Hypnagogia
Stumble In The Dark
My eyes squint from the sharp change in lighting as I am met with the familiar green glow of my alarm clock. Four-thirty-three in the morning. Sitting up in the half empty bed, I rub my head from the agonizing pain that has become a reoccurring normality. Tonight however, the pain seems to be much more aggravating. I was still groggy and my vision was a bit blurry. I glanced back at the clock to make sure I had read it correctly.
My eyes only met with the absence from the clock's usual glow. Did the power go out? I got up and tried flipping the light switch. Nothing. Still dark. After stumbling around a bit, I reach the drawer that held my small flashlight and flicked the switch. The light dimly lit my surroundings. I aimed it at the now destroyed alarm clock that used to lay near my bed.
"What the hell is going on?", I wonder aloud as I look over the broken clock in hand.
Argh! The pounding in my head increased and I dropped the flashlight. Gripping my head with my hand, I bend over to pick it up again. As I retrieve the small metal object, a glimpse of a shadow ran across my vision through the bedroom doorway out in the hall. A shiver went up my spine, as I soon realize that my bedroom door wasn't open before.
My brain ached as if it were trying to tell me something. It seemed to be insisting that I should see what may be in my house. With each pulse of pain, my head begged me to find...what? What is it that is out there? I needed to know now. My feet quickly picked up and led me to the hallway. Soon after, they stopped abruptly. The faint light from my flashlight was aimed at a few streaks of blood on the wall. The pain in my head urged me to move forward.
A noise, barely audible over the pressure of my skull being compressed by what felt like a ton of bricks caused me to think the sound came from downstairs somewhere. I trend down the darkness of the stairs, one step at a time, until I miscalculated my footing and slid down the last couple of steps onto the wood flooring. I landed next to a pile of glassy shards. The light near the bottom of the staircase was now in pieces. Among the pile was the shell of a bullet and a splatter of more blood. A low groan could be heard throughout the house. As I pushed myself up off of the ground, the pain in my head guided me towards the kitchen.
The blue moonlight that crept through the window above the sink gave a little bit more light to my surroundings. My hands start to shake uncontrollably.
"Stop it!", I yelled as I threw the flashlight across the kitchen.
Still my hands shook, then turned instantly numb like a million little bugs crawling underneath my skin. As if under a greater power, they started to nervously search through the drawers and cabinets, throwing silverware and plates across the floor furiously. Out of breath, I looked out of the window and hushed.
"What do you want from me..?"
Breathing heavily, I look back over my shoulder toward the counter island, taking up the center space of the kitchen. I slumped towards it and stopped. My shadow was being cast half on the floor and half on the tile of the counter top. Resting there in its wooden holder was a collection of various knifes. Their black, slightly curved handles sticking out as if they were jumping fish half way caught in the act.
My finger glided across each knife until they found the one with the thickest hilt. Slowly, I pulled the blade from its wooden restraint and held it before me. Moonlight reflected off of this monster of a knife and gave it a beautiful silver-blue tint. I was so mesmerized by the glow that I wanted to take a closer look. My hands were already a step ahead of me...
"W-w-wake...", a voice croaked.
It sounded so familiar.
"Up." My eyes open.
The lights are on, but how? They were out a little bit ago. I am in the bathroom. Why am I in here? I was just in the kitchen, and their was these knives and, and... That's when I saw myself in the mirror. I wanted to scream but couldn't. I was too appalled by what the thin piece of glass revealed. This-this thing! It didn't look anything like me, yet I knew it was. What frightened me the most was not how unrecognizable and bruised I looked, but of what was in the firm grasp of my hand.
A knife. Not just any knife though. The same one that was in the kitchen. The blade raised up to the edge of my neck. My hand a quite tremble. Thoughts raced through my mind. Then, like a deer in the headlights, it hit me. I was asleep the whole time. The noises, the blood, the broken clock...that was all me. The thing that was in my house was me. The pain in my head was urging me to find myself. To save myself...
