Night Terrors

Victoria tossed and turned in her sleep. Sweat trickled from her forehead to her pillow. A voice, somewhere deep in her dream, called to her.

"Come with me, Victoria!" It was a man's voice.

She was running as fast as she could, but her body didn't move. The voice kept calling. A hooded figure appeared in the distance. Foggy, dark, coming closer.

"Victoria. You cannot escape me. You must come with me."

"Oh, God!" She screamed, yet no sound was made.

She searched her surroundings for a place to hide. Nothing but empty space in a strange land. She was trapped within her own mind. Nowhere to go to, no one to help her. She was alone.

Victoria suddenly sat up in her bed, frantically looking around her. Bleary eyed, she sought out the lamp next to her bed. With the lights on, she felt relief sweep over her and wiped the sweat from her eyes. It had just been a bad dream.

Getting up, she made her way to the kitchen for a glass of water. The dream seemed so vivid, as if it had really happened. As she turned on her faucet, she suddenly felt as though someone was standing behind her.

She let out a breath when she saw no one was there. As she turned back around, she felt a hand grip her shoulder and flinging her around. Before she could protest, she realized she was being thrown to the floor. She tried in vain to escape the unseen force that had her pinned down. Kicking and screaming, she tried to squirm free. Her body went limp when suddenly the apparition of a man began to form on top of her.

She wanted to look away, had to look away, but their eyes locked and in an instant, she felt as though she was leaving her own body.

"You must come with me" The man said to her.

"What? Who are you? I don't know you!" She attempted to plea with the ghostly stranger, but he didn't seem to hear her.

She felt herself floating, soaring, until they finally left her world and entered another. A world of the dead. A place filled with spirits of the those who were long gone from the physical world.

"I don't belong here. Please," she pleaded. "I have to go back. I'm not dead!"

"You have been dead for many years, Victoria. Your place is here." He began. "You left the physical world some time ago. You don't remember?"

She didn't understand. Why was she being forced to come to this place? He had to be mistaken. It made no sense at all, and yet here she was.

"Look, Mister. I think there's been some kind of mistake. Please! If you'll just take me back." Her continued pleas fell on deaf ears.

Grasping her wrist, they began to descend. Once on solid ground, Victoria whipped around to stare the stranger in the face. Questions swirled around in her mind. None of this made any sense to her and she wanted answers.

She followed him to a circle where others had gathered. A large glowing fire burned.

"Sit." The man told her. Looking around her, she finally complied with his request. "Look into the fire. Tell us, what do you see?"

Her eyes transfixed on the fire. She could feel herself being drawn into it as she continued to gaze deeply into the flames. She was trying to come to terms with what she was seeing. "No, this can't be." She thought to herself.

The flames showed her five years earlier. She was coming out of a nightclub with her friends. They were laughing and teasing each other. Everyone went their separate ways looking for their cars or hailing a cab. As Victoria made her way to the parking lot where her own car was parked, a man rushed her, knocking her down and causing her to hit her head on the hard pavement. Losing consciousness, she soon woke to find herself in a dark, damp basement. Tied to a table and gagged, she looked to her right, seeing a figure making his way to her.

Her eyes grew wide when she saw he had a large hook in one hand and a large knife in the other. She begged with her eyes, but he seemed to enjoy seeing the fear permeating from them.

He toyed with her. Touching her bare skin with the hook, telling her how much he was going to enjoy killing her. She was almost relieved when the first blow finally landed, but her death wouldn't come quickly. He continued to taunt her as she lay there bleeding and in unbearable pain.

As she came out of her trance, she looked around at those who sat near her. It finally dawned on her that she was dead.

The stranger extended his hand to her, gently pulling her into his arms. As he pulled back his hood, she pushed herself away, realizing this was the man who had attacked and killed her.

"But...." She stammered.

"I am so very sorry. As you can see, I, too, am not of the physical world any longer. My penitence for the great sin I committed against you will not be paid for many centuries. It was my duty to find you and bring you here, so that you could at last have peace. I am truly sorry." With that, he vanished.

The shock began to wear off, and as Victoria turned to face those who were seated around her, each one offered a gentle hug and a warm welcome home.