Shadows of Deception

Chapter One

I could feel its presence in the corner of the room... This dreadful feeling crept along my spine as I started to panic. I looked around the room, trying to comprehend things. It was dingy, dull, and smelt of sulfur. The lights flickered, adding to the ominous feeling that the room had. I looked down at myself... I was lying in a bathtub naked but I couldn't seem to move. I started to panic when I realized that the rims of the bathtub where covered in dried blood. Was it mine? If it wasn't, then who's was it? My heart raced inside my chest as I felt the presence in the corner of the room slowly draw itself nearer to me. It cackled, filling the room with the heart wrenching sound of its pleasure of my dismay. The shadow like figure crept closer and that's when I began to scream. I fought my hardest against the darkness once it got its tendril like fingers wrapped around my neck. I struggled to breathe as I continued to try to fight back. The figure laughed once more, and my blood ran cold. I could feel my heart in my chest beginning to beat slower. I looked into the dark eyes of my attacker and felt myself lose consciousness. My body then began to shake and I heard a faint noise close by...

"Brinley... Wake up" The voice continued to shout my name. "Brinley stop screaming! You're alright!" The voice shouted. I lurched forward, breathing heavily, and broken out in a cold sweat. "God Brin, you really need to stop watching these things at night" Devin scolded.

"I-I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I was still in a fog as I tried to wrap my mind around reality. I was sitting upright on my couch in my apartment. I looked down at myself to see, not a naked body in a bathtub, but the same purple silk pajamas my mother bought me last Christmas.

"I had fallen asleep in your room because you insisted on watching that stupid news program. I don't even know why you're so intrigued by that type of stuff. It's bizarre Brin, and It's obviously taking its toll on your dreams" Devin lectured. He did this a lot, but only because he was my boyfriend and he cared about me. He went over and shut the television off. He then made his way to the spot next to mine on the couch. Devin sighed and kissed me on the forehead. "Come on Brin, let's go to bed, alright? No more crazy news stories tonight." I nodded and he helped me to my room in the midst of my dark apartment. I laid down in my bed. Devin got behind me and soon fell fast asleep with his protective arms around my waist. I tried to go to bed but my mind wouldn't rest. I couldn't stop thinking about my dream... The way the shadow lurked and moved closer even now made me uneasy. I tried to shake the feeling so I concentrated on the sounds of the cars passing by... I lived in a big city, so there was always various amounts of sounds. The saying is true... A city never sleeps. I shuddered thinking that the killer on the news could be stalking his next victim right at this moment... I grabbed Devin's hand. He had a way of making me feel protected and safe. So with the notion of security at the top of my mind, I fell asleep to the sounds of the cars on the street.

I awoke the next morning with the sound of my alarm clock blaring. I was a heavy sleeper, so I needed it quite loud so I could wake up in time for work.I turned my alarm off and started to stretch. I still felt a little on edge from my dream, but the feeling started to ware off as I began to start my cup of coffee on my keurig. While my coffee was brewing, I threw on a pair of jeans and an ivory sweater. I then slipped my feet into my brown boots and made my way back over to my kitchen. I grabbed a muffin and my coffee, already made up with creamer, and headed to my bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror and brushed out my tangled blonde mess that I call my hair. I threw my hair up into a bun, leaving some strands out to shape my face. I washed my face, threw on some makeup, and walked out of my bathroom. I grabbed my keys off of my counter, my beige purse, and my brown leather coat off of the hook next to my door. I headed out of my apartment, locking the door behind me. I tried to be as protected as I could.. Especially with everything going on. I went down to the lobby and out the door. I made my way down the block to the parking garage. Majority of the time I'd walk to work, but it was brisk out today, and I was already running a tad bit late. I half walked and half skipped across the pavement to get to my car. I dislike every part of the cold. If someone actually enjoys the cold, then they're crazy in my book. I reached the parking garage and began to make my way towards my car.