"WAKE####UP####WHERE#####"

I woke up with a physical jolt, heavily dazed and confused.

My thoughts surged through decaying memories of strange dreams where I gazed out at various strange scenes and objects: planets and stars, a sundial frozen and some kind of blinding orb that bent black light around it as if I was looking through an obscurely illuminated glass ball floating in the night sky..But that wasn’t why I was confused and dazed. The reason I was confused and dazed was because even thought my eyes were open, it was pitch black and all I could hear was rattling, screaming and a baby crying.

And the reason I woke up with a jolt was because something was bashing into me.

Where..am I..have I fallen asleep with the TV on..is there an..earthquake? Why is there a baby crying-

"WAKE####UP!"

In a half asleep state, I fumbled around, looking for my phone but then I started to feel adrenaline blast into my system and my heart pounded in my chest as the living nightmare became real again.

Oh shit-

“GODU WHERE ARE YOU! SOMEONE’S TRYING TO GET IN! WHERE ARE YOU! PLEASE WAKE UP! PLEASE!!” Marri was screeching.

Marri!

I sprang to my feet. The door was getting ripped back and forth as something was hammering and yanking on the door.

"FUCK OFF! GO AWAY!" I bellowed out and pushed back against the hospital bed trolley.

Marri! I-It’s okay, I’m sorry-fuck! I’m so sorry! I’m here, I’m holding the door!” The barricade and door were getting hammered and poor little lone was screaming with such an awful intensity..it angered me that something was scaring and threatening him to that degree but the situation was utterly terrifying.

“PLEASE JUST GO AWAY! YOU ARE SCARING US! YOU ARE SCARING MY BABY! LEAVE US ALONE!!” Marri’s voice broke due to the sheer volume she was screaming. I'd never heard her voice sound so full of fear and anger, but the only response we got was more frantic banging and sounds of heaving breathing that escalated, almost with joy and excitement; there was some kind of sick anticipation of getting in.

My mind desperately raced to think amidst the screaming and crying and banging. I couldn’t see fuck all and I didn’t know what I should be doing.

I was hoping, praying, that maybe if I held the barricade, then the person would just give up and go away.

“F-FUCK OFF! STAY BACK! F-FFUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!” I shakily roared out. The fear in my voice was blatant, making me feel like a stupid scared idiot.

Their breathing somehow intensified even further and the pushing reached a frenzied level. The force behind it reached an absurd level and I could feel the barricade scraping forward as I scrambled with my feet to hold it and push back-

NO! NO! NO! F-

Suddenly it stopped.

Huh!?

I was gasping and swallowing in air as I heaved and pushed the barricade but it wouldn't budge a single millimeter, suggesting the door has been shut. I held my breath and tentatively peered over in the general direction of the door but couldn’t see anything-

Are...are they gone???

The gloom was so thick with only a few scatterings of moonlight filtering through here and there, my eyes played nasty tricks on me as shadows crawled and grinned at me in the darkness..All I could hear was the deep, wheezy manic breaths and Lone crying with Marri frantically trying to shush and comfort him. But then, as if staged by some sick deity, there was a strong gust of wind that blew the thick blind aside and bright moonlight burst in and I glanced over at Marri's illuminated eyes and saw her staring at the door in pure terror as Lone wailed and squirmed in terror in her arms.

In what felt like slow motion, I returned my gaze at the door and…saw it.

Oh gods no.

It had managed to push the door open and was wedged inbetween poking its head through. It had a...human, head..that looked way too large, way too oval. And it had oily stringy black hair with gods-awful oversized eyes, glazed with yellow orbs instead of white with a jet black dilated iris..The mouth was horrifyingly oversized and wide.

That can't be fucking real.

It was just grinning with enlarged incisor teeth that were coated in blood and the giant inhuman eyes were practically glowing, staring right at me as they reflected the moonlight with a cats eye shimmer.

Fucking hell.

As the blind fell back in place and plunged us back into the gloom, I could still somewhat make out the eyes; they didn't move away from me until Marri scrambled out of the bed, whimpering, then slipped and fell which caused her to scream in panic, scream from anger, fear, desperation, pain, a desperation to protect our crying newborn boy, Lone.

My mind was frozen from the sheer mental overload, but I managed a few steps back, giving up on my failed barricad, and just staring at the pitch black entrance with the faintly glimmering, large yellow eyes.

“GODU! WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING! MAKE IT STAY BACK! KEEP IT AWAY! PLEASE! GODU!”

She was back up behind me, moving towards the window and I felt sickly, cold fear as Lone's wails trailed off..I started to very slowly walk back, mentally stunned, but my shitty instincts somewhat helping to avoid making any sudden movements.

What do I do.

My skin crawled as the eyes moved, matching the same slow pace that I had until Marri yanked the blinds back, flooding the moonlight back in, and my mind froze and I stumbled back in horror as I watched the creature continue its entry whilst scanning the room methodically with short controlled movements of its head, yet it was breathing so fast as it returned its gaze on me.

And it grinned even wider.

