Hi, I'm D.L. Dare. Recently, I came up with a writing challenge for myself. With 52 weeks in a year, there are 52 cards in a deck, aside from Jokers. I made a list where whatever card I draw, there's a random prompt for it. And I have a week to put a story together. The prompt list can be found in my pinned posts.
This week, I randomly drew a 10 for Relax/Vacation, and a Spade for Monster! I present to you, the bone-chilling tale of 'Sweet Dreams!'
My mom and I had just pulled up to my house. It wasn't much, just a single-story home. I was lucky I got such a good deal on it. The person who sold it to me seemed to be desperate to get rid of it. I didn't see why, as there was nothing that seemed to be wrong with it.
I saw my mom getting out and coming around to help me out of the car. I let out a groan as she helped me to my feet. I had just had surgery a few days ago to have my appendix removed, so everything was still a little sore. My doctor said I was in good enough shape to return home and to take it easy for a few days. I didn't want to be alone while I recovered, so my mom sort of jumped at the opportunity to take care of me.
She got me to the front door, and I handed her my keys to unlock it. She helped me inside and brought me to the couch, just in front of my coffee table.
"I'll be right back," she said before going out the door to grab what was left in the car.
I was thankful for my mom volunteering to take care of me. She's always been a sweet and caring person, even on her worst days. She encouraged me to follow my dreams and made me into the woman I am today. I don't know what I would do without her.
She brought her purse inside, as well as a few other bags, and sat them next to the front door before closing it behind her. She kicked her shoes off and plopped down next to me on the couch and gave me a gentle hug. Still being a little sore, I let out a groan. I felt bad for doing so, because it made my mom pull back.
"I'm sorry," she sympathized. "Did I hurt you?"
I shook my head. "You're fine, Mom," I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "It's just a little sensitive is all."
"Did you take your pain medicine for it yet?" she asked.
"Yeah," I nodded, grabbing the remote from the table and turning on the television. "They had me take it before we left."
"Well, good," she said, draping her arm over my shoulder. I leaned into her with a smile and watched television with her.
It had been a while since I had been around my mom. Don't get me wrong, I talked to her almost every day. But since I moved out and got my own place, I hadn't seen her in a few months. And the closeness I felt with her now made me feel warm inside, like a child snuggling with a warm blanket.
I didn't take long before I found my eyelids growing heavy. I didn't know if it was the comfort or the medication kicking in that was making me drowsy.
My mom must have taken notice because she helped me to my feet and guided me to my bedroom, my arm over her shoulder as we walked.
"Thank you," I said, my voice a little groggy. I crawled into bed and pulled the comforter over my aching body.
In response, she kissed me on the forehead. "Sweet dream, Rachel."
I saw my mom turn and leave the room, closing the door gently behind her. Then, my eyes felt heavy and drooped down, drenching my world in darkness.
***
I woke up, my room dark as night. How long had I been asleep? It had only felt like five minutes. That wasn't the weirdest thing, as it was something I could easily brush off. However, I felt a strange cold wash over me. I crawled further inside of my blanket, trying to stay warm.
This is weird, I thought. It's the middle of summer, shouldn't it still be warm? I figured my mom must have cranked up the air conditioner.
"Mom!" I called, squeezing my blanket tight. "Can you turn the AC down? It's freezing in here!"
In response, there was only silence. I didn't even make out the sounds of the television in the other room. Maybe she had fallen asleep on the couch. I wouldn't put it past her.
I tossed the blanket to the side and climbed to my feet. The cold of the floor sent shivers throughout my body. I grabbed the blanket from the bed and draped it around me. I was ready to brave the cold and turn the air conditioning off.
When I got into the living room, I noticed bright colors dancing on the walls. The light from the TV itself was almost blinding to my night-adjusted eyes, leaving me squinting. I thought it was most jarring because it was muted.
I looked around the living room but saw no sign of my mom. I found it odd, as her purse was still by the front door. She had to be around her somewhere. I tried calling to her again, but only silence met my cry.
I was starting to get worried about her. I figured I should try calling her on the phone or something, but it had to wait for the more urgent concern at hand, turning the AC off. I had to get to the kitchen. I know, it's a dumb place for them to put a thermostat, but I didn't design the layout of that house.
