2 It Stares Back

I awoke in a brilliant white room. It had an eerie familiarity to it that tugged at the back of my mind. Rows upon rows of books lined the walls on dark wooden shelves, and in the center was a table covered with paper and open books, each carefully placed as if someone had been doing research. On the wall, to the right of the table, was a large crimson curtain. I had an odd sense of peace as I took the sight in. The room felt like it was made just for me. That was until I turned around.

She stood there. The maiden that had haunted my life. I recoiled at the sight of her, but my eyes were quickly drawn back to the woman. Her left side was rotten, the graying flesh sagged in a way that made it seem like it was barely hanging on to her bones. It made me want to retch. She smiled at me as if I were a long-lost friend. The hole in her cheek exposed withered gums and blackened teeth.

She turned to face me, revealing more of her right side. It was a shock to see it was completely untouched by the rot. When she was alive, she would have been stunning. Her smile was inviting now, and I took a step toward her, instinctively. The scent of decay harshly brought me back to reality as I froze in place.

Then she vanished as if she was never even there. A strange sense of panic overwhelmed me as a distant memory began to surface. I clenched my head to stop it, but it was too late.

The sound of dragging chains filled the room. I could feel my heart trying to escape my chest and I looked around the room once more. Dry rot had consumed the wooden shelves. Their previously organized books are now strewn about the room, pages missing and cover worn.

I walked over the where the table once stood strong. It looked as if it had been flipped onto its side, the books and papers that had previously looked organized were now scattered on the floor. My eyes snapped to the curtain. It flowed in a way that enticed the memory that I was desperately trying to keep back.

That was when she reappeared. She stood between me and the curtain, concern etched into her face. The sound of the chains still echoed in the room. As I walked closer to the woman, the rattling chains grew louder. She looked strained as if it hurt to stand.

It wasn't until I walked past her that she made a sound. Her previously silent breaths became labored and she let out an ear-piercing scream that shook the room. I wanted to turn and look at her, but something kept me going toward the curtain.

My heart pounded in my ears as I reached toward the crimson cloth. It felt like it was coated in a viscous fluid as I gripped the curtain in my hand. The feeling turned my stomach. With one quick, the curtain fell to the floor. At that moment, the woman's screams ceased. The chains stopped rattling and my heart fell silent.

Now before me was a window with a vast nothingness beyond it. No light, no darkness, it was like an abyss that only this room existed within. I stared out into the void hoping to see something. Anything.

After what felt like an eternity, an odd noise shattered the silence. It sounded like muffled laughter. It was not a joyous sound; it was hysteric. It grew louder and louder with every passing second.

Two shadows darted past my vision. They came back again, closer this time. It was almost like they were dancing toward me. The laughter grew louder as they got closer.

My focus broke as I felt a thick fluid at my feet. I looked down and saw that the curtain was leaking the fluid, covering the floor in a bloody red. I glanced back to the window and fell backward in shock. The shadows were pressed up against the glass, trying to force their way into the room. Two twisted faces appeared within them. As they locked eyes with me, the laughter stopped. The air seemed to freeze in their gaze.

Then a harmonized voice exploded in my head. My vision faded to black as the pain overwhelmed me.

We found you.

I awoke in a brilliant white room…..