Rolling back and forth in my bed, my thoughts were about as scrambled as my eggs were this morning for breakfast. I grabbed a hold of my comforter and pulled it further up and over my shoulders. It was cold out, and the rain had slowed to a drizzle, I could hear each drop of rain as it grazed my window pane. It was satisfying, almost like nails tapping on glass.I layed there counting each drop. One, two, three, four, I whispered to myself trying to relax so I could finally get some rest. I grumbled knowing exactly how horrible my day was going to be the next morning. My eyes hurt. That type of hurt where every time you closed your eyes it felt like static pulsed through them. Eventually the warmth of the blanket enveloping my body created some sense of comfort as I slipped into the dark hold of my subconscious. Everything was smooth, soft almost, as I was lulled by my own steady breathing.
Suddenly I was ripped from my own bliss. I couldn't breathe, almost like my chest became concrete and was collapsing into my lungs. In a state of panic my eyelids shot open, still waking up, my vision was blurry. A large black silhouette resembling a body was sitting on my chest looming over me. Shocked, I attempted to move, but to my astonishment my body was frozen in place. I couldn't lift a single finger. I screamed. But nothing came out.
My vision started to focus more on the menacing figure watching me. His face was drenched with what I could only assume was blood, as it dripped onto my cheek. A twisted, fractured nose with a thick bone splintering out of the left side. An open cut lining from ear to ear with visible pieces of skin torn and barely holding itself together. In an instant it wrapped its ice cold hands around my neck, I could feel it's disgusting fingers tightening around my throat.
The blood from it's face began to spill out of his grotesque scar as it opened up, smiling, revealing razor sharp teeth. A tongue split in two, slid in and out. As the adrenaline pumped through my body, I started to lose the numbness that had paralyzed me from moving. But before I could fully regain my senses, a shrill ringing noise flooded my head, making my already unsteady vision worsen. It felt as if needles were piercing through every inch of my body as I desperately struggled to move.
Savagely I flung my arms up to grab at its hanging jaw. With one hand on top and the other at the base of his chin, I began to pull with all of my strength. A horrific sound resembling the tearing of leather was released, as its face convulsed, splitting into two. A shower of blood sprayed my face completely as its claws loosened around my neck. The creature collapsed on top of me, its skin cold and raw. Using whatever energy I had left, I pushed it off me and onto the wood floor. It landed with a deafening thud, blood beginning to pool around its lifeless carcass.
I threw myself out of bed and staggered towards my door, never taking my eyes off of it. My legs burned with every step I took, but I managed to grasp the metal handle and swing the door open while still facing the now presumably dead corpse sprawled across the bedroom floor. Taking another three shaky steps backwards, I was so taken aback by what had just happened, that I lost my footing and slammed my head on the wooden floor. (haha i love this part)
I presumptuously struggled to get back up but my legs refused to cooperate. The adrenaline that had fueled my defense was now gone. I laid on my side, cradling my head that now throbbed with pain. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the overwhelming heat that was radiating from my skull.I had only closed my eyes for a couple seconds, but after opening them, to my confusion I was strapped into what I assumed was a hospital bed.
“Where-” I croaked out before choking on my own spit.
The smell of hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol filled my nostrils as I struggled to breathe. I sat up and immediately felt a sharp pain on the back of my head. Gingerly, I touched it and felt the familiar crusted texture of dried blood with what I can only assume was stitches. Memories of the night before came flooding back. Panicked, I stood up, looking for someone to explain what happened to me. I immediately noticed that this was no ordinary hospital room. Shifting my focus upwards I noticed a camera pointed directly at me, a small red light blinking.
Suddenly, a pale man with slicked black hair and glasses opened one the metal doors.
“Please sit down. My name is Dr. Mizuhara. And you are currently being housed under surveillance at the pilgrim psychiatric hospital. Your neighbors alerted the police after they heard a disturbing amount of noise coming from your property as of last night. From what they knew, you live alone, and so they were worried for your well being. You were found unconscious and rushed here. Now that you're awake are you able to recount anything that happened last night?” He stated nonchalantly, gazing down at his clipboard, glasses glinting in the overly lit room.
I opened my mouth to start, but I caught myself. Something's not right here.
“Could I have some water first?” I asked slowly.
Seeming somewhat annoyed with my request he nodded his head and left me to myself. Repeating what he said in my head, I found myself stuck. A psychiatric hospital?
I was cut short by the metal door once again squealing open, but curiously, it wasn't Dr. Mizuhara. It was another patient. She had short curly hair and dark skin. We made eye contact and she ran up to me.
“Please I don’t have much time, you have to believe me. You have to lie. They won't let you leave if you tell them what you saw.” She whispered timidly, glancing at the camera.
“What do you mean?” i whispered back
“ I overheard them talking about you. You saw it too right? A monster.”
I nodded my head hesitantly.
“They’re calling us sick. Crazy. They lock us up here and force us to take medicine that makes us sleep for days, sometimes weeks. The monsters only come when we sleep. They use us like lab rats and watch us die.” she hissed
I stared at her mouth agape.
Tears begin to prick her eyes, “Please, you have to go. Find help. You’re our only hope…”
Just as I’m about to respond Dr. Miszuhara and 4 security guards burst through the door.
The girl runs to the furthest corner of the room visibly shaking. The team of security immediately rush to grab her as I watch. One of them shoves a needle into her thigh.
“NO PLEASE I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK!” she screams as she writhes in pain.
They leave as swiftly as they entered. Leaving me alone with Dr. Mizuhara. He placed the glass of water on the small table next to him before speaking.
“My apologies if she scared you, Quinn is a permanent resident here, she's highly schizophrenic and often refuses to take her medication. Now with that out of the way, could you please recount what you experienced last night?” he said with a smile that made my insides twist.
“I can't recall anything, I must've hit my head when i fell.” I said wincing as I touched my head.
Dr. Mizuhara looked briefly back up at me with an emotion I couldn't identify.
“Unfortunately that's not the correct answer” he said staring at the clipboard.
“What?”
“You think I didnt overhear what Quinn had told you through the camera? Silly girl, don't lie. You know what you saw that night. And by some streak of a miracle you killed it. It's the first corpse of a Pesanta we are able to research in scientific history. All thanks to you. We have many testers that are able to see or enter this dimension of nightmares, but most refuse to cooperate, not to mention the casualty rates. But you my dear, you are different.”
I stand up and let out a shaky laugh.
“You can't force me to stay here. Or the other patients for that matter. It's against our human rights. I-”
Almost instantaneously, I felt a shooting pain in the back of my head. I fell to my knees, my vision beginning to fade into the darkness. I use the last of my energy to look up at the man in front of me. He held what looked like a remote control.
“Sweet dreams.”
