Darkened Living

• Emily Kirstenfeldt
• Short Story
• 2011

I crept through the creaking door into a small dark room; I turned my torch on, afraid of what could leap out in front of me at any moment. I made my way toward the old tiled staircase. As I walked up the stairs, I kept peeping behind me, making sure nothing was there.
I reached the top of the old stairs. Still looking around, I shone the torch into a corner to find a human skeleton with its pet dog. The beam of my light sliced through the eerie darkness on, finding more skeletons of other, different creatures, blood beside their remains, and knife above their skull. I looked behind my back again with the torch shining into a man’s dark, threatening eyes.
I dropped the torch and sprinted down the stairs, running for my life, the man right behind me. I let out a scream of terror, as I ran from the man, gasping for air as I went. The man was catching up, knife in his hand. I ducked, hoping for a miss. Still, I ran finding myself lost in the maze of this dark old house.
He caught up within an instant punching me in the stomach, making me fall backwards. I got up again and fought the man. I knew I was going to lose this fight but I had to keep strong. He threw a punch at my face hitting me hard. I felt the blood from my nose and lip trickle down my neck and on to my shirt collar. I gazed around the dark room seeking for an exit, but nothing.
I turned around for a split second, finding an opening, and as I ran into it he laughed his evil laugh.
I found myself chained to a wall trapped in a room. He snatched a knife hanging from the wall, I closed my eyes ready for it to jab into my body, but nothing happened. He raised the knife aiming for my chest. Opening my eyes I whispered “Don’t. Please”. Tears started rolling down my cheeks. He lowered the knife and I gave a sigh of relief. That was one big mistake.
He raised the knife again and threw it into my thigh. Again and again, he pushed his evil weapon to do its evil work. I was hardly breathing. He ran and left me, chained to the wall, to this unfair end of life. I took my last breath, and dropped my head.......