Empty Eyes

Rain was falling rhythmically, sliding down the windows like the uninvited fingertips of a stranger. The dark green paint was peeling off the walls of the small hotel room and as I rose from the bed it creaked in protest. I walked to the window to light the only candle in the room. Lightning flashed and the power went out as I slid down the wall underneath, seeking comfort in what little light gathered on the tattered floorboards. I had ended up in this small town beside the ocean in a desperate attempt to outrun them. The horrible creatures that had escaped from my mind and now followed me everywhere; whispering in my ear about all the terrible things they would do once they lay their hands on me. I did not even know if these things could ever actually touch me. Can something that should not have a physical form grab a hold of you? I had tried everything to get rid of them. I had even tried to grab THEM and shove them back into the deep, dark corners of my head. But they refused to go back to their jail cell, slipping from my grasp each time as though I were nothing. After months of this torment I resorted to running. I left when the sun rose as they seemed to fade away with the light.

Now, sitting here in this dark hotel room I am left to wonder… Will tonight be when this all ends? It would seem fitting as on this day, September 13th, something terrible has somehow befallen each of the women in my family. My great grandmother was drowned by the man she loved, the same man who eventually poisoned my grandmother. And my mother…Oh, my mother. She swore that my great grandfather had come back from the dead and shortly after that my father had her hospitalized where she was later found by her nurse having apparently been strangled to death. Is my great grandfather the reason why these monsters have been able to claw themselves free from the confines of my mind? Will the word insane remain floating in front of me with a question mark by its side for the remainder of my life? If so, I hope it will be a short one.

Lost in my own thoughts there is a sudden shuffling by the door. A large shadow seeps into the floor, causing it to darken even more than the lack of light had already allowed. I shrink even smaller into the weak light this candle provides, painfully aware of the parts of my body that do not quite fit into the circle. The shadow stops for a moment and then continues to pass by as I let out a small sigh of relief. If I can make it through till the morning I just know that I will be alright. The clock strikes ten, and even though I had known there was a long night ahead, I was not prepared for how endless it would feel. Each tick of the second hand is like a needle pricking at my brain. Tears slip slowly down my cheeks, matching the pace of the sliding rain. My eyes want to close but I cannot let them. If I fall asleep I will surely meet my demise. A breeze from out of nowhere runs along the edges of my toes, just barely outside of the light. The flame from the candle flickers. I am not alone anymore.

At first it is just voices, harsh and angry. Like sandpaper sliding against the interior of my ears. They demand to know why I’ve run from them. A slightly stronger voice than the others begins to tell me that all they want is to end my suffering, to have a little fun while they’re at it. I try to scream but all that comes out is a whimper. It feels as though someone has filled my throat with cotton. Dark hand like shapes reach for me, but I cannot move away. I am locked in place by a fear so strong it blurs my vision. Something scratches the edge of my toe. The clock strikes midnight as another bolt of lightning flashes. Somehow these things can really touch me now. Tears are flowing faster and there are more scrapes against the edges of my body that could not fit into the small circle of light. I smell the harsh metallic scent of my blood. The flame flickers once more. My fear allows me to move again but my thoughts are clouded. I attempt to kick one of them hoping that, if they can hurt me now, maybe I can hurt them as well. My foot flies through a cloud of darkness and I feel ice wrap around my ankle. It is as though nails have been forced into it and I scream. It hurts, the pain is too much and for a moment it is all that I can focus on. Suddenly I feel a tear and against my better judgement I look up to see a piece of my skin hanging from a mouth that seems to be attached to nothing. There is a burning sensation where it was torn free. I try to pull my leg back into the light, but two more sets of hands come to grab it pulling the opposite direction. I can feel the rest of my body beginning to slide, more tears in my skin, more burning… More ice cold hands against me. These creatures are greedy in their own battle for my flesh.

I’m fighting so hard to slide back into the light. The candle flickers again and suddenly the light is gone, followed by the scent of smoke. I scream again but it is cut off by an icy hand around my throat. Eyes made of nothing but hunger stare into mine while claws and teeth continue to rip off parts of my body. How much longer must I endure this pain? This torment? I see scraps of my clothing flying in my peripheral and suddenly my body is not mine anymore. It belongs to these things that are consuming my flesh. My very being. All I know now is pain, burning and freezing, burning and freezing. Suddenly there is nothing. I look down below me and all that remains are two eyes lying in pool of blood, both staring at a smokey candle in a window. I smile maniacally as this freedom from the skin that once held me prisoner has given me new life. I look towards my left.

Shall I grant your freedom next?