We Are Nightmare Chapter 1

This is my first story I've ever tried to write. I would love feedback! Remember I'm only 14, I don't mind criticism, but please don't be to harsh, thanks.

I never wanted to go into that house, never. The atmosphere sent every single hair on my body sticking straight up. I was so scared, I’ll admit it. This house was so old, and all the kids swore the place was haunted. They said that they’re once was an old man who lived there, who was completely insane. They claim he know magic, not the cheesy Hollywood stuff, real, dark, magic. He was a madman, some even say he was an escaped asylum convict. I didn’t know, and I really didn’t want too, but I was about to find out.
    My brother, Gerik, dragged me down the long drive way. The closer we got to the house the more I screamed. Gerik gave me a good knock in the ribs, that shut me up. We approached the door. Oh god, why couldn’t we have come at noon, I thought as it was now pitch-black. As we stepped up the first step, it creaked with denial. I started to step back, Gerik just grabbed my arm and yanked me up the other two steps. Here we stood, mid November, at this abandoned house. The cold wind blew all around us. I huddled down deeper into my hoodie, as my brother reached for the door knob.
    “Aw, crap, it’s locked...” he muttered.
    “Why don’t we just go back,” I say to him.
    “Why? Why, because I’m not a chicken, I’m not scared. I mean, come on Leon, do you really believe all the crap about this place?” Gerik snapped back at me, his long black hair blowing from beneath his beanie. “ I mean really, do you think I would really let anything happen to you?” He then, added in a much nicer tone.
    “No... I don’t, it’s just, never mind. Let’s go.” I replied, still uneasy about going into the house. I sighed as I watched my brother slide a bobby pin from his pocket into the door knob. He shifted it around and a few moments later I heard the door click. A smile spread across his face, I couldn’t say the same about mine.
    Gerik stepped inside casually, as I slowly took my first step in, looking in every direction. Scared that something would jump out and grab me. I’ve always been jealous of my brother for that though. He’s never afraid, he’s never scared. He is fearless, and he has this edge, that pushes me, and makes me try new things. Yet he has a calm side, where he supports and protects me.
    “Wow, it’s freaking huge in here Leon!” Gerik says staring in awe.
    “Yeah, freaking creepy too,” I mutter back.
    “Aw, come on! This place is fun! Let’s go see what else is in this place!” He says.
    “Fine, whatever, let’s just hurry up,” I reply. I search the wall and feel a switch. I flick it on and the house lights up. Immediately Gerik lunges over and flicks it off.
    “Dumb-a*s!” Gerik blurts, “We’re breaking into an house that house been abandoned for fifteen years. You don’t think people will notice if all of a sudden the lights turn on!?”
    “Oh, crap... I didn’t think about that. Sorry.” I say shyly. Even thought it’s dark and we can’t see, I know my face is turning bright red.
    “Ok, fine, whatever. Here’s a flashlight, let’s go.” Gerik tells me, still a little pissed. He hands me a flashlight, and pulls out another one from his bag. As we turn them on, we get our first real look at the house. This place was huge, large paintings hung on the paint-peeling walls, Massive rugs covered the hard wood floor with patterns so intricate, I swore they must’ve been sewn by gods. From the ceiling dangle large, crystal like chandeliers. It was a good five minutes before Gerik or I said anything.
    “Let’s, ,uh, keep going. You know, and see what else there is.” Gerik says. Walking away before I even had any time to argue. We continued down a long hall in the east corridor, each step creaking under our feet. We walk past to suits of armor, dusty, but still in excellent condition. Gerik stopped up ahead.
    “Leon, look at this...” he says.
    “What,” I reply. Then I see, there is a huge painting on the wall. At least six feet tall and eight feet long. I swear it was the weirdest painting I’ve ever seen. They’re was a man sleeping, with a gun by his bed and a sack of money on the floor. A mask covered his face, giving us the impression he was a robber, or thief. Above him was another man, but in dark robes and he had wings. Shadows, or smoke, I couldn’t tell which extruded from his hands. They reached all the way over to the robbers’, or thieves head, which he was grabbing his face and screaming while asleep.
