''Into the Maw'' | THE VERY BEST OF DR. CREEPEN’S VAULT 2019 [EXCLUSIVE STORY]

Video Statistics and Information

Video

Captions Word Cloud

Captions

caveat emptor may the buyer beware a young couple is looking to put their proper behind them and think they found their dream house way out in the middle of nowhere the location is not ideal but the price is perfect the property has a lot of potential but there may be more to it than at first there seems well this is a special one that's been locked in the vault for almost nine months now and I finally gotten around to doing it and you're in for a bit of a treat this evening so I hope you've got a couple of hours to spare because it's time to sit back and relax with several of your favorite drinks and ELISA I grew up in a small town in the Midwest well there's a great variety of outdoor hobbies to immerse oneself in little happens around him and life can quickly start to feel Monday let's just say that the local university is what keeps us on the map regardless it's a place filled with many fond memories of my childhoods carrying throughout my adolescence and early adulthood I liked it so much that I decided to stick around after graduating high school to further my education while most of my friends I grew up with wanted to get away as far as possible I held a very strong attachment to where I came from I just felt like it would always be my home growing up I had some abandonment and trust issues my mother died in the process of giving birth to me my father never was able to overcome the grief brought upon by the tragedy deep down I thought a horrible guilt that I took her away from this world and from my father I felt like my old man looked at me with feelings of resentment that constantly battled the natural love felt for his own child all of this proved too much for him and he left when I was barely a teenager I remember coming home after school one day to an empty house and sitting around waiting in vain waking up the next day not having a ride to school I don't know where he went or what became of him but I was lucky enough to have some caring grandparents who took me in and helped support me through all of it they raised me up through high school and were even kind enough to pay for higher education as they were close to retirement with a lot of money saved up despite all of their help my early ecology is spent dealing with some serious issues pertaining to substance abuse primarily now gone now while a lot of kids drinking college sometimes excessively it was a growing problem that sat festering in the deepest part of my brain that I was too afraid to face I hated myself for tearing apart what would have been my family it was very difficult to get by in my day-to-day activities without pumping my body full of substances at the time it was the only thing I knew was capable of easing my restless skeptical mind my grades would slip as I embarked on week-long drinking binges all the while neglecting to go to class I'd barely pull through by the skin of my teeth after digging myself into a hole I don't know how I passed any classes to be honest every night was spent draining bottles when I stood in the corner of my room convincing myself that my life was somehow worse than it really was and that I was justified in my own self-destruction for a while the only thing that brought me joy was watching myself suffer to ensure that my masochistic driven desires were completely satisfied well needless to say it was a very rough and confusing part of my life while attending one of my classes I met the woman who would help me stray away from my disgusting addictions I still remember walking into the lecture hall and seeing us sitting by yourself enjoying whatever song was playing in her headphones I chuckled to myself as she didn't care who saw her dance in her silly way well after a few months into the semester I finally worked out the courage to approach her and I'll never forget her looking up at me and saying well look who decided to show up the clever smirk shining on her face I was surprised and flattered she'd notice me at all I'd been absent for around a week and after my teacher threatening to fail me I was finally able to drag myself there a long dark hair swam around her shoulders and back and a soft brown eyes flushed optimism through me she reached out her hand I'm Mary she said to me confidence exude in from a hangover pounding in my head I reached out my hand or was instantly hooked once our hands clasped my otter talking to her she was the sweetest most delightful human being I'd ever met a bright inviting personality diffused any cynicism that I ever attempted to let out oh I won't bore you with all the details of our relationship but over our last few years of college we grew very close and I was certain she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with I proposed to her during our senior year not wanting to waste any time in locking her down though sometimes were worse than others finding Mary is really what helped me pull myself out of the darkness while others are judged and look down on me for my reprehensible behavior Mary never saw them as opportunities to exude her own moral superiority on me rather she just saw someone struggling to cope with their demons and provided nothing but kindness and understanding as she helped me through some the worst time she eventually helped me stop drinking altogether which led to me having an easy ride through the rest of college my grades improved I had more energy I was so grateful to be able to find joy in life that wasn't garnered from the handle of a bottle or the chamber of a pipe she was the yin to my yang and effortlessly helped me to see the joy in life while kindly attempting to shift my irrational negative views of the world she truly helped me become a better person and I was the luckiest guy in the world to a founder when I did after graduation finally came and went I was able to land a job with a local university in the marketing division Mary graduated with me and she was adamant towards moving past this town and setting up somewhere else but I resisted I guess I just didn't want to leave I was able to convince her that we should just find a cheap rental and save up some money before we decided to move on well this wasn't a bad reason really for sticking around my ulterior motive remained staying close again I just felt as though this would always be my home as we coasted through the beginning of our summer life appeared to be nothing but a breeze I had a great woman on my side a decent main job where I'd be starting soon and I did it all in the town I'd grown up in all of my friends had moved away and while some was struggling some weren't I didn't envy their insatiable need to travel and explore it hi had everything I could ever need right here in early June my grandparents retired and we're in the process of moving into a quiet lake house a few hours away due to this I had the choice between moving with them for a while or starting a life on my own with the woman I loved I'd made it through all of this and I had great confidence in myself that I was ready to brave the world mary found an ad in the newspaper disclosing a rental home out in the country for a price that i thought seemed way too good to be true three bedrooms two full baths and a screened-in back porch that overlooked a large amount of land for just $600 a month seemed ridiculous while I was skeptical at first I felt we should at least give it a look and offer like this was worth at least giving a chance after all we were both pretty eager to move into our first home together so we promptly called the number listed to set up a meeting the following day at the house a few days later it was time for our meeting and I quickly realized that this place was very out of the way about 30 minutes outside of town all right my thought as I drove further into the boonies the forest enveloping me as I went on maybe it wouldn't be so bad I thought considering the monthly fee that Mary had previously told me so I tried to remain optimistic however that optimism was all but gone when I pulled into a disheveled driveway leading to a house that could stage is your stereotypical drug den from the movies the house stood alone surrounded by a plethora of trees with a few houses scattered just barely in view where the neighbors must have resided I wouldn't have believed it was the right address had it not been for the site of Mary's Pontiac Sunfire in the driveway as I Accord in I let out an apprehensive sigh as I turned off my car and made my way to the front door of the house while I was approaching it I realized it was even worse than my first impression served two by fours were nailed into the walls to cover holes in the houses exterior and it sat within a yard so overgrown and neglected that I wouldn't have believed anyone had lived there for years oh great I thought before I could enter the house I was greeted by Mary swinging open the front door to call me inside with excitement while the outside appeared to be in shambles the interior wasn't so bad in contrast new furniture lay throughout the rooms with pristine walls and polished floors it even had a washer dryer and dishwasher a few things you really miss while in college I was a little thrown off by this wondering if I'd entered the same house I was just looking at but I figured it wasn't worth overthinking plus I guess with a crazy low price I couldn't really complain too much if anything it would give me some outdoor projects to work on for the rest of the summer Mary let me into the kitchen that sat just before the large screen porch that the ad disclosed he opened the sliding door leading to it and the landlord sat there waiting he was a middle-aged man probably around 45 or so with short gray hair in a weathered face he quickly stood up and I was taken aback by his imposing height standing at least six foot eight with a lanky wiry build he reached out a hand and introduced himself as Derek he had a neurotic almost paranoid or about him as his eyes darted warily around the house while he spoke to me he rushed us through a tour of the entire place barely giving us any chances to see inside the rooms as he made trivial small talk with us the tour ended as quickly as it began I felt like I barely got a look into any of the rooms I could barely get a questioning before he would shoot across the room to the next disregarding my inquiries you guys can stick around and check it out for a bit he from how you decide didn't give me a call when she made a decision also there's a spare key underneath the doormat just lock up once you leave he said to us before he seemed to rush out of the house I thought it was pretty strange they would be so trusting is to just leave us there alone while revealing the location of the spare key we sat there a little perplexed by the guy's behavior but he seemed like a nice enough guy and this place was a steal we sat on the back porch and after some discussion we decided that having a place like this for such a low price would be worth it despite the commute the exterior being in less than stellar condition we called Derek the next day and locked it down fast forward a week and we'd begun the arduous process of moving into a new house I really didn't have that much baggage aside from my clothes TV xbox and we Mary being the collector she was carry the majority of our luggage as we made several trips to and from town to bring everything in if the house hadn't been so far away and if we'd had more than a relative struct to haul everything it would have gone a lot smoother but in the end we go to all there no problem you unpacked our stuff as quickly as possible and spent the rest of the day decorating and rearranging the house I helped out by dragging the heavier furniture across the house as Mary laid out her stuff in her preferred order the house was really coming together and our excitement slowly grew as our new home was taking shape piece by piece we were finally settled in and I was in such a state of contentment as Mary was wrapping up her own packing adventure I decided to zone out in some video games in the living room that sat on the opposite end of the house to our bedroom Mary had to be up at the crack of dawn for her current job as a server at a local coffee shop and me being a bit of a night owl didn't want to disturb her rest i sat up late in the living room playing one of my favorite games Resident Evil 4 on my dusty old wee hours went by and 2:00 a.m. came and I felt Restless so I decided to switch on some Netflix and maybe fade to sleep on the couch I awoke with a sudden sense of urgency being in a new place for the first time I was a little disoriented by my surroundings but laughed it off as I came to I checked my phone I saw it was a little past 5:30 a.m. and reluctantly pulled myself off of the couch I stretched but was startled as a large moth flew just in front of my face I swiped my hands aggressively as I was starting to fully awaken what the hell's that doing in here I asked myself as I flipped on the lights when I did though I saw dozens of varying insects fluttering throughout the living room what the heck I muttered to myself my sense is rebooting I heard the loud hum of frogs accompanied by the distinct chirping of crickets and birds coming from behind me I turned towards the origin of these sounds as I made my