Day 6 : "Nightmares"

I awoke with a cold sweat, my body feeling numb and painful, from both sleep against the cold stone floor, and a strange sensation throughout my body. My vision was blurry, and I could not remember what happened the night before. A deadly choice for my brain to make, as I could not afford it again in the future. One thought burned in my mind, that I must not sleep, no matter the cost.

It was still dark overhead, and my nerves kept me awake. Even laying in my bed could not calm me, and I spent most of my morning pacing, aching, and starving. But the worst part was I could not hear anything beyond the walls of my home here. There were no footsteps, rustling, or even insects in the distance. All was quite and welcoming, but I dare not go out before dawn. They must be watching me. They must be growing smarter. I know they're out there. And so I wait.


When the sun finally glowed through the walls and the ceiling, I made my way numbly to my garden. Depression tugged me gently, as the sprouts were gone, and the dirt was patched and uneven. Clearly something had gotten into it, and the only fault lay on my own shoulders, for having left the garden unguarded through the night. I knew that I must fortify the walls and entrance, but I first needed more stone, as I had run out.

Killing a pig for some meat was my meal for the morning. It tasted bitter and undesirable, only serving to make me feel ill, and unwilling. The thought lingered in my mind that I need cook it better in the future, but my tools were primitive, and I was without stone nonetheless.


With the minor boost in energy, I dug out stone from my mine, digging farther from the entrance. As luck would have it, I hit a pocket ditch from the hill above, and this let light in, as to not waste a torch. Soon afterward my pick had broken, but my supply of stone was grand now, and I went to work on fortifying my garden.

I build the boundary higher around the moat and moistened ground, and I fenced off the front so even I could not enter. The sun was setting, and I could see the same moon peak its head from the distance. I headed home drained of all strength. Tomorrow I would grow new plants. For now, I would sleep. While my memories remained unclear, my fear had dissolved, and I knew only one thing to come. I would sleep, and the morning would come.

Perhaps they would have mercy, and kill me in my sleep?


there was darkness here, and i could not see. all around me was water, and i could not see. i could not swim, and the inky darkness closed in, and the fear struck me hard as i could not breath. was i under the water or above it? i could not see the sky, and the darkness swallowed deeply. my skin was burning and below me lay ashes. was this from the other night before? had death decided to bring me back here?






i turned around reveiling to me a path lit by flame. the trees were ablaze just as i was. had the fire spread in my absence? i did not know. i did not care. the numbness returned, and i could not breath. fear hit me hard, and i could not breath. i heard voices all around me, deafening me with their call, and i could not breath. i could only run. i did not care what lay ahead. i knew behind me was darkness, and it would consume me. it would hold me down until i could not breath. it would kill me, and i could not breath.





i ran far and fast, and i could not breath. i could not see. i could not hear. the voices stopped and let me think. but i could not. my mind was blurred by the darkness around me. had it tainted me too? had it burned into this land, and deep into my mind? was i still ablaze with flame? i could not see it. i could not hear it.

i saw them, then, the evil ones. they were lurking all the time in the darkness all around me. they wanted me dead. they shot arrows of pure darkness at me, and it hurt me, but i did not bleed. i screamed, but i did not sound. instead oil poured from my mouth, and the wounds caught fire. i could not stop it. it hurt. it burned. the pain continued through me. why wouldn't i just end now? why won't the darkness consume me finally? why was i still here?


the darkness left as i looked to the sky. the moon. all i could see was its light against me. it hated me. why? what had i done to deserve such torture? why was i here in the darkened hell? would the light not come for me?

the fire consumed me and i could not hear. my mind drifted to darkness and fear, and i could not see. death finally embraced me, and even then, i could not breath.