Short Stories

The Endless Nightmare

"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal dare dream before" -Edgar Allen Poe

I had never feared more than that night. The hellish nightmare will plague me day and night. A nightmare where my beloved wife and daughter are and were tormented by a cold blooded Killer whose calculated and precise movements was impressive if they hadn't been towards my family. The Killer's face was shrouded in a cloak of mystery yet still seemed familiar in a way. It was as if I had seen him before but I couldn't place him as any close to me.

As I sat up with a cold sweat running down my back, I thought back to the terrible dream and rose to check on my family. As I walked through the shadows of the great mansion, I could feel the hands of death surrounding me. The gentle creak of the floorboards were not enough to wake up my dearly beloved wife, yet I tried to be careful, oh so carefully I crept out of the room. I feared the door would be so loud to wake my wife yet she did not stir in the bed.

I lightly crept from the room and slowly made my way down the hall where my child slept. I gently opened the door and as it opened it had a great creak which I feared would wake her up yet somehow it didn't awaken her. I lightly crept into the darkened room and grew close to my darling daughter and gently shook her as if to rouse her from sleep but still nothing. I edged over to the tall bed table and fumbled around for a match and a candle... Alas, I found a single match and the stubble of a candle, for she was fearful of the dark, and lit it. There she was, lying oh so still, she was sleeping. As if caught in a disastrous dream and scared, her face was horrified. I fell to my knees as I felt a great cold, so cold that made my blood thicken and that settled into my bones. I flew out of the room and to my wife's side. With the candle flickering low, I saw my wife's face frozen in mortal terror. What horrors she had seen, I will never know but without my family there is nothing for me to live for. I shouted, "If they are gone, I will be too!" With that, I darted towards the kitchen to where the knives are and plunged the blade deep into my heart.

I gasped for a breath as I awoke to a dimly lit room. I sat up wondering, wondering whether or not my beloved family was really and truly gone or it was all just another terrible dream. I arose from my spot on the bed and crawled out and tiptoe to the dresser where I knew the candle lantern would be seated. I grabbed the lantern and the match with it and I lit it. I was cat-like as I checked on my wife. When I saw she was still alive and well, I went slowly, oh so slowly down the hall to where my child slept and gradually opened it enough to push my head in. Once my head was in, I hurriedly brought the lantern in and as the light shone on her face, I saw her casually turn in the bed. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that she was good.

I slowly walked down the hall, back to my room. The door to my room had disappeared! I bolted back to my child's room. The door to my child had disappeared! I fell to my knees in despair outside where my child had been a few seconds ago. Suddenly, I the hallway shrank to a box barely larger than me. My heartbeat was a drum in my chest. A constant rhythm that wouldn't go away. My breathing increased as my heart beat increased. The room closed in even further causing me to panic even more. The room was suffocating me and within minutes, I passed out. I awoke and I was sitting curled up in a corner of the hallway. I got up and checked on my family. They were both in the bed where I had left them in their individual rooms.

With the lantern running out of oil, I went to get more from the cabinet. When I turned around, the shadows seemed to move. Then, I saw her. Her long flowing ball gown barely brushed on the ground. She was floating in mid-air and she didn't walk, she glided around. Her midnight hair were tentacles floating through the air. I backed against the cupboard yet she still advanced on me. As she advanced, it seemed as if the air was being sucked out of my lungs and the surrounding room. A bone chilling cold surrounded me and every breath was a struggle.  Then there was a soul sucking feeling where all my memories felt like they were being taken just out of my reach and the only thoughts that remained were of the first day I lived, the first day I had meet my wife, and the first time I had seen my child. As the last of my memories, except those three, faded, the woman released her grip on me and as she floated back into the shadows, the chill left me and I collapsed onto the floor and the room faded into complete darkness.

I awoke lying on the floor.  The sun streaming into the room and landing directly on my face.  The memory of last night fresh in my mind. I struggled to stand up but I eventually stood and after stumbling around a bit, I leaned against the counter but I couldn't stand up alone. I stumbled and fell multiple times before I was able to make it to the door of my room but eventually, I made it there. I opened the door and my wife's delicate, precious face was laying there.  Eyes turned towards the door without life in them.  I ran towards her but I knew she was gone.  Once I got to her, I grabbed her porcelain face with my hands and wept unashamed. As I was holding her, I heard the door creak open.  The light footsteps that signaled someone was entering the room stopped after a couple steps.  I turned my head slightly so I could see who it was and was surprised and saddened at seeing my child standing with her hand still on the door and a shocked expression on her face.  I let go of my wife and crawled over to my child and there we wept on the floor together.  My grief was intense and I could only imagine the grief my child was going through.

We stayed there until a near-by neighbor reported to the police wailing coming from our house.  When the police arrived, my child and I stumbled together to the door and once we opened up the door, a fresh wave of tears streamed down both of our faces.  The police pushed past us and looked around the house and once they got to the bedroom and saw my wife, they had sent someone to get an ambulance to take my wife, child, and I away to make sure we were alright.  When we were in the hospital, I broke down again.  They kept me in a room by myself and away from my child which set me over the top. I was a rabid animal running around in such a frenzy, they brought in the hospital security to latch me to the bed.  Even though I was latched to the bed the majority of the time, they undid my bonds so I could eat.  Once they brought my child in but I couldn't turn the animal free from inside me.  The last time they undid my bindings for some freedom, I tried to jump out of the window.  After that, they undid my bindings only for food.  This time, I successfully escaped my bindings and made it out the window.  The last thing I thought of before I hit the ground was how terrible a father I was being leaving my child alone without anyone but I know she is strong, she's her mother's daughter and her mother never gave up on anything or anyone. She took that chance on me.