way out of the living room to see the sliding glass door to our porsche wide open and i left that open my accident I thought as I approached the doorway I was met with the unmistakable smell of burning tobacco I stopped for a moment just a few feet in front of the open door in confusion as Mary didn't smoke at least to my knowledge I took a few steps onward before that large moth flew just past my head his leathery wings grazing the back of my neck as it broke free into the open I stared out into the darkness that swarmed around the porch and could see the flickering orange glow of a cigarette displaying itself with certainty in the pitch black Mary I called out no response Mary I repeated with a bit more assertiveness again silence starting to feel uneasy when I wondered if I might be dreaming I had a light exhale as thick smoke was illuminated around the small amount of light that the burning ember provided the smell was too real and the sounds of the outside were too detailed for this to be a dream Mary I called out once more into the darkness only to be met with silence once again it was at this point that all the sounds of birds crickets and frogs had ceased a wave of fear swept over me as the silence became a presence all of its own backing up I quickly slid the door shut and locked it what are you doing I nearly had a heart attack as I heard Mary's voice come from the doorway of our bedroom in a groggy tow my eyes shot back through the glass door but the light of the cigarette was no longer there I didn't know what to say so I just told her I was getting some fresh air my heart jumped again is the sound of Mary's alarm blares into the quiet mall well go to sleep dummy it's too late my hand early for you to be up right now my gaze though was still mostly focused outside I have to get ready so why didn't you just go late to help you freak they laughed and gave her a kiss before making my way to the bed still a little uneasy over what had just happened I thought how sometimes people just have waking nightmares and the fact that I was barely awake and reassured me of this and I was able to force myself to sleep when I woke up the next day I immediately made my way towards the Porsche to look for any sign of an unwanted visitor I slid the door open and pasted my way around searching for a cigarette butt or anything of the sort to show myself that I wasn't crazy I practically turned the whole area upside down but it was showing to be a fruitless effort as all I found was an empty porch but as I stood outside something hit me I just woken up on the couch again not my bed dread washed over my body as I rushed to our bedroom to find a note on the bed from Mary try to say bye to you this morning but you never came to bed I couldn't get you to wake after I found you on the couch you were really knocked out don't stay up sold a plane pose video games okay I'll see you later today so have a nice morning i sat there in the bedroom dumbfounded so was it really just a dream I thought to myself I was so confused at the weight of my body collapse onto the bed and I fished out a book of poetry that mary had given me a year or so ago I'm not a poet or anything but some nights when I feel particularly depressed or anxious Mary would read various poems while comforting me I know this sounds cheesy but having someone read me stories had a very soothing quality to it like a caring mother reading stories to her child before bed I'll always pull out this book when I'm feeling myself slipping it reminds me of the love that she provided for me as the words were permanently associated with comfort and bliss I flipped to one of my favorites written by Brianna Stockham one that is my constant go to when they start feeling down we had you go self where are you are you hiding away or too afraid to shine through why don't you come around anymore did you get swept up in the world did my reading was halted as Mary came through the front door her face lighting up the room was she hopped onto the bed next to me to plan a kiss in the middle of my face I laughed as she jumped on top of me and started to tickle and pinch my sides even though she was up at dawn like we had to deal with ungrateful customers at her workplace she was still able to come through the door with no thought but making me happy we laid on the bed and talked for a few minutes before I got up to make us some lunch after I'd brought her her food and setup her favorite TV show I decided that it was a good time to head outside to change the view of our house into something presentable I went out to the yard a few minutes later quickly starting to bake in the scorching hot Sun mowing the yard and removing the comical amount of overgrowth surrounding the base of the house after trimming some bushes down and ripping out some old dead ones I suddenly felt the distinct feeling of being watched I don't know how to describe how it came about but my eyes proceeded to sweep over the surrounding area I expected to see a person nearby watching their new neighbor and waiting for an opportunity to approach giving me a welcome to the neighborhood however I was surprised when my eyes fell near the adjacent tree line to see a dog standing roughly seventy yards away at the edge of the nearby forest no just a dog the animal lover in me thought so I realized who was looking at me from a distance I called out and whistled for it to come over but it didn't so much as flinch oh well I thought not really thinking much of it and turned back to my yard work hoping to make the most of my weekend by being as productive as possible to restore my crackhouse of a home I worked for a few more hours trimming the remaining brush that infested the perimeter of the house until the Sun made its way back down to the horizon as I called it a day and fanned the front of my shirt to cool off I glanced to the edge of the forest where I had originally seen my furry admirer and I was overcome with a sense of dread there it was this dog hadn't seemed to have moved a muscle since I last looked its way it was just standing there calm and stoic looking right at me an uneasy feeling gripped me but curiosity trumped my instincts and I started to make my way towards the cusp of the forest hoping to instill some sort of reaction as I got closer I started to realize how intimidating this dog was he was quite large it's not massive or a circus attraction or anything but probably around 100 pounds more or less with long sturdy legs and scruffy jet-black hair hanging off of an athletic frame it almost looked like a wolf but just not quite enough to distinguish it as such the best way I can describe it is if you mixed an Irish Wolfhound in a full-blooded wolf that came out all black I got within 50 feet of it when I started to feel that sense of dread intensify I don't know why I felt this at the time but as the details of his appearance became more clear I saw that it was dirty it's a hair appearing scraggly and unkempt while it was already a big dog it seemed to carry a presence that was larger than life it just sat there not fazed by my advances sitting so still that it seemed to be made of stone the Sun was all but completely set by this point and it was almost as if some outside force had stopped me dead in my tracks instead it and it stared right back at me its eyes were unlike anything I'd ever seen they glowed an electric vibrant yellow and I could feel them cut deep I was frozen I continued to stare into its eyes filling me with feelings of misery and hatred I just don't know how else to describe it all I could think was that there was an intelligence that it possessed that was far outside the norm it looked at me as if it knew who I was like it knew all of my deepest dreams and fears and proceeded to cast a cloud of resentment over them as it stood their rigid unblinking I noticed that the Sun was fully set and that night had arrived breaking the trance I was in I began to back away I kept my eyes locked on it as I did so in case it decided to go on the offensive being that I may have been encroaching on its territory once I got some good distance on it and approached the house I turned around and made my way to the front door I looked mad before grabbing the doorknob but at this point it was too dark to make out his figure must have come back to his lair I said to myself with a chuckle trying to laugh off my creepy a little experience walking back into the house I was immediately greeted by Mary with a great deal of worry in her face and tone where have you been I was really starting to get worried what do you mean I asked and I was just out doing some work in the yard she looked at me with a puzzled look on her face how could you've been doing that please just tell me what's happened I wasn't sure what she was talking about I pulled out my phone only to be dumbstruck at the time red 11:35 p.m. was that civil I muttered under my breath the Sun had only just gone down before I made my way back to the house just then the sight of that dogs gaze flashed in my mind and I felt my body twins with discomfort I don't know what you were doing or if something's wrong but please be honest with me if there's something on your mind Mary said to me while placing a soft hand on the back of my neck I'm ok I told her placing my hand on hers just went on a little stroll to check out the area and clear my mind I felt awful telling a lie right to Mary's face like this but I seriously didn't know what else to tell her I was as worried as she was but I didn't want her to think I was going crazy we quickly moved on and proceeded to take advantage of our weekend's not having anything to do the next day we stayed up late watching Studio Ghibli movies and drinking wine together once 3:00 a.m. rolled around we decided it was time to turn in not wanting our sleep schedule to get too out of whack that night I recall feeling very restless despite the generous amounts of wine I didn't gorge myself with I tossed around in bed for what felt like forever when I finally managed to fall asleep I experienced a dream that was uncomfortably vivid he started with me struggling to pick myself up off the ground to see I was on a painfully long and dark stretch of road I know this sounds weird I remember feeling extremely cold I could see my breath and feel the ends of my fingers numbing quickly putting my hands to my mouth to breathe in warmth my eyes ran along the centre of the road ahead of me there weren't any house is nearby to discern that I was in a residential area nor any visible trees that may have indicated that I was along a back road highway however what I did see were too faint lights off in the distance so far out that I had almost mistaken them as fireflies if the road hadn't been so barren and the surrounding area seeming non-existent there's no way I would have even noticed them I've got my hands together letting the friction ease my freezing palms I stared at a distant glow I tried to make something out of them but it was too difficult to tell exactly how far away they were since I had nothing to scale it with they could have been a few hundred feet away or even a few miles or I could tell I didn't know what all of this meant or what was going on but I felt a deep longing to reach these lights whether to find my way out of this dense shadow or maybe to find that it was a warm house in which I could shelter myself for the elements I took my first step I stopped once my foot planted I felt a deep raspy growl emanate from the darkness that laid behind me I snapped my head back with the instinct exuded by an unlucky prey and I felt the temperature dropping even further I focused my vision with great efforts but I couldn't seem to see anything behind me from which this growl may have come from nothing but shifting oily blackness sat behind me dancing and contorting as it marked my efforts to discover what it held I wanted to speak but all I could do was let my mouth fall open to let a meek whimper slide out this was a sound I didn't recognize at first but it was one that must have been pulled out of me by whatever presence was lingering in the dark I stood there for what felt like hours stuck in place while the frigid air crushed my body the suspense was beginning to gnaw at me as I internally begged for something to happen is the cold air all but pulverized me too a speck of dust i sat there waiting suddenly I felt an abrupt shift and heard the accelerating mass of a large animal begin crashing its way towards me I immediately turned back towards the two lights in the distance now offering themselves is my only sanctuary and I ran I ran faster and harder than I ever had in my life feeling my ankles and knees absorb each smack of my feet hitting the dense concrete below me this wasn't the stereotypical dream where no matter how fast you ran you couldn't move more than the speed of a slug no I could run well exceptionally well actually I felt myself flying through the air with the speed I didn't know I possessed but those lights never seemed to get any closer I was certain that at any moment I was going to be a meal for whatever trailed me every time I look back I saw nothing but darkness keeping its pace with me I thought that surely I would eventually reach my safe haven that sat ahead but it felt as if I was running into oblivion minutes dragged on and on as I made my seemingly futile - but I dared not stop in fear of what would present