Escape from a Nightmare

Halloween Story Contest 2022 Story

This story is a dark mystery, a horror story full of evil acts, and a woman's journey to regain memories of her life while trying to remember what happened on October 31^st, ten years earlier. Thanks to servant111 for reading it and giving me some valuable advice. Another lesson added to my 'learning to write' education.

*****

I awaken.

I'm lying on a reclined bed with guard rails, in a one-room cabin I've been in several times before.

Dust particles dance in the light of an oil lamp on an old desk as drafty air currents sweep through the cracks in the old wood walls. I roll over and stand up, wearing only an ankle-length hospital gown.

I do not feel hot or cold.

The old wooden floorboards creak as my bare feet slowly move across to the only door in the room. A small dusty chalkboard is hanging on the wall by the doorway, displaying strange chalked lines. Instinctively I pick up a piece of chalk and add one more line.

Upon completion, I look at the peculiar heiroglyphic lines written on the chalkboard:

///// /////

Ten lines! What does that mean? Is that how many times I've woken up here?

Where is here?

I look around the room. A picture of a man in a suit and a woman in a wedding dress sits on a desk.

Looking at myself in a mirror on the wall, I saw I was the woman in the wedding picture.

But who am I?

As I picked up the picture frame, memories of white sand, warm breezes, and palm trees raced through my mind. I remember that the man in the picture made love to me on a towel lying on hot white sand.

Were we on our honeymoon?

What is his name, Larry, Lenny?

My name is, arggh, damn it, I can't remember my name.

Another memory surfaces, a photo of a boy, a girl, and the man. Were they my children?

In a daze, I walk around the room. I pick up a doll from a small table and hold it. An image of a little girl sitting on my lap while I brush her hair startles me, and I drop the doll.

I look down and can't see it on the floor. The dark gray floor seems to swirl around my feet and vanish from sight.

I look up, and the doll is back on the table. Next to it is a baseball, and I pick it up. I see the man playing catch with the young boy. What are their names?

Louis? Lois? Lois Lane?

LANE!

My husband's name is Lane. Somehow, remembering his name seems essential, but what are the children's names?

Am I dreaming, or am I in hell? What brought me here?

I creep to the door and push it open. I see a gray trail with brick walls on both sides. As I step onto the path, I hear a soft noise that sounds like Whoosh, clink, clunk. The sound repeats over and over.

Looking up, I can see light overhead but not the source, hiding behind swirling gray clouds.

As I moved forward, the gray trail changed to a green carpet. The walls on both sides felt smooth and were also green. A chair sat by a door, with a candy-filled bowl on the seat.

I remember it was Halloween, and this was my living room.

A masked man with evil red eyes grabbed me, and I screamed. He tied my hands behind my back and pushed me to my knees.

Whoosh, clink, clunk, and now a new sound; children yelled, "Trick-or-treat."

A second masked man with dead black eyes appeared before me, startling me. He ripped open the top of my gown, exposing my breasts.

"Tell me what I want to know."

"I don't understand; what do you want?"

A woman's hatpin appeared in his hand. He jabbed the pin through my left nipple and smiled.

I was so stunned I couldn't open my mouth to scream.

"Give me the numbers."

"Ow, what numbers do you want?"

He plunged the needle into my right breast.

"Tell me what I want to know."

I screamed, "I don't know, please stop; what do you want to know?"

He repeated the torture over and over with a deranged laugh, repeating his two demands.

Every puncture of my breasts made me scream uncontrollably, and tiny streams of blood dropped from my breasts to the carpet floor.

"Give me the numbers."

I closed my eyes, sobbing, and numbers began appearing in my mind. I screamed them out at him.

"8 1 6 5 4 2." These were the numbers we punched on the LED pad to open our safe.

He plunged the needle through my other nipple before disappearing into the wall.

"Why, owwww. Why are you doing this to me? I'll tell you anything you want to know."

The red-eyed monster was drooling, and his breath smelled like a sewer.

