Post by afeefah on Mar 12, 2009 8:38:07 GMT -5
Death in the Dark
I’m walking towards the deep of the forest, enjoying the sunshine, and listening to the birds twittering happily in their lofty perches. Then suddenly, everything goes dark. The darkness closes on me, choking, suffocating. I cry out in terror.
Tripping and stumbling blindly, I throw myself in the direction I think leads to home. Is that just my heart drumming like a drummer gone mad, or is it the sound of a monster behind me; following, following, always following.
I see a circle of light straight ahead of me. Somewhere deep inside me, I find a hidden reserve of strength. I daw up on it and put on a burst of speed that the thing behind me can’t compete with. The footsteps recede into the darkness. I reach the light and find it’s coming from a house at the end of the lane.
Once I reach the door, I chance a look backwards and my mouth drops open in horror. I just stand there, struck dumb by the ghastly thing that’s coming towards me. As it approaches, my brain kicks back into action and I yank the door open, slamming it after me. Collapsing against the thick oak door, I take deep breaths to steady myself. Once I’ve caught my breath, I begin to take stock of my surroundings.
I stand up and, after brushing myself down, I set off through the maze-like house. Each room is an image of the one before it. All of the rooms have carvings on the wall. The carvings are different colours, shapes and sizes.
Behind me, I hear a sudden crash and I know that the monster has broken through the front door. I was stupid not to have expected this, I tell myself angrily. Had I really thought that the monster would just stand outside and wait for me to come out? Then panic sets in as the monster follows me through the rooms. I can hear it knocking things over in its haste to find me and I jump back as a table topples to the ground in front of me.
Whatever happens in one room, happens in the others, I realise.
I smile grimly to myself as I wheel a huge wardrobe in front of the door. I leave a little gap so I can slip through, and after I have, I close the gap. I hear the monster grunt in surprise and figure that it will probably try to smash the wardrobe out of the way rather than wheel it. It would prove a formidable task for even a beast twice the size of the one I had glimpsed at the door.
I grin triumphantly, but it isn’t long before panic begins to set in again. Eventually, the monster would break through and then it would catch up with me again.
As, forcing myself to stay calm, I walk through the next room, I notice a place on one of the walls where there’s no carvings. There’s also a brick half sticking out of the wall. Curiosity wins over fear and I go over to it. I give the brick a solid thump and it budges slightly. I take a few paces back and run at it. This time the brick is driven into its place in the wall. I hold my breath. Nothing happens.
Disappointed, I turn and head towards the door, but a creaking, groaning sound stops me in my tracks. I stiffen. Has the monster realised its so much easier just to roll the wardrobe. I turn around…and gasp! The empty patch of wall has opened, leaving an exit. With a deep sigh of relief, I step through it. I’m in the forest again! Well, I think, it’s an improvement on being stuck in a house with a ten foot tall monster.
For the third time today, I hear something following me. I turn around and find myself looking the monster, bent double, looking at me. I grab a thick branch that’s lying beside me. The monster takes a swipe at me with its blood encrusted claws, its face inches from mine. At the last moment possible, I lash out at it. The thick end of the branch catches it in one of its three eyes. It stops, and much to my surprise, begins to flounder about. The claw that had been heading towards my throat misses, and instead hits me square in the collarbone. I cry out in pain
Hitting it on one of its eyes had weakened it, I think blearily. What about the other two? I force myself to ignore the other misshapen and gruesome features on its face and concentrate on an eye I haven’t yet hit. This time though, after I hit it, it stands stock still and I take that opportunity to hit the remaining eye full on. It roars in pain and drives a razor sharp claw deep into my stomach. I scream, writhing in anguish as it tears the claw out with a sickening squelch, then drives it straight back in. I don’t have the strength to move now. I’m just lying here, almost blind with pain. The monster collapses at my side, its claw still embedded in my stomach. But it’s over! I’ve done it! I pull myself painstakingly, inch by inch off the monster’s claws. I crawl on, dragging myself forward and as I do so, my insides seem to be on fire. I reach the clearing and with a final heart-wrenching gasp of pain, I collapse, once and for all.
