Sleepless Nights
Chapter 1
I awoke to the sound of hammering rain in the night. My sheets where wet, my heart full of dread, it felt like she had left me for dead. I loved that woman, I cannot forget her.
I pulled of the sheets and went downstairs; I can’t escape these feelings. The stairs where creaking like footsteps from something before. I went to the kitchen and turned on the light, “it always takes so long” I said to myself, then i saw something suddenly but it went away with the last flicker of the light. I’ve been drinking for weeks now. I looked at the clock at the end of my kitchen and noticed it was 3 am; I’ve woken up at 3am every night this past 4 days. What could it mean? It’s like I’m being taunted by a ghost from the past, don’t remember wronging anyone but things have been so faded for months now, like I’ve been in a coma of my own making. Half asleep but seeing it all go past. I opened the fridge and had the last of the rum from the night before, then quietly went back upstairs but it felt like I wasn’t alone anymore, something was with me and it wasn’t just memory or regret but something had attached itself to my dread; feeding of it like being a fly in a spider’s web, something had me, something that feeds off pain. I laid back down but my mind wasn’t on my failed relationship anymore, I always remember hearing that 3am was the witching hour when witches ghosts and demons would be at their most powerful. I kept hearing creaks though the night but as time went on the creaks got closer and closer until I could hear them coming up the stairs, I pulled the sheets over my face, I could hear it hissing like a snake almost like it was slivering on the landing floor, the door slowly creaked open, a claw-like hand opened the door. Shivering, I was completely submerged in my fear and could see its glowing red eyes looking at me, it let out a screech that was so painful to my ears and soul it made blood dribble from my nose, its claw-like hand grabbed the sheets and just as it nearly saw my face it disappeared.
The room was silent and fear has been with me ever since.
Chapter 2
Still shivering in the dark waiting for the light to seep through the curtains, it was 4am and the moon was still blood red, stained by what felt the fear in my heart. The night felt ever lasting like it always does in deep winter. I could hear the tide angrily smashing against the rocks. “I have to finish the book” I said to myself. At the time I was living by the sea in Dorset supposedly finishing a novel I was too drunk to write. I went downstairs, turned all the lights on and watched early crappy morning TV. I awoke the next day to the sound of rain. I made breakfast, put my coat on and went outside to clear my head and perhaps gain some inspiration. I have always enjoyed walking in the rain its like all the sadness in the world is let out and ready to start afresh. The waves where still very violent, It was then light started appearing from the lighthouse on the edge of the rocks, a strange shadowy figure was looking down upon me, I thought nothing of it at the time but it would prove to be very important.
Fog started moving in from the coast, the air became thick, I had a hankering desperation to see who was at the lighthouse. When I arrived I opened the door and went up the spiral staircase, I could hear some kind of rustling coming from the top as I drew closer I could hear the sound of squeaks, I opened the door and discovered the place was full of rats and empty beer cans. It looked as if it hadn’t been occupied in years, there was a note attached to the window, it read: “I know what haunts you in the night, it will get closer and closer until you beg for death. That’s what it wants; it feeds of suffering and is drawn closer to the sadness, to the pain; you have to get out before it takes hold. I have felt it before, I had to set myself free to get away. I advise you to do the same”. signed by M. How would he know this? A thought of paranoia came over me. Has this figure been watching me all this time?
Chapter 3
The feeling of being watched was with me the whole night. The sound of branches scratching against the window sounded like claws against wet glass in my head. I spent most of the night searching for clues on the internet to find out who the man at the light house was. I found the significance of the signed letter M. It stood for Monty James, according to this he operated the lighthouse and used to live in this very house until 20 years ago when he killed himself by jumping of the cliff and his body lay scattered around the rocks, being washed back in by the tide. “No wonder this place was auctioned at what I thought was a well worth it price” I said to myself. I spent hours analysing bits of information about this man. Who he was, where he came from… The only thing of any significance was his death.
I decided to go to sleep and pray to make it through the night undisturbed. I awoke once again at 3am, my sheets were drenched in sweat but the air was freezing cold. I saw a flash by the window and saw lightning come down over the hills in the distance. The claw-like hands come up to the window scratching and hissing but this time it wasn’t the branches, it crawled like shadows of the night. I ran out of the room and closed the door behind me. Its hand smashed through the door, I ran out of the house, across the darkness and followed the light from the lighthouse. Its red eyes glazed behind me in the dark. I arrived at the lighthouse and locked the door behind me. I rushed up the spiral staircase and could hear it smashing against the door below. I sat there shivering by the light, it came at me slivering, I climbed on to the roof of the lighthouse. “if I can just last till 4” I said to myself. I looked at my watch and it was 3.55. I could hear the creature sniffing in the room below me, I heard what sounded like a scream and two scaly arms clawed into the roof right beneath my feet, it grabbed me by the leg and pulled me into the lighthouse. It stood there gazing and dribbling foam and just as its teeth started digging into my leg it disappeared. I checked my watch and it was 4am, a sigh of relief and the feeling of inevitable death came over me. The worst was not over.
