Post by henley358 on Aug 3, 2011 23:51:06 GMT -5
By Henley Wilson
Fear Itself
When your heart starts to race, then slows to a sudden stop. When your blood turns cold, refusing to run through your veins. When your vision goes blurry and you no longer have control over any of your senses. That’s when you know when it’s coming. The dark thoughts that roam the deep corridors of your mind. They will not be ignored and cannot be destroyed. It is fear itself.
This story takes place in the quiet suburbs of a small town that seems invisible to the rest of the world. At least that’s what I think. I have lived in this town all my life and nothing exciting ever happens. Nothing here is special. Well, except for my family. My older sister, Faye, is a genius with an IQ level that’s off the charts. My older brother, Kyle, is a star athlete that can play any sport in the world if he wanted to. And then there’s me…plain old Tori who has no special skills or any talents to be proud of.
Do you want to know the worst part of it? No one tells me any different. If I get a bad grade on a test and call myself an idiot, nobody disagrees. Everyone always expects a certain amount from me that I can’t satisfy, and I feel like I’m sinking under all the pressure. The pressure to make good grades, the pressure to always win, the pressure to be perfect.
It’s been this way ever since my Dad dies about four months ago. Since he’s been gone, it seems everyone’s attention has been placed on me and I wish I understood why.
To make matter worse, I think I’m being stalked.
Not by anything human. This creature is the most terrifying thing I have ever felt. I haven’t really seen it completely, but I can hear it walking behind me whenever I’m alone. And that’s not even the scariest part. What worries me the most is the fact that I recognize this creature. It’s as if I’ve felt its presence somewhere deep within my past. I’ve begun to wonder if maybe this creature could really be the spirit of my father.
While I was thinking of these possibilities, I heard my sister, Faye, calling for me from downstairs. I walked to the staircase and told her I was coming. I went downstairs and into the kitchen when I saw Faye sitting at the kitchen table. “Sit down, Tori. We need to talk”, she said.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I’ve been noticing lately that you’ve been a little distant. Is there something you want to tell me?” she asked.
If she only knew. I wanted to tell her. I really did. But the only thing that came out of my mouth was “No, nothing’s wrong. You’re just overreacting.” I walked out of the kitchen and went out the front door, so Kyle could drive me to school.
The day passed by just as another normal day, until third period. I was walking to class after going to the office and I was worried that the teacher would be mad at me for being late. Then it happened. A chill ran up my spine and my knees went weak. At that moment I knew it was here. I was too afraid to turn around and look at this awful creature. All I could do was stand there. Then I remembered that I had a test in my class and I was horribly late. I started to run down the hall and I opened the door to the stairway. I ran up the stairs as fast as I could bit it wasn’t enough. I felt the creature run passed me and make it’s way to the top of the stairs. I closed my eyes to avoid actually looking at it. Then it happened.
Most people would have thought I had just missed a step, but I knew the truth. The creature pushed me. It wanted to hurt me. It wanted to get rid of me. I remember waking up and seeing the school nurse.
“Thank goodness you’re okay. That was an awful fall you had.” she said.
I could have laughed at how clueless she was. I was pushed by that thing…that thing that hated me so much. It was so full of evil, I could rest my soul that it wasn’t my father after all. He could have never done this to me. I couldn’t have been that much of a disappointment.
The entire way home, all my brother, Kyle, could do was yell at me. He told me how stupid and immature I had been. He dropped me off at home and went to football practice.
I saw a note on the fridge from Mom. It said she would have to work late. The whole time I was at home, all I could think about was the creature. Why did it want to hurt me? Why did it hate me so much? I started to search my mind for answers, but before I could find them, all the lights in the house went out. I looked outside and the rest of the neighborhood was dark as well. I just assumed that a transformer had blown.
I started lighting some candles when I noticed the room suddenly turned cold. It was in the house. The creature was in my house. I ran to my room and locked the door hoping that the creature wouldn’t find me. I sat on my bed looking at the clock, waiting for Kyle to get back home. Every minute seemed like an hour. I could feel it outside my room, waiting for me. I was so afraid I felt as if my heart could explode at any minute.
It was happening again. I felt the creature behind me. I could sense it’s anger and hear it’s breathing. I finally got up the strength to turn around, the courage to open my eyes, and look at my predator. I was shocked when I saw my own reflection. The mirror on my wall was the only thing in my sight. I still felt the presence of the monster.
Then the strangest thing happened. My reflection started talking to me. It said, “I bet you’re wondering what’s going on. Let me explain. You’re not insane. I’m you. The you that was forgotten when Dad died. The you that didn’t let other people’s expectations consume her.”
I spoke to the reflection. “But if you’re me, then why did you push me down the stairs?”
“I did it because you were trying to get rid of me. You were willing to change everything that you were about just to satisfy everyone else. Why don’t you think of what you want? What is it, Tori? What do you want from life?”
It just kept shouting my name over and over again, but then I heard another voice. It was my sister. “Hey Tori, wake up. Come on, Sis, wake up.” I opened my eyes and saw that I was in my room and the lights had come back on. “What the heck were you doing? The door to your room was locked. What happened?”
I couldn’t answer her. All I could do was look at my mirror. That’s where I had seen the evil in my soul. That’s where I felt the darkness in my heart. That’s where I found fear itself.
