The Viral Chase

Chapter 1: Lost Nightmares

Chapter 1

Lost Nightmares.

Panic, frustration and desperation swirls in my mind and tangles every thought that made sense a few minutes ago. The path never seems to end as I try to find my way back home. The desperation to find it but the frustration of the inability to find it and the rising panic due to the failure keeps me on the edge. My heart thuds against my chest making my ears pound. I am lost again with no clue to get back. The night sky has covered everything in its dark curtains. The eerie silence is creeping out my mind. My pace increases with my heartbeats, going through the trail densely covered by thorny bushes and heavily branched trees. Scratching myself against their piercing edges, the pain barely getting registered in my brain as I make my way out and no time I reach the edge of a cliff where the trail ends. The end of everything that was hurting me few minutes back but that brings me no relief for I am not supposed to be here. Home is where I want to be and the trail to it is lost into many others overlapping the one I need to find. I try hard to turn around and walk the same path back in hopes of discovering my way back to my safe haven. But there is a numbness in my mind and my feet seem to have stuck to the hard concrete ground. However hard I try to move from the edge, it seems to hold me back to the place like it is my calling. Suddenly, a silhouette appears out of thin air swinging its arms around in an attempt to push me off the cliff-edge. Trying to dodge the figure, I lose my balance and my left foot tips off the ground underneath. Now, I am sure that it's a fall. My instincts kick in as I grab the ledge, dangling for my life. But it's not my lucky day so my fingers slip slowly as a stabbing pain of fear shoots through my heart. My eyes widen, reality striking me hard as I am about to descend through the air towards the dark twisted forest awaiting my fall through the knotted branches. The silhouette watches me with a cruel smile and enjoys the unfolding scene of my death. As my last finger slips from the ledge, I fall off in to a never ending spiral with the echoes of his cruel laugh ringing loudly in my ears.

I jolt awake from the usual series of my lost nightmares. Fists clenching the unruly bed sheets, sweat trickling down my forehead and heart jumping out of my ribcage. I remind myself that it was only a dream. Dreams that make it impossible to distinguish between the reality and fantasy. I grab hold of my ring that I wear on my index finger. My only way to know that I am back to reality. I close my eyes as my nerves began to calm from the fear evoking nightmare.

I feel a sudden shift of a silhouette in my peripheral vision as I open my eyes ready to settle back in. I mentally slap myself for bringing the character of my nightmares from my subconscious to reality. Once again, I close my eyes, take a deep breath and exhale until every horrible thought seems to fade away. I let them slip and lay down to retire back to sleep. I shift around to face my window in an attempt to clear my mind and make myself believe that there is no shadow, no figure and no actual presence of anyone.

An involuntary gasp escapes my lips as my eyes stay fixed on the silhouette that stands near the wavering curtains, unmoving. My mind begins to chant 'It's not real, it's not real, not real...' but my heart knows better because I can still feel my ring, as cold as the night, sitting brilliantly on my index finger.

*****

Dedicating the first chapter to @flowing_serenity for encouraging. motivating and helping me to finally put it up. Thank you dear. Without you it was nearly impossible.

So this is my first chapter. I know its a bit shorter than you guys might expect it to be and sorry if anyone is disappointed. Tell me how do you feel about this chapter in the comments. Vote, comment and heart if you like it.

Regards,

A.R.