Chapter 4
We now come to the now what i have written is to be my story the one i set out to write it was supposed to be about the monster inside us all but it ended up catching the attention of true evil. It seems our pain is a conduit feel enough of it and it comes after you ready to consume you it takes many forms. It was the day after the lighthouse and it was 10pm i had finished the book and I started packing my stuff i wasn’t going to stay another night in this forsaken place. I planned to drive back to London and talk to my publisher. I put my entire luggage in the car and drove away from that place as quickly as possible. I had strange visions in my mind that night memories entangled with grief and hate memories I thought long forgotten i had an argument with my wife a long time ago i was so involved in my career back then to the point where i was neglectful i can see that now she started driving herself mad like she didn’t know what she wanted to do she would come into my study holding a glass of wine staring at me like i was the sauce of all her problems what is it baby I’m trying to work right now i said you’re always fucking working she replied when are we going to do something all i do is sit in this house drinking wine with nothing to call my own and all your focus is put into that stupid thing you call a novel this stupid thing is going to make us a lot of money one day and i have been working my ass off for months now why don’t you do something useful and have another drink your good at that fuck you she said while slamming the door so hard our wedding photo come of the wall and smashed sort of represents our marriage i said to myself its always been in pieces since she went off with my best friend i just don’t feel i can forgive or forget i remember the next day waking up in my study i went upstairs all her wardrobes where empty a note was on the fridge it read I can’t handle this relationship anymore i have gone to Howard he knows me better than you ever will i hate you goodbye anger and hate began to consume me i wanted to kill him.
Chapter 5
I was drinking Whisky and thinking very deeply about it all I loved her I don’t know why I did but I did and I won’t be made a fool of again Howard used to be a very good friend of mine since we where kids the guy was even my best man at my wedding of course a few years after that she cheated on me with him and i took her back like the fool that i was but not today i was so angry the glass cracked in my hand blood was dribbling down my fingers it’s all coming back to me now a long suppressed memory in my mind i drove to Howards house knocked on the door and punched him straight in the face he went down i couldn’t stop myself i just kept hitting him and hitting him how could you do it i said she was there and tried to stop me by pulling me of but in my rage i pushed her she went flying into the cabinet and hit her head there was blood all over my hands and a featureless face lay underneath me darkness was hanging over me even then it was as if some kind of entity wanted me to finish the job i was kneeling there over the bloodied man who was once cherished by me. She was in the corner of the room knocked out with her head lying against the cabinet then that was the first time i heard it the hissing shrieking sound coming from upstairs the sound of fear itself its red eyes looking down at me from the landing floor without thinking I ran out of the house i could see all the lights flickering the gateway was open i could her screaming and then i saw it devouring Howard alive it was too late. That is what I was running away from all this time. When awful things happen all you can do is run and forget.
Chapter 6
Still driving on my way to my publishers I saw a shadowy figure resembling a women coming out though the trees walking into the road the road was icy i braked but it was too late the brakes screeched the car went through her as if she where mist my heart froze cold i couldn’t control the car and it tumbled over in the snow I awoke with a metal pole jammed in my gut blood squirting out and a familiar smiling face looking at me through the cracked glass it was her my wife but she did not look the same she turned into something else something resembling that monster that has haunted me all this time she through the door of and said you left me there in agonising pain it tore the flesh from my bones I entered another world and this is what I have become and this second life that was given to me serves only one purpose to consume your soul and your flesh she began biting into my legs her teeth like spikes ripping through bone I was screaming and screaming but no one was there to hear just the foul wind carrying my screams of pain everything turned to black.
Chapter 7
I awoke in a hospital bed with a doctor and nurse looking over me all dressed in white I’m glad your awake said the doctor you where very lucky what happened I replied still wandering if last night was but a nightmare i need you to prepare yourself said the doctor i slowly looked down in horror my neck still aching from whiplash reality started to dawn on me my legs where gone from below the kneecaps my heart racing like thunder my body shaking I’m sorry the doctor replied when they found you it was as if some kind of wild animal had been feeding on your legs we had to remove them from below the kneecap to stop an infection from spreading. I will leave you to rest again the doctor left the room slowly closing the door behind me the nurse was standing there staring out the window i started feeling the pain rising up nurse!! Nurse!!! I shouted but she wasn’t replying she was just standing there are you going to help me i need something for the pain she hissed and screeched that familiar sickening dreadful sound she removed her hat her long knotted hair falling down on her shoulders she turned round her skin rotten and my blood on her teeth from the night before. I’m notss finisheddd yet he wants you he needs you to carry on the cursed bloodline she injected me I couldn’t move I could feel every bite hear the cracking of my bones no one could hear the echoes of my screams an intense purple light surrounded me now I live of the fear of others.
