I woke up, I was lying on a dusty bed, sleepily, I sat up and rubbed the gunk out of my eyes. It felt like any normal morning. I looked around, I was in a small room, a lamp with a soft light flickered every now and then. There were cobwebs hanging from the roof, and small beetles ran across the floor. I started to worry a little, and checked my hands and feet, arms and legs, they were all there. I noticed a mirror over in the corner of the bedroom, I walked over, and brushed some of the dust off it, I looked at myself, everything was normal, I was still wearing my normal T-shirt and trousers, and, as usual, no shoes, I even had my watch ticking away on my left arm. I checked my neck, yep, I still had my key, hanging off a short chain. Looking back to the bed, I saw my over-shirt, smiling, I put it on, happy that I had it in this damp room. My over-shirt was special, it was shabby from constant use, and one of the sleeves was ripped a bit, i had always called it my lucky jacket, why? I really don't know. I started to feel cold, as if a window was opened and an icy chill filled the room, I pulled the hoodie part of my 'lucky' jacket over my short blonde hair and shivered a bit. "Maybe I should check outside?" I stood up again, and walked to the door. The floorboards squeaked under my bare feat. I placed my hand on the dusty, tin doorknob, it screeched when I turned it. The door creaked as I pushed it open, it's cold splintered wood brushing past my fingers. I jumped when I stepped forward, the freezing stone floor sent chills up my legs, through my spine, and to my teeth. I kept walking forward, cautious of my surroundings, watching for any movement, listening for every sound. I walked down the tight hallway, "this place... What is it?" I asked myself quietly. I finally came to the end of the hallway, and stepped into a larger room, this must be the foyer. It was dark, unpleasantly dark, it felt like something was watching me from the shadows, it's cruel gaze burning into my back, piercing through my very soul. I stepped towards the door, staying close to the walls, avoiding the middle of the room, I'd seen a lot of movies, where the characters would walk into the middle of a strange room, and get their heads bitten off by the monsters waiting above. But something about this room told me I was alone, but I was also being watched, it was a mixed feeling of frustration and terror. I kept bracing myself for some creature to jump out at me, every step I took, yet nothing did. I'd finally reached the door, "maybe I can get home from here." I desperately hoped. I pulled the door, it was quite stiff, the metal joints were probably frozen over. I pulled harder, and there was a slight crunching sound as the door broke ice and slid open. My heart sank when I looked outside, the slightest layer of mist hung in the distance, there was a large, open field, not unlike a school oval, but there were no fences surrounding it, there were tall trees, looming over in every direction. I couldn't see anything through the trees, just darkness. Suddenly, I felt icy fingers slide down my right cheek, they slid over my neck and stopped at my shoulder, I was frozen in place, too terrified to move, as the cold, boney hand disappeared. I turned my head slowly, there was nothing behind me, just black darkness. I stepped out of the house, my feet sinking a small way into the wet, cold grass. I pulled my hoodie further over my head, and the cold creeped through my flesh and bones. I kept walking, every step felt colder, every time I placed my foot down in front of the other, it felt darker. There was a silent whispering sound, the sound of a freezing breeze brushing through chilled leaves, and creaking the branches if the great trees, standing tall like a prison's bars. I reached the middle of the field now, and I heard a voice, "Ryaaaaaan..."
My name? who was that? how did they know my name!? I turned around slowly, there was a girl, she was about my age, she had long, uncombed hair, as black as the darkness surrounding me. Her skin was a pale, eerie gray. She wore a ripped dress, it went down to her shins, it seemed it used to be longer, but had been tattered and torn. It was a dark, dirty gray color. But the worst part about her was her eyes, they glowed red, as if they were stained with freshly spilled blood. She started slowly walking closer, I tried to step back, but I slipped, and fell to the ground. Wincing in pain, I looked up again, "come..." The girl whispered again. A cruel grin on her face. "Come to the darkness..." I shuffled back a little, but it was if chains were holding my legs..... I shuddered, looking down at my legs, chains WERE holding them down. I struggled, panicking, my breath quickened and my heart raced. The girl, she must have strange powers! Her hair floated in the breeze, she was right there, standing over me. Her long black hair swept over my face as she bent down, her face in mine, "come to the darkness..." She whispered again, her insane expression brightening the more I struggled, I tried to scream. But nothing came out! She stepped off me, was she leaving? No. She simply moved back a bit, and watched me struggle to get out of the chains, but the more I struggled, the tighter they became, it was becoming painful, and my feet started to get numb, I fell backwards, lying on my back, exhausted. The chains started to loosen! They disappeared, and I tried to get up and run, I just fell back down. Cursing my numb legs. The girl walked forward again, grasping my hair in a ridiculously strong grip. "Come to the darkness..." She started tugging at my hair. Giggling. She kept playing with it for a while, I was too scared to move. She would pull at it, then twist it, "l-l-let me go!" I stammered, she looked at me with her crazed eyes, "no." She started to stand now, still grasping my hair, and started to walk off, dragging me along, "arghhhh!" I yelled, the pain striking my skull every step she took, I started to struggle, grabbing at the grass and trying to get away. The girl just held my hair tighter, the pain was so intense now, it felt like my head would explode! I tried a last attempt to get away, it worked! I started to sprint back towards the house, the girl turned again, "I told you to come!" I looked back, she was gone. I almost slipped on the icy grass when I was close to the house, I smiled in relief, skidding to a halt, I turned the doorknob and pushed open the door. Dread filled me when I saw what was inside.
