Just a Dream

You wake up, and it is late in the night. You look around the room, reluctant to get up. You're warm, and comfortable beneath your covers, and the world is quiet. 

You hear a sound coming from the living room, so you stagger to open the door and wonder through, flipping switches as you go. You quickly realize the power is no longer working. 

Instead of panicking, your hands shake, and you quickly move to the cabinets to take out a candle and a matchs tick. lighting the candle, the room is bright with the small flames light.

Everything seems perfectly normal, why wouldn't it be. You start to look in all directions, as your mind plays tricks on you. They're always tricks, right? Nothing more, you'd assume, at least. Just shadows chasing the back of your mind and normal paranoia. 

You look out the front window and stare for a second. There is a figure standing there, in a torn gown that hangs limp on it's body. You stare for a second, unable to comprehend what you are seeing. Everything is quiet, but you hear a childs cry now, faint, coming from the figure. You quickly realize the silhouette is holding a child. 

You rush to the door, and flipping the switch to the porch light before quickly shaking your head in dismay at your panicky state, leading to your forgetting that the power was not working. 

Standing in front of your house, you peer across the street. it does not move, it does not speak. You yell, in panick, "Who the hell are you? Speak!" But nothing happens. Suddenly, the moonlight illuminates the figure fully, and you see it's face.

It's hair is tied and knotted and it has no obvious gender. Its jaw hangs limp, appearing to be previously broken. And the sockets where it's eyes should be are empty, only surrounded in dried blood. The figure remains still and you look in its arms. What is there, is a mutilated body, with two small eyes staring into you.

Without a second thought, you close the door and lock it. Your hands are shaking and you shake your head quietly, tears starting to stream down your face in fear of what you had just seen.

Going to the circuit box, you realize that the wires are mangled and cut. There is a large knife sitting on the table nearby, and you quickly realize you're not alone.

You turn around, and stare for a second.

The figure is there, beside you. It's breath smells of rot and burning flesh, its face remains expressionless. 

You say quietly, "What the fuck are you."

The room remains silent, and sweat is pouring from every pore you have. You realize you're hyperventilating, your chest is moving fast yet the rest of your body remains still, and cold.

A pain seeps into the back of your skull, and you feel your body collapse on the floor, and the world becomes black.

You cannot move, speak, or yell. Your body is completely frozen, and you see lights flashing, before darkness taking hold, as if day and night is passing in seconds before you. You want to scream, but nothing will come out. Your mouth is parched. You feel something dry on your chest. 

You realize you're not breathing, and you start to gasp for air. Suddenly, your eyes are open.

You realize you're still in bed, and all is quiet.

It was just a bad dream. That's all it was, right?

You look at your chest and realize a dark red substance has dried all over your body, mixed with sweat and tears.

The moonlight creeps through your open window, and you see the same substance covering your walls.

You hear something crying in the other room, and the door starts to open slowly, although nothing can be seen beyond the door.

But... the mind, it plays tricks on you, doesn't it?