Walking to the kitchen, the first thing that caught my eye was the freezer door that was hanging open. I darted over to close it, fearing my food might spoil. To my surprise, I felt a mass of cold air blowing at my face as I stood in front of it. Looking past the cloud of frost, I saw the massive icicles that had formed, branching off of the door.
I was in disbelief at what I saw. However, I had to get the door shut. I made my way behind it, careful not to slip on the cold floor. I reached out for the door and pushed hard against it. It wouldn't budge. Were the icicles really that thick? I had to turn and lean my shoulder into the door, putting my full body weight against it.
As I continued to push hard, I could hear cracking. It sounded like the ice was about to give way. And, with a thunderous crack and a sudden jerk forward, the ice gave way, leading me to slam the freezer door shut. I gripped the handle of the door tight, fearing that I might fall on the frozen floor.
I stepped away from the door, and doubled over, struggling to catch my breath from the intense pressure I had just put on myself.
As I stood there, I could feel the room begin to get a little warmer. It could have just been me though. I still had to check the thermostat, just to be sure.
Though I still felt a little winded, I thought I was in good enough shape now to keep moving forward. So I did. I made my way to the wall, just next to the fridge. I intended to look at the thermostat, but something else caught my eye. There was a door there that I had never noticed before. To be honest, it startled me.
The door was dark against the light-colored walls in the kitchen. Cautiously, I approached the door. I half expected something to open it from the other side and jump out at me. Thankfully, my paranoia was for nothing, because when my hand touched the icy cold door knob, nothing happened. I gave it a twist and heard a blood-curdling scream from behind it.
I jumped back, my heart pounding against my chest.
"What the hell was that?" I exclaimed in a hushed tone. Was somebody in my house?
Then, another horrifying thought passed through my mind; What if the scream was from my mom?
There was no way to know for certain, but the one thing I knew was that there was somebody down there, in my house. I cautiously opened the door. The dancing lights from the television let me see just the very outline of the first few steps of the stairs that lead to the dark abyss.
I stepped down, the stairs creaking beneath my feet. Carefully, I took another step.
"Mom?" I called out nervously. "Are you down here?"
Silence was my only response. I could hear what seemed to be fabric rubbing against each other. It made me stand still for a second, unsure if it was from me or from whatever was down in my mysterious basement.
For a moment, there was a stillness in the air. It should have given me comfort, but it fills me with incredible unease. I felt as though I was being watched.
I took another careful step down but stopped short as I felt something brush up against my leg.
It was too dark to see, and my only instinct was to run upstairs and not look back. In my attempt to run, however, my foot caught on one of the steps, forcing me to fall hard down the stairs. Pain shot through my body, jolting me awake from my nightmare.
***
I sat straight up in my bed, breathing heavily from the twisted dream I had just had. I didn't remember much from it, just the feeling of unease and the sound of someone screaming. I looked around my room, allowing reality to sink back in.
The room was dimly lit in a light shade of orange from the sun that was just beginning to set. It seemed almost comforting, like a hug after a nightmare.
Though the thought of that twisted dream I'd had was beginning to fade, the scream from what I thought was my mom still lingered in my mind. I called for her, just to make sure that she was okay.
There was silence at first, followed by the distant sound of creaking floorboards. Why was everything in this house so creaky? Maybe that's why they sold it for cheap, I thought.
I was glad to hear the footsteps, as it proved to me that I wasn't alone. However, I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Why was my mom walking so slowly, as if creeping toward the door? Was she okay? Then, an even darker thought crept in; Was it even her?
Looking toward the door, I could see the knob turning. It felt like it was in slow motion, but the door finally opened. I couldn't see anything past the cracked door, but I knew she was there, just behind it.
"Is everything alright in there?" my mom asked, her voice sounding a little scratchy. Though I knew it was her without a shadow of a doubt, I couldn't help but feel a little scared.
"Yeah, everything is fine," I said. "I just had a nightmare is all."
"Oh, I'm sorry, hun," she said, opening the door a little wider. I was still unable to see anything from behind it, only the light from the living room cascading onto my floor, her silhouette blocking a portion of it. "Is there anything I can do?"
