"Run…"
Every night it was the same dream.
"RUN!"
Every time it started the same way.
"JOSEPH! YOU'VE GOTTA RUN!"
A woman's voice would cry out to me from the darkness.
A voice that simply told me to run… But from what?
That's when I'd see it. A room consumed by fire. But this fire was no ordinary fire. The flames that surrounded me were the darkest black I had ever seen. Nearly undistinguishable from the smoke that filled my very nostrils.
The flame spread across the room, climbing my body, almost as if they were alive.
I could feel the flames consuming my body. Initially the flames felt cold, but as they continued to turn my body into embers. The cold burned my very nerves.
"JOSEPH PLEASE RUN! YOU HAVE TO SURVIVE!"
The voice would scream again from beyond the flames.
As the flames rose I could feel sleep overwhelming me. My eyelids would start to close on their own. I wanted to run but I was so very tired…
"Just let me rest a little." I thought to myself, as my body was pulled into slumber. That's when I woke up. Panting hard, as I gripped my chest tightly. My heart raced and my head hurt. My body was drenched in sweat and frozen in a surreal fear. "Why..?" "why, did I keep having that dream?" I thought quietly to myself. For 3 years straight, I had the same nightmare every night. And each time it ended, just like it had started. Up in smoke.
I let out a deep breath as I felt my heart rate start to return to normal. I looked around my room that wad clad in darkness. Only the bright green light of my alarm clock and my gaming pc shone in the dark of the room. The clock read 4:55AM. The house was all but silent, only the slight sound of my pc fan filled my room. I let out a sigh and got up, getting dressed for my morning run. I usually didn't care about fitness. But my therapist suggested going on a run, after I spoke to him about my reoccurring nightmares. He said it was a good way to decompress after dealing with extreme loss, which tended to affect patients sleep patterns. Something about nightmares tend to be the body's response to trauma and a way of dealing with repressed emotions. My name was Joseph Hashiro, and I was a 19 year old, college student who lived alone in a small apartment in Fukuoka, Japan. I didn't always live alone though. My mom had remarried a Japanese native name Haruto Hashiro. He was kind, and gentle with her. And stood by her side when she got sick 3 years ago. He treated me like I was his own son, and was someone I could depend on. Or at least I thought. When she passed away he became a shut in. Only rarely coming out of his room to eat. That was before one day he randomly disappeared. A police investigation was launched and for a year everyone searched for him. But it was like he vanished into thin air. Of course rumors began to spread. Rumors like, "he probably abandoned his kid and killed himself after the passing of his wife" or "maybe that kid had something to do with it". Just random incoherent babble with no credibility. But you know how people with nothing better to do act, they gossip. I could deal with rumors, they normally die out. But I guess they only gained more traction with the facts my grandparents on my dad's side didn't care to have a relationship with me either. The only times I ever saw them, was when they stopped by occasionally to pay the rent or make sure I had groceries. Other than that I rarely saw the two. They had a problem with my father marrying a foreigner even though they did their best to hide it. It was alright, I guess. Part of me enjoyed the peace of being alone. I finished getting dressed and grab the black digital watch, that used to belong to my mother off of my computer desk and headed out. As I locked my front door to begin my day, the cool wind softly kissed my neck. The sky was still dark, with the moon cascading its pale light on the streets. Street lights and vending machines illuminated the roads. It was peaceful and quiet. Just like I liked it. I took one final glance at my watch before beginning my morning jog. 5:05AM
I remember when I first started running, I would get lost along the street corners. The unfamiliar writing on the signs seemed nonsensical to me. I let out a sigh, pushing the memories from years ago, away as I continued on my familiar path. I had marked out a mile and a half run for my morning routine. At first I used to get winded running up the winding streets and hills. What once was difficult to me had become second nature, and much easier. I looked at my watch seeing an hour had almost passed. It was 5:57AM. Soon the empty streets would be filled with early morning commuters, on their way to their comfy desk jobs. I rounded the last corner and came upon a vending machine stocked with drinks. I stopped and made sure to jog in place as I reached my hand into my pocket. Feeling the familiar metal of the coins in my pockets. I figured I'd have just enough yen for a water at least. As I was about to select my drink a random shadow caught my eye, as it rushed quickly behind me. I jumped, only to find it was just an alley cat. It came up to me letting out a soft pur. Probably just begging for food.