"Of course, you will. As many times as we want you to. Now shut your ugly mouth."

A woman in black was at the door handing out candy. When she turned toward me, her eyes were yellow and hypnotic and she paralyzed me with a glare.

I closed my eyes, hoping I could wake up from this bad dream.

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

A strange voice spoke, "Open your eyes."

I was alone and no longer tied up when I opened my eyes. I was back on the path, and my gown was undamaged.

The walls, ceiling, and floor were now white metal and looked strangely familiar.

I had to crouch down as I walked. The floor had ridges parallel to the path ahead of me. I could feel the floor vibrating beneath me. I felt the sensation of forward motion and movements to the left and right.

The metal floor bounced up and down every four or five steps, knocking me off my feet.

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

Time passed. It felt like hours before the motion stopped, and hands pulled me forward into a dark void.

Black iron bars rose vertically from the ground on my left before disappearing into the dark sky.

Hands ripped my nightgown off, and I was secured to an ambulance stretcher by leather straps. The gurney was rolled quickly over an uneven surface through an open door.

I passed from darkness into a brightly lit room. Flickering lights in the ceiling temporarily blinded me, so I closed my eyes.

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

"Open your eyes."

I didn't respond fast enough.

Crack! Someone began beating me furiously. The restraints held my arms down beside me as I struggled.

I opened my eyes and saw a thick, black leather strap flying through the air. I screamed as my body was in pain from the burning lashes.

The hands holding the belt were the paws of a wolf. I expanded my view to see another wolf creature standing beside me.

"These monsters can't be real. They're a fantasy in my mind."

Using twisted logic as I sobbed, I reasoned that wolves acting like men don't exist. If they don't exist, how can they hurt me?

Suddenly, I was floating, and I was looking down upon myself. I felt every strike on my body, but the pain disappeared.

It worked, and the pain was gone. I begged for mercy sarcastically, "Oh, please, Mr. Wolf, don't hurt little old me."

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

Overconfident, I let my guard down. I was startled when a hideous viper slithered between my legs. It slid between my breasts before sinking its fangs deep into my neck.

The bite felt like red hot spikes burning through my skin.

The fantasy world I had created in my mind morphed back into the nightmare I escaped from.

The wolf holding the belt transformed into the man with dead black eyes. He was a doctor now, and I was back on the gurney. The other wolf turned into Doctor 'Red Eyes,' and he was screaming obscenities as he slid a scalpel across my belly, cutting through my skin.

Crying in pain because no local anesthesia was used, I thrashed around trying to escape from these evil men.

Doctor 'Black Eyes,' the one who hurt me with the hatpin, admonished his colleague, "Doctor, you opened up the wrong patient. Now I must patch her up, so she doesn't sue you."

A nurse came up wearing a surgical mask, and she scolded the two men for not wearing a mask or gloves.

"Doctors, we wouldn't want the patient to get SARS."

The black-eyed doctor sutured my abdomen with a large circular needle with dark string attached. A black liquid oozed from the twine as the cutting needle bored through my skin. I screamed nonstop, as a fiery pain burned my stomach as he slowly stitched me up.

Why was this happening?

With a savage flick of his wrist, he completed every suture, drool dripping from his mouth. His saliva burned my skin like acid. The suture line was red and covered with pus.

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

The poisonous snake was now a woman with long black hair and yellow eyes with a green slit. She had thick ruby-red lips and a vampire's long canine teeth projecting downward. An extremely long, forked tongue with a green stud in the center licked the tears off my cheeks.

She pinched my nipples viciously, drawing blood, using her long green fingernails. I lay trembling, unable to move.

The lights went out but came back on a second later, and my stomach now had an ugly, uneven, red scar.

Doctor 'Red Eyes' picked up alligator clamps connected to wires and attached them to my nipples, earlobes, and both sides of my pussy lips. He giggled insanely, emitting a high-pitched sound, and licked his lips as he worked.

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

Doctor 'Black Eyes' placed a harness with electrodes over my head, and I closed my eyes to pray.

