Nightmares

“Willow.”

The sing-song voice spoke. She was in… her basement? No, this room was different.

The gaunt, white walls towered down, the floor sank under her weight. She looked down, seeing sweat-stained pads covering the surface. Slowly standing, she could hear the shlick as the fabric lingered on her skin, slowly sinking back down as it let go. She swore that if she looked close enough, she would see maggots crawling under the thin membrane protecting her from the dirt. Pale, red stains dripped from cracks in the concrete of the walls. A muggy stench hung in the air, making Willow cough and her eyes sting and water as she pulled her sleeve to cover her face. From the corner she stood in, she could see a small window across the room.

Slowly, she approached.

A silhouette stood, clearly holding something. Was it… a clipboard? Or just paper? She couldn’t tell in the dim lighting.

Closer.

She could see a face. She closed her eyes, rubbing them forcefully with the back of her palms.

She heard a thud. Opening her eyes, she now saw the silhouette had dropped the papers. Its palms were pressed against the glass, its breath leaving a ring of moisture on the smooth surface.

Closer.

She could now see its eyes. They bulged, red streaks slowly fading as the off-white tissue gave way to wide pupils. A glint of danger shone in them. One white palm removed itself from the glass, fading into the shadows.

‘Stop. Stop moving!’

Closer.

She was now inches from the glass, the figure breathing deeply. She could hear its grunts as its cracked lips contorted, forming a malicious grin. Its eyes widened, and before she could react, it leaned its head back and shrieked. Willow covered her ears, desperate to escape the sickening sound. It was as if someone was scraping a blade down porcelain, screeching the tip against the surface. She screamed as the noise grew to unbearable volumes

‘Stop it, please!’

Silence.

Willow sighed in relief, not daring to move in fear of seeing the creature. Suddenly, she heard a small crack, followed by a larger one. She hesitantly opened her eyes, seeing the ground as it broke beneath her. She fell, splinters of decaying wood following as she quickly saw the approaching floor.

It was covered in shards of glass.

Willow braced herself, covering her face as she slammed into the surface. The tiny blades cut deep into her skin. It felt like she was on fire. Trickles of blood tickled her skin as she laid, sprawled on the ground in a puddle of glass and blood.

“Willow. Why are you sad?”

The melodious voice crept into her mind.

“No, please.” She ran her fingers through her hair, tears streaming down her face.

“Please, come play with me.”

“No!” She covered her ears, squeezing her eyes tight.

“Come join me in the meadows.”

Crunch.

‘No.’

She could feel the coolness of the body in front of her. She didn’t want to see it, not again. She didn’t want to see her again.

“Why won’t you look at me?”

The small voice forced a whimper from Willow’s lips. She couldn’t bear to face her sister again.

‘Please.’

Crunch.

Willow could feel the cool limbs wrap around her waist. She forced her eyes to open, but immediately regretted it.

‘She’s dead.’

Willow let out a sob, holding back her nausea as she stared into the lifeless eyes of her sister. The corpse gripped her relentlessly, the blue tint of its small fingers intertwining with the fabric of her gown. The deep gash in her throat shone with fresh blood, defying the age of the lifeless body. Slowly, the decaying flesh of its face molded into a smile, the tiny body grinning up at her.

“Why did you do it?”

She screamed, trying to push the body from her. She fell, colliding with the shards on the ground, wrestling with the child.

‘Get Away!’

The child’s grip was inhuman. It slowly climbed her body, staring straight into her eyes.

“You did this.”

Willow’s voice gave out, leaving her gasped as she kicked at the carcass.

“You killed me.”

She could feel the glass pressing into her back, forming deep incisions as she fought against her sister.

“Why?”

“I’m sorry!” Willow bolted up, her thin blanket falling from her chest as she heaved. Cold sweat covered her, a layer coating her sheets. She calmed herself, breathing deeply.

‘Just another dream.’

She opened her eyes, trying to forget the horrifying nightmare. She slowly set her feet down on the peeling carpet. She could feel the syrupy residue that hadn’t been cleaned. She opened her eyes, seeing the bland white walls.

From across the room, she could see a faint silhouette through a tainted window.