Short Nightmares

I start to whistle a tune as I lock the shop behind me.

"Woah. Don't do that."

"What? Lock the shop?"

"No dumbass." My coworker says to me. "Whistle at night." The expression on my face lets him know I think he is crazy before I burst into laughter.

"The hell are you saying to me right now?"

"You’ve never heard the superstition?” I wait in silence, signaling I have no clue what he is talking about. “Thought you were well read.” He jests. I roll my eyes and check my watch, trying to subtly hint that I need to get going. He doesn’t notice. “There is a myth that says if you whistle at night it summons an evil spirit. Some say the devil, some say this creepy old woman who kidnaps you and turns you into a tortured soul, doomed to walk the planet for eternity."

"I’m already doomed to walk the planet.” I snicker. An awkward pause. “You're messing with me, right? You don’t actually believe that."

"Hey. It's just something I heard. I don't know about you but I'd rather be safe than have my soul taken."

"Lucky for me, I don't believe in bogus stories about the afterlife and nonexistent monsters."

"Hey, man. Suit yourself.”

“When did you get so superstitious anyway?”

“I don’t know, dude. The internet is a crazy place. Got my thoughts all twisted.”

“Maybe take a break or something before you end up like one of those conspiracy theorist internet trolls.” He chuckles lightly.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. You working tomorrow?"

"Always."

"Word. See you then. Try to stay warm and don’t let the devil take your soul." He smirks.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. See ya tomorrow." He lights a cigarette as he heads in the opposite direction. I wrap my scarf into my hood to protect my face from the snow. I walk carefully, trying not to bust my ass on the icy sidewalk. Stupid city not salting properly. Lucky for me it was only a few blocks to my apartment.

I couldn't help but whistle on the way home. It was a habit. Started when I stopped smoking. As I walked my normal route my coworker's voice kept playing in the back of my mind. For someone who didn't believe in superstitions and ghost stuff… his story creeped me out for some reason. I couldn’t help but shake the strange feeling of foreboding. Maybe it was because the street lights that normally lit the street on this part of the block were out. I was never a big fan of the dark, especially when I had to walk home alone. Yeah, that was probably it, for sure. I tucked myself deeper into my scarf and began to walk a little quicker, almost slipping and falling on a sheet of ice. As I recollected myself I heard something. Another whistle, somewhere in the distance. My adrenaline spiked. I stopped and looked around. I couldn't see anybody, I could only hear the whistle echoing down the block. After a few seconds a shadow rounds the corner. I look up and down the street. It is just me and this figure. My heartbeat begins to quicken. The feeling of fear starts to seep into my brain. Street lights flicker on and off, adding a terrible ambiance to my already paranoid mind. Starting to freak out, I continue forward speeding up my pace. The whistle drones on behind me. Why was this figure following me? Why was nobody else around? This street usually had a few signs of life on it when I walked home at night. I try to tell myself that I’m making it all up, that the reason the street is so vacant is due to the weather. It was probably just another person walking home. I glance back and notice the figure is growing closer. My trot quickly turns to a light jog. The whistle seems to grow louder even though my pace has quickened. I can feel the presence of the creature behind me, slowly approaching. My heart is now pounding through my chest. Too afraid to look again, I begin to run. My coworker was right. I had summoned the devil or some demon and it was chasing me… trying to take my soul. I started making deals with myself. I’ll never whistle again if I can just make it home alive. I even started praying to a God I don’t believe in, asking for any kind of protection or help. As I round the corner I look back to try and spot the figure, hoping that it had disappeared. I slip on some ice. I remember falling in what seemed like slow motion and I remember hearing my head bounce off the pavement with a sickening crack… not much else. I begin to fade in and out quickly. The pain felt distant. The cold seemed to sink deep into my bones. I told myself to get up but remained unmoving on the icy pavement. I stared at the sky, light pollution drowning out any stars that might have been. My breath begins to grow shallow. I think I’m bleeding. Running footsteps. Someone kneels into view.

"Can you hear me?" It sounds as though they were talking to me from underwater. This must have been the person that was whistling behind me. Had I freaked myself out imagining being chased by the devil? I try to answer but no words come out of my mouth. "Just hang on, I'm calling 911." I blame my coworker for getting into my head. I remember thinking one thing before fading into darkness… If the afterlife is real, I'll have to make sure to haunt his ass for this.