Categories > Original > Horror
Run.
She couldn’t stop running, no matter how much her body screamed. She was consumed by fear and her fight or flight instinct had chosen the latter. Her breathing became ragged and she fought to keep sucking in lungful after wretched lungful. The man behind her was moving almost as fast as she was, slinging curses and insults whenever she escaped his grasp. Soon, as she started to slow, the ground began to fall out from beneath her. It cracked and splintered. The tall pines around her groaned and fell, missing her by inches, each time.
Then, as she fell down into the black abyss beneath her, a hand reached out and grasped her forearm tightly, pulling her up and back with tremendous force.
Then she woke. Drenched in sweat and screaming, she tumbled out of her bed in a tangle of sheets. Only when she hit the floor did she realize that it was over, and that she was safe. The comforting chill of the hard-wood floor brought her to her senses and she ran a shaking hand through her hair. Her heart was well on it way out of her chest as she slowly stumbled to her feet and gripped the footboard of her bed. “Whoa,” She gasped, “That was… Intense…” Teresa looked around at her apartment and sighed. “Fucking Mondays…”
Even hours later, as she left for work, those images stuck with her. The chase, the glimpse she got of the man’s face, and the sudden jerk back from the feeling of falling. The man was as pale as snow, his eyes a bright azure that chilled her to the core. His hair was long and black and stingy, even singed at the ends. But his mouth… His mouth was ripped from ear to ear, sliced into a permanent grin. His eye lids were cut away. The man was a horrific sight, with his once white hoodie and black pants. “Just a dream,” She told herself. “It’s not real.” She shut off her car. Then why are you so afraid?
She paused as she went to open her door, noticing a figure at the front of her car. She damned her after hours shift to hell and slowly slipped out of her car. He twitched and took a slow step forward. Teresa immediately regretted leaving the car and tightened her hands up into fists. “What do you want?” she said as sternly as possible, trying to hide her shaking voice. He remained silent. She grew impaitent, “Don’t you know how to answer someone when they ask you something? Damn!” The man grunted, taking a few steps into the light. She stumbled backwards, ending up with her back to the wall. It was him! The man from her dream! Teresa threw her hand over her mouth and sobbed softly. She was going to die, She knew it. Knew it in the gleam off of the long, rusted hunting knife in his hand. She ran into the building without looking back to see if he followed. She ran up to the third floor, through the emergency stairs, and ducked into a janitor’s closet. Teresa locked the door and pressed herself into a small space behind the shelves of boxes and cleaning supplies. The lights were off, but Teresa knew the closet like the back of her own hand. She hadn’t made a sound.
Footsteps out in the hallway made her tense up and press harder against the wall. There was a tap at the door. Then a knock that made her jump slightly. A fist began ramming violently against the door. He had found her! She threw her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming and she flinched when the door flew open, the handle ripped off. He crept into the closet, his head swaying to and fro as he scanned the room for her. He stared to creep over to where she hid, but heard another set of footprints. A security guard? It must be. He retreated from the room and she heard his heavy footfall going in the opposite direction. “Teresa?” Called the guard. “You in there? What was the racket?”
Teresa swallowed and crawled out of the closet, “There was a man. He had a knife and he-he chased me up here. I hid. He-he had a knife.” The guard helped her to her feet and brushed the cobwebs off her shoulders. “You must have scared him away.” The guard nodded. “Well, he’s gone now. Here. I’ll stay with you while you clean up. Unless you want me to take you home.” Teresa shook her head. “No. I need to work. I can’t afford missing a single shift.” He patted her shoulder, “Alright. I’ll be right here with you, okay?”
Teresa nodded, “Okay.”
She couldn’t stop running, no matter how much her body screamed. She was consumed by fear and her fight or flight instinct had chosen the latter. Her breathing became ragged and she fought to keep sucking in lungful after wretched lungful. The man behind her was moving almost as fast as she was, slinging curses and insults whenever she escaped his grasp. Soon, as she started to slow, the ground began to fall out from beneath her. It cracked and splintered. The tall pines around her groaned and fell, missing her by inches, each time.
Then, as she fell down into the black abyss beneath her, a hand reached out and grasped her forearm tightly, pulling her up and back with tremendous force.
Then she woke. Drenched in sweat and screaming, she tumbled out of her bed in a tangle of sheets. Only when she hit the floor did she realize that it was over, and that she was safe. The comforting chill of the hard-wood floor brought her to her senses and she ran a shaking hand through her hair. Her heart was well on it way out of her chest as she slowly stumbled to her feet and gripped the footboard of her bed. “Whoa,” She gasped, “That was… Intense…” Teresa looked around at her apartment and sighed. “Fucking Mondays…”
Even hours later, as she left for work, those images stuck with her. The chase, the glimpse she got of the man’s face, and the sudden jerk back from the feeling of falling. The man was as pale as snow, his eyes a bright azure that chilled her to the core. His hair was long and black and stingy, even singed at the ends. But his mouth… His mouth was ripped from ear to ear, sliced into a permanent grin. His eye lids were cut away. The man was a horrific sight, with his once white hoodie and black pants. “Just a dream,” She told herself. “It’s not real.” She shut off her car. Then why are you so afraid?
She paused as she went to open her door, noticing a figure at the front of her car. She damned her after hours shift to hell and slowly slipped out of her car. He twitched and took a slow step forward. Teresa immediately regretted leaving the car and tightened her hands up into fists. “What do you want?” she said as sternly as possible, trying to hide her shaking voice. He remained silent. She grew impaitent, “Don’t you know how to answer someone when they ask you something? Damn!” The man grunted, taking a few steps into the light. She stumbled backwards, ending up with her back to the wall. It was him! The man from her dream! Teresa threw her hand over her mouth and sobbed softly. She was going to die, She knew it. Knew it in the gleam off of the long, rusted hunting knife in his hand. She ran into the building without looking back to see if he followed. She ran up to the third floor, through the emergency stairs, and ducked into a janitor’s closet. Teresa locked the door and pressed herself into a small space behind the shelves of boxes and cleaning supplies. The lights were off, but Teresa knew the closet like the back of her own hand. She hadn’t made a sound.
Footsteps out in the hallway made her tense up and press harder against the wall. There was a tap at the door. Then a knock that made her jump slightly. A fist began ramming violently against the door. He had found her! She threw her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming and she flinched when the door flew open, the handle ripped off. He crept into the closet, his head swaying to and fro as he scanned the room for her. He stared to creep over to where she hid, but heard another set of footprints. A security guard? It must be. He retreated from the room and she heard his heavy footfall going in the opposite direction. “Teresa?” Called the guard. “You in there? What was the racket?”
Teresa swallowed and crawled out of the closet, “There was a man. He had a knife and he-he chased me up here. I hid. He-he had a knife.” The guard helped her to her feet and brushed the cobwebs off her shoulders. “You must have scared him away.” The guard nodded. “Well, he’s gone now. Here. I’ll stay with you while you clean up. Unless you want me to take you home.” Teresa shook her head. “No. I need to work. I can’t afford missing a single shift.” He patted her shoulder, “Alright. I’ll be right here with you, okay?”
Teresa nodded, “Okay.”
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