The Battle

The room was dark. Everywhere I looked there was only the pitch black darkness of the night. I looked everywhere. Squinting. Trying as best as I could to fathom any images from the room that I was in.

Nothing.

It was silent. No sound. Not a whisper can be heard.

And then I hear it. The moans. The terrible moans. A whisper. An echo. Calling me by name. 

By name.

The whispered stumbled and echoed around the room. Growing louder and then softer at intervals, the sound coming from the different parts of the room.

Blood drained from my face. The night suddenly felt icy-cold. My whole body was sweaty.

I squinted more and suddenly…

A light. A low-unearthly glow. The whispers grew louder and louder. Almost a scream.

From that glow I made out the shape of the rooms curtains. Billowing in the wind like a flag caught up in the storm.

My whole body felt cold. I felt like one who has been trapped in ice.

I shut my eyes closed.

Never dare to open your eyes my mind commanded me.

And yet I was  so tempted to open my eyes and see where the glow comes from.

The murmurs echoed and echoed. Growing louder and then softer. Louder and softer.

And suddenly it stopped.  And light filled the room, its glow passing through my closed eyelids.

I opened my eyes.

Only to find horror screaming at my face.

Just a millimeter from my nose was a face. Thin as death. Pale as the snow and with eyes…

No, there were no eyes.

There were only sockets. Blood streaming downward. Down her cheeks. As if weeping a river of blood.

Its mouth stretched open. A wide hole of darkness.

She had no body. Her head attached to a white cloth billowing as the curtain did before. It floated above my whole body. Her hair in a huge tangle. Flowing with the spotless cloth.

I tried to scream. My mouth was poised. And, as if in a pause, no sound came from me.

I thrashed and turned, trying in vain to wake up my dear mother and father. In one instant, I tried grabbing a crucifix that hung a meter above me.

I couldn’t move. Held captive by the creature from hell.

Only prayer could save me. And pray, I did.

A whole flood of prayers streamed from my mind. Pater Noster in a shout.

In a flash, I moved, able to take hold of the cross. The creature jumped. It leaped and flew.

The whispers were gone. And so, was she.

Peace reigned and sleep was returned to me.

I still wonder, up to today. Was all of this a dream? A nightmare, a dark dream?

I still believe, though, all of this was true.

For on the morning I woke.

There laid beside me, of all things…

A cross.