*poem converted to a short story*
The faded green dress that once clung flawlessly to the curve of her flesh now hung in tatters. Her chest heaved up and down as she struggled to catch her breath, pale blue eyes darted from side to side. Occasionally she peered over her left shoulder knowing something was following her but she was afraid that she might actually see someone or something. What was it and how long had it been following her.
With trembling hands she reached them up to cover her mouth to silence her breathing and to also keep herself from screaming from the terror that was creeping through her. Perhaps it had all been in her imagination and there was nothing out there in the darkness but then she heard it, very faintly at first. It was the crunch of leaves beneath what sounded like heavy boots pressing against the ground.
The words cut through the air like a knife “I can hear you” A gasp escaped her lips before she was able to stop herself. She froze in place hoping that whatever was out there in the darkness would not be able to find her.The footsteps became louder, snapping twigs and scuffing against leaves as the voice spoke again this time in a much darker tone “ I can smell your fear.”
She began to shake, the realization that whatever it was, it was persistent and if she ran it would definitely catch up to her but if she remained still…She pressed her back up against the tree and desperately tried to convince herself that her imagination was running wild and the voices were simply in her mind. Suddenly she felt the touch of icy cold fingers on her right shoulder, not grasping onto her but just firmly placed as if to let her know it was behind her.
She let out a piercing scream and sat up in her bed, quickly turning on the bedroom light, beads of sweat on her forehead as she grabbed onto her blanket, her eyes scanning the room but there was nothing there and the curtains were still closed, the door to her room still shut and nothing else seemed out of place.
It must have been just a dream she told herself but it felt so real. She really needed to stop watching those movies with her friends before coming home to her empty apartment at night. It was starting to mess with her head, convincing her of things that were not there.
She let out a sign of relief and shook her head before reaching over to turn off the light, pulling the covers over her head as she did her best to try to go back to sleep. As she closed her eyes to drift off ,there was a voice from the darkness.
“I can see you”
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