Those of the Night

The night sky shone dark above. Not a complete black, but a dark purple, with dark grey clouds floating overhead. Below there was a field. A massive field. A dark field. The grass was a dark green in the night, about a foot long, spreading as far as the human eye could see. Spots of trees grew here and there. Tall ones, of the oak and maple variety. As far as life goes, nothing moved.1

But me. There I was, walking through this field. What am I doing here? How did I get here? I didn't really care. Here was here and that's where I was. I saw a small shape on the ground about 100 feet in front of me. As the wind blew it made crackling noises. I kept on walking towards it. As if I have a choice. They were potato chips. I kept walking closer, still. As if I have the option to walk the other way. I approached the bag of chips and picked them up. The bag crinkled and rattled as I wrapped my hands on it. Doritoes. But what are they doing here?2

3

Lights blazed on. I spun around. Two big headlights sat a few yards behind me, blinding me. It was all I could see. God, just go the fuck away. I looked slightly away from the lights and my eyes adjusted.4

It was a car. Obviously. A dark red, it appeared to be about from the 70s. I couldn't quite make out the model. It was too dark. A man sat in the driver's seat of the car, staring at me. Just staring, with his hands on the wheel. He was cocasian, with dark brown hair. He seemed about in his 30's. Are those his chips? He smiled at me. I didn't like it. What is he doing here? What am I doing here?5

I thought about it no more. I turned around and ran. I ran through the dark fields. Passed multiple patches of trees. I looked behind me. He was hundreds of yards behind me. I heard the car door slam shut as if right next to me. The man was out of his car.6

I know what to do. I've done this before. I slowly flapped my arms up and down, and thought of the sky. Thought of floating, as if in water. I began to fly. Up, higher and higher. I looked down below at the patches of trees as I moved away from them. Or are they moving away from me? I could see the man down below me. He was walking casually to a patch of trees. Does he know to look in the sky? Did he see me take off? Perhaps he'll look in the trees.7

Without turning around, he began to slowly flap his arms, and float into the sky. His back was still turned to me. Shit. I tried to go faster. He'll never catch me. He turned around. He saw me. Or did he already know I was here? Where is here? He began floating towards me, still slowly but surely flapping his arms. I must go faster. I began to fall a little. NO! I quickly recovered. I must get away from him. He was getting closer. Too close. He was faster than me. His face began to shift as he got closer. His hair turned black and grew longer. His face turned a pale white. His nose hooked over.8

And he was laughing. A maniacal laughter, as if he couldn't stop. His arms were folded up now, slightly pointing out, but he still floated. His fingers grew longer. His black nails grew sharp and long. Still laughing. I was slowing down. God dammit it why am I slowing down? My arms stopped flapping, but I was still hovering. And he was still laughing. A cackling, maniacal laughter. His arms and face twitched as he laughed. How does he breathe with all that laughing? He was getting closer. Am I giving up? Why have a stopped flapping my arms? My arms!9

I looked down at my arms. They were folded up like his. Twitching and dangling around. Still holding the bag of chips. He won't get those chips! He was closer now, only a few feet from me. Laughing. He reached out to me. Wacking his hands and arms against me. I blocked them with my twitching arms. My God, he's still laughing!10

"Get away from me! Fucking freak!" I yelled at him. Still laughing. "You want your fucking chips? Here!" I threw them up in the air. Please go after them. They were coming back down. Please catch them and go away. He reached out for them, arms still slightly folded, but he was too slow. They fell through his long fingers. As if he cares. He was still attacking me. Still laughing. I need to get out of here! I thought of a place other than this. I tried to imagine myself there. I vanished.11