A Place Of Nightmares

A woman finds herself trapped in a room.

                                                 

A Place Of Nightmares  

Stephanie opened her eyes, peering about her she could see a faint light at the far end of the room.  Her vision was blurry.  She wiped her eyes.  Where was she?  She looked again and could make out a lot more than before.  She lay on a bed.  The room she was in was dark, apart from the light which was about ten metres away.  Then with shock she had this vague memory of someone grabbing her while she made her way down the road.  Her head ached.  She was starting to feel anxious, why was she here?

A shadow formed in front of her.  Someone stood there but she couldn’t see his face.

“Who are you?” she asked fearful.

A man’s voice then replied, “Hello, Stephanie.  I hope you are well?”

She felt petrified, and yelled, “Why am I here?”

Before he could answer a scream was heard from some distance away.  He started to laugh, before saying, “Welcome to my home.”

She couldn’t take anymore of this, then shouted, “I don’t know what your game is, but let me go now.”

He came closer.  “What do you think is happening?  What do you remember?”

She wasn’t in the mood to play games, and said, “Do you know who I am?”

“Yes, I know who you are.  That’s why you are here,” he answered.  He took two steps and sat down a metre from the bed.  “Who do you think I am?”

Stephanie noticed he wore a mask to cover his face.  And this didn’t make her feel any better.  She decided to stay quiet.  She certainly wasn’t going to entertain this psycho.

He got up and with horror she saw that he held a knife.  

Finally she said, “Why are you doing this?  What the hell have I done to you?”

Another terrified scream was heard from somewhere nearby.

The man who must have been around 6 foot tall approached her.  She peered up at him, not knowing what was going to happen next.  “If you think I’m going to beg for my life then you’re living in a dream world.  You pathetic loser.  I remember going to school with people like you.  You don’t scare me because you’re a loser.”

He giggled.  

She needed to ask him something, “Why pick on me?  Years ago did I dump you, is this all out of revenge because I pissed you off?”

His giggling stopped.  He seemed agitated.  He put the knife to her throat, then whispered in her ear, “You speak too much.”

That was it.

Stephanie knew she’d upset him.  She decided to stay quiet.  She felt a slight pain on the side of her neck.  A drop of blood appeared making him smile.  She saw this and a feeling of disgust ran through her.  Who was this vile man? 

He lifted the knife away from her and glanced longingly at it, while saying, “Blood.  We all know about blood, don’t we, Stephanie.  It flows through us all, it keeps our hearts beating.  And if spilt, we die.”  He placed the knife on a nearby table.

She finally had the courage to say something, “Please, I don’t mean you any harm.  If you let me go, I swear I won’t say a thing.  I mean that.”

He seemed interested.  Then bent down so his face was only inches from hers.  “So, you remember?” was all he said.

What did he mean? she kept thinking.  She needed to rack her brain.  What was she suppose to remember?

After some agonising seconds, she replied a little annoyed, “I have this memory of you dragging me somewhere, but I don’t recollect anything else.”

The man seemed disappointed by this.  He got up and made his way to the door.  He peered back only once.  “I’ll be back soon.  There’s other people I need to see.  Monsters are everywhere, beware them, Stephanie.  If not, you’ll get caught and eaten.”

She watched him open the door and vanish into the shadows of the corridor.  The door banged as it shut.  A chill was felt.

………………………………...............................................................................................

She stared at her watch and half an hour had passed.  The screams from close by echoed everywhere.  It made her feel terrible if the truth be told.  She needed to escape.  If she didn’t come up with a plan soon, she’d end up like the other poor souls stuck here.  Stephanie sneezed.  She wiped her nose on a bit of tissue.  All of a sudden a boy screamed at her.  She fell onto the hard floor.  Looking about her she realised the child had vanished.

“What’s happening?” she muttered.  

The door was pushed open and the man walked in.  The mask still covering his face.  He smiled.  Red covered his coat and jeans.

She wanted to puke.  She stared at him petrified.

He came nearer with a chainsaw held in his hands.

She tried pushing herself away from him.  She started to panic.  “Please, don’t,” she shrieked.

