SIREN’S MISTAKE PART 8
I awoke to pure darkness. I couldn’t even see my hands or body. Was I dead? Was I still alive? Standing up at least told me there was a floor. I reached out for walls but found none. How long had I been out? But most importantly, where was I?
“Hello?” My voice sounded muffled. It was as if it didn’t reach farther than my mouth.
Something darted past me. All I could tell was a sound of fast tapping coming and going from all around. I was glad I could hear that but at the same time not so glad. The hairs on my arms rose along with goose pimples. There was something in this blackness with me, and it was playing a game. A game I was sure I didn’t want to play.
Something sharp cut across my upper arm. Maybe I should have worn a shirt with sleeves. It might have protected me. How the hell was I supposed to know I would be in the dark being hunted by something, though? Another cut was made just below the last one. For it to be so precise, this thing had to be able to see in the pitch blackness.
Panic rose in my chest in the form of a sharp pain under my breastbone. I swirled left and right, trying to find my way out as my lungs refused to fill. Running couldn’t be an answer. What if I ran in the wrong direction? I could be lost in here forever. A few steps left brought no more answers. Neither did stepped backward. I took another couple of steps backward. Still nothing. “You idiot. Yeah, just go break in. It will be fine. What could happen?” I chastised myself.
A familiar voice floated through the empty space to my ears. “Sha? Sha. Walk towards my voice.”
“Zagan? Is that you?” I swiveled towards his voice. “Where are you?”
“Just follow my voice, Sha. Come to me.”
A warmth rushed through my entire body. I was so relieved to finally be saved that I didn’t even think about where I was anymore. All I knew was that I wanted out. There was time for questions later. A screech sounded from somewhere behind me.
Even though running would have been my first choice, I took small steps. I didn’t know what I was walking on and didn’t want to fall in a hole or something. Skittering sounds grew closer. It sounded like more than one now. I needed to hurry, but I also needed to get to Zagan safely.
“Hurry! Please!” Zagan’s voice had never sounded so panicked before.
“To hell with it.” I started running. The sounds are getting closer and closer behind me. A rush of wind blew past my left side, and something clipped my ear. More screeches erupted. I could almost feel them touching me.
Out of the darkness, a white arm appeared. “Grab my hand, Sha!”
I did, and the arm pulled me through the darkness and into the electrified light. It shocked my entire body. The last thing I saw was Zagan staring down at me. Worry etched over his face.
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“Oh my head…” Sitting up on my couch, my head throbbed. I threw off the covers and took in my surroundings. I was home, and apparently, I slept on my couch. “What happened?”
A half empty glass of whiskey sat on my end table. Had I drank too much last night? “Wait. What time is it?” I really needed to stop talking to myself. Pulling out my phone, I clicked the side button to see that it was six in the afternoon. I felt like I had slept an entire day, but my head was complaining about it.
Memories came flooding back. The door. The darkness. The things in the darkness. Was it all just a dream? I knew I had crazy dreams when I drank before going to sleep, but that was a doozy. I went to run my hands through my blonde hair. A sharp pain from my ear lobe stopped me. It couldn’t be. I carefully touched the injured part. There was crusted blood caked on it.
Now, I took one hand and went to feel my other upper arm. There were two deep scratches also with dried blood. “What the…” I threw off the blanket to stand up. Inspecting every part of my body, the only other disturbing things I found were small tears on the backs of my jean’s calves.
“Holy shit! It wasn’t a dream!”
