Echo

I was in a swirl of fog, thick with pain and fear.

It seized my chest, squeezing tight, making my heart go into a beating frenzy. I couldn't see my hand in front of me when I stretched it out, nor could I move from the spot I was rooted to. Time seemed frozen in place as my body shivered against the cold and fearsome atmosphere.

Then I heard a voice whisper through the darkness: "I have her. Now."

The voice was so chilling I wrapped my arms around myself and wanted to run. I couldn't. My legs felt like blocks of metal welded to the floor; forever doomed to one spot.

The voice hissed a laugh. What was even more horrifying was it seemed to be inside my own head. As if they were my thoughts. Goosebumps raised everywhere.

The laugh grew to an echo, reverberating off the insides of my head. I clapped my hands over my ears, but it did not go away. It lingered, slowly fading from existence as another laugh let loose. It was maddening.

Each harsh laugh sent chills through my body, and by the end I was having convulsions. My body shook hard as sweat poured off me, soaking my shirt and collecting on the floor.

My eyes were wide open, scanning for the source of the sound. All the good it did me. The fog held a tight grip on me. My mind was screaming many things; Run! Get out! This can't be good! But it didn't make a difference. My legs felt detached and would not do as I commanded, even though I was nearly in tears and out of my mind from fear.

All I felt was doom.

Then in the back of my head, I heard a sharp scraping sound that pounded in my head. Each decibal of volume sent corresponding stabs of light through my closed eyes as the sound terrorized my ears. I was sure my ears would explode soon from the pressure. I jammed my eyes shut tight as the voice started to speak again, but it was unintelligible. Mutterings.

He chuckled a few times, always followed by slow breathing. But the breathing was in the distant recesses of my head. I was positive it wasn't mine, for I was laying, eyes closed, forehead presssed to the cold floor, breathing extremely fast. My chest was constricted in fear, but it felt as if I was glued to the floor.

I heard the echo of footsteps on the floor, and I shivered. A part of me knew what was coming, but it refused to elaborate. It was like having a tune stuck in your head all day and not being able to remember the title. Something was coming, but I didn't know what.

Just then, a horrible hair-raising scream rang out through the silence. Someone was dying...in pain...I knew I was listening to a murder. The scream joined my own as suddenly my vocal chords sprang to life, and the sounds echoed into nothing, suddenly fading away...