The Final Nightmare

The girl was used to having night terrors as well as regular old nightmares. She had nightmares her whole life as far back as recollection allowed. Most nights she was able to manage her anxiety when she was awakened by the sound of her own screams.

Somehow tonight was different. When she fully awoke and had some clarity that she was safe in her own room, the anxiety would not subside. The anxiety and fear lingered in a way she never experienced before. Why couldn’t she shake this? What was wrong? To her it felt as if something was with her, both seen and unseen, as she looked around the darkness of her room. This once safe and comfortable space she often called her inner sanctuary, suddenly felt heavy and uncomfortable.

Sitting up in her bed, she became fixated on one specific corner in her room. She knew without question or doubt that something, or someone was sitting in her reading chair watching her.

Despite being unable to make out clearly what was in her room, she knew the intentions of this presence was anything but good. Slowly this figure raised up from the chair and appeared to be standing, but not fully touching the floor. She could hear it breathing so loudly that the sounds filled the room.

Somehow the young lady was able to finally see the shape of this figure a little more clearly as she continued to look at it. The Shadow appeared to be feminine in nature. Both from fear and intrigue, she sat stark still in her bed without moving. This presence felt oddly familiar.

As the figure glided towards the bed, the young lady’s fear became so intense that the sound of her heartbeat could be heard like a beating drum. Once close enough, the young lady could see the face of the figure and to her surprise this entity wore her face! She let out the loudest scream her vocal cords allowed, but it was useless. The shadow figure wrapped her arms around the young lady and absorbed her into the eternal darkness. 

There in that permanent dark place, the young lady was trapped in a never-ending nightmare cycle conjured by her fear and empowered by her anxiety.