itself if I did I probably ran for miles but somehow I never grew tired my pace never slowed and my pursuer never seemed to stray I almost wanted to stop and just put an end to this horror but the lights ahead were the only thing keeping me from giving her as minutes seem to turn into hours I look closer at these lights and noticed they seem to be further away from where they'd started I didn't want to see it but their glow was slowly fading even though at this point I was certain I was dreaming I panicked as the snapping and snarling coming from behind me was beginning to close the distance between us I could hear the excitement in this beast panting is it inch closer and closer and I felt like the primal growls were reverberating inside my body no matter how much I ran those lice just would not find me as the last flickering view went out I felt myself collapse mid-stride but not hitting the ground it felt as though I'd fallen through a hole in the earth like I had run straight off a cliff and I fell through what appeared to be the ceiling of my bedroom I felt my feet break through the roof as I crashed onto my bed to be brought awake at last i sat up sharply in bed being met with an intense chill despite being in a house with no a/c in the middle of the summer laying back down I played that dream over and over again in my mind I had never felt such fear in a dream even strange was I don't ever recall feeling any sort of physical sensation in any dream before let alone having the temperature of one carry-on into my conscious state as my body woke up a little more and my mind came to I was greeted with a smell of bacon and pancakes filling the house which calmed me down a bit at first but as I stood up my legs buckled and I nearly fell back onto my bed this dream had felt real but there's no way my legs could have been worn out from it maybe they just saw from working outside all day very assured myself I pick myself back up and staggered into the kitchen to find Mary happily making breakfast while playing some relaxing music this put a smile on my face I temporarily pushed that late-night run out of my mind after finishing up breakfast and laying around on a lazy Sunday the dream was forcing its way back into my head I couldn't seem to shake it out and it was really starting to bother me so I told Mary about it I told her about the strange nightmare ahead as well as the creepy monster dog that had stared at me for hours I asked her if she'd noticed it hanging around the property or anything unusual of the sort but she hadn't don't go crazy on me now Mary said teasing me I chuckled as she wrapped my head in her arms hey why don't we order some takeout and watch some movies you weirdo she said to me as she released my head I was more than happy to do so I just wanted to forget about that a strange dog after ordering the food I exited the house but something immediately caught my eye I don't know why they stuck out so blatantly but where the grass met the sultry mud adjacent to the driveway there was a set of huge canine tracks leading up to my bedroom window they pressed deep into the soil as if it had crushed its feet into the earth whose such malice that it gave way to it without a fight I stared in the direction the trail of tracks originated from towards the edge of the woods intersecting with the exact spot I had encountered that dog the day before the next few weeks quickly passed by and just about every night I experienced this same dream it was always the same for the most part I would pick myself up on the dark road and honk you I would always start running to those lights just trying to escape from that hunger that pine for me sometimes I would just run endlessly but as the night went on it started to catch me on a semi-regular basis I could feel every sensation and it would rip into my flesh almost like I was being torn apart by a pack of starving wolves the same nefarious scenario played my mind each night each time being filled with more anxiety and torment than the last I always tried reminding myself it was all a dream but I felt the pain no less by thinking it was not real my sleep was starting to suffer I never felt like I'd slept for more than an hour and incidentally my body ached all over I was extremely unsettled by the fact that my body was constantly sore after my dreams and that I could experience such excruciating pain in them while there were a few variations to these dreams the outcome was always the same I ran and ran but never reached those lights as the week's dragged on I started to grow paranoid our rush to the window with every shuffle I heard outside of the house and I started to give up on going to sleep staying up until exhaustion got the better of me a few more weeks passed and I was settling into my new job even though that dream was popping into my head every night things were about as good as they could be I got along with everyone at work and was happy to me making a decent paycheck Harry and I were basking in the glory of living in our first home and all of the privacy it wrought with it the only thing made sense was to write all of this offers nothing more than crazy nightmares brought upon my distress of starting a new job and moving into a new house every morning walking out to my car I found that same sensation of being washed and would scan the area out of routine to see if I could catch that dog nearby glaring at me with those piercing eyes but alas I could never seem to catch it even though in the back of my mind I somehow knew it was there these weeks quickly turned into months as I constantly felt the nagging feeling of something just over my shoulder Mary was visibly annoyed by my constant chatter of this mystical dog that I'd encountered that summer night and we'd even endured a few shouting matches over it me wanting to show that I wasn't crazy and her showing her concern wearing thin as my fruitless accusations began to pile up the guilt of worrying Mary was weighing heavily on my shoulders my sleep continued to suffer as I would jump with every bump in the night and rushed to the window in hopes of uncovering definitive proof of this source of my paranoia but every time I would see nothing out that window but blackness I'm ashamed to say that due to these unforeseen circumstances I began to indulge myself in alcohol once again it was the only thing that helped ease my mind and if I had enough it would knock me out until the following morning my few remaining friends had heard of the struggles that Mary was enduring and wanted to help my frequent patrols through the night that consisted of me staring out the window and talking to myself was keeping her awake and trying her patience he got so bad that they felt they needed to stage an intervention telling me to get some help and just to try and relax that I was letting something that wasn't real take hold of my life causing me to miss what was going on right in front of me I glanced at Mary with tears welling up in her eyes I could see the genuine concern in her face as I began to question my own sanity was all of this just in my head I thought had I let this control my life so much that well I began losing touch looking at the calendar on my phone reminded me that it was well into the month of October and a tidal wave a depression swept over me I apologize to all of my friends not knowing what was going on if it was really just all in my own head it seemed easier to believe that at the time than to question it how could I have let so much time slip by as I obsessed over something as ridiculous as this I was consumed by it I felt as though I was reintegrating myself into society after my awakening from the deep illusion I'd seem to have succumb to I urge Mary to accompany me on a hike through a trail near our home reading myself the chili for weather I slid my boots on and throw on a coat while waiting for Mary to finish up her own preparations once we made our way out the door and down the road I felt the surging relief swim through me I noticed every passing animal every sound and every detail of color detailing the beautiful decaying brush as we were carried it through our track making our wakes was the entrance of the aforementioned trail I turned to Mary with a smile and embraced her without words in this moment I truly experienced the present and all of the happiness it had to offer me oh I wish I could live in these moments forever making our way towards the end of the trail we came across a small pond I'd never been all the way through this trail to see what the end held but it was a very peaceful and satisfying end to a comfortably ordinary day standing at the edge of the pond I look down gathering up a few stones and began skipping them across distill water Mary being her usual self was capturing the scenery on her phone to assure we could later revisit it in all its glory you're gonna miss your real life stuck in that phone babe I yelled at her in a joking tone she waved me off sticking out her tongue and kept on with her photo shoot as I skipped one of the last rocks or shit spin across the otherwise undisturbed surface I noticed a woman standing at the opposite end of the pond she was maybe 50 or 60 yards away but I can make out that she had long blonde hair I was wearing a blue flannel shirt and jeans to match that's odd I thought I hadn't noticed her at all before but being is out in the open as she was I figured I would have spotted her immediately I don't know how she could have just appeared there in a few seconds that I looked down as far as I knew there wasn't any sort of trail that led to that side of the pond since there was nothing but thick orange and red behind her additionally the perimeter of the shore was far too dense with trees and shrubs for anyone to make their way through unscathed but she looked relatively untouched from what I could see I turned back to see Mary taking pictures of the entirety of the pond and pocketing her phone at last alright I'm finished are you happy she said with a smirk and bumped her hip into mine I looked back to the opposite edge but whoever may have been across from us was nowhere to be seen yeah dummy I am back in her burying my unease and wrap my arm around her as we made our way down the trail and back home as we exited the mouth of the trail back towards the house my curiosity was beginning to nag me and I asked Mary if I could see some of the pictures she'd taken she pulled up her phone opening the recent photos taken and I scroll through them revealing an impressive array of scenery that the autumn forest I did these originally distracted me from the main reason I'd wanted to examine them but I quickly reminded myself to look out for anything unusual I couldn't seem to fight anything out of the ordinary I even got to the last pitch is taken at the pond trying to pinpoint the exact spot where I've seen the woman I know she'd taken at least a few pictures while I'd seen her I was certain of it but as I reached the end of the compilation and the end of the screen reared back to the right I was almost disappointed I'd expected to see something that I could show Mary to let her see that maybe just maybe there was something otherworldly going on out here but the picture revealed nothing nothing but an empty portrait facing us where I had seen this woman looking across at us what don't you think they're good she asked probably noticing my disheartened expression oh no I think they're great I strained it's just what she asked I know you worried about me but there was a woman across the pond and was looking right at us I said oh she responded in a deflected tone look I know you must think I'm crazy but I swear there was someone there I said pleading for her in frustration to believe me you know I really want to believe you but I want you to stop seeing these things even more I wish we could just enjoy our time without you getting lost in your own head I let my head collapse into my hands oh I just wish you guys would believe me I swear there's something going on I said that there is something going on we're lucky enough to have a place together and you're missing it that's what's going on she responded I just sat there without a response as she picked herself up and left the room I laid there in bed for hours in confusion of what I'd seen and anger that had swooped back into my life right as everything was looking up that night I knew the moment when I'd fall asleep it was like I closed my eyes and opened them to a new world I'd fall into this dream already running memories flooding me of the horrific nightmares I had endured many times before only this time there wasn't a long road but rather a battered trail widening through a dense forest overseeing me as I planted my foot hard into the soil with each turn however one similarity showed itself two lights showing himself through the sparse openings that the dense leaves provided I locked onto my old safeguard and found a second wind as I made my way towards it swaying my way through the trees I stumbled on unforgiving roots and felt the sting of frigid branches slap against my skin my chest grew heavy as I started to hear that unwelcome sound of ravenous panting keeping its pace with me I was certain of what was behind me hearing the muzzle of my pursuer lap up excess saliva that had attempted to escape his mouth propelled me forward faster and faster fighting my way through the