Suffocating.
Drowning.
Sinking.
Pitch darkness consumes me.
Like a sea of black liquid all around me.
I feel my consciousness fade slowly.
…
..
.
I am.
I'm not.
I'm not dead!
My eyes flare open as I writhe in pain on the floor gagging out globs of vomit all over its hard surface.
Once I'm through retching up my insides. I reach into my mouth and feel around the inside of it, hoping to scoop out all the blood and flesh clinging to my throat.
But I feel nothing lodged in my mouth, it's absolutely empty, save for my own tongue and teeth still intact.
I take my hands out of my mouth and stare at the floor in spiralling confusion.
Nothing's there
My eyes waver trying to focus on my hands and get them to stop quivering violently.
Soon it comes to my attention that I'm no longer kneeling on the road.
I don't feel the rough asphalt of the street below me.
Instead, cold hard tiles.
I can't even hear Emily's screams or feel her tight grip on my shoulder any more.
'Another blackout ?' I wonder at once, but quickly push out that idea.
This felt… different.
My head tilts upwards as I try to slowly get a proper look at where I was now.
A balcony of a two floored house.
The balcony had a dusty armchair and a few vases of various scented flowers populating it.
Its lightbulbs were completely out, making things very hard to see.
But despite the broad, consuming darkness I could still make out general shapes and forms.
This, I noticed, was due to a subtle but highly present detail, affecting the world around me.
I walk over to the railings of the balcony and look out into the city, up at the sky.
A Crimson Red Moon.
Casting a scarlet red blanket of light over everything below it.
If one stared long enough at it, it looked as though it were pulsating.
Like a living heart.
"What the hell? Where am I ? What's happening ?!" These words I mutter in fear, stumbling backwards as confusion and anxiety grip my trembling body.
My heart beats faster, racing without control and I feel terrifying thoughts fill my mind, hoping to burst out of their cage.
"I need to calm down. Calm down and think" I try to still my troubled mind, fighting to focus my attention on solutions not problems.
I clasp my trembling hands together and gather my thoughts.
I need an anchor.
Everything is so dark, and twisted.
And
And
And I see her.
Her visage.
Her beautiful smile.
Her alluring everything.
Emily.
Her image in my mind.
Reaching out and weighing my head in her hands.
Brushing my cheeks.
Assuring me.
"Steady, please"
My hands slow down then I take in a deep breath and open my eyes.
Calm.
Now to think.
Properly
I kept having blackouts.
Each blackout showed me this scarlet red world.
It seems this recent black out didn't just show me.
It took me there.
I'm in a strange world, with nothing to aid me.
I am alone.
I am… alone.
The realization hits me.
I am alone in all this.
Who knows when next I'd see Emily.
Or my Mom.
Or anyone for that matter.
But
Thinking about that fact won't help me in any way.
I steel my heart and focus.
I have people to get back to.
My family is waiting for me.
Emily.
My love is waiting for me.
I can't fail.
I rise from the floor and head back to the railings of the balcony
My jaw clenches, determination painted all over my face.
I peer over the edge of the balcony and out on the city.
My gaze wanders over various buildings and road signs.
And to the best of my perception, I could tell this was indeed Redwood City.
Just different… much darker.
Like a parallel to the real city.
From what I could make out I was at an entirely different part of town from where I was with Emily.
Why the shift ?
I take a look at a nearby road sign.
Willow street, the sign read.
That was all the way on the other side of the city.
Storing this information at the back of my mind, I turn away from the edge and face the looming unknown behind me.
The main house.
Visibility was at its lowest with how dark everything was.
I squinted my eyes at a glass door separating the balcony from the next room.
Then I proceeded to feel my way along the walls to the door.
My hands brush against its smooth grey painted surface trying to feel for a handle.
They stop at once on a metal protrusion on the door, this being the handle.
I clench down both my hands on the door handle and pull the door sideways.
It slides aside, giving me entry to the next room.
