The creature's grip tightened, its icy touch sending a searing pain through Edward's shoulder. It felt like a thousand tiny needles had been plunged into his flesh, pinning him to the wall with an inhuman strength."Please..." he rasped, his voice barely a whisper choked by terror. His gaze darted to the creature's face, searching for any flicker of recognition, any shred of humanity beneath the grotesque mask. But all he saw was an abyss of swirling darkness, a reflection of the primal fear gnawing at his insides.A primal instinct for survival ignited within Edward. He strained against the creature's hold, muscles screaming in protest. The creature responded by squeezing him tighter, its inhuman strength making him feel like a ragdoll."Coward!" the creature rasped, its voice a cacophony of whispers that echoed eerily in the room. The sound sent a fresh wave of terror coursing through Edward. It was the same voice, the same mocking tone that had haunted his nightmares since Claire's death. A surge of adrenaline fueled a desperate gamble. With a burst of strength fueled by terror, Edward managed to wrench his arm free. In a reflexive act of defiance, he lashed out, his fist connecting squarely with the creature's face. A sickening crunch resonated in the air as his knuckles collided with something hard and unyielding.The creature recoiled with a shriek . It was a sound so unearthly, so full of raw pain and fury, that it sent shivers down Edward's spine. He stumbled back, collapsing to the floor in a heap. The room spun wildly around him, dizziness threatening to engulf him. Ignoring the throbbing pain in his head and the throbbing wound on his knuckles, Edward scrambled to his feet. He didn't dare look back. His only thought was escape.
But his luck was short-lived.
A strangled scream ripped from Edward's throat as the creature launched itself at him. The air whooshed from his lungs as the impact knocked him sprawling onto the cold, unforgiving floorboards. "You'd better stop this foolishness," it rasped, its voice a chorus of guttural growls that vibrated through Edward's bones. "You coward."With a sickening crunch, the creature flipped him onto his back, the world momentarily inverting. Dizziness washed over him like a tidal wave, blurring the edges of his vision. Panic clawed at Edward's throat as a monstrous hand, impossibly cold and slick with an unknown slime, clamped around his neck. He gagged, air rushing out of his lungs in a desperate wheeze. Vision swam at the edges, the room tilting at a sickening angle.Instinct kicked in, weak and desperate. Edward's hands clawed at the creature's arm, his nails finding purchase on the leathery hide. His fingers dug in, scraping and tearing, anything to alleviate the suffocating pressure. But it was like trying to push back against a tidal wave. The creature's grip remained relentless, an unyielding vise cutting off his air supply. The world spun, a dizzying kaleidoscope of colors blurring into nothingness. A primal terror, cold and sharp, flooded his mind, pushing everything else aside.With a final, herculean effort, he clawed at the creature's arm, his fingernails scraping against its unyielding hide. A choked wheeze escaped his lips, his entire body a symphony of pain and terror. He felt the sweet release of oblivion beckoning, a darkness stealing at the edges of his consciousness.Then, abruptly, silence. The world faded to black..
YOU ARE READING
The Silent Shadow
Mystery / ThrillerEdward's life was completely turned upside down after a tragic incident as a child. Regret and nightmares haunt him.... The day has finally come when he will face his biggest nightmare and regret....
