Running.

The only thing I know is running. No memories, no other thoughts. simply running.

Then the fear kicks in.

Rushing through my veins, it pushes me, forcing my legs to move faster, fleeing some unknown terror that cannot be outrun.

Darkness.

The darkness surrounds me, almost solid, almost shaping itself into my surroundings, but never enough to be real. Things, formless creatures, seem to leap out at me, never touching, never close enough to see, but always there. Watching. Waiting. Following.

Still I run. Always on the verge of collapse, and always pushing myself farther and farther, always ahead of, but never escaping the Thing that pursues me.

The Thing.

The nameless creature that haunts my every step. That faceless horror; never seen, but always there, chasing me, pursuing me. Though I never see it, I can hear it. Large, heavy footsteps, and noises; inhuman, otherworldly noises. And though I never remember it, I know it’s power; it is an unstoppable, horrific monster that is never outpaced, and I know that as soon as I stop, it will have me.

So I run, never stopping, always exhausted. But I hear those sounds, those terrifying sounds, and the fear and adrenaline course through my veins, forcing me to keep moving, to keep running, keep trying to escape this nameless, faceless Thing.

Then, falling.

Before I know what is happening, I am falling. and I can hear the monster roar above me, and I think, is this it? Have I escaped?

Then the impact.


A scream escapes my lips as I sit bolt upright in bed, breathing hard. A moment of disorientation, not knowing where I am. Then my beloved is there, holding me, reassuring me. And so I relax into his arms, and soon I am on the edge of sleep again, safe, wrapped in the arms of my lover, the nightmare soon forgotten. But just before I drift into dreams, I look towards the window and see the darkness, and two glowing yellow eyes that belong to the Thing, and know that, though it may be forgotten, the nightmare will never truly be gone.