vegetation until I literally fell into a clearing I glanced up frantically then behind me bracing for a mouth of teeth to rip into my flesh but the thundering gallops of what was behind had ceased I look forward to see a familiar sight the pond that I just fitted hours ago sat in front of me standing up and as just another familiar sight a woman the same woman I thought I'd seen earlier that day was standing at the opposite edge of the pond I recognize that long blonde hair that nearly fell to our waist but she was different she looked rigid her body contorted in an unnatural way her shoulders were uneven her neck bent at a frightening angle and her skin appeared almost rotten while she looked to be wearing the same flannel shirt and jeans as before they were filthy and tall I felt my heart jump up into my throat as she let out this disheartening groan let's live it up my spine i sat there still is that noise seemed to echo endlessly I stared at her fear and anxiety circulating through me I just wanted to wake up I needed to get out of this and to avoid any further psychological torment but it seemed as if the rest of this world load itself down to a mute she killed her neck in a vomit inducing twist the grinding of her bones making me cringe she stared at me for a few moments before she began to make her way towards me the body of water laying in front of her failed to deter her motivation to advance her creaking mangled figure the sight of her movements caused my body to tremble she looked as if she were a marionette being guided from above as her limbs struggled to take any steps that resembled a human I'll never forget the way she moved I could hear her bones writhing snap as she came at me in this animated fashion I wanted to just break down and cry right there cuz I would rather die than enjoy this hell any longer with every step her bones continued to bend and fracture in a louder more grotesque way than the last she slowly waded through the water never rising anywhere past waist-deep failing to free me from the horror that was amplifying with each passing second as her face began to take shape I could see look of despair of pure heart rate that was caked on her face perhaps in agony over her broken bones dragging her step by step through the freezing waters I could see him mouthing something to me I looked closer but I couldn't seem to understand what she was trying to say her face stressed and was just desperate for me to hear her but the terror coursing through me was reaching a tipping point I could no longer bear to look at this monstrosity bearing a little resemblance of anything close to a person I turned to try and make my way back down the trail but was promptly frozen in my tracks there it was that same beast monster or demon stood at the entrance of the clearing I'd stumbled my way through sat there staring through my being with those horrible yellow eyes a hunger swirling inside of them the likes of which I had never seen I took one step backwards and felt my sinking heart stop as a cold lifeless hand placed itself on my shoulder followed by an unnerving inhuman voice in my ear please don't go i sat up sharply in bed screaming to feel Mary with her hands on my shoulders frantically pleading for me to calm down tears beginning to form in her eyes I struggled to find my voice as I sat there stammering bless Mary's heart she laid in bed with me and comforted me as I tried to articulate what it just happened again I felt conflicted because I desperately wanted her to believe me but at the same time I could feel her growing frustration and her patience wearing ever so thin they're just dreams I scolded myself I didn't want to lose her she'd been a bright spot amid all this chaos going on but what can I do when the truth just exacerbates those struggles as i sat there relaxing in the comfort of Mary's hands rubbing my shoulders I felt anxiety slowly dissipate before Mary's hands grew icy cold and I felt her breath whisper into my ear wake up my vision went blank for a moment I felt as though my eyes were slowly pried open that my vision was distorted and grainy like I was staring up into a bleak overcast buzzing in a disorganized static I came to and found myself watching Mary a short ways from me taking pictures with her phone in a haze I slowly turned my head to see the pond sitting in front of us my head pounded without mercy as my eyes darted around trying to figure out why I was here or what day it even was that same question repeated itself am I dreaming Mary approached me and bumped a hip into mine once more all right I'm finished are you happy i sat there in an unnerving state of deja vu as I tried to appear as calm as possible yeah do you want to go back to the house I responded in a lifeless tone we made her way back towards the house and I felt like a zombie shambling my way down the trail I could see Mary taking concern glances at me as we progressed away towards our home everything all right she spoke out to me breaking the silence in my head yeah sorry I'm just really tired and I wasn't lying however my body was aching and I felt as if I hadn't slept in a week Mary clasp my hand intertwining of fingers with mine and rested her head on my shoulders the rest of the way back we entered the house in an uneasy silence and I made my way to my bed I laid my body down heart slightly bouncing as the springs recoiled under my weight Mary knowing something was wrong set her stuff down I'm gonna get some dinner started okay you just rest you seem out of it thanks Mary I'm sorry I'm just I don't know I'm just feeling really exhausted I'll be okay she beamed a smile at me and left the room towards the kitchen I felt a little relaxation sweep over me as I heard the sound of running water from the faucet from underneath my pillow I fished out that thin paper back that I turned to so many times I flipped it to my go to and read it over a few times as I needed to feel like myself again I needed to ground myself back into the real world and escape these tricks my mind have been playing on me did you change who you are did you buy a disguise are you the one hiding or did I close my eyes do you just have too much to do or I the one who's too busy for you mid sentence into my 10th time reading you through it hit me I wasn't gonna let myself fall prey to this cruel force I wasn't gonna let it drag me back into the darkness and away from this life that I built no I had to fight back but my lack of sleep was starting to take its toll my energy was reaching an all-time low and it was clear at this point that I could never be so sure of if I was awake or asleep I had an idea if I couldn't figure out what state of consciousness I was in I had to leave something for myself to show that I was awake a good toy with my sense of time in reality but I had to see if it was capable of replicating the tiniest of details I had to do something to push back before it took complete control I grabbed the nearby pen and at the bottom of the poem I wrote out three words that I could use as a reference you are awake while it was nothing fancy or an elaborate scooby-doo ghost trap I figured this would give me a chance to fight back the next several weeks were rough as winter start to tighten its grip on our town and with our house being less than accommodated to handle any conditions of weather things only got worse i sat up late shaking in the freezing cold that penetrated our house every night for a few weeks I had that same dream of sprinting down that road with that monster trailing behind me or sometimes it caught me I could never fully escape to the lights that seemed warmer more inviting each time around most nights I woke up panting in a cold sweat even though I knew every time I was just in a dream the fear was always all too real Mary was distraught after helplessly watching me sink into an Assam near fuel depression our goal is amide returned with a vengeance as it tempted me with a sweet short-term relief it provided can't help but feel she holds some resentments towards me but I guess I can't blame her a sunny disposition was replaced by a cloudy aura as she tried her best to believe my ridiculous stories she really was a saint for sticking around with me she comforted me every night would make me tea and rub my neck until I fell asleep I tried telling her daily how much I appreciated her and how much she meant to me but I felt as though I was putting her on a roller coaster having her hear those words I only to be woken up by my constant night terrors I still feel guilty to this day about inadvertently dragging her into my situation I never felt so helpless in all my life with winter being in full swing and having a few weeks off work I found myself alone in our house often with me usually being busy enough to be out of the house for most of the day had never really been by myself a long periods of time at home Mary had recently been promoted to manager of the restaurant she worked at and had to work very long hours while I did everything I could to keep my mind occupied but throughout this time alone I would hear frequent movement throughout the house I tried to occupy my time with reading or maybe playing some video games but several times a day I would hear movement in the vacant rooms sometimes in my peripherals I thought I would see a flash of blond hair sliding just out of my vision I would always feel relief seeing Mary pulling into the driveway after her long shifts knowing that at least I wouldn't be alone for a period of time a few days passed and one day what Mary was away at work I decided I needed to try and get out of the house but Mary had borrowed my car after hers had broken down so I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood I sluggishly pulled myself out of bed after laying there for the better part of the morning I was apprehensive at first being that I may have an unwanted encounter but sitting inside my house had become too stressful it seemed as though something had moved in as I was about to leave my room and exit the house I stopped I quickly grabbed my book while walking was the front door to read you are awake I let out a relieved sigh grabbing a doorknob and exiting my house I made my way down the road hoping to find any kind of peace it was a cold grey afternoon and my walk was surrounded by a swath of desolate trees the empty oak and maple branches formed a portrait resembling a mountain range of needles I scanned every which way hoping my gaze didn't meet that resentful pair of eyes yet hoping on some level that I may I wandered along backroads for a few hours drinking in the day it felt good to get some endorphins flowing and to do something aside from sit on my butt my Curt wrapped tightly around my body which provided a sense of security that I desperately needed I reached a dead end on a road maybe a few miles away from my home and decided it was a good science return I turned around started my way back home trying to shake off harsh gales of frigid wind blowing through me I made turn after turn while scrolling through my phone and playing music but when I looked up I noticed something my surroundings weren't the same as before while the basic scenery seems similar enough that my new details were lacking the houses of my sparsely placed neighbors were nowhere in sight and the roads had lost the rising and falling hills that it rolled over the fear gripped me I just tried to calmly make my way home I didn't know if I'd just taken a wrong turn I had gotten myself lost but I seemed to take the same turns over and over again just trying to find the right way each road seemed longer and more ominous than the last I tried pulling out my phone in order to pinpoint my location but I was irritated to see that I was apparently just down the road from my house I headed towards where my phone was telling me I needed to go but nothing seemed to come of it there was nothing but endless trees and a fading road ahead of me I searched and searched feeling tears rolling down my face is the frustration concerning my crumbling life was boiling over yet again I couldn't have been dreaming but the same futile chase that haunted my dreams had found his way into my consciousness I began to run out of sheer desperation punching my legs and biting my hands in intervals just hoping I might wake up to marry beside me comforting me once again finding my way around a bend tears choking my throats I saw my home just at the end of the road I let out a sigh of elation as my tears of sadness quickly switched to those of happiness my head tilted down in relief and I laughed myself a freaking out over getting myself lost I'm such a melodramatic idiot I thought a smile plastered on my face and made my way down the driveway but the consistent crunch of gravel beneath my steps was interrupted by a harsh crack a step back and looked down to see the carcass of a small rabbit the overwhelming stench of rot flooded my nostrils as I covered my nose with my hands to see I'd stepped on the protruding ribcage of the poor animal it's body was torn to shreds an expression of terror and desperation still lingering in its lifeless eyes looking out from it I saw a myriad of animals strewn about the yard dozens and dozens of them so many birds raccoons squirrels and rabbits laid on the cold ground emitting a staggering stench of decay the odor was so great that I turned and vomited hands clenched on my face I