Bedtime Stories for Disturbed Kids.

The Shadows

Time moves painfully slow. Every step I take feels like it's in slow motion. My body refuses to move and my limbs feel as if they were boulders stuck to my body; too stiff and heavy to move.

I'm running.

I'm trying to run. Every step I take seems like ten steps backwards.

I see the end of the road. I see all my surroundings. It's a clear day and the trees are gently blowed by a soft breeze. I'm right in the middle of it. But I want to get off it.

I have this nagging feeling that someone- no, cross that. Something; is behind me.

I realize, I'm dreaming.

I wake up.

My eyes open abruptly and it takes a few seconds to get them adjusted to the dark. I scan my room briefly; everything seems to be alright. But I could have sworn that I closed the closet door, strange.

I try to move but my body is not listening. I can still move my eyes, I must be awake. I did wake up, didn't I? I try to open my mouth but my lips seem to be stuck together.

The first thing that actually alarms me, are the fingers. Long black fingers that grip the frame of the mirror, only thing is, it's not from the outside. A hand starts to form and eventually two long arms reach out of the mirror, following the head, torso and legs.

It's funny, even though it's all black and everything's dark; I can still see it clearly. I can see how its clothes resembles mine, its hair all over the place; but still, it wears it just like me.

Any other given time, and we could be twins. But I could never resemble to that bony frame, wide sharp-teethed smile and glowing red eyes.

As it comes out of the mirror, it looks at its surroundings, taking in everything that's in the room and lastly, its eyes fixate on me. It smiles wider, as if it were possible to do so even further. It cocks its head to one side as it slowly approaches my bed.

I'm now completely panicked and try to move my body harder than before. I need to get out of here! I need to get THIS as far away from me as possible!In my struggling, it takes advantage and starts looking at me, while still approaching me.

I start screaming inside my head, begging my lips to utter the words that my mind pleads: "LEAVE ME ALONE! GET OUT! LEAVE ME! NO! NO! NOOO!...."

It understands what I'm trying to say as this has only made it come near me and position itself right above my head.

I close my eyes. "If I can't see it, it can't see me. If I can't see it, it can't see me"
I start chanting this in my head as I lay as stiff as stone.

I open my eyes again when I don't feel it anymore above me. But what befalls my eyes is even worst.

Several shadow figures all taller that the one who came out of the mirror, surround my bed while the one who looks like me stands at the very end of my bed. Smiling still. Eyes looking directly at me.

I close my eyes as I don't want to see what will come next.
I scream inside my head once more. This time. No words. Just a loud vocal scream, as I know my end is near.

Suddenly; I can feel my eyes opening. My body feels as if a truck ran over it a thousand times. I try opening my mouth and thankfully, my lips separate from each other and I can speak. Everything feels otherworldly, it feels as it's just another dream.

I take a look at my room. The first sunrays of the morning, filter through the window, iluminating the room. Nothing looks out of place. I make sure once more that my body is alright by moving my fingers and touching my face to feel for any abnormality. Nothing.

I feel relieved.

As I'm about to turn over and get over that horrible nightmare I can't help but notice my closet doors.

I could have sworn I closed them.