"I don't think so," I said. I didn't want her to open the door any further. I knew that seeing her would confirm to me that there was nothing to worry about, but a part of me wasn't quite awake enough for that yet. "Thank you, though."
"Okay, hun," she said, her voice still sounding a little off. "If you need anything, just let me know."
She closed the door, leaving me alone again with my thoughts. I won't lie, I felt a little bad from that interaction with my mom, but it was all to ease my mind.
I could feel the drowsiness returning to me as my eyes felt heavy once again. Maybe sleeping just a tad more would help me feel a little less paranoid. I rested my head back on my pillow, turned to my side, and cuddled my blanket as I drifted back to sleep.
***
My eyes shot open and I jolted upright as I awoke in my own bed, the room flooded in darkness. I could have sworn I heard footsteps coming from outside of my bedroom door. These weren't delicate footsteps like my mom had earlier. These were heavier and more aggressive. So aggressive, in fact, that it was hard to tell if they were coming toward my door or walking away from it.
I climbed out of bed and wandered over to the door. I opened it gently and peered out in the hallway, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever it was that was causing such a ruckus.
It shouldn't have come as a surprise, but the world outside my door was just as dark as the room I stood in. It was impossible to make anything out in the void. But what was even more surprising was that the pounding footsteps had stopped.
The silence rang in my ears as my heart thudded in my chest. My imagination was running wild with who, or what could possibly be out there. The most chilling idea running through my mind was, what if something was standing right in front of me, watching. Waiting. Waiting for me to make a move before grabbing me. I was frozen in fear.
I stepped back from behind the door and started to close it, but I heard something slam against it from the other side, leaving the door impossible to budge.
I wanted to run, to scream, to do anything to get away from this situation. Instead, I was frozen in fear. And I felt hot breath on me as a cold, horse voice whispered in my ear, "Rachel... I see you..."
***
In an instant, my body jerked awake. The moment my eyes shot open, I heard the sound of a door slamming shut, the sound itself making me scream and spring upright in the bed. My eyes darted around the dark room. I heard the faint clacking of clothes hangers, drawing my gaze to the closet.
I climbed out of bed, my eyes locked on the closet. I half expected something to peek its head out, but nothing happened, and the sound faded as quickly as it had begun. Even still, my eyes were glued.
As I got to my feet, I felt around my bedside table until I found my lamp. I turned it on, allowing the room to illuminate. Though I could see better, I couldn't make out anything from within the closet.
I stepped closer to it cautiously, trying not to alarm whatever may be lurking in there. My heart was racing with every step I took. Mentally, I was pleading with myself to stop, to run away, to do anything but keep pressing forward. I was unable to stop myself. For some odd reason, I was drawn to the closet like a moth to a flame.
As I drew closer, I felt a pain in my abdomen. My stitches were giving me a small twinge of pain. It seemed odd for me to have forgotten about it with how many times I had left my bed. Or at least thought I had left my bed. But focusing away from the pain, my attention was drawn to the rustling I had noticed in my hanging shirts. A large, pale hand came forward from behind them and pulled them aside.
From behind the shirts, I saw a long, pale face with a gaping hole for a mouth, lined with razor-sharp teeth. It's eyes, oh god the eyes. They appeared to also be gaping dark holes, but the eyeballs were still there, wide and round, larger than they should be. And they were staring directly at me.
I cried out as it lunged forward, climbing to its feet as it struggled to get out of the closet.
I walked backward as it staggered towards me. My heart was racing, all I wanted to do was run, scream, and do anything to escape this nightmare. This had to be another nightmare, right?
At this point, I was up against the wall, standing just next to my bed. I was trapped, as it was standing between me and the bedroom door. Wheezing heavily, it stretched its long, bony hand toward me.
I closed my eyes and waited for my demise. And waited.
I heard the squeaking of my bedroom door. Was it leaving?
I opened my eyes to find my door wide open, my mom stepping out from behind it. "What's wrong?" she asked, her face red with worry. "I heard you screaming. Is everything okay?"
I was about to speak, but my attention turned back to where the monster was standing. It was gone. Looking over, I noticed my closet door was shut. I ran over to it, hoping that I might find something in there, something to prove that I hadn't dreamed this too. But there was nothing. No sign that the monster had even existed.
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