It was much darker in here since the reach of the moonlight didn't extend far enough into the house to brighten the place up.
After a moment or so, my eyes adjust to the darkness of the room.
It becomes slightly clearer where I am.
A bedroom.
Old with a faint smell of mildew along with some fungi growing on the walls.
Single bed, wardrobe, desk and bedside table.
As well as a few cardboard boxes piled in a corner next to the door.
I fumble through the room trying to walk towards the wardrobe first, hoping to inspect its contents.
I arrive before its large, wooden self and place my hands on its two gold handles.
I feel a gut feeling in me.
A weird pull, tugging me away from the wardrobe.
But I choose to ignore it.
I slowly open the wardrobe as my gut churns, waiting for something to jump out at me.
Its contents become apparent to me.
Nothing more than a few rusty hangers and a moth fluttering about.
Despite its obvious emptiness, I still feel that foreboding sense of danger flowing around in me.
I quickly shut the wardrobe back as cold sweat builds up at the base of my neck.
'Definitely do not need to open that again'.
I make a mental note against this, and move on to checking out the other items in the room.
I turn my attention away from the wardrobe and walk past the bed to the bedside table.
Dusty just like everything else.
There were 3 drawers attached to the table.
I hoped I could find something useful in one of them.
I search through the top two, both of which turned up empty.
I then pull out the last drawer to observe its contents.
Thankfully this one wasn't empty.
Within the drawer was an old black battery powered flashlight.
Piece by piece this experience was mimicking that of a horror game.
I grin at my pleasant discovery.
I take the flash light out and flick the switch repeatedly.
Dead batteries.
A frown attacks my face.
I sigh deeply, nothing ever goes the way I want it.
I push the drawer back in, closing it then walking off to check out the boxes beside the door.
There wasn't anything particularly outlandish about the boxes per say.
But I could see something wedged underneath them.
The boxes for some reason, were filled with wooden planks, nails and metal bits and bobs like gears.
I push them aside to reveal a black backpack beneath, squashed from the weight of the boxes.
The bag wasn't ruined by dust and fungi or wear and tear, perfect for carrying things around.
I yank it out of the corner and straighten it out on the floor.
After a moment or two of looking the bag over, I sling it over my shoulders and ready myself to go deeper into the house.
The wooden bedroom door creaks loudly as I exit from it.
I feel my heart oscillate faster as the terrible darkness and amplified sounds of the night combine to form a horrific atmosphere.
I clench my jaw and step out of the doorway, closing the door behind me.
I look out into the sea of darkness that is the hallway.
The area was small, merely 2 other rooms upstairs, then the stairwell far ahead.
It seemed wiser to survey the entire building and ensure it was safe.
Although, I lacked a weapon, or any feasible way to defend myself.
The best I could do was use the bottom of the flashlight as a blunt weapon.
Despite being weaponless, I keep pushing forward.
If worse comes to worst, I'll run immediately.
Down the stairwell, or if need be.
Off the balcony.
I shake these thoughts out of my head, hoping it wouldn't come to that.
First I approach the nearest door to my right.
I slowly arrive at the door but pause in front of it.
I spend a minute waiting in front of it, then lean in and place my left ear against the door.
No sounds.
From what I could make out on this side.
I gulp down and with clear hesitation, I open the door.
Another bedroom.
Much like the one I'd just come out from, except without the balcony and the large wooden wardrobe in the other room.
Seeing it empty, I sigh in relief and quickly explore the room.
Nothing of particular use except an old note pad.
Still could be useful though.
I shove the notepad into the bag I found and proceed out the room.
Being done with that room, I walk over to the next one.
Repeating the same process I had performed with the last.
I lean forward to put my ear to the door.
But then.
I Stop midway.
I halt in my tracks like a rusty old machine..
Like with the wardrobe, I feel an intense sense of foreboding overcome me.
Though this one felt more than just heavy.
But… Terrifying.
My heart rate rises and cold sweat pools on my back.
I steel my nerves and clench hard on the door handle.
