Night Terrors
She was overcome with panic. The beast that dominated the nights of her childhood, returned. It lurked outside the glass doors of the solarium, waiting to pounce on her. Her chest tightened and her breathing became rapid. She felt an urge to run 'an urge to be near other human beings.
She tried to talk herself through it. Memories of childhood therapists resurrected themselves. The therapists told her parents to lock her in her room, that she'd "grow out of it" eventually. Being locked in a room with a mind full of demons must have been their idea of torture. She could remember long, sleepless nights hiding under the covers, staring at the door helplessly. She was almost twelve years old before the "demons" left her.
But now they were back, fourteen years later. The thought of going to her parents house and sleeping on the floor by their bed crossed her mind. She knew it was ridiculous. She was twenty-six years old, after all.
The overwhelming fear clenched her chest. It rendered her body frozen 'a deer caught in headlights. She thought she'd soon be road kill or couch kill, as well. She knew this thought was irrational but it overpowered her and she could not shake it.
The television was on, but the picture was snow. She recalled the movie "The Ring." That movie scared her shitless. She didn't want to think about "The Ring" right now, but she had no control of her thoughts. Soon, imagined dead girls were crawling from the television.
"Oh shit!" she exclaimed. "I'm gonna have a fuckin' heart attack." Sweat dripped from her hair down her face. Her reflection in the window caught her eye. She jumped back, startled.
Scared to death of her own reflection. She turned away and ran to the other side of the room. There, she cowered in a corner in the fetal position and shook violently.
She started singing, "twinkle, twinkle, little star.." Her voice shook but the sound was welcome. For a brief moment the demons didn't exist anymore. She traveled to a place inside her head where there was only emptiness. But the fear seeped through. She realized she was cowering by a window. She was convinced the demons were watching her. Waiting to make their move.
She had to protect herself somehow. She looked around for a weapon and came across a rusty knife lying on the floor. "I've got a knife." She said loudly, addressing her unseen predators.
The knife gave her some sense of security. She began to imagine the knife was "King Arthur's" sword. She waved it around. What a treasure she had discovered!
And then it came to her. Just like that. It was her job to kill all the demons in the world.
She exited the solarium to begin her hunt. She tried to be very stealthy for the demons would hide if she made too much noise.
Downtown she found her first monster. It was hiding under a street lamp near a bench. It appeared to be asleep, but she knew better than that. It's shadow stretched ominously across the dimly lit sidewalk. She approached it very quietly and proceeded to cut its throat. It never awakened. She felt a rising sense of power.
She continued her hunt. She was the "demon slayer" on a mission to save the world. She found more demons pretending to sleep in the city park. None of them gave her any trouble when she put them to rest.
She thought she really must have magical powers.
As she cowered over a sixth demon, she heard a wail in the distance, and then weird hazy blue lights behind her. A voice said,"Come out where we can see you, Ma'am."
A demon had spotted her.
She turned quickly and displayed her knife.
It was show time.
"You're under arrest for murder.." the demon said.
You can't murder a demon. She thought.
This demon is just pretending to be a human. It must be a shape shifter.
She launched herself at the demon. "Die Demon" She screamed.
The demon grabbed her and placed some demonic torture devices around her wrists.
"You have the right to remain silent.." it said.
She kicked and screamed. The demons were going to kill her.
"You can't kill me, I am the demon slayer.." she said without confidence.
"You better call an ambulance." One of the demons said to another demon.
An eternity later there was wailing in the distance, just like when these demons came, and flashing red lights.
Some demons came out of a red and white demon-mobile and lifted her onto a stretcher. She screamed and tried to bite the demons. One of the demons had a syringe in his hand. She felt a sharp poke. Everything went black.
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