sprinted past the carnage through my front door and frantically scrambled to turn the locks and bolted shut but when I ran into my room I saw hundreds of paw prints painted along the floors coated in a disgusting brownish red paste that extended onto my bedspread and my dresses accompanied by deep claw marks running down the walls I scrambled to find my book my one answer to where I really was right now I yanked out dresses tossing clothing carelessly across the floor I ripped the blankets and sheets off my bed where is it I screamed I started to hear aggressive clawing on the front door and an ungodly sound that was a mix of whimpering snarling desperate crying and screaming I frantically tore through my possessions as the sound increased to a deafening wail that was nearly bursting my eardrums I fell to my knees pulling on my hair began to pray for this unholy spawn to leave me be I pleaded and pleaded rocking back and forth on the floor begging to be set free shortly after my plea ended I showed up in bed trying to slow my hyperventilating breaths sweat drained out my neck and back as I looked around in confusion was I just dreaming I thought to myself when did I fall asleep how it was then that I heard an abrupt knock on the door accompanied with Mary's voice yelling hey can you let me inside they shot up so happy to finally see her I am bolted the door and opened it to see her carrying a large bag of food and sporting her usual room brightening smile I gave her a kiss on the cheek I turned back into the house to let her enter and asked how her shift was as I started to light a candle in the living room eager to spend the rest of my evening with some good company however I was greeted with silence and unwelcome haunting silence that I knew was the harbinger to exactly what I didn't want to see I reluctantly turned to see that horrible monstrosity standing in the doorway to my house its menacing figure seeming to tower over my existence I immediately covered my face and screamed for it to leave he sat there sobbing in my palms and during frequent breaks of choked cries I could hear it slow force breaths and could feel I was all too familiar eyes slicing through me please just go I screamed in desperation to terrify to look at it a second time please I don't know what you want just please leave me be I begged we both sat there cradled in moments of tense agony as I stared into the darkness that my hands had shrouded over my eyes time seemed to stand still in my heart sank because I heard the sweet sound of Mary's voice sweetie it's okay deep sadness and anger flushed through me no I yelled back in hysteria wanting so much to believe it was her standing across the room for me please engine whirring me let me help you i sat there still as a statue refusing to meet its gaze go away i sternly grounded it silence just get out just get out now everything is going to be okay it spoke out every inflection every mannerism when her speech was perfectly replicated you're not real you're not real I'm not real I repeated myself in desperation I couldn't even convince myself of this though I step back hands still covering my face slowly backing my way towards the nearest wall when my back met its surface I let myself slide onto the floor sitting there as mary's words continue to echo in my head sweetie it's okay please just get up and come lie down with me I have a very long day it wanted me to give in get out of here have and don't ever come back I spat I tried to stand my ground I tried everything to try and show it I was not going to be beaten by it but it already knew me it knew what strings to pull and what buttons to push I then heard the haunting sound of merry cry please I'm trying to so hard to help you but I don't know what else I can do for you please just come back to me I broke down knowing how much strife I'd throw and marry into and continued please I love you so much all I want is for you to get better a police stop I exclaimed as I tried to stop the choking misery from pouring out of me the crying continued I tried to sit there and push through it but the sobbing of the woman I loved was crushing what was left of my spirit I couldn't bear it any longer I slipped my hands down from my eyes and ready myself to meet my tormentor face to face again but as I did something caught the corner of my eye sitting on the living room table was a torn up piece of paper I reached down and held it up close to my eyes as to not see the terror in front of me it was a torn out excerpt if the poem I'd read through so many times over the last few days are you too ashamed to show your face why are you running unlike others I'll chase just let go on everything will be okay Mary's voice said softly almost as though she said it right into my ear I released the shredded paper and looked up to see a dark blur reach me in the blink of an eye it hit me with the force of a freight train spearheaded by a mouthful of teeth it latched onto my upper thigh lacerating my muscles and tendons as it grunted with excitement his strength was unreal but I tried to punch his skull and rib cage as it tore into my flesh the pain was unreal I could hear the sickening crunches of its mouth effortlessly fracturing my bones as I felt warm blood seeped down my leg and onto the floor as I arrived in a pool of dark friend the blood pouring out of me was soaking into my clothes and all the while I could hear the sweet voice of Mary in my ear saying everything would be okay just let go those words repeated themselves on an endless loop as it tore at me like a rag doll all I gave everything I had to try fight it off of me my efforts to free myself rapidly weakened as I felt the life drained from my body my vision started to fade I felt it release his vice-like grip on me and I locked up it stood over me my blood coating its mouth as it stared coldly into my eyes without any shred of remorse that same hunger and Malik's flooded its eyes as it gazed down at me while I trembled in horrible pain on the floor I pressed my hands along the many deep wounds on my leg just trying to stop myself from bleeding out all the while he just sat there so still and domineering I started to crawl away my nails digging into the wooden floor healing back and braking as I tried to find safety I didn't know where I was trying to go or how I could even escape but I refused to just lay there and let myself die without a fight my body felt as though it carried the weight of a dying star as I strained to pull myself away all of my energy reserves being depleted I turned and stared right at it you're not real you nothing i hissed and spat right at his face in a dying rate as my head fell onto the hardwood snarled menacingly revealing a mouth of enormous jagged teeth and lunged at me once more clamping its jaws deep into my throat blood filled my windpipe and flowed down into my lungs like gurgle in anguish before hearing one last horrid crunch everything is okay I heard Mary's voice say one more time and then everything faded to black a ray of sunlight breaking through a window cause my eyes to slowly open as the heat warm my face I rubbed my eyes so drained and perplexed from reality and dreams transcending each other through these violent acrobatics I didn't know if I was fully awakened frankly I was so weathered I didn't even really care to check I fully came to to feel my hand clenched on the doorknob my book sitting where I'd last sat it down my phone buzzed in my pocket and I checked the time 3:10 p.m. a message from Mary read work is crazy someone didn't show up and I'm covering all of their tables wait just get out of here and come home she'd barely been gone an hour I dreaded the fact that I had to wait another 6 hours of being alone in that God forsaken house if I was actually awake that is I picked the book back up and opened the Marc page you are awake i sat around for the remainder of the day watching movies on my laptop just trying to distract myself I dared not leave the house I knew it was there just outside my door waiting for me yeah I was dragged on and every sound outside caused me to jump I probably spent half the time peeling back the curtain looking outside a few times I could have sworn I could see the thing just standing at the edge of the adjacent forest where I had first seen it but I quickly shut the curtain before I could discern what it may have been I was losing my mind I never wanted to see it but on another level I couldn't help myself maybe I was hoping that it would just bust down my door and end all of this as the Sun went down I flicked all the lights on in my house for some sort of comfort laying in my bed and continuing to watch movies I kept seeing flashes of blue and blonde just standing outside of my door frame I try to ignore it but every time my focus returned to my laptop for an extended time I would see that same array of color darting just behind the doorframe I began to feel frustration and prod at me I couldn't leave the house at risk of running into that evil but staying in the house they were just relentlessly toy with me I couldn't even just go to sleep chair trying to erase the time I had to way through as it at all but taken over my life outside of my consciousness every time we would catch that and the corner of my eyes I would fling my book open you are awake it read time after time I tried switching to watching something more cheerful and turned on the office my hope that seeing my favorite Scranton residents would bring a little joy to my day as I waited endlessly for Mary to come home as an episode ended and I got up to make myself some food I heard the shower turn on over on the other side of the house the initial sound made me jump as I was already tightly wound I slowly made my way across the house towards the bathroom the lights were off I could hear the water roaring down as I reach for the doorknob I could hear the chilling sound of a woman starting to cry I froze not sure if I wanted to see what was on the other side but I couldn't just sit there and let the water blast full force without shutting it off the crying continued it was an awful sound i sat there with my hand on the knob trying to force myself to open the door but I was just stuck in place I started to turn away after letting go of the knob but a familiar voice sent chills down my back please don't go I heard from the other side of the door I froze goosebumps forming on my arms and just stared at the door the consistent sound of running water still flooding into my ears who are you Amica spelt silence who are you I repeated with more authority at the closed door suddenly the water shut off i sat there paralyzed as the door knob slowly clicked and the door creaked open just a crack even in the dark room I could make out that unmistakable blond hair shining in the small aperture that the open door provided do you know what's happening to me I asked again silence please just tell me why are you here my ears were ruptured by an inhuman sobbing that followed my question and the repeating phrase I stepped back completely terrified the door slowly pulled open just a bit more and the face of a beautiful woman revealed itself tears rolling down her face her lips quivering shaken I was able to force out another why are you here she brushed the hair away from her face and look right at me with bright turquoise eyes please my utter'd she looked down to the floor and continued to sob uncontrollably what were you doing at the pond she continued to cry I don't know what you're trying to say I said to whoever or whatever was standing just in front of me her neck snapped up to show that horrific rotted face I had seen at the pond her eyes glowed a bright yellow and she screamed in an ungodly voice dog ow and the door slammed shut with such great force that it shook the whole house and caused nearby hanging pictures to fall now i sat there on the floor bewildered his minutes passed by and I just stared at the bathroom door I picked myself up I was able to force myself forward and slowly turn the handle off to push open the door everything inside appeared normal as if none of it had even happened I could hear intermittent droplets of water splash onto the shower floor I pull back the curtains nothing was there is this my life now I thought to myself as I stood in the empty room gazing into the shower I felt numb the frequent paranormal outburst beginning to become a part of my daily routine reality was now a cruel obstacle I had to hurdle with every other step at last those headlights showed themselves and I heard the car pulling the door shut followed shortly by Mary knocking on the door hey can you let me inside I heard from the other side of the door i sat there on the opposite side just staring at the knob it's just Mary you can open the door I told myself but my inhibitions prevented me from doing so hello can you please let me in I heard the door rattle as Mary was showing me that it was bolted and she could not access it with the key is it you I called out what do you mean of course it's me just open the door I'm freezing she responded I don't believe you I responded with hate in my turn what please stop messing around and let me in I reluctantly unbolted the door and pulled it open just enough for her to push it open she walked in giving me that concerned look please don't hurt me I weakly mumbled to her as I turned to collapse on the bed Mary didn't say anything