With its large mouth agape, I was treated to a view of its disgusting mouth filled with unknown dark fluids and littered with chunks of debris, all dripping on to the vinyl flooring that pitter pattered like rain on an umbrella. Its body was covered in a dark ragged gown, clearly stained with blood with a face that was unmistakably stained with yellow vomit or dried blood...or both. It had slightly elongated everything, arms, fingers, legs and its oval head looked hunched over it’s shoulders; I couldn’t get over how wide its mouth was with that grin.

That..fucking..grin.

Lone must have passed out from the wailing but regained a moment of energy and cried out; the horror suddenly locked its eyes behind me and opened its mouth impossibly wider as it started to tread fearlessly towards us. Inside the mouth, amidst the strands of fluid, you could clearly see a large chunk of meat with a tiny wristband wedged in the teeth. It could only be human flesh..a small tiny half mangled foot with tiny toes.

Something quietly snapped inside my mind.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Must..Must have been.. From..From the N..I..C..U.....

The neonatal intensive care unit for babies born too early.

As the realisation hit me, it was..Strange. I didn’t throw up, but instead I…didn’t feel anything. I felt blank.

“OH MY GOD IT HAS BEEN EATING CHILDREN! GODU!!! IT WANTS LONE! IT WANTS TO FUCKING EAT LONE!! I WON’T LET IT TAKE HIM!"

It sucked sharply in and raised a clawed hand to its mouth, pushing fluids and debris back in, loudly swallowing.

“YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! STAY BACK! YOU HEAR ME? YOU COME NEAR HIM AND I’LL TEAR YOUR FUCKING THROAT OUT!!” She was sobbing and screaming and Lone had regained enough energy to take on a terrible vocal pitch from all the screaming and crying he had been doing.

I..I will..

As I backed up, I spontaneously had a flash of the most grotesque scenario appear in my mind. Disturbing, sick images where this thing grabbed my little boy and started to chew on him whilst he screamed garbled noises in pain.

*Crack* *munch* *scream* *rip* *tear* *scream* *squish* *slick* *wail* *whimper*

Was this judgement day? Was I staring at a demon? A monster? A nightmare? Ancient, basic survival instincts were igniting and firing up at these imaginary images and thoughts, and I became drunk from a mixture of rage and fear.

I will..kill..it.

Rage was exponentially winning, blocking out all the fear, leaving behind pure hate, and my new logic dictated told me to 'kill what you hate'.

Kill it. Kill it. KILL IT. KILL IT!

It was almost a kind of relief as I let out a roar and charged into the creature, right shoulder first. It reacted to my first step almost instantly, hissing and wrapping its arms around me and embracing me as it bit into my shoulder, but as it sunk its teeth my reckless sloppy charge knocked us both off balance and painfully onto the barricade. It suddenly let go, and an almighty clang sounded out as it bashed into the metalwork of the bed; the force of the impact bounced us into the air then onto the floor with my weight toppling on top of it.

Now I am 6ft 3, and this thing was probably the same height, but our weight classes were evident the moment I knocked into it.

I was heavier. Much Heavier.

Our arms flapped around as we scrambled to try and get a purchase or gain an advantage, but there was just a constant screech and an inhumanly high pitched wailing coming from the creatures mouth and it fucking enraged me to no end. I was sleep deprived, utterly stressed, tired, coked up on dangerous levels of adrnaline, and all this noise was just fuelling my rage and anger and fucking hatred.

Be quiet.

The few times I could grab onto an arm it felt revoltingly thin and slimy. The thing smelled absolutely foul, like warm bad milk with decaying dead animals. It made me even more angrier, every single thing about its existence deeply offended me. I managed to get one hand to hammer-fist down on the thing's face and it’s head bounced against something metal. It briefly stopped making noise and my simple brain approved.

So, being a pattern creature, I did it again.

Bang. No noise. Good.

It clawed at my face and scratched me painfully on my cheeks, chest and arms. Then screeched something almost like words, as if calling out for someone.

Shut up!

Hammer again. Wet Smack. No noise. Good.

My body felt pain but it felt... distant. So I ignored it all.

Smack. Again. Silence. Good. SMACK. Again. More Silence. Good.

SMACK SMACK. Again. Again.

Crack. Smack. Crunch.

Its resistance was getting weaker and weaker but more importantly, quieter; I vaguely noticed that Lone had stopped screaming and I couldn’t hear Marri either, but it became a mere secondary observation as the thing started to make more noise..again.

Please. Shut. UP! I'm so tired, I just want to sleep...STOP MAKING SO MUCH NOISE! STOP. MAKING. FUCKING. NOISE!!

With one final grunt I brought both hands up and slammed them down onto the fuckers still grinning face, aiming all strength onto it’s nose area; a nose that was extremely receded with enlarged slits. A sickening crack rang out as I felt cartilage cave inwards...Then..Then there was blissful silence.

Quiet...quiet....What..What just happened..

