Page 4 of Hollow Nights

Libra moaned, turning in her sleep as I ducked under the bed.

Fuck.

Chapter 2

Libra

The smell of something heavy and metallic filled my nostrils as I peeled my eyes open, the bright sunlight burning my irises. The effects of the sleeping pills lingered as I tried to keep my eyes open, the room blurred and fuzzy. I groaned, tossing my blankets aside as I sat up and stretched. My skin felt sticky and tight, my chest catching a sudden breeze. I struggled to keep my eyes open, wobbling to the bathroom as I rubbed my eyes and flicked the light on. As I moved, I noticed something sticky around my cheeks.

What the hell— I peered into my bathroom mirror, seeing dark red spots and blotches around my face and neck. I instantly fully awakened, realizing my breasts were exposed, covered in what looked like blood and… I leaned down and sniffed my nightgown.

“What the fuck?” I whispered loudly. As I looked at my nightgown, I realized there were more dark blotches all over my skin. I frantically fumbled with my gown, examining my body closely in the mirror as the sound of my rapid breathing filled my ears. I panicked, turning my head and glaring back in the direction of my bedroom.

That smell…Was that blood?I moved cautiously, panting as I stepped down the hall, silently grabbing a knife from the kitchen. I wasn’t sure what good it would do me, but I felt better having it. I swallowed hard, moving towards the bedroom, my heart racing with every step as my breathing grew louder. The metallic, tangy scent thickened as I approached the doorway and covered my mouth in horror. My bedroom looked like a murder scene. The bed, the wall, and the floor were all covered in blood, and it wasn’t mine.

I began to hyperventilate, confused and frightened by what I was staring at. “What the hell happened?” I whispered, my voice quivering as I slowly stepped further into the room, my toes touching what appeared to be a giant, bloody puddle soaked into the floor just next to my bed. I bent down, kneeling, and slowly reached my hand out. My fingers trembled as they touched the dark stain, the liquid sticky and cold. I raised my fingertips to my face, staring at the deep red liquid as it covered my skin.

“Oh my—” A soft hiss stopped me.

The animal-like sound had come from under my bed. Both curious and afraid, I tried to see what it was, slowly leaning further down as my long hair fell into the puddle of blood. I peeked under the bed, anxious as to what I might find. There, staring back at me, was a set of eyes, the same orange eyes that had haunted me my whole life—only this time, they weren’t just staring back from a black shadow. No, this time, they were a part of something. Something…evil.

I screamed, falling back into the sticky puddle as the thing followed me, chasing after me on all fours. I tried to crawl backward, slipping on the old blood, my back slamming into the wall as I stared at it, frightened like never before.

The thing stood, towering over me as it approached, coming closer and closer on two feet. I tried to grasp what I saw, closingmy eyes, thinking this was all just a fucking nightmare, one I desperately needed to wake up from.

“I-it’s not real,” I sobbed, forcing my eyes to stay shut as a hot breath caressed my face. “Just a nightmare,” I cried, waiting for it to attack. “It’s not real!”

Something sharp grasped my chin, forcing my face towards it. My eyes shot open, staring back into those damn glowing orange irises that always terrorized me. They burned deep into my soul—the eyes of a monster.

“Try to keep that pretty mouth of yours quiet,” the monster snarled, the masculine voice low and almost threatening.

I inhaled to scream a second time, only to have what appeared to be the tip of his long, dark tail muffling me. It was pointed and shaped like a spade, the leathery skin rubbing along my tongue as I tried to spit it out, both shocked and revolted. My hands pulled at what was his large claw clasped around my face, but it was no use. He was too strong, pushing the tip further down my throat.

“Oh,” he moaned as his smile curled, the corner slits of his mouth reaching almost his ear. “Keep wiggling your tongue like that, and we’re really going to have a problem.” A tear rolled down my eye and onto his gray-scale flesh, his pitch-black dipped claws wiping it away. “Oh, calm down, Libra.” My eyes widened at the sound of my name. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

How did he know my name? Who was he—no, what was he?

“Listen,” he growled, “I know you’re scared. I can sense it…taste it.” His long, black tongue slithered from his mouth and licked my cheek as I tried to wriggle free, listening to the satisfaction he got from tasting my tears. “Mmm. Delicious.” I tried to bite the tip of his tail. “Oh, careful, Libra. Some of us like being bitten.” He leaned his head back, laughing, exposing numerous, sharp yellow teeth. “Look,” his thumb ran along my chin, lightly scraping me, “I won’t hurt you…ifyou promisenot to scream or run.” He lightly shook his head, his alabaster white hair shaking around what looked to be two black horns peeking from his skull. His claw shook my face. “Think you can behave?” he asked aggressively, his hot breath hitting my face. I shuddered, realizing I didn’t have a choice. I’d have to make him believe me, and the second I could, I was going to run.

I nodded my head, the back of it rubbing against the wall. “Good,” he purred, removing his tail from my mouth, saliva dripping from it as cold air rushed my lungs. I coughed and wheezed, grabbing my throat as he released my face, allowing me to fall slightly forward. “Now?—”

Before he could speak, I rolled to my hands and bolted, grabbing my knife as I dashed from the room. I could hear him roaring and growling in anger, the vicious sounds piercing my ears as I headed to the front door. My fingers slipped on the metal knob, blood coating them as I tried to unlock it. “Fucking open!” I screamed, as if that would help. But it was no use. The door was locked, and no matter how much I tried to pry it open, it wouldn’t budge. “Fuck!” I grabbed my head, panicking.

The back door.

Just as the thought entered my mind, I turned to find the monster standing directly behind me. He was like a giant, fuming as his eyes bore into me, his mouth open as his tongue waved around. He hissed, lunging towards me with his claws. I swung my arm, my knife cutting across his exposed chest as he howled and stumbled back. A black liquid began to seep from the wound, distracting him as I ran by.

“Libra, stop!” he bellowed, chasing me. “You can’t outrun me!”

I bolted across the house and made it to the back door. The glass door slid as I tried to unlatch the screen lock, it too wouldn’t budge. “God fucking damnit! Just open!” I pierced the thin metal screen, using my knife to cut a hole just largeenough for me to fit through, the sharp edges cutting my skin as I frantically tried to wiggle through. The back door led into a wooded backyard, unfenced. I could escape that way.

“Libra!” the monster hissed from behind me. I fell to the ground, skinning my knee as I looked up at him, standing behind the cut screen. “Stop running from me!” My brows furrowed as I rose to my feet and ran towards the woods, desperate to escape.

I sprinted, focused on the path ahead as my heartbeat pounded in my ears. Over the deep rhythmic sound, I could hear his growls in the distance, driving me to move faster. Branches scratched my body as my feet ached from the rough, cold ground. It was almost freezing outside, the trees painted in warm tones of fall, Halloween was just around the corner.

“Just keep going,” I whispered to myself, my body aching from pushing it too hard. “Just keep—” My foot tripped over something, my body falling face first into a pile of dead autumn leaves, losing my knife. Everything hurt, the cold nipping at my skin. I rolled, groaning when the monster suddenly appeared and pinned me to the ground. I screamed, feeling him push against me.

“I told you,” he gritted his sharp teeth, “not to run!”

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