NIGHTMARES OF THE DEAD 1, a short story by actung. Date added: 2011-06-04. Times viewed: 1028.
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Just because you no longer live doesn't mean you no longer feel pain. Just because you are already dead doesn't mean you can no longer die. Just because your worst fear has come to pass doesn't mean you no longer have reason to be afraid, and just because your heart has stopped beating doesn't mean that you can no longer dream.
In the dark, damp and dreary dungeons of the underworld, many gather with the thoughts of there being safety in numbers, believing that if there is so many of us here then it won't come for me. Sinead wanders through the grey mass of what once was humanity looking for someone or something she recognizes.
And in this particular underworld dungeon no one is willing to take responsibility for or to offer a helping hand to the lost soul of one who is no more than that of a child, a child who spent a mere ten years in the land of the living.
Calling out for her mum, not knowing where her mother is or why she can't or won't find her, the grey mass quickly disbands into darkness and Sinead grabs the dungeon bars in an area of little light. With one more call of 'mum' this one being spoken in a quiet soft scared voice, two large grey hands one covering Sinead's mouth grab her and she soon disappears quietly in to the all consuming darkness.
Felicity awoke from her dream and her first thoughts were with her ten month old baby girl. Getting up quickly Felicity went straight over to the cot and picked up her daughter. Felicity had to make sure all was well with her child, all was well but she had to make sure all the same.
Something about her dream really frightened her. It was more than just the fact that it was a nightmare. It had a feeling of reality about it, just as if something or someone was coming and had been around before, taking that which it does not own or has any right to claim. It, this someone or something was waiting, watching, for the time would come for it to take just one more and if she could help it Felicity was not about to readily let that happen.
When Felicity awoke it was still in the early hours of the morning. She soon made her way back to bed and turned off her bedside lamp. Finding it difficult to return to her slumber Felicity stared into the night time darkness. Lying on her back Felicity all of a sudden found it difficult to turn onto her side. In fact she found it difficult to move at all. She felt pinned down and even struggled to move her head.
A light shone on a pair of grey coloured hands, fingers inter linked with darkness past the wrists. Whomever these hands belonged to wore dark clothing hiding the rest of his person, if indeed if that is what this whomever was or is. The appearance of the hands was soon followed by a deep powerful but soft sounding voice. The voice spoke with a sarcastic tone.
'It is easier if you do not fight it my child'.
Fear gripped Felicity, her heart beat quickened, her face paled as it drained of all colour.
'Who are you?' she asked struggling to catch a breath.
'I my dear am known as Lucifer, Satan, El Diablo, the Devil, I have many names, many titles, but this visit is not about me. It is about you and that beautiful little girl of yours'.
Felicity's fear turned to anger but her panic remained.
'Don't you hurt my daughter' she shouted struggling to lift her head.
‘I have no intensions of ever hurting your daughter, or even you for that matter'.
That pair of grey hands, still the only part of the strange intruder that Felicity could actually see, picked up and held the ten month old child.
'Don't you hurt her' came the scream.
'As long as you help me I will ensure that no harm comes to your daughter'.
'What do you want from me?’
'As you saw in your dream, I collect lost souls, souls which have no destination'.
'And what does that have to do with me?'
Placing the child back in her cot the intruder would speak again.
'You will help make sure I have more lost souls to collect upon'.
'And how do I do that?'.
Those grey hands began to fade into darkness and the deep powerful voice spoke once more.
'I will be in touch'.
‘What if I refuse?’
Felicity’s question went unanswered though she could move once again. Straight away she got up and went back to her daughter, holding her as if it was something she had feared she wouldn't get to do again and for the first time since Felicity awoke the baby began to cry.
‘There there now Sinead, the bad man is gone....'
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