2 min read
The Nightmare - Part 2
November 15, 2017
The room was swallowed in darkness as Ryder sat up in his bed, the silence of the dead of night pressing in around him. Across the room, in the mirror, two red orbs hovered — glowing faintly, as if daring him to come closer. Curiosity got the better of him, and the frei floated cautiously toward the mirror. But as he approached, the orbs moved, aligning themselves with his own eyes in the reflection.
A chill ran down Ryder’s spine as he stared, his breath catching. Then, in the mirror, his reflection’s mouth began to widen — stretching unnaturally into a grotesque, gaping grin. From the depths of that hollow mouth came an eerie, distorted laughter that echoed all around him, mocking and relentless.
Ryder jolted awake, his heart racing and his body drenched in cold sweat. He sat upright, struggling to catch his breath, his eyes darting to the mirror across the room. The red orbs were gone. It was just his own weary reflection staring back at him. Ryder let out a shaky breath, his pulse still hammering in his ears.
“It was just a dream,” he muttered, trying to convince himself. “It was only a dream.”
But that twisted grin and that haunting laughter lingered in his mind, making the shadows seem thicker and the night quieter. What was that thing in the mirror?
Ryder shook his head, trying to clear the lingering fear. He lay back down, rolling onto his side, and pulled the blanket over his head, as if it could shield him from the remnants of his nightmare. He closed his eyes tightly, desperately repeating the words like a mantra.
“It’ll be okay… it’ll be okay… it was only a dream…”
Eventually, Ryder’s racing thoughts began to slow, and the weight of exhaustion pulled him under once more. But even as he drifted off, a lingering unease settled in the room — a silent reminder that some nightmares are not so easily escaped.
A chill ran down Ryder’s spine as he stared, his breath catching. Then, in the mirror, his reflection’s mouth began to widen — stretching unnaturally into a grotesque, gaping grin. From the depths of that hollow mouth came an eerie, distorted laughter that echoed all around him, mocking and relentless.
Ryder jolted awake, his heart racing and his body drenched in cold sweat. He sat upright, struggling to catch his breath, his eyes darting to the mirror across the room. The red orbs were gone. It was just his own weary reflection staring back at him. Ryder let out a shaky breath, his pulse still hammering in his ears.
“It was just a dream,” he muttered, trying to convince himself. “It was only a dream.”
But that twisted grin and that haunting laughter lingered in his mind, making the shadows seem thicker and the night quieter. What was that thing in the mirror?
Ryder shook his head, trying to clear the lingering fear. He lay back down, rolling onto his side, and pulled the blanket over his head, as if it could shield him from the remnants of his nightmare. He closed his eyes tightly, desperately repeating the words like a mantra.
“It’ll be okay… it’ll be okay… it was only a dream…”
Eventually, Ryder’s racing thoughts began to slow, and the weight of exhaustion pulled him under once more. But even as he drifted off, a lingering unease settled in the room — a silent reminder that some nightmares are not so easily escaped.