Synopsis: Chesulloth finds herself trapped within her own mind. At first, she is lured in with offerings of pleasantries while she sleeps. Then, her sleeping body is bound and she is plunged into all her deepest fears, forced to endure ordeal after ordeal. The only way out is to overcome her fears, but her fears aren't all they seem on the surface.
Table of Contents
Wake Up
Chesie backed away from The Man in Red and her hand dropped under her. Her heart jumped in her chest as she looked back and felt the air. There was nothing beyond the slate grey precipice.
She could hear the blood rushing in her ears as she raised a hand to pinch herself. It was time to wake up. That story must have ruined her routine more than she thought.
The Man in Red took a step towards her. "What happens when you don't wake up?"
She pinched herself, the sharp pain shooting up her arm. Nothing happened.
The Man in Red took another step. "What happens when your eyes never open again?"
Chesie tried to shut out his voice. She scrambled to her feet and scuttled along the perimeter of the slate grey. She came to a halt as she realized how tiny the area was.
Behind her, a laugh chilled her blood. She turned to see The Man in Red standing, surrounding by blackness. He was standing beyond the grey.
"What happens if you fall?" His voice echoed against nonexistent walls. "If you go a long way down?"
He snapped his fingers and the ground turned black beneath her. Her heart fluttered as she stayed level. Then she felt a breeze whip by her and her heart flew into her throat as The Man in Red began to rise above her.
Her arms flailed in the black dark as she plummeted.
"Did you say your prayers?" The Man in Red's voice echoed from above.
A scream drowned out his questions. Chesie's brain struggled to connect the sound to her own voice. Her head began to spin as she felt her body twisting and whirling, the air cutting around her. Her body began to tremble and convulse as her insides churned at their unsettled state. Tears built and quickly overflowed their boundaries as her screams refused to subside. She continued to direct her arms around her, hoping to find a wall.
The Man in Red's voice crept into her ears. "Why are you so afraid? It's just a dream."
Her throat tightened and she felt her fingers scrape against a surface. She gripped wildly at it and pulled away just as quickly as a sharp pain stung her fingers. A crippling pain shot up her waist as her legs crumpled under her. Her screams faded away and her body went numb.
She wasn't falling anymore. A red light altered her black surroundings and she saw her arms were covered in cuts. Then her eyes fell onto her legs and she saw something long, smooth, and red. Her brow furrowed and her muscles quivered. It was bone. Her bloodied fingers went to her face and she let out a scream.
The Man in Red's voice came again. "What happens when you're all alone?" He appeared in front of her, his pointed teeth red in the light as he grinned. He took a step towards her.
She struggled to form her scream into words. "Wake up! Wake up!" She pinched herself again and The Man in Red disappeared as if she had flipped a switch.
"...When there's no one there to save you?"
Chesie's eyes flew open and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Her pillow was wet with sweat, but she was awake. She was finally awake. She took a deep breath and it caught in her throat.
She had to relax. It was just a dream. She would forget all about it in a minute.
Her eyes landed on the book innocently resting on her bedside table. Finding a new bedtime anthology would be the first thing she would do this morning. She made a move to knock the offending book to the floor.
But her body was stiff. Her arms were crossed beneath her and pinned by her own weight. Her breaths grew heavy as she struggled to breath. Her body tingled as the corners of her vision grew dark.
No, no, no!
Heavy, her eyelids fluttered.
"Welcome back, Chesulloth," The Man in Red's familiar voice sounded in her ears as her eyes shut.
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