    “What the hell,” Gerik finally said. “What In the world is this supposed to mean?”
    “I don’t know, but I don’t like this,” I answer slowly. I swear my heart was racing a mile a minute by now.
    “I don’t like it either Leon,” Gerik adds. He reaches out and touches the painting at the top. He slides his hand down it. About half way down his fingers slide through the painting. He immediately pulled his hand back from the picture. Where his hand went through, there was no hole.
    “How is this possible Gerik? Look they’re no holes where your hand went through!” I point and show him.
    “What, no, this isn’t real!” Gerik stutters. He reaches out his and again towards the same exact spot. Again his hand goes through, yet again. He yanks in back. “Ok, maybe this is real!” he blurts.
    “I don’t get how,” I reply. “But it really is, Gerik, this really is real...” I said. This time with the lights on he saw me.
    “Leon, your face is ghost-white, are you Ok?” he tells me.
    “Yeah, yeah, just shocked. That’s all.” I reply, but by now my hands are like ice and my entire body is shaking. Gerik sighs.
    “I think we’re supposed to do something with the painting Leon,” Gerik tells me, although his face is ghost-white too by now.
    “Like what!?” I yell, my nerves taking over.
    “I don’t know, but we’re about to find out.” He reaches out his hand once again. His finger tips slide through the painting. At this moment you can practically smell the fear circulating around the room. His hand slide through the painting deeper, and deeper. Sweat pours off of his fate and his flashlight in his hand trembles. Alas, he blurts. “I feel something!”
    “What is it...” I slowly question, still unsure of whether I want to find out or not.
    “It feels like paper, yes!” Gerik declares, “It’s an envelope, I can feel it, and can grab it Leon!” Just after those word I see his hand slid out, clutching, of course, an envelope. Sealed with a stamp, just like the old fashion ones. The image on the stamp was what seemed to be razor sharp teeth, and in the middle of them, the letter “N.”
    “Well, are we gonna open it, or- or we could just put it back and leave Gerik.” I say, with the second half a little louder then the first.
    “Shut up Leon. God. Your always so scared of things, why can’t you just live for once. How are you going to get anywhere in life if your always to scared to try something.” He nearly spat out in my face. In all reason though. He did have a point. So, with that I let out a heavy sigh and snatched the envelope from my brothers hand.
    “If were gonna open this, let’s do it together.” I mumble. His hands join mine on the envelope, and we pull it open. A bright flash fills the room, blinding both Gerik and myself, a pain instantly shoots up my arm, and my hearts burns as if it was just put to fire. “Gerik!” I scream, because once again my brother is fearless. Although I guess not this time.
    “It’s happening to you-“ He let’s out a vicious scream in pain. “Too!?” Gerik yells, obviously in pain. I may not of realized it, but I’ve been letting out those screams too the entire time. Both Gerik and I fall to the floor, not unconscious, just in pain.
    “The- the veins in our- our arms, they’re turning... black!” I scream out once again. Unfortunately I was right, all the veins in out arms were completely black. They slowly began to fade back, to they’re normal color. “I don’t like this...”
    “Me either Leon, I’m sorry I ever made you come in here.” Gerik says, he slowly shifts over to me and clutch my head, as if it were a baby. He pulls me into him, and I don’t try to stop him. For at least an hour we sit they’re together and cry.
    At this point I was only fourteen years old, and Gerik sixteen. I swear though if you had of just experienced what we went through. You could be thirty and clutching the person you hate most, and still find comfort.
    “Let’s finish this...” Gerik finally says. He pulls the letter out from the envelope and begins to read...

