The Dark

The darkness crept up on silent legs, gripping her in its arms, smothering her, choking off her cries for help. She struggled to no avail, the darkness had her in its grasp. It wormed its way into her, she could feel it creeping through her body. Dark's touch was icy cold, freezing her blood as it squirmed through her veins. Icy fingers clutched at her heart, squeezing.

Sherry's eyes popped open, she clutched at her chest, gasping for breath. Shadows played across the room, monsters lurking in every corner.

With a shaky hand, she groped for the lamp next to the bed. The light scared the shadow monsters away, but could do nothing for the terror coursing through her veins. It is only a dream, she tried to tell herself. But she knew better. It was getting worse, not a night went by without the dream.

She wrapped her arms about herself, trying to control the shudders wracking her body. The medication was not working, the doctor said that it might take a couple of weeks, but it had been a month now. A month of hell, a month that threatened what little sanity she had left.

She would have to start leaving the bathroom light on, to chase the darkness away. The darkness that Dr Crosby said was her past sexual abuse coming back to be dealt with.

Pulling her pillow in front of her, she hugged it, rocking slightly. Slowly the shudders subsided, anger taking its place. It's ridiculous for a grown woman to be afraid of the dark, she thought furiously.

She'd have to call the Dr when his office opened, see if there was something stronger to take. With a grimace, she got out of bed, all chance of falling back to sleep gone.

Reaching into the bathroom for the light switch, her breath caught in sudden terror as a dark shadow moved. It glided across the floor soundlessly, waves of pure evil radiating from it.

Paralyzed with fear, she watched as it came nearer. Cold icy sweat poured down her back, as she felt the cold fingers of ice squeezing around her heart.

The shadow reached her legs and began to twine around them. A sound she couldn't place penetrated her terror slightly, sending a shudder through her body.

For long minutes she stood there, the dark shadow moving around her legs. A puzzled question began to form in her mind, when nothing more happened.

Then just as suddenly as the terror formed, it snapped. The shadow at her feet seemed to melt, change shape into a familiar form. The sound, it was purring. Tears sprang to her eyes as Toby rubbed against her legs once more.

I think I am going out of my mind, she thought numbly. The light from the bedroom lamp, showed dimly but plainly the cat at her feet. It had looked so real to her, so evil, this darkness, this shadow.

Switching off the light with a shaky hand, she headed for the bedroom door. Terror knifed through her as a dark tendril crept out from behind her dresser.

It is just my imagination again, she told herself. I can't keep doing this to myself. Taking deep breaths to get under control, she didn't notice at first as Toby stalked past her, hesitantly approaching the shadowy tendril.

With lightning fast speed the tendril snapped out as the cat neared, engulfing him. Toby screeched once in agony then went silent and disappeared from sight, swallowed by the dark.

Frozen in disbelief, her scream locked in her throat. Her vision wavered, horror increasing as once more, the tendril squirmed worm-like out into the room.

It snaked its way across the floor, the tip raised, twisting back and forth as if testing the air. Sensing her presence, it paused pointing toward her.

Cold sweat erupted on her skin, her mind refused to believe what she was seeing. The doctor said it was only repressed memories she thought numbly. Coherent thought left her then as the dark started to seethe and grow at lightning speed.

Finally her legs unlocked and she started to run, shudders racing through her. She fumbled with the doorknob, terror rendering her incapable of the simple act of opening the door. Little whimpers of terror like the mewing of a small animal, escaped her lips.

She felt the dark touch her leg tentatively, like the hesitant touch of a new lover. Moaning she collapsed against the door, legs giving way. The dark oozed up her legs, covering them, wrapping them in shadow.

Sliding all the way to the floor, a strange calmness overcame her. She watched as if from a distance as the dark climbed her body, wrapping her in its grasp. Now it began to seep into her, the cold freezing touch awakening her terror again.

Sobbing uncontrollably, she again turned toward the door, legs refusing to obey her. Hand reaching, stretching up toward the knob, she felt the dark oozing its way up to her chest. The cold was shooting through her veins, pain radiating through her lower body, making every movement an agony.

She reached the knob just as the dark oozed its way up over her neck and began to slip into her mouth. Slipping easily past her tightly clamped lips, sliding down her throat.

Finally her throat unlocked and she screamed loudly in primal terror. Her scream suddenly choked off and her hand slipped from the knob. Sherry slid to the floor again, writhing in agony and terror for long moments.

The dark covered her completely, rendering her shapeless, a mass of dark undulating leach-like matter. Finally the mass became still, then silently began to retreat to the dresser, flowing across the floor like an animated oil slick. Leaving behind nothing but a strange glistening mark upon the floor.