Nightmares (Short Stories)

Nightmares

Have you ever wanted something so bad in life that you would do anything to get it, including finding whatever mythological creature could give it to you and do whatever they ask as long as they can give it to you? No, neither have I because we are sane people. Ben... Ben is not.

I found my poor neighbor and science partner facedown in a puddle of what looked to be blood pudding smeared all over his bedroom floor in some circle pattern with random symbols that probably came out of a first grade art class. His parents had let me in since I was supposed to be tutoring him today. We had a plan, he improved his grades as I knew he knew the material and I wouldn't put him as gay to his parents. It was a fair trade in my eyes as he kept their love and I kept my bank account fluffed. The kid was weird anyway so finding another guy to sow those fields wasn't likely.

Being right had never felt so horrible. The kid had been such an outcast and lonely that he turned to whatever this ritual thing was and was bleeding out on the hardwood floors. In mid inhale to scream for help, a large hand covered my mouth from behind. Fear washed through me as I could see the scales on its arm reflecting the light. It was a dark purple and black sleek look, but definitely not human or anything I could place.

"Be quiet human." If that wasn't an admission to being not human, I didn't know what did.

I remained silent as I watched in horror as the poor kid was slowly losing his life. The creature sauntered over to the almost deceased body and rolled it over to show the kid had plunged a knife into his own heart to do whatever this was for.

Some random gibberish came out of the thing's mouth and he pulled the knife out at the same time a huge intake of breath came into Ben's lungs. Shaking like a vibrator, I just stood there. Unable to move more than a mere blink and shallow breath. This thing had saved Ben so it couldn't be all bad.

Ben opened his eyes and there was only black. No iris or sclera, just a giant black mass. It was unnerving as his face was directed at me, but his eyes didn't seem to move. 

Some more gibberish came out of the creature and Ben stood up with a helping hand from said monster.

Getting the urge to flee the scene of what was a suicide, I turned and there was Ben again. He had moved across the room faster than I had just turned my body. Another scream was caught in my throat as the claw covered my mouth again from behind. There was nothing I could do to stop Ben and this thing from eating me or whatever they had planned.

"My human is lonely. You will be his until I come for him. Behave." I heard a slight pop and the claw was gone. The whole monster was gone.

I watched Ben stalk me like a cat. He said nothing, but I knew what was coming. I didn't make a secret ritual pact with the boogeyman, he did. I shouldn't have to suffer by this nitwits side for however long he was not dead for.

As soon as I thought it, my chest started to burn. It wasn't a regular nerve pain kind of burn, it was a "shit, I'm on fire" kind of burn. I ripped my shirt off to see an engraving tech itself onto my chest as big as my face. It resembled one of those markings on the floor. It seemed to calm Ben down who had blinked those black spheres and turned them back to normal in the next second.

Another scream was on my tongue when Ben spoke, "Anarock has chosen me and allowed me one pet. Guess who that is?"

My brain short circuited at the blinding pain I felt on my wrists. When the pain subsided I glanced down to notice the etchings of a chain of symbols wide enough to be as thick as a medieval metal wrist chain cuff. I liked to see the brands appearing on Ben, but he didn't even flinch.

"Now, you are mine. Bend over." I was already huddled on the ground trying to keep conscious after that and I knew what was coming next. I scrambled to crawl my way to the door when i couldn't move my legs and found that my arms wouldn't obey either. I ended up on hands and knees facing away from Ben which was the worst position imaginable.