Calmly he put the chainsaw down onto the floor, and looked at her without saying a thing.

Her hands to her face, not believing what was happening to her, asked, “Why are you doing this?”  She waited for a reply but all he did was get up and walk back to the entrance, before saying with disappointment in his voice, “You’re here for a reason, Stephanie.  I need you to remember.  If not, then I’ve failed.”  He begrudgingly opened the door, then left.

“Why, why, why?” she kept saying.  

Stephanie heard a noise and looking she saw a boy of about ten staring back.  He had short blonde hair and played with his trouser pockets.  “Do I know you?” she asked, waiting for a response.

Without warning he yelled out something which she couldn’t quite hear.  She got up from the bed to help him.  A red hole suddenly appeared in the middle of his forehead.  He then disappeared.

She held her chest out of shock.  What was happening, who was the boy?

A song started to play.  It was a love song.  Then a memory came to her, while she danced with a man who she found attractive.  They laughed.  And she noticed he had the bluest of eyes.  Then he said, without taking his gaze off her, “Will you marry me?”

Stephanie fell to the hard floor hurting her elbow.  She was back in the room where nothing made sense.  The screams had ceased.  At least that was something.

She needed to escape.  Her brain wasn’t right because she truly believed the man had given her something to confuse her.  Maybe it was an old boyfriend who she’d dumped at school, and now he was seeking his revenge?

She had an idea, it needed to work.  Stephanie then waited patiently for the man to appear.  

………………………………................................................................................................

After a long time the entrance made a creaking sound, then without warning he came towards her.  She must of fallen asleep.  She peered up at him expecting the worst.

“Memories are an unusual thing, Stephanie.  Lodged deep in your unconscious, ready to spill out at any given time.  Now, the question is, when are yours ready to come out and show their ugly face?”  He bent down to her.  “You’re a pretty girl aren’t you.  I bet you have untold men and women that lust after you?”

Stephanie wanted to puke.  His breath stunk of sewage.  In her left hand she held the knife which he’d put on the table earlier.  She had this horrible feeling he had cameras in every room, and if that was the case he would know about the weapon.  She gripped it with all her might.  She had to wait for the right time to strike.

Like before all he did was stare at her not saying a word.  She had a plan.  Then she said not meaning a word of it, “It’s warm in here, maybe I should unbutton my blouse.”  She observed him looking down while she slowly undone each button so now her cleavage was in plain view.  He licked his lips.  She could feel his heartbeat on her leg.  It was time.  From under her she lifted the knife up and rammed it as hard as she could into his eye.  He fell to the concrete screaming in agonising pain while holding his face.  She jumped off the bed and started kicking him in the ribs.  Within seconds there wasn’t a single sound coming from him.  She had done it.  Her breathing was heavy.  She dropped the knife onto the floor.  Suddenly a hand was felt on her ankle, and looking back the man had hold of her while muttering under his breath, “You’ll never remember because you’re scared.  Scared to face the truth.”

Using her other foot she kicked him in the head several times.  Blood trickled down his mask.  His body still.

Stephanie got up shaking from the ordeal.  The door was only a few metres away.  She proceeded towards it hoping he hadn’t locked it before entering.  She got hold of the handle.  The door creaked terribly but with all her strength she pushed it open until she saw a corridor facing her.  The corridor was dark like the room she’d just left.  But she knew she now had a chance of escaping this nightmarish place.  

Closing the door quickly she started to look about her to see the best way out.  Everywhere seemed similar, so she was unsure what direction to head in.  Coming from down the walkway a boy’s voice was heard shouting, “Why?”

Then nothing.

Stephanie made her way down carefully, trying not to make too much noise.  On the left of her was a door lodged shut.  Then the boy was heard again and it seemed to come from behind the door.  

“I’m scared.  I don’t understand.  Why?”

My god, she kept thinking.  There was a child in there.  She needed to help him.  

She got hold of the handle and pushed it down.  The door opened.  She entered not knowing what to expect.  In front was an empty wooden chair.  Beside that was a table with a small television sat on top.  But she could see no child.

