The world slowly fades back into view; I can’t tell if I’m waking up or if instead, I’ve just been thrust into consciousness. I find myself in bed, my cat at the foot curled up without a care in the world. Was it all a dream? I looked over my body, strange no wounds, no blood, nothing. I still felt in pain — the ache of my body impossible to hide. But something seemed off about this. Maybe it was all a dream, but I don’t remember ever going back to bed.

I try to move out of bed, but find myself unable to move, as if paralyzed from the neck down all I seem able to do is move my head. I try to scream, but nothing comes out. That’s when I notice what seemed off. The painting that I made isn’t there.

I could feel something watching me, I look back at my cat, and notice that he’s changing, it turns to me, eyes sprouting from all over his body. My heart flutters, I could feel myself getting ready to have a panic attack. Shit shit shit shit, why can’t I move? The cat-like creature stares over at me, its mouth opening far too much, and it starts laughing. Its evil chuckle is chilling me down to the core. My skin is going into a cold sweat even with the warmth of the blanket strangling me.

“LoOk,”

The creature pointed with its deformed claw, the lone window to the apartment the blinds were completely open and what stared at me was far more gruesome than anything else that I had ever seen. More eyes stared back, literally, all I could see were eyes, hundreds of them. The windows shuttered, shaking angrily as if they were attempting to break in.

“Soo HunGRy.”

The mass seemed to be moaning it over and over, the window shaking ever more violently.

“MRahahahahaha.”

The cat monster thing laughed, and slowly sauntered its way towards the window.

“No… Please don’t,” my voice seemed to have come back, “Don’t let them in!”

The creature just laughed evilly prancing towards the window as if it owned the place. Its malformed paw is touching the window. Then darkness came over the room. I couldn’t see anything for a moment. A red light slowly started to fill the room, revealing a world that only vaguely looked like my room. A black wriggling sludge covered the floors. The walls oozed with a red substance that very well could be blood. The ceiling stared at me, yes, I said that right it stared at me, thousands of wriggling eyes stared at me.

In the middle of the room a woman clad in writhing crimson and silver her garb seemingly alive, eyes black like the deepest pits threatened to suck me into unending despair. Her hair is so dark that it almost looked like the color of dried blood. Her beauty was almost sinful, her hips and breast seemingly created to cause Saints to fall into corruption. Her wings looked as if they were made by the hands of the hundreds of fallen men and women. They writhed as if having a mind of their own.

I knew that to displease this woman was tantamount to suicide. She smiled as if amused by the sheer terror that she had evoked onto me. She casually walked to me, her pupils showing just a glimmer of steel blue. Human, you have no idea how much trouble you have caused for me, her hand casually touched me where my heart would be hiding, her very touch caused extreme searing pain leaving a print where her hand was.

“Children, do as you please.”She turned and walked away, and as if she had told the world to devour me it all moved, blood, eyes, black matter, all of it covered me, and I became lost in the sea of darkness.

“Ahhhhhhh!!” I awoke screaming, the sight of what could only be a Demon seemed especially burned into my mind, her cold, terrifying beauty unforgettable. The world was so fuzzy, and I could barely breathe. My heart struggled to punch itself out of my chest.

“Daniel! Calm down, Daniel!” A small woman came into view, her face visible concerned. Was it Rosary? Is Rosary even real? Am I going insane? I need to calm as she said. A couple of slow breaths seems to be enough, for now, to get myself at least in control.

First thing I realize is that I’m on the floor, second is that I’m covered in blood and wounds, my feet and hands especially seemed to be in rough shape. Looking around I realize that I’m back in my apartment, looking over at the woman next to me I know that it’s not Rosary. “Daniel, hey are you ok? I called the ambulance.” Eyes that reminded me of a tornado of greens stared, I couldn’t help but look away blushing slightly it was Emma.

“Why are you here?” I asked, looking away.

“We were supposed to hang out you know?” She said almost irately,

“Huh?” I blinked for a moment trying to remember. Wait that means it’s Saturday?

“I got concerned when you stopped messaging me. So, I came over.” She says that matter of factly as if it were normal for a friend to just barge in. This isn’t the first time she’s barged in when I haven’t messaged her back.

Then I realized something; I’m naked. Covering myself I groan, at one point I used to have a crazy crush on her, so her seeing me like this was not on the top of my list of priorities.

“What happened to you?” Emma asked, her stormy eyes staring at what skin was left visible. “You wouldn’t believe me, I don’t even believe me,” I responded almost irately, I didn’t want to tell her about whatever it was that happened.

She poked me lightly in the chest, “Fuck what the hell Emma?” I screamed as it flared painfully.

“Can you at least tell me what that is?”

I looked down, and to my surprise branded to my skin was the print of a hand, surrounded by little flailing lines. “What?” My skin ran cold as if a bucket of ice filled water had just been dumped over me. But that was a dream, wasn’t it?

“Hello, we’re here because of a call, can we come in?

That must be the ambulance, “Emma I need some time to myself, I’m fine though. Can you tell them to leave?” She looked over at me unsure; I could tell she was concerned. “Fine but I’m coming over tomorrow.” “Okay,” I respond, not wanting to argue.

She walks out of the room and after talking a bit to the EMTs I hear her leave.