Taking a wheezing breath I tried to stand but couldn't, my legs felt like jelly...So I waited, and took another heavy breath, shaking and shivering, the urge to vomit rising in my throat-

"UGHHKK-" Suddenly I was tackled from the side and had the air knocked out of me. Stars punched into my vision and I didn’t register what had happened for a second or more. Something was trying to bite into my side as it pinned me down, I feebly clawed at it to try and keep it off me but-

"ARGHHHHHHHHHH!" As pain seared in my side, I let out a howl of agony. I spotted the smashed up face of the creature I thought I had killed, staggering behind what I know knew was a second one currently biting down on my lower ribs. My adrenaline fuelled rampage was draining from me as I weakly fought back.

"Mmm...Mmm..Rrrrrun..." I groaned as I tried to call out to Marri, desperate to muster the last few dregs of strength..but my body wouldn't respond..

I feel weak...and so tired...dammit I can’t fight two of them...Please Marri....get the hell out...Get help-

Without warning, the pain in my side stopped as I felt the second creature release my side and raise its head. It looked at me with bulging, grotesquely large yellow eyes with its mouth wide open. It seemed like it was trying to say something, but couldn’t, and its face fell to the side and drifted away from me as the first beaten creature stumbled clumsily over, falling on top of me. My body started to recover and, raising my hands, I grabbed its throat, trying to keep it from smothering my face and squeezed as hard as I could.

I felt its windpipe collapse with a pop and a crunch under my thumbs with no attempt to fight back.

But there was no time to grimace or process what I'd just done as I heard a loud crack next to me so I pushed the limp creature off and realised Marri had the second creature in a crab headlock, restrainging the vile piece of shit from behind. I got up and stumbled, but caught myself and stood over Marri who was still squeezing the things neck as hard as she possibly could with her arm, even though it was limp and silent.

There were a few seconds I just stared dumbfounded by the situation, before realising I needed to do something.

I need to make sure.

“R-roll it...this way-” I struggled to push out the words. I felt sick-drunk and on the verge of collapse.

Marri whimpered but pushed the thing off her and it flopped over onto the floor with a slap. Once it was away from her I knelt on its back and grabbed its jaw and the back of its head and I twisted and yanked with whatever strength I had left until the neck joint crunched and felt sickeningly limp. I took no satisfaction with the snaps and cracks where tendons and bones probably were getting heavily destroyed, but Marri had already done most of the work.

Half of me was appaled by this extreme violence, but the other half was too numb to care.

So tired...

I got up and shakily stumbled over to the first shithead and started clumsily stomping on its neck. This act of violence was so terrible, I realised there were tears streaming from my eyes but I didn’t stop-

I..can’t..

I got up and dragged the lifeless body, cursing as I grabbed something sharp on the corpse, to the window and heaved it out with a growl and then collapsed down onto the floor. I took a moment to gather myself, before getting up and repeating the same for the second but my heart skipped a beat when I caught a strange shadow rush towards me and a set of keys landed on the floor; inexplicably a rush of adrenaline flowed throwed my body into overdrive, and a second wind kicked in.

What was that!!

Nothing more happened but I located the keychain and found 8 keys with a number stamped onto each one.

What the..fuck..Don't tell me..Shitshitshit..don't think about it for now..

I didn't. I simply finished throwing the body out and clutched onto the keys as I staggered over to the door and, matching up the number 8, I managed to mercifully lock the door. If I had any tears left or energy, I would have wept for joy..

"The doors locked.." I managed to croak a whisper and felt a wave of relief as my sanity was partially restored. Looking over at Marri in the moonlight who was shaking, drinking some water next to the cot that was holding an disturbingly quiet Lone and swapping glances from him to me. She had tears streaming down her face but she managed to give me an awfully broken smile that almost looked like-

Wait don't tell me! NONONONO!

I started to panic as a cold feeling swept over me in anticipation for her to tell me something horrendous had happened to Lone!-But then I heard a soft yawning mewl as Lone stirred then went back to sleep..He was just resting.

We were both crying silently, staring at the cot and at each other, emotions shot to absolute shit.

I need a fucking hug..

But as I walked towards her, my body started to succumb and shutdown, and the room started to spin rapidly in what felt like falling through quicksand. I stumbled and collapsed onto the floor, my vision just rolling around as Marri hissed in panic and came rushing over to me. Randomly, an old memory surfaced of a time I'd had my drink spiked when out with a group of friends, an utterly horrible experience where I could think perfectly fine, but my other senses were all sparking in and out of existence, leaving me horribly aware as I slipped between conciousness and nothingness. My body simply wouldn't react or allow me access to my senses properly and the paramedics were called and were trying to communicate with me to try and help, but I had no way of communicating physically yet I was screaming inside my mind “HELP! I’VE BEEN DRUGGED! I CAN HEAR YOU!” But they just thought it was just another drunk idiot.

A very troubling experience, where you realise, the actual you, the grey ball of thinking matter, is trapped in a meat and bone suit of armour.

And my suit of fleshy armour was heavily damaged and most probably poisoned.

…

..

.