Stephanie tried calling out to him, “Don’t be scared.  I won’t harm you, little boy.  Where’re you hiding?”

Silence.

Taking a couple more steps she noticed with shock that the TV had turned itself on.  She neared the screen and noticed a picture had formed.  Watching with dismay she saw a woman creeping up some stairs.  Then with utter shock she realised it was her.  And then something strange occurred.  Her head started to ache terribly.  She held it in her hands.  Then like a bolt of electricity she remembered everything.  She didn’t know what to do.  

“No, no?” she kept shouting.  On the screen a young boy appeared.  Blood running down his forehead.  “Leave me be,” she shrieked.  This was too much to bear.

From the ceiling water began to fall onto her.  She needed to get away from this hellish place.  She turned in the direction of the door, realising someone had closed it from the other side.  Stephanie began to panic.  She grabbed the handle and pushed it down with all her strength.  She could hear a creaking sound while she pulled the door to her.  When there was enough of a gap she forced her way through so now she was back in the corridor.  She was out of breath.  Her heart beat quicker than she’d ever known.  On the right of her standing in the shadows were two figures.  One was shorter than the other.  

What should she do?  Were they trapped here just like her?

Slowly she approached them, and said softly, “Look, I’m trying to escape this place.  Come with me.”

They took a step forward so now their faces could be seen..  

She screamed out petrified.  It was a man and a young boy.  Their clothes were covered in blood.  Their faces mutilated.  From the mouth of the child a long slithering snake appeared.  Once it had reached the floor it tried biting the lower part of her leg.  She ran from it heading in an unknown direction.  Shadows surrounded her, also the stench of rotten flesh.  A man’s voice was then heard yelling, “Will you marry me.”

Stephanie fell to the concrete and sick exploded from her mouth.  This was too much.  Then a door appeared a few yards in front.  Wiping her mouth she ran as quickly as her legs would take her to it.  She yanked it open and could already feel the chill from outside.  But she didn’t care.  Then something beyond her worst nightmares was all of a sudden realised.  In front of her was nothing apart from darkness.  No lights could be observed.  Not even a single road.  It was like the building was floating in space, with nowhere to run.  

“So you remembered,” said a voice.

Stephanie turned round and the man in his mask stood a metre from her.

“I don’t believe it,” she yelled at him.  “Somehow, you’ve put this all in my head.”

He seemed disappointed by this.  He took the mask off dropping it to the ground.  “Look at me, Stephanie.”

She peered up, and a tear ran down her cheek.  Staring back at her was the most grotesque face she’d ever seen.  The creature had yellow eyes.  Its teeth were small but very sharp.  Its skin a pale green.  “Why did I do it?” she said, feeling awful.

The creature taking a step towards her, answered, “This is why you’re here.  After killing your husband and son, you blew your brains out with the same weapon.  Now you must come with me back into the safety of the building.”

But Stephanie still didn’t understand.  “But why did I do it?  For god sake I loved my family dearly.”  She began to cry not quite believing what she’d done.  “What made me do it?”

“You lost your job which hit you badly.  Then you found out your husband was seeing another woman behind your back.  If the truth be told he couldn’t stand you anymore,” it replied.

“But why did I kill my own beloved son?” she asked.

The beast snarled, before answering, “Because you wanted to do anything to hurt your husband, even taking his beloved son away from him.”

She didn’t have any fight in her.  The truth was too hard to bear.  If only things had turned out differently.  “Is this hell?”

He raised his hand to her, then replied, “I‘m afraid it is, dear Stephanie.  Now it’s time for your treatment.”

She took his hand a little wary.  Both entered the building.  From somewhere inside a chainsaw was heard starting up, followed by despairing cries.  

Stephanie was finally at peace.

                                                                 The End

Reviews

[Marie]

THis is really frigfhtening, Steve. It was suspenseful all the way through--wondering why Stephanie was here, what might happen to her.

You're still using too many passive verbs. Instead of writing "A slight pain was =felt on the beck of her neck," write "She felt a slight pain on the side of her neck."

But your writing really has improved from a year ago.

[steve]

Thank you, Marie. I have plenty of your stuff to read, I will base an evening on that very soon.