I rush forward and swing the door all the way in, ready to take on whatever was behind it.
Nothing.
An empty bathroom.
No one in sight.
Another false alarm like with the wardrobe.
I set it aside to be nothing more than my nerves going haywire due to the atmosphere.
I try to focus on checking out the bathroom.
It was quite spacious, a bathtub to the far right, a toilet to the left.
And then. A large Oval mirror.
Placed conspicuously on the wall facing the door directly, hanging over a ceramic sink.
It draws my attention.
Strangely enough.
I walk towards it with unease.
Standing before the mirror.
I place one hand on the sink and lean forward.
My hand pats against its reflective surface.
Cold.
My eyes squint and I make out my appearance.
Same red sweater and collared shirt combo I wore to meet Emily.
My black hair is scattered and frizzled.
My black eyes quivering from a mixture of fear and uncertainty.
With one look at myself, I could tell.
I can't do this.
I'm not smart, strong, or capable enough to do this.
I'm a guy.
I'm just a guy.
But
But I have family.
And I'm not going to die without trying to get back to them.
I clench my racing heart.
And pull myself together.
I look down, away from the mirror and at the sink.
If I'm going to survive, I'll need water.
I turn the faucet, but nothing flows out.
No water, no light.
I sigh in annoyance and start walking out of the bathroom.
'I'm going to need some way to get food and water or else-' I gather my thoughts on my survival.
But I'm cut halfway by the same unnerving feeling.
It felt like intense scraping against my back.
As though trying to tell me something.
Warning me of something.
Behind me.
"Z..ac..k" A quiet, grisly voice whispers out from behind me.
Its tone is raspy and pained, trailing off.
I immediately stop moving.
Daring not to look back at all.
"Zack… Hall…" The voice calls out again, this time more aligned, as if coming to be.
Forming together.
"What a nice name"
I slowly turn around, peeking behind me to see.
Behind me Is the mirror.
Looming over me.
Its surface is no longer as reflective.
I see my reflection slowly morph grotesquely into a pile of black goo trying to maintain a humanoid shape.
My reflection loses its features.
Its properties.
Dulling down to a menacing black shadow.
Its eyes were… not there, merely hollow white holes.
And its mouth. A large white grin.
Aligned in an uncanny and unnatural manner.
The bathroom twists, and I feel myself become dizzy, losing my balance.
I can't just keep watching.
I stumble forwards and rush for the door, the idea of looking back doesn't even cross my mind.
As I'm about to reach the doorway, the door slams shut and locks itself, blocking my path.
I bang and hit at the door, desperately trying to get it to open.
Behind me, the creature in the mirror started to grow.
No… not grow, materialize.
Its arm reached out of the mirror and clenched its frame.
The surface of the mirror became like the surface of a lake, rippling with waves.
As its body slowly emerged from the mirror, it seemed to spread out black gooey tendrils onto the walls, ceiling and floor.
The smell of decay fills the room and attacks my nostrils like a poisonous gas, causing me to gag in in pain
Engulfing the bathroom in Its corrupting self.
As it crawled out of the mirror and approached me slowly, one foot at a time, I could hear it.
Its loud jarring laughter, ringing in my ears and scraping my skull.
The sound of its fingers stabbing into the walls and scratching its surface as it approached me.
Rough and grating.
I had enough of this. I walk back away from the door, making some distance between me and the door.
Then with all the force I could possibly muster.
I ram myself, right shoulder first, into the door.
The door bursts open, the lock breaking off, and I fall to the floor landing face first on its hard tiles.
Blood leaks from my nose but I lack the time nor focus to put my mind on it.
I clamber up to my feet and using the wall as support I run, finding my way to the stairwell.
Behind me the monster lunges out of the bathroom and races after my trail incessantly.
Tendrils of black substance spread over every area it crosses.
I jump down the stairs but the monster, with a single swipe of its hand sends a wave of the same black tendrils my way.
