Prologue
October
Finally.
I shut my 'Developmental Psychology' textbook that I was using to finish my homework with a slam. College was harder than I anticipated, despite my high school teachers' cautions. I sighed and ran a hand down my tired face before looking at the clock resting on the edge of my desk.
12:32 am.
Window shut? Check.
Front door locked? Check.
Alarm set? Check.
Phone on silent? Check.
I couldn't help the OCD that developed ever since I moved out of my parents house to live on my own in a one-bedroom apartment in the big city of Chicago, Illinois, to attend my dream college. It felt weird being alone; almost isolated feeling. I sauntered to my bed before stripping down and ducking under the covers to finally get some much needed rest. Rather than my normal night of being forced to lie awake for hours due to my brains consistant contemplation of the deep matters in my life, tonight I felt my drowsiness quickly taking over and causing me to fall into a exhausted sleep.
Cold...
Wind...
Is my window open?
I swear it was shut...
My mind seemed to wake up, but not my body. I began to shiver slightly before I noticed something. There was a pressure being put along the length of my body, almost too light to notice. Then, something caused my tiredness to wear off slightly.
It felt like someone just smelled me...
"You smell... Delectable." A low voice whispered tauntingly into my ear, cold breath cascading across my ear lobe and down my neck, causing goosebumps to erupt along my arms.
Instantly my senses kicked in and eyes flew open as I sprang from my fetal position to sit up. I frantically looked across the pale walls of my room.
Nothing.
My heart was racing, feeling as if it were going to burst from my rib cage. I scanned the dark corners of the small room of my apartment once more, looking for the source of my unreasonable disturbance, but then it caught my eyes. Two small, red spheres slowly grew larger in the far corner, surrounded by complete darkness. My breath caught in my throat as I internally panicked, completely shocked with fear that caused my body to grow stiff. As my vision adjusted to the extreme dark, I could hardly make out an even darker silhouette encompassing the abnormal features.
"Who are you?" I said as my voice quivered.
There was a pause, and then I seen an upward curve, bordered by small, pointed teeth. Almost as if it were a smile.
"I am what you fear most. I am a protector, and a destructionist. You will cower and pursue me, but only I may choose." The whispery voice rumbled from the corner. The voice was both alluring and threatening at the same time, making my body feel numb with fear and confusion.
I quickly pulled the covers up to my mouth and shut my eyes, squeezing them shut to try to calm myself down. This was a strategy I acquired as a child when I was scared. I thought that if I couldn't see it, it wasn't real.
After a while, I didn't hear anything so I slowly opened my eyes. It was gone. I could already feel the sensation of being watched drifting away, so I looked at my alarm clock to check the time.
3:48 am.
I felt a cold breeze hit my face and I looked to see my window open. I quickly crawled out of my warm bed and shut the window and locked it for safety measures before climbing back into bed, my heart rate still palpitating.
Maybe my mind is just playing tricks. Maybe, this is just a dream. A dream. I closed my eyes, willing sleep to once again take over, telling myself that it was just a dream.
Besides, things like that just don't exist.