    To whom who finds this letter,

    By opening this letter, you have just been marked, marked by the Nightmare. Do not think this is rubbish and stop reading. I assure you every last word is true. The Nightmare, is not just a dream attackign your mind while you sleep, truthfully that is only a bad dream. The Nightmare is actually a group of people, or magicians, that cause these bad dreams. Whether you will believe us our not, that is your choice, but the Nightmare are good, not evil. We restore proper balance to the world, making sure the bad and evil suffer, and that the good continue their beautiful lives. Now that you have been marked all remaining Nightmare no who and where you are, but so do the Protectors. Now the Protectors are the evil force, although they may not seem that way. They believe that no one should be punished or die, which is denying God’s very own words. Even if someone has murdered and raped over twenty girls, the Protector defend them, saying everyone makes they’re own choice, they keep them from punishment of death. This is why we Nightmare must maintain the balance on earth. Once again this is all real, nothing is fake, if you choice not to believe, very well, it is your own choice. But please know you are now among the hunted.
        
                                The Nightmare.

    “This is a load of crap Leon, come on let’s get out of here,” Gerik spat. He helps me up from of the floor and gives me a good shake, which was actually nice, since I definitely was out of it.
    “I believe it, Gerik, why don’t you” I question him, my hands still shaking.
    “How can I Leon? I mean really, nightmares being people? And- and then these so called Protectors, and all this, I don’t know Leon. It all seems like fairy tale nonsense to me. It’s just plain stupid!” He half yells.
    “God, Gerik, you know what I’m fed up! You always make me believe some of the stupidest things, and drag me to places I don’t even want to know. Half the time I freaking give in! And now, this one time, the time it seems the most real, your just going to deny it” I spit back with so much anger in my voice, I never knew I had it in me. “Seriously, how in the world are you going to explain the flashes, the pain from no where. Your hand went through a freaking paintings, and you saw both are veins turn black! How can you deny it Gerik.” I continue on my anger burning up I in me more and more.
    “You know what Leon, fine! Whatever, believe what you want!” Gerik spat back, his face turning away from mine.
    “Fine, let’s get out of here.” I say, feeling sorry for the way I just verbally attacked my brother.
    “Yeah, let’s.” Gerik mumbled then speaks up, “Where’d you learn to talk like that anyway.” He looks over at me, and I back at him. I then answer him with one word, and quite simple.
    “You.” A smile begins to spread across Geriks’ face. He had already known the answer he just wanted to hear me say it. We opened the front door and walked out of the house, still creaking under our feet. “My god... it’s almost morning!” I say. “How long were we in there for!?”
    “I don’t know, let’s go home” Gerik replies. As we step of the porch, a shady figure jumps down and land directly in front of us. I stumble back words and fall onto the cold wet grass. As for Gerik his fist flies forward and comes in to perfect contact with the persons’ mouth.
    “What was that for!?” The figure, which we now know is a man, blurts out.
    “Who are you?” Gerik yells, “Why were you waiting for us!? How did you know where we were!?” He continues on, as I pull my self off the grass, now with muddy hands. The guy smile and wipes the blood of from the corner of his mouth.
    “Now, now. One question at I time. And, uh, sorry for coming onto you like that it’s just habit.” The figure begins walking around, Gerik still in stance ready for a fight. “Put down your fists Gerik, I were here to kill you it would’ve been done by now.” The figure continues on, “Now let me introduce myself, I’m Aiden, one of the few remaining Nightmares.” Instantly Gerik’s and my eyes locked on each others. Then Aiden walked over and look and both of our arms. “And you two, have been marked.” He states quite simply.
    “Yeah, so what is that supposed to mean!?” I blurt out. My hands have begun to shake again.
    “Well, your are now entitled to join us.” Aiden replies soothly.
    “We’re not joining anyone, or anything!” Gerik spits, I see his fists tighten back up next to his sides.
    “Oh yes you are!” Aiden says, in a mocking, childlike tone. “Well I guess if you don’t want to I can leave you here for the Protectors to come kill!” He spit back, the mocking tone instantly gone. “To become a Nightmare is an honor, and let’s face it, we need more troops. Just by finding to note, that gave you an extra gift, an extra potential.” Aiden says as he walks around like a drill Sargent. “You both will be my apprentice, and it was no lie in the note that said we are the good force. It may seem a little confusing, yes, but the thing is if you don’t come your going to die, and if you do. You might just save the world.”  Aiden says. By now, I think Gerik and I have realized, we don’t have a choice.
    “Fine whatever, I’ll play along.” Gerik mutters, eyeing Aiden viciously.
    “I’ll do it!” I blurt, because you know what, I’ve always wanted my own chance to shine, I’ve always wanted to be a hero.
    “Now you, you Leon have potential, I can see it you eyes!” Aiden declares smiling at me. At this point I was feeling a little uncomfortable, and still, quite overwhelmed. Aiden looked up at the sky, and he began to speak, much softer and rapidly now. “Come on, we have to go... now!”
    “Where in the world to!” Gerik complained, still frustrated from, well, everything. His eyes shone, and his fists still trembled.
    “They is not time to explain.” Aiden said almost in a whisper, there was a small trembling in his voice. “The Protectors are coming!” Both Gerik’s and my eyes peered to the hazy night sky, as if that was the first place we would think of that the Protectors might appear. “Ok. Lets go!” The edge in his voice instantly caught our attention. “By the way . . .  your never going to return home again.” Aiden added.
    As if I really wanted to return home to my drunkard of a father.
                                            

 

Reviews

[Kristee]

Wow! I honestly felt like I was watching a movie instead of reading a story! I have never met a 14-year-old with such writing talents! You painted a picture in my mind and I loved how thoroughly you developed the setting. Although there were a few grammatical errors, I still found the story to be amazing and I hope that you'll continue writing!

[Christa Morgan]

Since you read mine, I decided to read yours! I was amazed! You thought mine was good and thank you for that, but yours was so much better!