The tendrils clash against my back, shoving me violently.
I hit the wall hard, then fell on to the stairs in pain.
I feel my ribs ache and tremble and tears rush from my eyes.
But I resolved myself.
I hold my sides and rush up to my feet, stumbling down the remaining flight of stairs.
I'm now on the ground level and I have zero knowledge of the terrain here.
As I run, I hit and topple over multiple different objects.
I pull down a display cabinet in hopes of blocking my path and I hear its contents shatter to pieces from the fall.
The monster shoves the cabinet aside like a ragdoll.
Out of all the chaos, I make out before me the entrance door.
In all its glory.
Freedom!
I leap for the door and grab its handle.
Open.
I shove the door open, ready to run out and escape.
But I'm already too late.
The same pungent black substance the monster released had covered every wall of the house.
Its tendrils squirmed off the wall, grabbing my hands then wrapping my entire body in itself and yanking me away from the door.
I feel my body retract backwards brutally, watching as my freedom grows farther away from me.
"NOOOOOO!!!" I yell at the top of my lungs reaching out to grab the door, to no avail unfortunately.
Please.
Please.
Tears flow out of my eyes like a waterfall.
The tendrils consume me pulling me into the mass of blackness that is the body of the monster.
I struggle and kick, pulling at the goo, trying to rip it off me.
"I'm going to enjoy using you till you rot" I hear the monster's mocking jest stabbing at my ears.
My vision grows blurry.
Then inevitably it darkens.
Once again, I feel as though I were in a sea of darkness.
Kneeling in this black substance.
Feeling myself fade.
My hands crumble and fall off.
My body is falling apart.
As this happens, I see images.
Visions, my memories.
First I see my mother. Holding me in her arms as I cry and wail.
She reassures me, wipes my tears.
Then the memory shatters and disperses into the sea of darkness.
I see myself with my friends at school.
Laughing, smiling.
Happy.
This too disperses, as though it never happened.
More memories pass, but all the faces are blurred out.
I'm forgetting.
Then I see more, but rather from a first person perspective.
It's as though I'm watching myself.
My face is blurred.
I look away from the memories.
Down at the darkness consuming me.
I don't remember
Who…
Am I ?...
…
..
.
"Zack!" I hear a loud scream.
I look back up at the memories.
"Zack! Please get up, please, please we need to go !!!"
I see a girl in a house.
The house is on fire and falling apart.
She's bending over, holding me in her arms and shaking me repeatedly.
Her eyes and cheeks are puffed red from excessive crying.
Her eyes, beautiful black eyes.
Her cheeks, blushed, with dimples that accentuate her feminine beauty.
Her face doused in soot, but elegant nonetheless.
Her black hair flowing freely, unchained.
Her hands brush against my cheeks and her tears drip on my forehead.
"Emily…" I mutter.
"Emily!" I yell in rage and determination.
The liquid consuming me trembles as I rise to my feet.
I Have To Live, I need to get back, I have someone, Someone worth living for!
My eyes flare open and I can see the front door once more.
I strain and reach, pushing out the Monster's body and towards the open door.
I can do it.
No, I will do it.
There's no other option.
The monster desperately pulls me back causing me to fall to the ground.
I clench the tiled floor and crawl with all my might.
I must escape.
I feel my bones crack and my skin peel.
But I must leave.
Just then.
Something changes.
The dark room suddenly brightens.
Slowly.
Before eventually picking up its pace.
The room went from a subtle scarlet hue over the darkness.
To a bright reddish hue.
It fills the room like a wave, brushing over me and the monster.
As the light touched The monster's skin, It released a Loud pained shriek.
Its tendrils recoiled, freeing me from its grasp and its growing mass shrunk down to a more humanoid form as its body burned and sizzled under the light of the red moon.
In the blink of an eye it raced back up the stairs, away from the light.
Then I'm left alone.
Lying in pain under the moon's light.
Its radiance acts as a protecting cover.
Like a guardian angel.
Watching over me.