Death’s Gifted Soul Part 3 (Rough Draft)
This is a Dark Fiction, Thriller, Dreams, Fiction, Horror
Dear Diary
The clouds above lent a hint of twilight as I made my way home after an afternoon in the woods. The loud crunch of fallen leaves and branches beneath my feet and the distant whistle of the wind through the treetops brought an eerie calmness. Something felt off. I couldn't quite pinpoint it.
I stepped out of the woods, the weight of dread heavy on my shoulders as it had been for days. A chill tugged at the base of my spine at the sight of a strange book atop the mat outside my door. Curiosity won as I reached for it, flipping through its worn pages. Instantly, memories consumed me. Both overwhelmed and terrified, I held tightly to the journal wide-eyed. It was mine. As I held it to my chest, the connection was undeniable. My long-lost friend had returned. I almost dreaded what it had to say.
My heart pounded wildly as I considered the unwelcome thought of a stranger with intimate knowledge of my life. Was this person an ally or an enemy? A thick smog of uncertainty swirled around me as I consulted the journal for answers.
Within the pages of this old diary, I'd never felt so imprisoned or lost. My hands shook as I took in the faded ink. So many secrets and pain were held between the yellowing pages, yet I felt a strange pull toward them. I wondered how long it would take before the book gave me back my lost memories.
My heart was thick with anticipation as I flipped through its delicate pages, trying to find something to bring me closer to understanding—hoping to remember everything before losing another life.
I squinted as the bright light illuminated my face, and a faint voice emerged from its glow. I strained to make out the words, "Help me," she begged in desperation and fear. My feet quickly took me toward her cry, hoping I was not too late. As I approached, the light began to fade, and I could see her lying on the ground, blood surrounding her body. "Who did this to you?" I whispered urgently as she weakly lifted a trembling hand toward me. Her eyes widened in terror before she gasped out the word, "Run!"
A deafening silence settled around us. I turned slowly to face a demon that towered above me. Its sharp teeth glinting in the dim light and piercing yellow eyes seemed almost hypnotic.
The woman let out a piercing scream, her voice desperately demanding that the portal be closed. Her face contorted with fear, and tears streamed down her cheeks as she shouted the words repeatedly. I stood frozen in confusion, unable to comprehend what she wanted me to do or how.
I looked back at the demon, which seemed to have grown in size. It was now breathing heavily, and its skin began to crackle with dark electricity. Smoke emanated from every pore on its body as it steppedq closer.
As the woman's screams intensified, so did the demon's advances. It took slow and deliberate steps toward me as I stumbled backward in horror. Its massive claws reaching for me with each step it took. The sulfur smell wafted through my nostrils, and I knew I was in trouble.
From nowhere, I heard a voice whispering, "Don’t be afraid." His familiar tone numbed my fear. "You'll need to close this portal." I looked around frantically, trying to locate the source of the voice. But there was nobody in sight. "How can I do that?" I shouted, hoping for a quick response. The demon was getting closer and closer by the second, its dark aura enveloping me. "Focus," came his calm reply.
With a blood-curdling growl, the monster charged at me with all its might. "Right now, Do it now!" the voice yelled urgently.
A fatal blow to the chest, and my body hit the ground with a thud. I awoke with a fiery burning lingering in my chest, barely able to breathe. A dream that made me question if I'd unknowingly opened up the Dark World and how.
February 17, 1955
The wind whistled a chilling song through the crevices of the cabin, each gust carrying a ghostly chorus of the woods. I shuddered as goosebumps rose along my arms. Looking toward the window that seemed it would fly open at any moment, I swore I was nearing another battle. The music box on the bedside table that served as my companion chimed a single note for each gust of wind that penetrated the walls. No matter how hard I tried to remain positive, fear crept in, an old friend who always stayed too long. I felt trapped in this place, with no way of escaping, no one there to comfort me, and no way to run from the relentless howling of the wind.
I shivered, drawing the blanket tighter around my neck as I pulled the pillow close to my chest, inhaling and exhaling in a calm rhythm as wind rattled against my shutters. Eventually, it faded away, giving way to sweet nothingness until sleep finally won. But it’s not long before a dream wakens me.
I have only thought of the stranger who saved my life for weeks. Every night, I dreamt of him. His face is always so inviting—a face I’ve never seen. As I lay under an oak tree, he sang to me sweetly. Warmth radiated off his skin beneath my fingertips as I traced his blurred features. His lips were soft and full, and his kiss lingered on mine even after I awoke. However, every night we shared was momentous and punished by waking dreams of his death.
As much as I yearn for him, a dread overwhelms me at the thought of venturing out in search of him. So much of my time is spent missing a prince with no face—I hadn’t realized I had fallen in love for the second time with a man I had yet to meet formally. Could he be the same man from my journal?
The dream had left me restless, aching for something more tangible than just ethereal whispers. Maybe it was time to take a chance and pursue him, even if it meant braving the unknown dangers of a portal to the Dark World.
I leaped out of bed and scrambled for my favorite dark-wash jeans and fitted forest-green V-neck. I grabbed my leather jacket, pulling it on before fastening a sheath to my belt and sliding my blade into it.
My heart raced, but my resolve held firm; I knew I had to start in the alley where he had saved me. A place I dreaded returning to for I felt a portal there during my battle.
Though I feared returning to that demon-filled alleyway, a place of danger seemed to be our meeting ground—so where there is danger is where I must go.
