down the hall!" He exclaimed.

I ran behind him into the single bedroom down the gloomy hallway lit by a single flickering lightbulb. There was a small mattress on the floor and a large bookcase with all kinds of books, from literature to science to graphic novels. He started pushing the bookcase with all his strength and I too, join him.
"Behind this bookcase is a closet and on the back wall of this closet, behind the clothes, is a small metal door made of titanium. Lock the closet door with the metal bar which is in the floor, and lock the metal compartment with all 5 locks which you will find once you get inside," he explained to me.

Just like he said, behind the bookcase was the closet door, he slid the door to the side.

"Thank you so much, I don't know how to-"

"We don't have time! Now GO!" He ordered me and I obeyed.

He shut the closet door and I fumbled in the dark to find the metal bar. Once I found it, I slide it over the side of the closet door to lock it. I could hear him moving the bookcase back in place. My hands scanned the wall until I felt the cold metal handle. I pulled it open and crawled inside. Once inside, it was pitch black dark, but after a few moments a small light bulb in the center of the ceiling flickered on.

It was a small room, so small it reminded me of jail cell used in solitary. I examined the the floor and immediately noticed the 5 locks. I picked them up and one after the other I locked every single one of them onto the metal door. There was only one key. I slipped it inside my bra.

To a certain degree I felt safe, but my heart was still pounding. I crawled into fetal position and began singing lullabies to myself.

I don't know how much time had passed when I suddenly heard a loud noises outside. Banging, breaking, followed by screams of anguish. I tried to cover my ears with my arms and kept singing to myself, but after some time, it became quiet. Too quiet. I stopped singing.

I tried to listen but there was no audible sound. I then heard a loud bang right above me. My heart pounding once again, I cover my mouth to prevent my sobbing shrieks from being heard. I shut my eyes tightly.

They're here.

I could hear the sir who helped me yelling and putting up a fight and then I hear a loud thump. I could barely control my breathing anymore. My eyes felt heavy and burned from all the crying and fear, but once again it was silent. I put my face into my arms and faced the floor.

If I can't see them, they can't see me.
If I can't see them, they can't see me.

I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I realized I was still inside this jail cell. I counted the seconds and made sure an hour passed by before deciding to leave. I reached into my bra, the key was nice and warm. I unlocked all five locks and placed them on the floor. I opened the metal door and then opened the closet door. I struggled to push the bookcase but I managed to push it far enough to squeeze by and get out. The man is no where in sight. I could have sworn I heard him fall, but he was no where to be found. Maybe he's upstairs, I said to myself. I climbed up the ladder which lead up to his apartment and finally, I saw daylight. It seemed I was darkness for so long, the light was almost blinding. I slowly walked towards the window and everything outside looked normal.

What just happened?...

//[ This is a dream I had. I woke up scared as hell but glad to be in my room. I don't try to find meaning in my dreams but sometimes I get it. I understand why I dream the things I do. I'll never explain why tho so you guys can choose to translate it in the ways you want. Maybe I'll make a part 2 for creative reasons. Peace. ]\\