"Come to the darkness..." The girl was there, she started to slowly lift her arm, reaching for me, I turned and started running again, the cold air freezing the water on my face, the air shimmered in front of me, and the girl appeared again, "you're a witch!" I exclaimed, stopping in front of her, "come to the darkness..." She whispered again. What was with that? Why was she obsessed with this 'darkness'? I suddenly remembered I had my flashlight in my pocket, I bring it everywhere with me, in case the power goes out, or for when I get nervous in the dark. "Well! If you like darkness so much? Say hello to light!" The witch looked surprised, and I turned on the LED flashlight, pointing it right at her, she screamed, it was working! Then she struck out with her jagged fingernails, slicing right through the torch and cutting right across my left hand. The pain burned, and blood dripped out of the deep cuts. "Come to the darkness!" I'd obviously ticked her off. I started running again, but there was a glowing patch in front of me, and I sank through the ground, I pushed down with my hands but they got stuck too, I kept on slowly sinking, I tried to pull my hand out of the ground, my wrist cracked and I winced, but kept pulling, my hand was coming free! The rough earth was scraping my skin as I pulled, my wrist was out, my fingers almost out now. I finally pulled my hand free, carefully feeling around, I tried to find a rock to hold onto, instead I found a large stick, I shoved one end of it into the ground, and started wrenching myself out if the sinkhole, my arm ached, but I kept trying, the girl was slowly getting closer, laughing again at my pain. I got my other hand out, and now with both arms on the stick, I finally made progress on pulling myself out of the ground, I just had to get my legs out now! Then I could run! My knees cracked and burned from the force, and I scrunched up my face in effort, finally, I got out! I pulled the stick up and took it with me while running, maybe I could use it as a weapon?
My feet thumped on the cold grass as I sprinted to the house, I was exhausted, and my eyes kept blurring while I ran. I was using more energy than I had, the suddenly icy fingers touched my shoulder, and horror filled me with renewed energy, I sprinted as fast as I could go, attaching the stick to my pocket so I could run faster, I was almost there! I jumped up the two creaky wooden steps, and shoved open the door. Forgetting my paranoid thoughts of the middle of the room, I ran, squeezing through the tiny hallway, the witch right behind me! It was hard to fit through the hallway, it was so narrow, this slowed me down majorly. I kept pushing myself through though. "The door!" I yelled, as the old splintered slab came into my blurred view. The witch's needle sharp fingers scratched my back as I stumbled. "Back off!" I growled at the creepy girl. I leaped for the handle if the door, well, more like struggled to get there. Grasping the tin knob in my hand, I started pushing, "I-it's not opening!!" I cried out. Bashing on the door with my fists. The witch was so close now. I kicked at the door with all the strength I had left. And collapsed into the room of dim yellow light. Then slowly, my vision started fading, black creeped at the outside if my consciousness, was I waking up? Was I dying? My eyes started closing. And darkness finally engulfed me.
I awoke, my head throbbed and my muscles ached. My memory slowly started whispering back into my head as I lay there. The soft yellow light still flickered, like a candle's dying flame. "This must be the only safe area here." I mumbled, I winced as I moved my arms closer to my head, when I placed my palm on the ground I yelled in shock. I had forgotten about the cut through it. Pushing myself up with one hand. I sat there cross-legged. Carefully wiping the dust off my hand. I quickly looked around the old room for something to use as a bandage, all that was usable was a tattered piece of the thin bed sheet. I rapped it around the cut securely. "How am I going to get out of here?" I sighed. Questions raced through my head. Why am I here? Did I do something to deserve this? I held my head in my hands, it was still throbbing from the impact of hitting the ground. I felt sick, like I would hurl at any second, my eyes felt like they'd been roasted and my tongue was like sandpaper. I jumped when I heard a soft tapping at my window. Looking towards the old curtains that hung across them. "I hope this isn't like that story I read..." But with my luck right now, it probably would be something I wouldn't want to see. I decided to wait, maybe the tapping would stop? It didn't. I was feeling better by now, so I carefully stood up, and walked quietly over to the window. I slowly pushed aside the curtains, and... There was nothing there? "I could've sworn something was hitting the window!" I exclaimed. Touching the glass in various places to try to find a branch or something that could've been hitting it. All of a sudden a face appeared, and evil toothy grin spreading across its face. It's insane eyes watching me, looking right through me, "I've fooouuuund you!" She giggled. I fell backwards in terror. Clutching at the ends if my checkered jacket. I could hear the blood pumping in my ears as my heart-rate speed up. Then suddenly, without thinking, I leapt forward. Grabbing the partially open window and slamming it down, jamming the girl's fingers, she simply slid them out again, "that wasn't niiiice." She giggled again. I locked the window, and pulled the curtains over it, before falling back down in the middle if the room. My eyes widened, and I hugged my knees, shivering, almost crying. I had to get out of here, if I stay any longer, I fear I myself may go insane!
I finally came back to my senses, rubbing my tired eyes. "Snap out of it!" I told myself. "I'm going to get out of here, alive!" That was my weak attempt at reassuring myself.