My hands were clammy and slick against the steering wheel's leather, and my stomach churned with unease. Butterflies stirred and flapped wildly beneath my ribcage, queasiness settling at the pit of my gut as I drove into the dark alley. The further I went in, the more intense the raging energy pulsed. I was ready to leave, but I felt compelled to follow through in meeting the man who saved my life. Even if I wasn't strong enough to express my feelings, I still had unanswered questions only he could answer.
Streetlights bathed the paved stone road in a sickly yellow light. Nausea churned as I stepped out into the night air. The scent of cigarette smoke lingered, returning memories of when he emerged from dusk like a dark knight.
I heard his footsteps before I saw him, and a sudden wave of excitement surged through me as he confronted me. In the thick of darkness, his tall figure slowly emerges. His arms crossed in front of his chest in icy disapproval, and his voice cold and hard as he demanded to know what I wanted.
My heart thumped against my ribcage, at a loss for a response explaining my stalking him. I tried to speak, but my throat was tight. My saliva hardened with each swallow, the moist stones packing my vocal cords whenever I attempted to form words. His shadow engulfed me, destroying me, leaving nothing but fear inside.
Whatever it was that compelled me to find him suddenly seemed foolish at this moment; he resembled an untouchable deity with his stern stance and impenetrable aura. I found myself trapped in a surreal nightmare, constrained by the chains of my own obsession. Before I could pull myself together, I watched him vanish. It made me wonder if he was there or just an apparition from my imagination. Regret washed over me, a wave of emotional turmoil thrashing against heavy rocks.
With a jammed mind of unease and confusion, I realized he wasn't human, and I was probably in danger. Yet, I stood rooted in place, staring in shock as the frightening shadows of the alley seemed to encroach on me like an impenetrable wall. But even knowing that, I had no plan to give up. Which I knew was a mistake. I should have gotten in my car and gone home right then, but I needed answers, and I was sure he still lurked. I felt him watching me beyond the shadows.
Inching forward with ragged and shallow breaths, my eyes darted around the alleyway, searching for any sign of movement. Shadows danced along the walls, and the darkness seemed to breathe with a life of its own. Just as despair began to take hold, something made me freeze mid-step. A cold hand reached out from the dark, grabbing my wrist in an iron grip and pulling me into the abyss.
"Why are you looking for me?"
My heart thundered wildly. "You scared..." As soon as I yelled those words out, I kicked myself inwardly. Trying to keep myself from sounding afraid.
"I scared you?" His voice rumbled from behind, closer than I had anticipated. "Good."
His grip on my wrist tightened, his fingertips biting into my flesh as he yanked me toward him. When his minty breath gently brushed my neck, I just knew he could feel the rapid thumping of my heart and was relishing in it. My breath hitched as I tried to pull away, but his hold grew stronger.
"What do you want with me?" His voice lowered into a dangerous whisper that set alarms ringing within me. I turned to face him, finally seeing this mysterious stranger's face for the first time. The dim light illuminated his strong jawline, shadowing his tan skin and dark hair. His intense gaze caught me off guard, his gray eyes taunting, as if he could see the deepest parts of me with just one look. Fear clawed at my heart in a way I had never known before, yet along with it came a warmth that made my body tremble.
"You…" The word stumbled from my lips before being choked off by the intensity in his gaze: "You left without letting...letting us talk," I managed after clearing my throat several times.
His mouth quirked up at one corner, almost mocking-like, as he leaned forward until only a breath of air separated us. His voice was dangerously low when he spoke, each word dripping with sarcasm. "I see."
As if his energy roamed my pulsing veins, my body throbbed with desire as he moved closer, causing me to scramble back. His eyes pierced me with a cold stare that held me in place, suspended in time, a mouse trapped in the claws of a hawk. He seemed to probe the depths of my soul until I was nothing but a shell of who I used to be. A mindless creature willing to do anything he asked and be anyone he wanted me to be just to be near him.
"You have something to say?" his whispered breath fanning my face.
The intensity of our connection roared, a wildfire, sparking and crackling. Heat raced ferociously up my inner thighs, igniting every nerve until it surged through my spine when our bodies touched. I had to choose between fleeing or standing tall with courage in the moment of truth. Mustering my strength, I met his eyes bravely, saying, "Yes! Who are you? What are you?" My voice trembled slightly but steadily.
He stepped back, a satisfied smirk playing at the corners of his lips. His eyes gleamed with amusement and superiority as he spoke, "You should think before you act. Coming here again was stupid."
With clenched fists, a million emotions collided inside me. Rage and frustration bubbled up within me, but I also knew that deep down, he was right. Part of me wanted to yell and demand he give me answers, while another part wanted to turn away and forget I ever came.
His gaze seared into mine as if he had set his stare alight. Stumbling back, I was completely entranced by the intensity. His voice turned to a deep rumble of thunder, his words echoing off the alley walls until they hit me like ice-cold daggers as he leaned closer. "Your only questions should be how I knew you were here and why we are cursed by this unbreakable and unwanted bond." His words drilled through my every nerve. "Don't come looking for me again." His face twisted into a sinister smirk before he spun away and melted into the night.
My nails dug into my palms as I watched him fade away. Shock and anger twisted together as if serpents, sinking their venomous fangs into my heart. Raw, gut-wrenching despair gripped me as I contemplated the possibility that I might never see him again.
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