"Sorry little guy, I don't have much." with that I did pull out a nutrition bar I had in my right pocket. "This will have to do for now." I said, as I bent down and broke off a piece for the little guy. He rubbed against my leg graciously and began to nibble on the piece given. I pet it's ear and watched it scarf down the piece before it got up and ran off into the shadows. "Eh, so much for being grateful." I said sarcastically as I finished grabbing my drink and took a sip. That's when i felt a cold presence come over me. Every hair on the back of my neck stood, as I looked around frantically, searching my surroundings. That's when my body froze in place, as I starred into the empty alley before me. A set of two red glowing eyes starred at me. Almost as peering deep into my very soul. I felt my heart began to race, but I couldn't move. Every primal instinct in me, screamed to run. But there I stood completely paralyzed by fear. That's when I heard it speak.
"HELLO CHILD… DO NOT BE AFRAID." the voice reverbed throughout my head. I couldn't make out what the figure before me was. But something told me that the thing that stood before me wasn't human.
"SOMETIMES I FORGET THE FRAGILITY OF HUMANS. YOU REAK OF FEAR, OF ANGUISH AND DESPAIR. BUT FRET NOT CHILD. AS LONG AS YOU GIVE ME WHAT I CAME FOR, YOU WILL LIVE TO SEE THE RISING OF THE SUN."
I heard the words, but nothing the entity said made any sense to me. What would this thing want from me? I struggled just to speak. My throat was dry and my voice came out hoarse and broken.
"I.. I don't know what it is you want."
The entity stood unmoving and silent for a moment. Then the air turned even colder than before. I watched frightened as shadows began to extend from the dark alley.
"LIES… BUT YOUR FEAR SUGGESTS YOU TELL THE TRUTH." the dark silhouette of the creature before me rose his hand in my direction, as more dark wisp and tendrils of shadow snaked along the ground. As they got closer I felt my body shake from its paralysis, instinctively leapt back. But it was too late, as the tendrils wound their way around my legs. Pulling me back with a force that ripped my feet from underneath me. My body slamming hard on the unforgiving concrete beneath me. The shadows grew along the length of my body, threatening to consume me. "YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHAT I SPEAK OF. OR THE REASON I HAVE COME IN SEARCH FOR YOU CHILD. BUT YOUR IGNORANCE MATTERS VERY LITTLE TO ME. I WILL RETRIEVE WHAT I HAVE COME FOR, EVEN IF I HAVE TO TEAR YOUR VERY FLESH FROM YOUR BONES." I struggle in vain, trying with all my might to escape. Who was this? What did he want with me? "Please… nghh… wait… I!" I pleaded desperately, as the tendrils bound my mouth shut.
"AH I FORGET HOW INTOXICATING HUMAN FEAR IS. YOU REAK OF DISPAIR AND DESPERATION. BUT DO NOT WORRY CHILD, YOUR PAIN WILL END SOON". The dark figure says as I feel the tendrils tighten, and begin to dig into my skin.
"I'm going to die…" I thought as i felt searing pain along my body. The tendrils tightened around my body, like barbed wire. I gasped for air as they tightened around my throat. "I- i don't want to die…" I continued to think as I felt my pulse quickening and my vision swirling. My body was on fire, as every nerve screamed out in pain. "Someone help me please… i… i don't want to die." i pleaded silently, as my vision began to fade in and out to black. That's when I faintly heard what sounded like an explosion. Bright blue flames erupted in front of me as I finally lost consciousness.