It was 3 in the morning.
The room was silent. The curtains were closed, and the only light came from the small digital clock beside her bed.
She was sleeping peacefully when a sudden noise woke her.
CRACK!
It sounded like someone had stepped on the wooden floor.
She opened her eyes.
For a few seconds, she saw nothing unusual. Her bedroom was dark, and everything seemed to be in its place.
Then she noticed something standing in the corner.
At first, she thought it was a coat hanging on the wall.
But it moved.
Her heart began beating faster.
A person was standing there.
No.
It wasn’t a person.
The thing was extremely tall. Its head almost touched the ceiling. Its arms were so long that its hands hung below its knees. Its legs were thin and strangely bent.
Its entire body was black.
Not like someone wearing black clothes.
It was darkness itself.
She couldn’t see its face, eyes, or skin. There was nothing to recognise. Just a tall, human-shaped shadow standing silently in her bedroom.
She tried to sit up.
But her body wouldn’t move.
She tried again.
Nothing.
Her arms, legs, and even her fingers were completely frozen.
Only her eyes could move.
The thing slowly turned its head towards her.
Then it took a step.
Creak.
Another step.
Creak.
It was coming closer.
She tried to scream, but no sound came out.
Her mouth wouldn’t open.
Tears began rolling down her cheeks.
The shadow stopped beside her bed.
For a moment, it stood completely still.
Then its body began to bend.
Its long arms reached forward, and its dark hands touched the mattress.
Slowly, it climbed onto her bed.
The mattress sank beneath its weight.
She could feel it.
This wasn’t just something she was seeing.
It was real.
The thing crawled towards her, moving its arms and legs like a spider.
Its knees pressed against her legs.
Its hands moved beside her shoulders.
Now it was crawling over her body.
Its enormous head hung directly above her face.
She could hear something coming from inside it.
A deep, wet breathing sound.
Hhhhhhh… Hhhhhhh…
She cried harder.
Please.
Please go away.
She repeated those words inside her head.
The shadow lowered its face.
Closer.
And closer.
Until there was almost no space between them.
Suddenly, a thin line appeared where its mouth should have been.
The line slowly opened.
Wider.
Wider.
Its mouth stretched across its entire face, revealing nothing but endless darkness.
Then something moved inside.
A long, black tongue slowly came out.
It was thick, wet, and unnaturally long.
She wanted to close her eyes.
But she couldn’t.
The tongue touched her chin.
It was freezing cold.
Slowly, it moved upwards.
Across her lips.
Over her nose.
Then across her eyes and forehead.
It was licking her face.
Again.
And again.
Her entire face was wet.
She could feel the horrible liquid running down her cheeks and into her ears.
She was crying silently, unable to move or breathe properly.
The creature opened its mouth even wider.
Its head moved towards hers.
And suddenly—
SHE WOKE UP.
She sat up, gasping for air.
Her heart was racing.
Her clothes were soaked in sweat.
She touched her face.
Wet.
Just sweat.
She looked around the bedroom.
Nothing.
No shadow.
No creature.
She began laughing nervously as tears rolled down her cheeks.
It had only been a nightmare.
A terrible nightmare.
She wiped her face with her blanket and took a deep breath.
Then she heard something.
Creak.
Her smile disappeared.
Slowly, she turned her head towards the bedroom door.
And there it was.
Standing in the doorway.
Its head touching the ceiling.
Its long arms hanging beside its body.
Completely black.
Completely still.
Staring directly at her.
Then, from somewhere inside the darkness, its mouth began to open.
END.
Writer : Alireza Hazareh
