The sorrow we know

The living night terrors

Nicholas brushes his teeth while looking at his black eye. He spits in the sink and analyses his face, wondering why his third year of high school started like this. Is it his big nose? His giant brows? His crooked teeth? Or is he just that ugly? He shudders at the fact that the human brain makes you look more attractive than you really are. He then shuts off the bathroom lights as he exits the room.

He plugs his phone into a charger before it lights up the dark bedroom, showing notifications of cruel messages geared to hating him and his life. He clears them all and activates his morning alarm clock; can't be late for his nightmare called school. If it weren't for his best friend Kiri, he wouldn't know if he would still be walking on this earth. Nicholas sometimes wishes he could live with her, nothing bad ever happens when she's around. There really is no one sweeter than Kiri. Nicholas sends one last message to his friend before closing his phone and slopes into his bed while trying to empty his head for a good, temporary sleep. He's so tired of everything: Tired of death threats, tired of teachers doing nothing, tired of Jason bullying him, tired of...

Nicholas's train of thought stops as a shadowy figure stands in the corner of the darkroom. The darker-than-black silhouette is shaking in place as if it were having a seizure. Nicholas's breathing shudders while the figure's upper body starts to bow up and down like the antenna of an insect. He then realizes he can't move; This pressure paralyzes him as if the air itself dropped on him, holding him down. He looks at this being, unable to even blink while hyper-ventilating. As the creature takes a step, it lets out multiple shrilled hootings. At every breath, incomprehensible sounds slip out of Nicholas, mute of all speech. The silhouette expands into this incomprehensible form of a multitude of limbs and heads that are not heads. It jumps onto the bed with a loud hoot, sensually climbing Nicholas's leg. He can feel this cold viscose member like a tongue suctioning his leg. He cries out this one-note voice expressing his anguish. The being's hoot turns into a shriek before it snakes itself around, disappearing under the bed. Nicholas's heart continues to fight his rib cage, keeping the silence at bay with his breathing.

Suddenly the room is brighter. Nicholas sits up, just noticing now the morning light through his window as if there was a time skip. It was dark just a second ago, did he fall asleep? He only remembers the awful, cold... thing. Nicholas rubs both of his legs. He notices the one that was touched by the being felt smoother than the other leg. It could also just be his mind giving that impression. This isn't the first time Nicholas deals with this recurring night terror, but feeling its cold touch is a first. He places himself on the edge of his bed and looks under it. A shiver passes through his body as he sees only darkness. He unplugs his phone for a flashlight but the feeling of that shiver still lingers around his skin, too scared to look back. He flips his phone upside down and takes a photo, flashing under his bed. As his hands shake, he looks at the photo he took that only shows dust and hair. Nicholas takes a breather before dressing up for school and starting his morning routine.

After his preparations, Nicholas joins his parents in the kitchen with his backpack in hand. His mother is on her cell phone for work, not noticing Nicholas's presence as always. He lays the bag beside the kitchen table. He then makes himself a bowl of cereal and sits down at the table with it. Sitting across from him, his mother's boyfriend reads the news on his phone.

- Nicholas, I euh... I don't want to put you on the spot here.

- What?

- It's just... If you're going to... "play", you should put headphones or something.

- What are you on about?

- Just forget it, never mind.

Nicholas shakes his head in confusion while the boyfriend continues to check his phone, caressing his chin as if he found something interesting.