It was a Sunday night, and the pre work dread was beginning to sink deep into Nicki’s stomach. They sighed, flicking the switch on the kettle as they pulled a tub of hot chocolate from the cupboard.
The weekend had sped past them, and now, as the clock crept closer to midnight, Monday was watching and waiting.
Monday was not alone. Nicki was busying themselves with the kettle, and did not see their phone light up with a flurry of frantic messages from their friend Harald. Harald was too late. All of his warnings were in vain, because something evil had its eye on Nicki.
The sky outside was dark, and it was a moonless, starless evening. There was no light to be seen, except a pair of sparkling, shimmering red eyes outside the window.
Nicki didn’t notice, distracted by the small comfort they were whipping up in the kitchen, but something was watching, and waiting.
“Did you think that I wouldn’t find out?”
The mug plummeted to the tiled floor, a cascade of ceramic sailed past their shoes as the hot chocolate and marshmallows pooled on the floor.
Nicki looked around the kitchen, suddenly spying the eyes just beyond the window. In a flash, they vanished, reappearing over their shoulder, vanishing, appearing over by the door. Nicki spun around, desperately trying to trace them for more than a few seconds, but it was futile.
Someone was watching them, of that, they were sure, but they had no idea what they wanted or why they were being watched.
Nicki tried to run, but their body was bound to the moment, trapped inside the angry eyes of the mysterious stranger. They were frozen in fear as long fingernails began scratching down the back of their neck, and a breathy snarl filled the air.
“We all have to learn our lesson sometime, Nicki.” They shuddered as the voice spoke. “It’s your turn now.”
The eyes flashed up ahead, and Nicki was caught in their gaze, almost hypnotised. Their heart raced as the eyes seemed to grow, wide and endless. The whole room bled red. They were surrounded and enveloped by the endless eyes.
They were almost lost, lured into the light that filled the room, when pain pulled them from the trance and grounded them, back in the kitchen, at the mercy of the mysterious presence.
Their hand blistered as they howled in pain. Their eyes darted down to their burning hand, and they saw a tea spoon, soaked in the hot water and boiling their blistering skin. They tried to move, but they were trapped in the presence’s grasp. Long, red fingernails scratched up the skin of their sore hands, as the presence broke the still silence of the room.
“Just a joke, silly.” The creature whispered. Nicki sobbed, desperately trying to tear their hand from the heat of the spoon, but unable to move. “Go on then… do it back.” The presence pushed the spoon further down onto their skin, and Nicki cried out in pain as it burned deep into their hand. “I see everything.” The presence hissed, throwing Nicki to the ground.
The presence stood over Nicki, grinning and glaring. Tall and terrifying, with wide, wicked wings atop it’s shoulders, burning, bright red eyes and a hellish smile that sent shivers down their spine.
Nicki scrambled to their knees, only to be met by the large, looming eyes of the presence everywhere that they looked.
“You defied me, and now, you’re going to suffer, you little rat.”
Nicki’s jaw dropped and they were shaken, stuck in the cyclone of horror, as they watched the presence advance on them, their head spinning around with a manic grin, faster and faster with every second.
Nicki didn’t want to die, and so, they ran, pushing past the presence, crying out as claws sank deep into their skin, but running as fast as they could towards the front door of the flat.
“I told you to do your Duolingo, you little rat.” The presence called out, and against their better judgement, Nicki looked back, horrified to see the creature, in hot pursuit. Knives swung from each of it’s hands and it’s head span around and around, dark hair whipping behind it as it ran towards Nicki.
Something about the creature looked familiar, but Nicki didn’t have time to think about it. They ran, bursting through the door and down towards the fire escape. The lights began to flicker and flash, their heart pounding as they pushed through the fire door and slammed it shut behind them, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Nicki!” They looked down to the ground below, and smiled, sighing in relief as Harald stepped out of the darkness. “Nicki, I tried to stop her… It’s too late.” Nicki’s heart began to race again, they reached out to their friend, desperately hoping that he didn’t mean what they thought he meant.
Nicki knew, deep in their heart what the creature was, or more particularly, who the creature was, and they knew that there was nowhere else to run, and no way out.
The sky was red, furious and futile, and it seemed to swallow the whole world around them as Mercedes gripped Nicki in her claws with one last smile.
“I hope you’ve learned your lesson, rat.” She snarled, as she threw Nicki down the stairs with a cackle.
There was nothing left. Just the endless, enveloping red, bleeding out over everything, until there was nothing, and Nicki was heaped at the bottom of the stairs, still and silent under the moonlight.
Sincerely, Jennifer x 