I’m walking towards the deep of the forest, enjoying the sunshine, and listening to the birds twittering happily in their lofty perches. Then suddenly, everything goes dark. The darkness closes on me, choking, suffocating. I cry out in terror.
Tripping and stumbling blindly, I throw myself in the direction I think leads to home. Is that just my heart drumming like a drummer gone mad, or is it the sound of a monster behind me; following, following, always following.
I see a circle of light straight ahead of me. Somewhere deep inside me, I find a hidden reserve of strength. I daw up on it and put on a burst of speed that the thing behind me can’t compete with. The footsteps recede into the darkness. I reach the light and find it’s coming from a house at the end of the lane.
Once I reach the door, I chance a look backwards and my mouth drops open in horror. I just stand there, struck dumb by the ghastly thing that’s coming towards me. As it approaches, my brain kicks back into action and I yank the door open, slamming it after me. Collapsing against the thick oak door, I take deep breaths to steady myself. Once I’ve caught my breath, I begin to take stock of my surroundings.
I stand up and, after brushing myself down, I set off through the maze-like house. Each room is an image of the one before it. All of the rooms have carvings on the wall. The carvings are different colours, shapes and sizes.
Behind me, I hear a sudden crash and I know that the monster has broken through the front door. I was stupid not to have expected this, I tell myself angrily. Had I really thought that the monster would just stand outside and wait for me to come out? Then panic sets in as the monster follows me through the rooms. I can hear it knocking things over in its haste to find me and I jump back as a table topples to the ground in front of me.
Whatever happens in one room, happens in the others, I realise.
I smile grimly to myself as I wheel a huge wardrobe in front of the door. I leave a little gap so I can slip through, and after I have, I close the gap. I hear the monster grunt in surprise and figure that it will probably try to smash the wardrobe out of the way rather than wheel it. It would prove a formidable task for even a beast twice the size of the one I had glimpsed at the door.
I grin triumphantly, but it isn’t long before panic begins to set in again. Eventually, the monster would break through and then it would catch up with me again.
As, forcing myself to stay calm, I walk through the next room, I notice a place on one of the walls where there’s no carvings. There’s also a brick half sticking out of the wall. Curiosity wins over fear and I go over to it. I give the brick a solid thump and it budges slightly. I take a few paces back and run at it. This time the brick is driven into its place in the wall. I hold my breath. Nothing happens.
Disappointed, I turn and head towards the door, but a creaking, groaning sound stops me in my tracks. I stiffen. Has the monster realised its so much easier just to roll the wardrobe. I turn around…and gasp! The empty patch of wall has opened, leaving an exit. With a deep sigh of relief, I step through it. I’m in the forest again! Well, I think, it’s an improvement on being stuck in a house with a ten foot tall monster.
For the third time today, I hear something following me. I turn around and find myself looking the monster, bent double, looking at me. I grab a thick branch that’s lying beside me. The monster takes a swipe at me with its blood encrusted claws, its face inches from mine. At the last moment possible, I lash out at it. The thick end of the branch catches it in one of its three eyes. It stops, and much to my surprise, begins to flounder about. The claw that had been heading towards my throat misses, and instead hits me square in the collarbone. I cry out in pain
Hitting it on one of its eyes had weakened it, I think blearily. What about the other two? I force myself to ignore the other misshapen and gruesome features on its face and concentrate on an eye I haven’t yet hit. This time though, after I hit it, it stands stock still and I take that opportunity to hit the remaining eye full on. It roars in pain and drives a razor sharp claw deep into my stomach. I scream, writhing in anguish as it tears the claw out with a sickening squelch, then drives it straight back in. I don’t have the strength to move now. I’m just lying here, almost blind with pain. The monster collapses at my side, its claw still embedded in my stomach. But it’s over! I’ve done it! I pull myself painstakingly, inch by inch off the monster’s claws. I crawl on, dragging myself forward and as I do so, my insides seem to be on fire. I reach the clearing and with a final heart-wrenching gasp of pain, I collapse, once and for all.