I was going throughout my house and banging myself up. When I lost control of hands, its because my mind was starting to wake up. My awake body was the one in control. Now I'm covered in scratches, bruises, and cuts that I must have inflicted upon myself. And I guess I woke up just in the nick of time. This entire time, I guess I was...
"...Sleepwalking again...."
My eyes only met with the absence from the clock's usual glow. Did the power go out? I got up and tried flipping the light switch. Nothing. Still dark. After stumbling around a bit, I reach the drawer that held my small flashlight and flicked the switch. The light dimly lit my surroundings. I aimed it at the now destroyed alarm clock that used to lay near my bed.
"What the hell is going on?", I wonder aloud as I look over the broken clock in hand.
Argh! The pounding in my head increased and I dropped the flashlight. Gripping my head with my hand, I bend over to pick it up again. As I retrieve the small metal object, a glimpse of a shadow ran across my vision through the bedroom doorway out in the hall. A shiver went up my spine, as I soon realize that my bedroom door wasn't open before.
My brain ached as if it were trying to tell me something. It seemed to be insisting that I should see what may be in my house. With each pulse of pain, my head begged me to find...what? What is it that is out there? I needed to know now. My feet quickly picked up and led me to the hallway. Soon after, they stopped abruptly. The faint light from my flashlight was aimed at a few streaks of blood on the wall. The pain in my head urged me to move forward.
A noise, barely audible over the pressure of my skull being compressed by what felt like a ton of bricks caused me to think the sound came from downstairs somewhere. I trend down the darkness of the stairs, one step at a time, until I miscalculated my footing and slid down the last couple of steps onto the wood flooring. I landed next to a pile of glassy shards. The light near the bottom of the staircase was now in pieces. Among the pile was the shell of a bullet and a splatter of more blood. A low groan could be heard throughout the house. As I pushed myself up off of the ground, the pain in my head guided me towards the kitchen.
The blue moonlight that crept through the window above the sink gave a little bit more light to my surroundings. My hands start to shake uncontrollably.
"Stop it!", I yelled as I threw the flashlight across the kitchen.
Still my hands shook, then turned instantly numb like a million little bugs crawling underneath my skin. As if under a greater power, they started to nervously search through the drawers and cabinets, throwing silverware and plates across the floor furiously. Out of breath, I looked out of the window and hushed.
"What do you want from me..?"
Breathing heavily, I look back over my shoulder toward the counter island, taking up the center space of the kitchen. I slumped towards it and stopped. My shadow was being cast half on the floor and half on the tile of the counter top. Resting there in its wooden holder was a collection of various knifes. Their black, slightly curved handles sticking out as if they were jumping fish half way caught in the act.
My finger glided across each knife until they found the one with the thickest hilt. Slowly, I pulled the blade from its wooden restraint and held it before me. Moonlight reflected off of this monster of a knife and gave it a beautiful silver-blue tint. I was so mesmerized by the glow that I wanted to take a closer look. My hands were already a step ahead of me...
"W-w-wake...", a voice croaked.
It sounded so familiar.
"Up." My eyes open.
The lights are on, but how? They were out a little bit ago. I am in the bathroom. Why am I in here? I was just in the kitchen, and their was these knives and, and... That's when I saw myself in the mirror. I wanted to scream but couldn't. I was too appalled by what the thin piece of glass revealed. This-this thing! It didn't look anything like me, yet I knew it was. What frightened me the most was not how unrecognizable and bruised I looked, but of what was in the firm grasp of my hand.
A knife. Not just any knife though. The same one that was in the kitchen. The blade raised up to the edge of my neck. My hand a quite tremble. Thoughts raced through my mind. Then, like a deer in the headlights, it hit me. I was asleep the whole time. The noises, the blood, the broken clock...that was all me. The thing that was in my house was me. The pain in my head was urging me to find myself. To save myself...
I was going throughout my house and banging myself up. When I lost control of hands, its because my mind was starting to wake up. My awake body was the one in control. Now I'm covered in scratches, bruises, and cuts that I must have inflicted upon myself. And I guess I woke up just in the nick of time. This entire time, I guess I was...
"...Sleepwalking again...."