The Quiet

All was quiet. The sharp, acrid stench of fear permeated the room. Her fear. Two doors, one through which she entered, the other locked, unknown. She waited in trepidation for what was about to come. Her breath came in short pants, unable to take in enough air in her current state of mind, not helped by the dark, musty and cramped room. Her fingernails clawed the concrete floor helplessly. Her heartbeat resonated in her ears. Thump…thump…thump.

Noiselessly, the second doorknob started to turn. Her head snapped towards the direction of motion, pupils blown wide. Her face was contorted in a glassy stare of panic. Click. The door was unlocked. Her heart plummeted.

Inch by inch, the door crept open. The ominous creaking was anything but a respite from her terror. She let out a silent sob of anguish, a plea for help. Deep down, she knew that nothing could help her now. No one could save her.

She stared into the gaping black abyss before her. She heard a rustle emanate from within. She took a deep trembling breath, her hand crept towards the flashlight that lay beside her. She had not kept it turned on before in fear of being discovered. It was pointless now. It had found her. She clicked it on and directed the dim beam at the doorway.

Eyes as black as night, devoid of all emotion, gazed at her from within. A scream of pure terror ripped itself from her throat. The flashlight slipped from her grasp and clattered across the smooth floor. As if a switch was flicked, It’s eyes transformed to a haunting shade of blood red. Her stomach turned to ice. It pounced.

Cries for help and pleads for mercy spilled out from her mouth. Talons enclosed her neck, cold, unforgiving, It’s iron grip not unlike shackles. It dragged her like a ragdoll back where It came from. Her hands scrabbled on the stone floor, desperately attempting to find purchase. She thrashed around and kicked with all her might. It was no use, she was nothing against It. Pain and grotesque horror reflected in her eyes, even as they began to dull from lack of oxygen.

Heartbreaking wails filled the air in a terrible concerto as her legs, her torso, her head, her fingers disappeared into onyx void. Softer and softer, until finally, all was quiet once again.

Jocelyn

4 Justice