Sleep my dear
Tales from beyond challenge
Hello my dearest,
Do you miss the way my body squirmed at your touch, the way my muscles involuntary convulsed with every tattered breath of your passion?
Is your weak and weary soul wondering how the words you now read appeared while you were showering?
You heard not a sound while scrubbing sweat from your chiseled adonis body.
Try wiping those cobwebs of fear away from your troubled mind, as you hastily erase the words smeared across your mirror. Do they mean as little to you as I did?
The difference is, I will not dissipate with a simple swipe.
At night I watch as you toss and turn. The scratching upon your window is not the tree branch you pretend it to be. They sound like fingernails raking across the thin pane of glass.
The same nails that tried to rip your flesh.
Has your sleep, that once came easy, become elusive like the false truths you once spewed forth. A bed holds no comfort under a blanket of deceit.
Sleep nought my dear, close not your eyes lest they be forever shut.
Finally, the lies of your benighted mind have become blurred with guilt.
Do you see me in the shadows, glimpse me across the street? I am the whisper you hear in a crowd, I am the shade who stalks you as you walk at night.
No light can banish me. I am because of you. I am a creation of your design.
My dear, why do you pace, back and forth like a rat in a cage? Why do your eyes glance at the basement door? What is down there? What do you keep hidden?
You know who it is.
I know the thoughts that run through that tiny brain of yours. If I dig her up and bury the body far in the woods her specter will vanish. Oh, if only that were true for you, I tell you now, it will do no good.
I shall tell you a secret. As you choked the last of my breath from my frightened body, I saw the light of an everlasting peace. I could have crossed yet chose to remain.
For I have all eternity and will make your life an eternity of Hell before you rest there forever.
So, try to ignore me, pretend I am an illusion, tell your self lies to stay sane. I will always be here. You never knew my name, you never knew any of our names.
Try to sleep my dear, dream of ways to finally rest. I shall be with you in this life, waiting until you close your eyes forever.
Hauntingly yours,
The girl
This is for the unofficial challenge, "Tales From Beyond..." linked here:
About the Creator
JBaz
I have enjoyed writing for most of my life, never professionally.
I wish to now share my stories with others, lets see where it goes.
Born and raised on the Canadian Prairies, I currently reside on the West Coast. I call both places home.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Violence Begets
"Any last words, cowboy?" "None you'd understand, sodbuster." "Funny. That's Marshall Sodbuster to you. But I meant some last nugget that would help us in the adjudication of the myriad offenses counted against you and your gang. I wasn't asking for penitence."
By Adam Diehl2 days ago in Fiction
Comments (31)
All I could think is that: I walked into the CORRECT room. What sweet revenge. I do like the cobweb as the thing to wipe away to reveal the fear. Oh it's scary to think of the branch as fingernails scraping. I like what you did there with both image. Basement door. Oh no. The questions around this, confronted me, it accessed my personal space. Gosh. How do you make this tender, scary and taunting all at the same time. How, how... Just, how? 'Any of our names' now I am dead, and I came back to read the last sentence. This was good, this was really good, J. 🤗❤️🖤
This gave me goosebumps. I wasn't around much in the past weeks, and I'm so sad I missed out on this. This was so creepy but so good in the same time, no wonder it became a TS. Congrats!!🎉 I kinda hoped by the end, if he decides to move, the girl will follow him.
This piece captures the unraveling of guilt and paranoia with remarkable precision. The internal torment of the narrator’s target is crafted in a way that feels both intimate and terrifying.
Congrats on runner-up!
Thank you for your entry!
oh wow, its always the basement. kudos and good luck
So glad you joined in, J!
Doing another lap around, Jason to say belated congrats on getting honourable mention in last weeks leaderboard!!
Wow... this gave me that uneasy feeling in my gut! Well done Jason!! A late congrats on Top Story to you!!
Congratulations to Top Story ! You are an amazing writer.
Oh brilliant! What an amazing idea JBaz! And excellently executed (pardon the pun!)
Wow, Jason, this is nothing short of eerie and terrifyingly terrific! Revenge in its finest form. Congratulations on your top story and for making the leadership board!👏👏👏
Oh wow, Jason, you made me feel like I just watched a movie. Eerie and completely fair to the murderous Adonis.
I feel like this is a moth with a revenge fantasy. One day the insects will get their revenge against our chemical warfare and our check-in-don't-check-out roach motels !
Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Not only congrats for top story but also Honorable Mention. It should have gotten TS there as well.
-J- Good Grief - 'Squirmed at your touch' - Since I don't do challenges as a simple story teller, you have my vote..! -J-
Creepy and skillfully horrific
A worthy entry and congrats on a top story. This will be stiff competition
Goodness sir. This is fantastic. The kind of spite such deeds demand. Congratulations on your top story
ooh! That final part gave me goosebumps! Congrats on your Top Story too!
Wonderful tale, Jason! I love a righteous and vengeful spook!
I love this girl so much! She could have moved on but she didn't because she chose revenge! So badass of her. Congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Congrats on your top story and good luck in the challenge!
Nice one