she sat on the edge of the bed next to me and stroked my back I don't know what's happening to you but you need to get yourself help otherwise I don't think I can do this I'll leave them i hissed you don't believe me you just think I'm crazy I think you seriously need help sweetheart she said attempting to consult me while getting her point across I rolled over burying my head in the pillow and swept the blankets over my head Mary sat next to me reading for an hour or so occasionally reaching over to struggle at my back and head I eventually reached up and grasped her hand tightly she rubbed her thumb along the back of my hand and I felt myself drift into sleep I woke up in the middle of the night I glanced over to see Mary fast asleep I turned over to look across the room waiting to see if a nightmare would begin to unfold itself I sat there in deep silence for a few minutes waiting for something but it appeared as if I was in the clear for the night as my eyes began to grow heavy when I felt sleep coming back to me I heard something in the kitchen just outside of our room it was a light scraping sound I waited for a minute to see if anything followed but every time I nearly fell back asleep I could hear that scraping it eventually hit me it was the distinct sound of a dog's claws walking across a linoleum floor that light thud immediately followed by the scratching of claws across the surface of the floor I heard it take scattered steps to be followed by a minute or two of silence he will cut off after a few steps and seemed to turn back around the other way as if it were just pacing around the kitchen I pulled out of my book and read you are awake against my better judgment I pulled myself out of the bed and pressed my ear to the bedroom door the steps continued joined by the sound of a dog's muzzle eagerly sniffing the surroundings of a newly discovered area I open the door and slowly trudged out towards the kitchen I should have just stayed in bed but frustration fueled me just to get these incidents over with my eyes still adjusting to the pitch-black house I looked over the room in front of me after about thirty seconds or so I could see the glow of yellow eye staring at me from the other side of the kitchen i sat there staring into them for a few moments almost daring it to come for me but it just laid still I closed my eyes shutting them tightly for a few seconds and took some deep breaths when I opened them the eyes were gone I repeated that action a few more times in order to assure that it wasn't there I turned and made my way back to my room but I collided with something heavy and limp in the doorway causing me to lose balance or fall backwards onto the ground I heard the creaking of old wood above me and I looked up to see a horrific sight dangling in the doorway was a body hanging from a noose attached to a rafter on the ceiling I screamed and covered my head curling up into the fetal position as I layed on the kitchen floor I heard Mary wake up and rush out of bed to my side as I sat there inconsolable she didn't speak she just sat there with me and helped me as I cried I kept pointing to the doorway as gibberish poured out of my mouth begging Mary to believe me for the remainder of the night and I laid awake the sounds of that thing circling the outside of the house held me hostage every minute or so I would hear it make its way around to my side of the house slowing its gait a bit and seeming to stop at my window for a few moments each go-around I kept glancing over to Mary and she was fast asleep hoping she would maybe hear something proving me right once and for all but she never did and I dared not wake her up knowing she'd already gotten up once tonight to humor my stories I stared at her and anger began to curdle inside of me resentful towards her for not believing me and infuriated at the beast that was unfolding my sanity every time it made its way to my window it would stop I could feel it staring me down longing to be let inside after this had gone on for an hour or so those outside sounds were joined by light scratching running slowly along the size of the house I could hear very faint mumbling just barely penetrating the walls but I couldn't make out any words I would attentively raise my head up every time the mumbling made its way by the window I could see the foggy silhouette of a person sliding through the moonlight why I switched from the window to marys sealed eyelids eager to see if she would come to and my temptation to shake her awake increased I continued for hours eventually melding into a somewhat soothing cadence of sound that somehow lulled me to sleep perhaps so he could see into my dreams the circling continued for several nights in a row the nightmares which shoot me awake like a farmer prodding his cattle and sit there in deafening silence listening intently for anything only to sit in suspense --is nothing made itself heard the air was heavy and I was sick with apprehension as this thing chipped me away bit by a little bit one night however after waking up and sitting in the dark my routine a barely audible noise made itself known at first I couldn't quite make it out but it sounded like strained wheezing the sound was quiet at first but over several minutes it was ringing in my head it was the only sound coming from the night no crickets not even wind blowing I tried covering my ears and throwing my pillar over my head but the sound was blaring in my ears at this point they got to the point that it was deafening as I could feel my heartbeat posilutely and my temples the room around me caving in so tight that he was crushing me I tried to shut it out but no matter what I did I just couldn't get it to stop the intolerable sound of breaths forcing their way into my ears began to slowly die down before cutting off completely I rose up once again to my window but was unable to see anything in the thick blackness and make my way to each window of the house hearing out closely at the yard before moving on to the next the last window remaining was the one just next to the front door the wheezing resumed accompanied by the sounds of running water and light footsteps I slowly made my way to the window my index finger lightly resting on the switch controlling the porch light I inhale slowly and flipped it on keeping my eyes closed for a few seconds to brace myself for anything awful that I might see the lights flooded the wuntch pitch-black yard with a glow that strained my vision at first I looked out the window and I saw it the woman sitting there in a limp lifeless pile as the monster held her neck with its jaws tightly it stared right through the window to me his eyes pulsing with excitement and satisfaction while the woman's cold dead eyes sank deep into my heart I'm completely insane I thought I no longer believe what my eyes were presenting to me the woman's mouth fell open and I could see him mouthing to me once again but this time I could make out the words how her lips showed I stared with blackness back into them almost in solidarity as I felt completely trapped as her neck was clenched within it's more I just looked at it for a while almost bored I turned off the light and just stood there numb for a minute or so before I made my way back to bed and went to sleep week's went on and I slipped into a grayness I no longer cared for anything including myself I stopped showing up for work and I remain distant to marry spending my days shut-in behind closed blinds drowning myself in alcohol dreams and reality had melded into one and it seemed like I was either asleep or swimming my way to an empty bottle that first dream that started it all was finding me every night but I no longer cared to run as I didn't care for life anymore I would just stand up turn around and scowl at the dark until I was consumed alive every morsel of pain erupting through my cells sometimes I would be greeted by Mary staring down at me as I laid in bed in a drunken stupor every time she will pull out part of the few reserve she had left to make me feel better as I aggressively shucked of her patron II to try and find sleep once more but no matter what world I fell into sleeping or conscious there was no exit there was no exit Mary had had enough she sat on the end of the bed as I down the remainder of my comfort she gave me the usual speech about how I had a lot of problems that I needed to saw out and that she could no longer be the one to try and fix them I polished off my bottle as she finished her speech and I don't remember exactly what she said but I do remember saying well what are you waiting for with a cold grin on my face oh I wish I hadn't sent her off that way Mary she was the sweetest soul I'd ever come across but I had allowed the darkness to force its way into me and to flow outward to her and I bullied her away as she briskly walked to her car with the box of her possessions I trailed her and laughed out my misery she slammed the car door and I threw my empty bottle on the gravel glass disintegrating into my shins and ankles as I walked to her car window screaming leave then she floored it in reverse and sped away god I wish that wasn't the last I'd seen of her I miss her so much the night after Mary left I drank myself into unconsciousness I found myself on that same road journey into the same dream I looked up and the light seemed closer than they ever had before I stood up but felt no fear no presence laying behind me or overwhelming fear boiling over I walked towards them with ease as they sat there dangling their open arms I needed the comfort and warmth more than ever my walk transitioned into a slow awkward jog as they moved closer while I did as well jogging turned into a sprint as I raised my hand up hoping it would maybe reach out and pull me into bliss I got closer and closer certain that I would finally find out what was just ahead of me all this time I was nearly there arm stretched out to let sweet relief in but as my fingertips were inches away I felt the rip of unforgiving teeth sink into my leg followed by a violent force dragging me back down the road had run down so many times gravel buried into my skin and painful scrapes screamed as I flew backwards I felt my body form into thousands of shapes and unfold as I tumbled along the road jaws clenched tightly on me I flew back into the darkness and those lights dimmed dimmed and dim until they were about a speck of light poking through a hole in my curtains as morning carried me back into the world even though Mary was gone I did not find myself without company shuffling noises throughout the house and images of blond hair flying by my peripherals kept me from complete loneliness not to mention I had a dog just outside my home to greet me whenever hi desired truly the American Dream spending my days in a haze a neglected to clean up any of my messes or even pay any of my bills my water and electricity were cut off and I spent some time sitting in a dark unventilated house as I was buried in my own filth I had to watch myself suffer to fill myself with a jaded sense of justice after a week or so of sitting in an empty house trying my best to ignore the presence in my house and charging my phone at local diners my landlord came by and I was greeted by furious pounding on the door and I opened it up he stood there his angry expression quickly turning to one of worry I haven't got your check for the rent last month and the most recent payment his almost due he said to me I'm sorry sir I said in an empty tone and invited him inside he followed me in and I could feel his eyes sweeping over the heaps of garbage kept there by mine neglect I brushed off some trash and found my checkbook promptly writing him out a cheque for the last few months with a little extra for his trouble is everything okay he asked me his genuine concern showing everything is great I spat back he looked into my eyes with familiarity and it looked like he wanted to say something to me but he quickly turned and made his way out I slammed the door behind him and bolted it shut my heart jumped after I slammed the door shut when I heard a voice from the kitchen who was that i sat there staring towards the other end of the house wondering if I just hallucinate it it silence began to grow in volume as I just sat still for long minutes I gathered up the courage to patrol the house to maybe get something to show itself I checked the spare rooms the bathroom and every closet possible just to see if anything would happen I made my way to the door leading to the back porch and as I slid it open I heard Mary's voice just behind me what are you doing I nearly jumped out of my skin but tried to maintain an appearance of composure is that you I quietly responded at first nothing answered back but several seconds later a monitoring layered version of Mary's voice crawled into my ears it's me tears started to roll down my face as I could feel the crushing presence of it standing just inches behind me I miss you so much I sobbed out I am always here the lifeless tone spoke to me I turned around to see an empty house the sweet voice of my old companion rang through the house endlessly for two days they always brought me to a place of serenity before slamming me back onto the hard floor to look up to an empty hole her voice was music to my ears even though I I knew none of it was real at least real outside of my own head if I couldn't feel a touch