Born to Die

Chapter 9

I couldn't sleep that night. I kept tossing and turning and when I finally drifted off, I had a horrible nightmare of what Lucy had said in the institute. It wasn't the first time this had happened and it wasn't even like I believed what she said was true or whatever, but... it still haunted me. Anything that could go wrong in my life had a tendency to do so, so why would this be any different? I mean sure it seems highly unlikely and completely unreasonable but I couldn't control my dreams.

They were always exactly the same. I was in what looked like a church. These dark figures leaned over this frail woman, who once would have been beautiful and stabbed her to death. There was wailing, that's all I could hear... her blood poured over the church altar and flowed in a straight line directly to my feet.

Then the blood rose into the air and turned into dark shadows that floated around me, completely obstructing my view of the woman. I tried to push through them, but they wouldn't budge. Until they wanted to, and by then the woman was gone and the scene had changed. To my house. It was engulfed in flames and the air was full of smoke. But nothing burnt. It was as though the fire was an entity occupying the house, not destroyinf it. The dark shadows still lingered around me, seemingly waiting. I began coughing because of the fumes, so I started looking for a way out. But I was surrounded by fire. Everywhere I looked; everywhere I turned, there was fire. I reached my hand out to the flames, but they did not burn me. So I pushed through the inferno and found the door, left the house.

That's when the scene changed again. I was not standing in my front yard, but rather in an unfamiliar place, the shadows still there. The place was swarming with ordinary people. One by one they tried to approach me. Then the voices started. Stay away. I leave pain and death in my wake. Stay away. Stay away.  Stay away. They wouldn't stop. No matter where I ran the voices followed me and so did the shadows. I helplessly cowered into a corner and put my hands over my ears, but the voices only got louder.  Stay away. Pain. Death. Stay away. I tried to scream but I couldn't. I tried to get up and run but I was pushed back to my knees. Finally, an old man with a kind face approached me and reached out his hand. I took it and he helped me to my feet. When I looked at his face again, he was not the same old man anymore. He was a monster. He had blood on his hands and a wicked, evil smile. His eyes were red and his face covered in scars. The scene changed again. We were back in the church. I was in the place of the woman, and the old man held a knife over his head, ready to stab me. There were people there. "Help me! Please somebody help me!" But no one did. The old man lowered the knife in one swift motion, and that's when I woke up screaming. Every time. This time being no exception. The only difference between the dreams is that each time I have them, they feel more and more real. 

Kim ran into my room and turned the light on. "Are you ok? What's wrong?" She asked. "Nothing. Just had a bad dream. Sorry I woke you. You can go back to sleep." I answered, trying to hide my embarrassment. "Do you want to tell me about it?" I shook my head. "No, I'd rather not. It's fine, really." She didn't seem convinced. "You sure?" Forcing myself to smile I replied, "uh huh. Yup." "Okay then I'll see you in the morning." She said, pushing herself up off my bed. "Sure. Night." I didn't try going back to sleep, I knew I wouldn't have been able to, even if I had tried, so I had a warm shower then made my way downstairs to fix myself a snack. As I walked past the "forbidden doorway to hell" I heard voices from behind the door. Letting my curiosity get the best of me, I turned the knob, half expecting it to be locked,  but it wasn't, so I went in.

Behind the door was a seemingly endless hallway. It literally looked like it when on forever.  I closed the door behind me, hoping that if Kim woke up and didn't find me, she'd just assume I went out. I began walking down the dark hallway, feeling around for another door or a light switch but there was nothing. It was just an empty hallway. As I walked the voices became clearer, but I still couldn't make out what they were saying, so I kept on going. Until the walls started making strange noises. "Umm hello?" No answer. Then I realized what was happening. The walls were moving. No, the walls were caving in on me. The voices grew louder and clearer. "Hello? Help me! God, please help me! Please don't go! Help me!" I lingered for a second but I couldn't do it. I couldn't save the person calling for help. I would die if I tried. "I'll come back for you.  I promise!" I called back, running towards the door. "Wait no! I have answers!  I have the answers you seek! I know what's happening to you!" I paused. I needed those answers. But the walls were so close together now. "I'll come back for you.  I promise. I'm so sorry." I staggered out of the hallway and back into the house, just as I heard the bang. The walls had come together. Something strange was definitely going on in this house. I needed answers. And I will get them.