1 Blood

In the darkness, her footsteps echoed as she desperately searched a way out of this hell. Skyla cried silently as she ran aimlessly in the darkness. Her feet stopped when she faced a black door, making her gulp in fear.

Her ears perked up at the slow approaching footsteps. Turning around, a gasp escaped her lips when she saw a shadow before her. Those pair of black eyes staring into her soul making her fret. Panicking, She grabbed onto the handle as she turned around and entered the room, closing the door behind her shut. Her breathing stopped when her eyes fell on the room.

The room was illuminated brightly in contrast with the darkness outside the room. Her eyes fell on the huge black canopied white bed in the middle before it slowly drifted towards a flower vase. Bright red tulips were arranged beautifully in a white vase on a table beside the bed making her eyes squint..

'Where am I?' she wondered anxiously as she looked around the room.

She relaxed when the shadow didn't follow her in. She let out a breath before slowly examining the room. As Skyla took a step into the room, she shuddered slightly when she felt the cold night breeze caress her skin. She turned to look at the open balcony with the wind blowing the white curtains aside. She stared at the moon shimmering in the night sky, as her heart palpitated in fear at the strange place.

Shaking her head, her feet moved away from the balcony as she gulped in fear. The fear was unsettling within her as she grabbed her hair frustratedly.

"What is this place?" she yelled in the empty room.

Right after she spoke, it was as if the room was answering her question as the lit room slowly dimmed making her freeze. She watched in horror as the darkness seeped into the room making her shiver in fright. Her back hit against the wall as she whimpered, "Stay away from me"

Tears filled her eyes when she saw the shadow form out of the darkness. Those pair of black eyes stared at her fiercely making her cry, "Go away"

Skyla collapsed to the cold ground and hid her face from the horror in front of her. Her body shook when she felt the eeriness around her. Lifting her head slowly, she looked into those black eyes as she whispered, "What do you want?"

A deep cold voice ordered, "Give it to me"

Skyla looked into those eyes confusedly. 'Give what?'

The shadow chuckled hoarsely as it said, "You can't run, little rabbit"

Skyla shivered when she felt the coldness near her ear as she heard, "You will never be able to escape from me"

Before she could collect her thoughts, she saw the shadow plunge its hand into her chest making her shriek loudly.

Suddenly Skyla opened her eyes and gasped aloud. She rose from the bed, breathing heavily as she looked around her. It was her room… there were no red flowers, no white bed making her heart decelerate.

"Yet another nightmare"

Licking her lips, she closed her eyes in relief before falling back to her bed. Staring at her familiar ceiling, she wheezed as she heard the same voice echo inside her head. Closing her eyes, she sighed as she waited for her heart to calm down.

It was always the same nightmare, asking for the same thing. She didn't understand why but right after she entered high school, she had started having these nightmares. Those cold black eyes and his hoarse voice demanding her to return it to him.

Frustratedly, she opened her eyes and asked, "Just what did he want from me?"

Helplessly, she sighed. Would these nightmares haunt her throughout her life?

Only she knew how desperately she wished her life to become normal! Strange things began to happen from her childhood making her question whether she was crazy.

Once she rose from the bed again, she stared in the mirror and sighed at the pale girl with dark circles around her eyes. She bit her lips at the boost in the recurring nightmares. It was as if something was closing in on her.

Her eyes widened when she glanced at the clock.

"Crap, I'm late"

…..

Hastening her steps down the stairs towards the dining table, she saw her grandmother waiting for her.

"Sorry, granny. I need to rush"

Sallie looked at her granddaughter who was dressed in a white shirt with a maroon vest over her shirt and a micro mini brown checkered skirt. She sighed when she saw the dark circles she tried to hide with her concealer.

"At what time did you sleep last night?"

Skyla smiled apologetically at her granny as she bit into her toast in a hurry. She saw her granny shaking her head.

"Poor child, look at those dark circles" Sallie looked at her worried making Skyla laugh.

"Granny, relax. These would disappear in a jiffy"

Sallie hit her on her head as she chided softly, "This is why I ask you to sleep early"

Skyla nodded her head absentmindedly as she reached for her coffee. She lowered her eyes to take a sip while hiding her grief. She never told her grandmother about her recurring nightmares and the strange things happening around her.

Taking a sip from her coffee, she tapped her head playfully and answered, "Yes yes, I will listen to you from now on"

Sallie laughed as she moved to take the emptied plates to the dishwasher. But as she stood up in a hurry, she accidentally knocked over the knife on the table. Skyla widened her eyes as she shouted, "Granny" and hurriedly bent forward to grab the knife before it sunk into her granny's feet.

Skyla scrunched her eyebrows as the knife slashed her palm. Sallie shrieked when she saw the blood dripping to her floor.

"Oh my god! Skyla, honey"

Skyla couldn't help but curve her lips when she saw her grandmother rampaging through the drawers hurriedly. When Sallie took hold of her palm, Skyla grimaced at the blood.

Looking at her granny's worried face as she tied the bandage around her injury, she chuckled, "It's fine granny. It doesn't hurt much"

Sallie tightened her hold on her palm making Skyla hiss softly.

"Does it hurt now?" Sallie scrutinized her making Skyla purse her lips helplessly

Before her grandmother could launch into another lecture, Skyla quickly bent forward and kissed her cheek.

"I'm leaving now. Bye-bye, granny"