creak by potatoes

Creak

I hear the sound of the door opening to my room. I hide carefully under the blanket, my eyes shut tight, holding my breath, trying to not make any noise and hoping against all that for whatever it is to walk away. Away from my room.

Suddenly, I hear a *thud*, the sound of a glass shattering on the floor. I tremble in fear, feeling a chill in my back.

Suddenly, I feel my blanket being tugged slowly.

Cold air is blown across my face, my heart starts thumping loud in my chest, my blood draining from my body and my adrenals shot high, I feel the urge to escape, to run, from this paradox.

I try to build my nerves, to muster enough courage to face the entity currently plaguing me. Shivering, I slowly open my eyes ready to face the reason for my fear.

But alas, no amount of courage had prepared me for this situation of where I came eye to eye with the evilness of this vile creature.

The vile creature hanging above me looked human and yet at the same time, it didn't. There was a hollow darkness in the region of it's face. And when you gaze into it, there seemed to be a force pulling you towards it, distracting you from the imminent danger you are in.

I took a sharp breath and tried to control my running thoughts. My mind screaming at me to run away, to escape but my body remained paralysed with fear.

The creature seemed to know, seemed to understand my inner conflict for it gave a crooked smile. A smile seemed to appear in that hollow darkness of a face.

Slowly, the hollow darkness in the region of the face started to take shape, revealing a glittery eye, a sharp nose and oddly familiar features.

As familiar a feature as one's name, a personal feeling. The image in front of me was like that of staring at a mirror. An exact replica.

My gut lurched looking at it. My eyes widened in terror, my heart thumping, all the thoughts I desperately tried to control came back ten folds.

The creature seemed to enjoy my apprehension and it seemed to bask in it. It gave out a cruel chuckle enjoying my state of fear.

I try to move my paralysed body but in vain. My body refused to cooperate and remained frozen due to shock.

The creature now moved closer, gently lifted my chin with its long pointed finger. It seemed to know my inability to escape from it.

It then gave a crooked smile while gazing at me. And all of a sudden, I couldn't feel my face. I couldn't feel the touch of its finger nor that of my eyes twitching due to fear or the feeling of tears rolling down my face.

It felt like my face had suddenly disappeared from my body and yet it didn't.

I slowly lift my trembling hands to feel my face while the creature stares on. But as I feared, my face had indeed disappeared leaving behind a void.

I desperately try to feel my face again, searching for the familiar ridges of my nose, my eyes or the lines of my lips. I grab the mirror close to the bed to make.

sure it wasn't true. But alas, it remained the same, a void in the region where my face used to be.

I could see, breathe, hear but I couldn't feel any of it. I couldn't see my face reflecting in the mirror as well.

The creature started giggling and laughing, enjoying my panic state. It slowly starts approaching me, enjoying and basking in my fear as I try to move away.

Suddenly, my body seemed to gain strength, power to escape. My legs start moving on their own, I run down the empty halls, away from this monstrous being.

I start reaching the door to escape this hell and in hopes of finding someone who might save me. As I get closer, the door seems to move farther away.

No matter how fast I run or walk or do everything in my power, the door just seems to move further away. I stop in my tracks, confused and scared.

I realised that I was stuck here in this place with no way out. I didn't want to think that I might be here

forever, I didn't want to believe that glaringly obvious truth. That fact.

But reality always slaps you in the face, doesn't it? When you know you're going to die, you have a revelation of sorts, isn't it? Revelations of why you are here being tormented but I couldn't think of any reasons that I'm being subjected to this suffering.

I could only think of me being unlucky and to blame my fate.

Soon, the monster had caught up to me. I was stuck with no way through. I realized that I was backed into a corner by its calculated plan.

I never had a way out, it was all part of its chase, its cruel prank. It started grinning when I realized it. I desperately try to think of a way, to make it out alive. But there was no hope and with this I closed my eyes to embrace the darkness.

*blank noise*

'What's happening?'

A Thousand thought roam inside my mind.

'Am I dead?'

'No.'

For I could feel my body, move my fingers and toes. I open my eyes and see light shining brightly.

I instinctively shut my eyes as it wasn't used to it.

I blink to get used to the brightness. As my eyes adapted, I notice my surrounding. I notice a lot of people wearing white coats moving around.

'She is conscious.', one said looking at me.

'Vitals are normal.', the other says. That's when I realised that I was hooked on a device.

I don't know how long time has passed with people moving around me, inspecting and examining me. I just try to make sense of everything when one of them says-

'You were in coma for so many days.'

'Coma?', I question.

'Yes, you had met with an accident. We were thinking you would never wake up.'

I nod, still numb with the incident that had occurred.

I couldn't wrap my mind around thinking that everything that occurred was just a figment of my imagination that my brain had created when it felt so real.

Yet, I sigh in relief that the nightmare had ended. And that I am alive. I am saved. There was a lot of questions unanswered but it could wait.

I try getting back to sleep when I suddenly remembered something crucial. The familiar feeling of fear came back as I moved my trembling hands towards my face. To feel those familiar features.

I come in contact with thick material, a cloth of sorts covering my face.

'How couldn't I feel?'

With this thought, I start stripping the material aggressively, to feel my face.

'Stop! You are bleeding.', someone says.

I am? But I couldn't feel anything. I then hear a bell ringing while I swat their hands away.

And that was my last thing I remember before losing consciousness.

Days have passed by, while I stare at the wall. My hands have become numb being restrained, I try to move it when I hear-

'It'll only hurt you more.', said a nurse observing me.

'But why? All I tried was to feel my face.', I said.

She didn't answer back but instead gave an odd look.

Few days pass by when they finally remove my restraining device. They explain my face was damaged due to the accident and it had to heal.

I nod.

'Alright, we are going to remove the bandages from your face.'

After they are removed, I bring my hands to feel the familiar features. I cry due to relief on feeling them.

'It really was just a nightmare.', I said happily.

'Yes. Would you like to look at your face?' , one of them asks with a smile on her face.

'Yes.', I answered.

I was eager to see the familiar face of mine and accepted the mirror from them. I brought the mirror up and looked at the image reflecting-

A faceless body was all I could see.