Into the Darkness

She is standing in a room and has no idea how she got there. She blinks her green eyes hard as she tries to focus on the haze that is in front of her. Trepidation and sheer terror are running through her veins like an I.V. drip of morphine in the hospital as she becomes more and more aware of her surroundings. She blinks hard again, and the dilapidated brunt remnants of a century old fireplace come into focus. She can smell the musk of burnt memories long forgotten as she turns her head to see broken and shattered windows and floorboards that are cracked and missing. The fear in her body is telling her to run and instinctively she looks in both directions and sees a set of stairs. She jets for the stairs and instantly can feel something chasing her. Something evil, something dark. The grey haze swirling around her as she moves quickly forward. She makes her way up the broken stairs and finds herself in a black and white tiled bathroom. It is so cold, her breathe can be seen as she tries to steady her nerves. Where can she hide? This house is falling apart, and any misstep could land her crashing to the floors below. She can now hear her heartbeat in her chest as the sudden urge to run hits her again like a truck. She finds what appears to be an old bedroom. There is a familiarity to this room that she cannot explain. She dives into a closet that is filled with broken toys and old dirty clothes. She can hide here, she thinks. She will just hide amongst the broken dolls and old clothes. It cannot get her in here. She nestles herself into the messy closet and feels the sharp claw as a bony hand grasp around her throat from behind her somewhere in the closet. She can feel the pierce of her skin as one of the claws scratches her neck as the grip tightens. She cannot breathe and begins to kick her feet and grasp at the hand that is pulling her back further and further into the closet. The haze is getting darker and thicker as this beast is pulling her deeper and deeper into the house. She is clawing at the fingers, trying to pry herself free from the grasp. She gains enough for a quick breath and continues to feel herself pulled deeper into the house. The motion downward is nauseating, until finally it stops. She feels the grip let loose and she is standing in a cold and mildew filled basement. The walls are made of stone, and there is a dirt floor. The dark haze that is swirling suddenly slows and she can feel the creature standing behind her. She can hear its heavy breath. Should she turn around? She wonders. Should she try to run? There does not seem to be an escape from this beast. She slowly turns and the haze becomes so thick, she cannot make out a face. She can only see pointed red eyes staring at her. She goes to speak, and no words come out. She tries to scream, and it is like she is a muted television. She walks forward into the haze, the fear and trepidation now leaving her body. There is nowhere to run, there is no one here to save her. She must face this evil and is now prepared for whatever it has in store for her. She continues to walk towards the piercing red eyes. She is ready to accept the darkness. She reaches her arms out and is ready to embrace this demon. This monster. And like a jolt of lightening, everything begins to shake, and the house begins to crumble all around her. She blinks hard and gasps as she realizes she is in her own bed. She feels the terror in her chest and realizes she escaped but only for a moment. For as she closes her eyes again, into the darkness she will fall.