maybe I could take advantage of it not being able to tell my own state of consciousness I needed her and it knew this it had taken her away I tried my best for days to reach out to Mary I would send a messages expressing my regret and apologizing profusely but I was only ever greeted with an empty inbox in between times of waking up after prolonged periods of sleep please I need you more than ever just ask me I said to her one morning after waking up from the endless nightmares I was enduring i sat there staring at my phone for what turned out to be several hours only to see nothing but my sent message was delivered stared into my phone screen is the battery reached 1% and then died I alone or alone I'd had enough and couldn't stand the constant bricks and prods at my insecurities I left my house early the next morning headed to the nearest gun shop to find something that could provide some comfort whether it serve as protection or as an exit after a brief conversation with a store tenant I paid and went home the way to the time needed before being able to receive my goods after receiving it I just sat it on my nightstand and just looked at it for a while the bright silver colour sticking out in my dark room like a sore thumb I reach for it a few times but will pull back is the small part of me that held self-preservation screamed at me as I held the box of bullets in my hand turning them over procrastinating I heard a sudden knock at the door startled I stood up and opened the door to see the landlord standing there well sure what he was doing on my porch I've lured it out do my check now go through no it went through just fine he responded motioning for me to let him inside and I obliged he walked in taking in the disarray that the house had fallen into he sat at my kitchen table seeming to go over what to say in his head things were starting to feel tense as he sat at the kitchen table tapping his fingers nervously on the surface so I you know I used to live in this house his voice breaking the heavy silence his frankness caught me a bit off guard he looked at me I couldn't seem to formulate an appropriate response about ten years ago me and my wife bought this house he paused as if to collect himself looking out the window with a look of reflection on his face i sat there waiting to hear the rest of what he had to say but he just turned and looked at me his eyes shot down quickly and he rubbed his hand down his face as he let out a deep raspy exhale I didn't know if I should say anything but he wasn't really giving me much to go off of he sat there looking down his eyes occasionally darting around the house as I stopped on the doorway to my room and stuck there for what felt like minutes right as I was about to speak up to break the silence he finally continued we moved in here shortly after marrying Lucille was an amazing woman she was about the only bright spot in my life he said as his closing words were choking up was I asked not really knowing where this was going his mouth open like he was going to say something but he just sat there not able to pull out any words I stared at him as he stared into nothingness a long silence ensued and I felt a deep sadness overtake the air I stood there uncomfortable watching this grown man seeming to hold back tears as I noticed his gaze had shift back to my bedroom doorway if you don't mind could I see your bedroom being quiet normally I would treat this as an imposition or at least an invasion of my privacy but I really wanted to escape this Hawk would seem um sure I said with a bit of uncertainty in my voice he picked himself up and walk by me he reached for the door turned it and watched it slowly oh I looked at him as he stood in the doorway his height nearly reaching the bottom of the frame he reached his hand out and ran it down the rugged wood i sat there for several minutes as my landlord laid still swimming in what I assumed to be old memories of when he had lived here what happened to Lucille I blurted out without thinking regretting it immediately as it was clear that something tragic had occurred he turned back and made eye contact she died he said without hesitation I was about to apologize before he said thank you and briskly walked out of the house I watched from my bedroom window his Derrick entered his truck started it and floored it out of the driveway in one fluid motion I look back at my only companions as they glowed in the unlit room and proceeded to slither my way under the dirty sheets I didn't really know what to think at first of this visit it was obvious that there was something I wasn't being told I sat around the house for a few days in the cold emptiness just mulling over all of the possibilities the uncertainty beginning to nag at me what could he have wanted I thought to myself for a few days I sat alone in the darkness wallowing in my depression all the while hearing Mary's voice echoing throughout the house it was toying with me once more but I was so numb to it that I barely even dignified any of it with a response I truly grown to hate this thing that it corrupted every fiber of my being I no longer found joy in anything the last of my optimism had been thoroughly snuffed out and I was waking up angry that I was still alive desperate for some kind of answer I decided to make my way to my landlords house I pulled into his driveway right behind his blue Ford pickup and made my way up his driveway I knocked on his door and stepped back waiting no answer his minutes passed I knocked again and called out hey is anyone home no response I was confused as I looked back to be reminded that his car was in the driveway sat there waiting for a little bit but still of nothing I said on the porch steps and looked out to the woods but unfortunately there was something in them even though it was the middle of the day I could see that bright glow of eyes staring at me from the tree line those eyes that I'd come to loathe the harbingers of misery looked directly at me I showed up and pounded on the door hello please is there anyone home I yelled out with urgency in my voice I turned back and saw it standing at the end of the driveway just behind my car ready to bust down the door I grabbed the knob and turned it with great force to be surprised that it was unlocked as I nearly fell through the doorway and into the house getting my bearings as I picked myself up I stared inside it was eerily silent every step I took seemed to echo a thousand times over as I planted each step into the creaking wooden floor hello I repeat it once more I looked around and I noticed that a pair of boots that he was always wearing standing by the door along with his large set of keys sitting on a nearby coffee table the silence in the house was absolutely suffocating the persistent ringing in my ears that you get in a deep quiet was becoming insufferable and I found myself feeling drawn to one of the bedroom doors on the other side of the kitchen I slowly made my way towards it my footsteps so loud I felt as though the wooden floors were crack under me any second I reached the doorway and pushed it up i sat there just outside the doorway full of apprehension something was telling me not to go into this room when I come this far and I wasn't gonna just turn back now IRA grudgingly stepped through the entrance and there he was there was my landlord sprawl across his bed dried blood coated his arms and neck he slit his wrists and throats a horrible look of sadness covered his face his eyes still red from tears I felt back against the wall behind me the smell of decay only just now hitting me as if it was waiting for my presence I covered my mouth and gagged as I went over what I should do in my head I reached for my phone to call the police only to be reminded that it hadn't been charged in days due to my electricity being shut off I groaned in frustration as I struggled to take my eyes off the lifeless body in front of me but that's when I noticed the piece of paper sitting just next to my landlord on the nightstand still covering my mouth I made my way over and snatched it up I miss you so much I didn't ever forgive myself for leaving you when you needed me the most I love you so much and I hate myself and knowing you aren't around to forgive me I can't live knowing how I left you thinking about how much you just needed someone there I can't go on with this life without you and the chance that I might see you after this is what brought me to this please be there I'll never leave your side again the note read I read it over a few times and assumed this was concerning his former wife so how did she die I wandered to myself as the whisper evaporated into the room I pulled the paper down and rested it back on the table and what I saw maybe flinch sitting on his bedside table in a picture frame was a photograph of a woman my mouth fell open I couldn't believe what I was seeing it was that same woman that woman who I'd seen her the edge of the pond and who had been patrolling through the darkness of my house all day and night those bright turquoise ice struck me with such distinction there was no mistaking I turned and sprinted out of the house so terrified that I all but disregarded the corpse that had laid in front of me just moments ago I ran out of the front door and down the driveway and in the corner of my eye I could see that monster standing just behind my car I tried to ignore it and jumped in and floored it into reverse hoping I would maybe run over that thing standing just behind it but I was let down I felt my car fly backwards unhindered I threw the gear into drive and slammed my foot on the gas pedal looking into the rearview mirror seeing those horrible horrible eyes staring at me from behind the car I flew down unpaved backroads with no regard for my own safety failed with a dread knowing that the home I was returning to was inhabited by cruelty I barely hit the brakes in time as I sped into the driveway just bearing the side of my house from the front of Mike I ran out of the car but there in the window just beside the front door stood the woman her blonde hair was draped over her face as she stood motionless Lucille by muttered when the figure quickly turned and shifted out of you I stood there for a moment before hearing the crunch of gravel behind me I didn't turn around at first I knew what was behind me I had a few more slow steps then I turned around it stood there not even ten feet from me there I was again stuck between a rock and a hard place right then I heard the front door open and it creaked as if it were releasing decades of neglect the Beast stared or taking slow deliberate steps towards me as I matched them with my own steps backwards I turned and sprinted through the open door and slammed it shut behind me I looked out the window to see that it was gone but right then I felt that familiar cold hand rest on my shoulder only sharp nails dug deep into me puncturing my skin terror and exhaustion overtook me and I lost consciousness those same nightmares infested my dreams and I woke up every hour more tired than the last time I'd fallen asleep I was eventually able to force myself off the hard floor and into my bed though it would do little to help my sleep dreams of the pond and of that road presented themselves every time I fell back into a slumber but the more I ran towards the lights in my dreams the more I felt myself straying away from reality as I stood in a puddle of my own delusion when I woke my new friend laying on the nightstand was tempting me with more comfort as the time passed and I had to pull my hand back several times from reaching for his help I poured my way through another bottle as I laid in the accumulated filth I'd neglected to discard as I felt the last of my reserves swirling my mouth and down my throat I heard another knock at the door in a haze I stood up from my pile and made my way towards the door but as I approached I stopped hey it's me can you let me inside I heard from just outside the front door I just stood there the same phrase repeated itself but followed by it's freezing out here can you open the door of course I recognized that voice I'd recognize that sweet voice anywhere leave I hissed the voice repeated itself again and again and again leave I repeatedly shouted at a door over and over every now and then it would change it up a bit with her please and I would change things up with a fuck-off I grew tired of this and just went back to laying in bed covering my ears with dirty pillows but the knocking persisted occasionally growing louder and more urgent over a course of several hours after it appeared to finally give up for a few minutes I was sitting in a comfortable silence for once before I heard my sweet Mary's voice from the door whimper outs don't you love me I'd had enough I grabbed the revolver from my nightstand and fired off all six shots right at the door in quick succession my late mare as hot smoke billowed in front of my face and felt instant regret I'd shot holes clear through my front door at some imaginary falls I paced around my living room my hands on my head still wrapped around the handle of my Magnum oh I screamed out as if I'd finally woken up to all the insanity I'd conjured my ears were still ringing and I made my way to the front door to see the damage I didn't really know what I was expecting since I shot a full clip of my gun through it but there was definitely some