Fear Itself
When your heart starts to race, then slows to a sudden stop. When your blood turns cold, refusing to run through your veins. When your vision goes blurry and you no longer have control over any of your senses. That’s when you know when it’s coming. The dark thoughts that roam the deep corridors of your mind. They will not be ignored and cannot be destroyed. It is fear itself.
This story takes place in the quiet suburbs of a small town that seems invisible to the rest of the world. At least that’s what I think. I have lived in this town all my life and nothing exciting ever happens. Nothing here is special. Well, except for my family. My older sister, Faye, is a genius with an IQ level that’s off the charts. My older brother, Kyle, is a star athlete that can play any sport in the world if he wanted to. And then there’s me…plain old Tori who has no special skills or any talents to be proud of.
Do you want to know the worst part of it? No one tells me any different. If I get a bad grade on a test and call myself an idiot, nobody disagrees. Everyone always expects a certain amount from me that I can’t satisfy, and I feel like I’m sinking under all the pressure. The pressure to make good grades, the pressure to always win, the pressure to be perfect.
It’s been this way ever since my Dad dies about four months ago. Since he’s been gone, it seems everyone’s attention has been placed on me and I wish I understood why.
To make matter worse, I think I’m being stalked.
Not by anything human. This creature is the most terrifying thing I have ever felt. I haven’t really seen it completely, but I can hear it walking behind me whenever I’m alone. And that’s not even the scariest part. What worries me the most is the fact that I recognize this creature. It’s as if I’ve felt its presence somewhere deep within my past. I’ve begun to wonder if maybe this creature could really be the spirit of my father.
While I was thinking of these possibilities, I heard my sister, Faye, calling for me from downstairs. I walked to the staircase and told her I was coming. I went downstairs and into the kitchen when I saw Faye sitting at the kitchen table. “Sit down, Tori. We need to talk”, she said.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I’ve been noticing lately that you’ve been a little distant. Is there something you want to tell me?” she asked.
If she only knew. I wanted to tell her. I really did. But the only thing that came out of my mouth was “No, nothing’s wrong. You’re just overreacting.” I walked out of the kitchen and went out the front door, so Kyle could drive me to school.
The day passed by just as another normal day, until third period. I was walking to class after going to the office and I was worried that the teacher would be mad at me for being late. Then it happened. A chill ran up my spine and my knees went weak. At that moment I knew it was here. I was too afraid to turn around and look at this awful creature. All I could do was stand there. Then I remembered that I had a test in my class and I was horribly late. I started to run down the hall and I opened the door to the stairway. I ran up the stairs as fast as I could bit it wasn’t enough. I felt the creature run passed me and make it’s way to the top of the stairs. I closed my eyes to avoid actually looking at it. Then it happened.
Most people would have thought I had just missed a step, but I knew the truth. The creature pushed me. It wanted to hurt me. It wanted to get rid of me. I remember waking up and seeing the school nurse.
“Thank goodness you’re okay. That was an awful fall you had.” she said.
I could have laughed at how clueless she was. I was pushed by that thing…that thing that hated me so much. It was so full of evil, I could rest my soul that it wasn’t my father after all. He could have never done this to me. I couldn’t have been that much of a disappointment.
The entire way home, all my brother, Kyle, could do was yell at me. He told me how stupid and immature I had been. He dropped me off at home and went to football practice.
I saw a note on the fridge from Mom. It said she would have to work late. The whole time I was at home, all I could think about was the creature. Why did it want to hurt me? Why did it hate me so much? I started to search my mind for answers, but before I could find them, all the lights in the house went out. I looked outside and the rest of the neighborhood was dark as well. I just assumed that a transformer had blown.
I started lighting some candles when I noticed the room suddenly turned cold. It was in the house. The creature was in my house. I ran to my room and locked the door hoping that the creature wouldn’t find me. I sat on my bed looking at the clock, waiting for Kyle to get back home. Every minute seemed like an hour. I could feel it outside my room, waiting for me. I was so afraid I felt as if my heart could explode at any minute.
It was happening again. I felt the creature behind me. I could sense it’s anger and hear it’s breathing. I finally got up the strength to turn around, the courage to open my eyes, and look at my predator. I was shocked when I saw my own reflection. The mirror on my wall was the only thing in my sight. I still felt the presence of the monster.
Then the strangest thing happened. My reflection started talking to me. It said, “I bet you’re wondering what’s going on. Let me explain. You’re not insane. I’m you. The you that was forgotten when Dad died. The you that didn’t let other people’s expectations consume her.”
I spoke to the reflection. “But if you’re me, then why did you push me down the stairs?”
“I did it because you were trying to get rid of me. You were willing to change everything that you were about just to satisfy everyone else. Why don’t you think of what you want? What is it, Tori? What do you want from life?”
It just kept shouting my name over and over again, but then I heard another voice. It was my sister. “Hey Tori, wake up. Come on, Sis, wake up.” I opened my eyes and saw that I was in my room and the lights had come back on. “What the heck were you doing? The door to your room was locked. What happened?”
I couldn’t answer her. All I could do was look at my mirror. That’s where I had seen the evil in my soul. That’s where I felt the darkness in my heart. That’s where I found fear itself.