serious damage I slammed my hand on the door still clenching the gun and let my hair dressed against the woods light poured through the newly made openings my I happened to catch something out of place through the nearest hole I stared through and tried to discern that the height of colors meshed into a distorted cluster I swung the door open and the sunlight all but disintegrated my eyes as they adjusted I glanced down and everything in my world crashed Mary laid there riddled with bullet holes as she wheezed in gurgled on the front porch Mary I exclaimed tears already pouring down my face she reached up and caressed my face and smiled it's okay she said no Mary no please don't leave like this I'm so sorry we can fix this please don't go please don't go I yelled everything will be okay she repeated to me don't go I screamed again i sat there and cried on her just holding her and praying to God that she wasn't about to die right here in front of me not like this I held Mary rocking back and forth on the porch just trying to comfort her like she had for me so many times before she laid there in my arms slowly slipping away from me as I pleaded for her to stay I can't lose you I screamed as I brought my eyes out she looked at me with those deep compassionate eyes that had grounded me time and time again tears rolled down her face as the brightness in her eyes started to dim Mary Mary please stay with me but it was too late I felt the last of her life slip out of her as she slumped in my arms I just sat there holding her for a while and pressed my head onto hers inconsolable I carried her inside and later on our bed and I loaded one last shell into the revolver I laid next to Mary's lifeless body and kissed her once on the forehead before sticking the gun into my mouth and pulling the trigger everything went black and I waited to see what the beyond held for me it felt as though I was awake but I just couldn't open my eyes and then I saw exactly what I didn't want to see two lights materialized in front of me and a road formed beneath my feet no I said to myself no if I had been sent to hell for taking my own life was this going to be it was I gonna be chasing these lights for all eternity I fell onto the road defeated I couldn't go on like this anymore but I guess they were really was no accident I waited to hear it begin its chase behind me free cursing my subsequent chase to safety but I didn't hear anything I stood up and low back like always there was nothing but darkness behind me I just stood still as long minutes droned on but I didn't hear anything I actually started to feel relieved almost happy in fact maybe I finally escaped it I thought almost needing to hold back a grin from bearing on my face I began to walk towards those two lights as I made my way I could hear Mary's voice sweetie where are you and I'm over here come see me already I've been waiting and I couldn't help but smile so sure it was just steps away from my eternal happiness I made my way towards those lights at last I was going to reach them I just knew it I couldn't wait oh that's warm inviting glows that it seems so elusive for so long all but hanging right in front of me so close that I felt I could pluck them from the ether and hold them right in front of my eyes I was approaching them closer than I'd ever been they were climbing higher and higher as I advanced and I started to feel as though they were out of reach yet again I was right in front of them and they stood above me so close but still somehow unattainable I reached up to them almost as a plea for the other side to take me beyond i sweared my hand back and forth in the air for a little while unsure of what I was supposed to do however I felt my hand run across something broad and rugged how surprised and took a step back but only to be greeted by a sudden rush of air I stared up at the lights inquisitively and I heard a deep exhale as I felt another rush of air blow through me they turned around heartbroken to see if it was behind me yet again but there was nothing again I felt that rush of her hair accompanied by another deep exhale and then it hit me it hit me like a ton of bricks I didn't want to recognize it but I turned back to where the wind originated from and I looked up to those glows my heart sunk all the hope that had built up after pulling the trigger was pulled out from under me I was two lights hanging above me we're now glowing that putrid shade of yellow that unrelenting hunger that preyed upon my mind for months towered above me mocking me I saw a colossal mouth they're enormous disgusting teeth each one as big as me while the enormity of the beast imposed itself on to my soul I swear he was smiling at me the mouth shot towards me and crushed every bone in my body my blood exploding into a fine mist in every direction before I swung me around and threw me onto the road my body bloody and broken and mind weather down to grains of sand all I could think of was Mary how much love she'd given me and how she was the greatest thing that it ever happened I felt as though Hell had found me it lowered its open mouth back down and scooped me up with ease and my body rolled and turned bouncing off its ransie gums and rotting teeth as it pulverized every last bit of me until I felt myself slide down into the darkness the darkness slowly deteriorated away as I began to slip back into consciousness I stood there in my room done clenched in one hand with the other on the doorknob no more holes in the door Mary no longer laying lifeless in my bed I grabbed my book and flip to the page I'd left my clue on you are awake with that I hastily stuffed my clothes into trash bags along with the other essentials and I made my way to the door to hopefully just leave this misery behind me an ear-splitting voice screaming don't go repeated itself from behind me nearly shaking the house with its immense volume I fumbled for the doorknob dropping my trash bags in the process and swung the door open oh no this time I could still hear that voice screaming in my head but when I exited the house that nightmare was sitting just beyond the porch staring at me I pulled out the gun from the depths of my bags who lived the safety off and fired that one bullet that it still had left in it trying to take the life that it all but taken mine it connected hitting it almost right between the eyes I heard it whimper for a second before slumping to the ground I didn't trust that it was really gone so I sprinted to the car not wanting to fall for his tricks when I got into my car and drove off those words continue to bellow in my head don't go don't go I sped down the road unable to resist seeing what I was leaving behind I glanced into the rearview mirror and there it stood in the middle of the road still has a statue as always hulking in intimidating I pressed my foot harder on the gas and kept on going I didn't know where I was going but as long as it was away from that godforsaken place it didn't matter if he so often I glanced back in the rearview mirror just to see it standing in the road behind me as my car flew by at dangerous speeds I made my way through several states staying at various motels as I spent most of the night cracking blinds in apprehension of what may come a week went by before I decided to Dowe my grandparents to let them know I was alone and just needed somewhere to be for a while as I got my life back together they were understanding as always and wanted me there as soon as possible I made my way to them in a few days and all the while I seemed to be free I slept soundly for the first time in months and I was feeling great my energy was back to a normal level I was sleeping and I hadn't had a drink in almost two weeks despite this paranoia was still lingering in my mind as I was always waking up by shooting out of the bed tried to catch my breath the smile would form on my face and I was grateful to have made it out alive but the one big thing that bothered me was that in reality it had won it got me to pull the trigger I stayed at my grandparents for nearly a month feeling myself gain back my sanity I felt great and it was good to spend some time with my family after not seeing them for all these months it also felt good to finally leave behind my persistent attachments that were so deeply rooted I even studied looking to marry again and while she was weary at first I was able to slowly earn back her trust I was feeling like my old self again I was just lucky that she was such a forgiving soul to give me another chance I was sitting in my grandparents living room watching some TV when I heard a faint knock at the front door i muted the TV not sure if I actually heard it I waited a second and again a very faint knock emanated from the opposite side of the door must be one of their neighbors I thought as it may have been an older woman weakly tapping her knuckles on the door open the door but only to see nothing in front of me poked my head out and looked around to see if there was anyone nearby but nothing showed itself they slowly closed the door and made my way back to the couch to continue watching TV after watching for several minutes I had a similar light knocking on the door again this time I quickly picked myself up to swing the door open at first I saw nothing just my grandparents front yard but as I swept my eyes over the area I saw someone at the end of the long driveway who connected to the walkway it was a woman long dark hair blanketing her face as she stood painfully still facing me I knew the second I looked at her that it was Mary I slowly made my way towards her Mary I called out her body slightly twitched with my words feeling a little uneasy I stopped about 20 feet from her her face focused downward as her hair dangled over Mary what are you doing here I pressed I came to see you her voice rang out music to my ears to hear that sweet sound once again I advanced towards her but as I did her appearance started to deteriorate with each step her face weathered and her hair grayed I gazed upon her and her clothes were now tattered and ripped apart mud and blood caked across her skin she looked up at me with familiar despair in her eyes floor marks and blood strewn all around her lovely figure marry her I slowly turned from the soft brown to an electric yellow that same yellow that I had come to despise I am always here a layered voice spoke out I closed my eyes hoping that this wasn't real look at me a distorted voice Matt I open my eyes and Mary was gone but in her place did that monster I thought I would never have to see again hatred and misery burned brightly in his eyes as it stood there rigid as a block of wood I recognized the underlying feelings in his eyes abandonment the same look I would see in the mirror when I was young and filled with hate it shot towards me I turned and sprinted back into the house stumbling over my own steps as I desperately scrambled to locate the book that signaled my state of consciousness I hadn't needed to open it in weeks and couldn't remember where I'd left it as desperate clawing and growling came from the other side of my bedroom door I finally found it blending in with the shelves I furiously turned the pages over and over to gain clarity of where I was every bit of my soul withered away when I found the poem and read the bottom of wake up well let me tell you I'm absolutely exhausted after that one I can't tell you how many hours of work go into making one of these multi our videos but well it's a lot and I hope you think it was worth it I'm a phenomenal story there like I said that one straight from the vault but it's been there for many many months waiting for me to have the time and energy to do it but it's done now so thoughts comments feelings and love in the comment section below the video please well I'm tired but I will be back again with you on Friday so I hope you'll join me again of course you will see you again soon but for now sweet dreams and bye bye [Music] [Music] thank you so much for choosing to spend your time listening to me now if you enjoyed the doctor creeping experience then come find me on Facebook come chat with me on Twitter listen to the background music and download it if you like on soundcloud drop by the store pick up a t-shirt and importantly if you've got a story you'd like me to read send it to dr. creepiness vaults subreddit I setup so that I could read your stories looking forward to seeing you all again real soon so come check me Alex okay

Info

Channel: Dr. Creepen

Views: 117,508

Rating: 4.6985745 out of 5

Keywords: dr creepens vault, dr creepen, dr. creepen, nosleep horror, creepypasta, scary stories, asmr stories, best horror stories, deep web horror stories, Into the Maw, NamesJames0933

Id: d5f0sHpiqGA

Channel Id: undefined

Length: 139min 0sec (8340 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 06 2019

Reddit Comments

I drank way too much listening to this. It took a couple of sittings to to actually stay conscious through the whole story. Listening to it shit faced on port turned it into possibly one of the best sensory assaults I have ever attempted. It was playing while I slept and induced some very lucid dreaming. Wow!

👍︎︎ 2 👤︎︎ u/YOUREABOT 📅︎︎ May 01 2019 🗫︎ replies

This was one of my favorites because it was long. My family thinks I’m weird, but I fall asleep listening to these stories.

👍︎︎ 2 👤︎︎ u/ipostonthedonald 📅︎︎ May 01 2019 🗫︎ replies