CRACK! My head flew to my right, and the snake woman spoke, her voice shredding my sanity.

"Open your fucking eyes, you hideous-looking, ass-licking, prick-teasing cunt."

My eyes flew open, and I was staring at a demon from hell. She slapped my other cheek harder, causing me to break down and cry out.

"Please, why are you doing this to me? What did I do to offend you? Please, let me go. I won't tell anybody who you are. I want my Mommy; I want to go...."

ZZZTTT!

Lightning burned my nipples, and I screamed. The red-eyed doctor was fiddling with a device to my right.

ZZZTTT!

That time it hit my earlobes, and I thrashed around on the stretcher, whining and crying.

"Readings?"

"Pain readings Nine twenty-seven, heart rate 130."

"I'm increasing the amperage by one amp, and I will shock her again."

ZZZTTT!

The lightning assaulted my pussy with mind-numbing pain. My vision faded to gray as I slipped into unconsciousness. I was babbling, crying for mercy, as I floated away.

Someone screaming in the room brought me back to the table. Unfortunately, the cries were coming from my mouth.

"Someone help me, please," I desperately cried out. I was barely breathing, and stars filled my vision. Wave after wave of pain poured through my body as the lightning assaulted my ravaged body.

ZZZTTT!

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

Suddenly, a memory of my son's baptism brought a feeling of peace into my soul, and the pain softened. I closed my eyes and concentrated on happy memories.

ZzzTtt.

"Pain readings and pulse are dropping, doctor."

The voices seemed like they were coming from a tunnel.

More family memories and pictures filled my thoughts, and focusing on the photos helped me relax so I could breathe.

zzzttt.

A picture of a man holding a baby; was he my father? He was feeding her a bottle.

Another photo with a woman cradling a baby while a little girl hugs her leg. Was she my mother?

The third picture was the same woman burping a baby, with a teenage girl standing next to her. A preteen boy stood on the other side, and two more little boys stood in front of her.

zztt.

I'm positive the oldest girl in all three images was me. The oldest boy was my brother, Ru; Rus; Russell! His name is Russell.

Of course, the two boys in front were the twins, um, J and J; John? No, Jimmy and Josh.

My memory was returning; my brothers were Russell, Jimmy, and Josh.

But I couldn't remember my name or the baby's name.

zt.

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

"Doctor, the pain reading is dropping rapidly, and her pulse is 75."

The voices were fading away.

Rockaby Baby, la, la, la, la, and down will come L, um, crap, um, Laura! The baby's name was Laura, and it was one more thing I remembered from a forgotten past. I cried with joy because I finally remembered my baby sister's name.

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

The shocks felt like soft fingers walking across my skin, tickling me.

"Amazing. The patient is not feeling the shocks anymore. If I increase the amps again, it will kill her. I want to play with her some more."

I could barely hear them now.

"Reward the inmates."

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

The family pictures in my mind faded as disturbing voices swirled around me; hair-raising sounds and words filled my ears.

I opened my eyes to see a creature with a flat nose, a wart on his chin, and disgusting yellow teeth on top of me. He tried thrusting a puny cock in me. I laughed in his face as he lifted my body off the bed by my nipples. He coughed, and his breath made me gag.

I heard a deep voice shout, "Time," and mister wart began complaining.

"It's not fair; it hasn't been five minutes yet." He released my nipples but continued pumping his pathetic little worm into my womb.

He howled as he flew off me; someone holding a cattle prod was sticking him repeatedly.

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

His replacement was a skeletal creature who smelled like menthol cigarettes. He was a cartoon caricature who reminded me of the mythical beast 'Slender Man.' He giggled like a madman as he plunged his dick in and out. In the dictionary, under the word insane, was his picture. When he finished, he licked my face from my chin to my forehead as his eyes raped me again. Suddenly he was gone, flying across the room.

"Pain readings still dropping, Doctor."

Next was a man with unholy, malignant eyes. He touched my face like he was stroking his cat. He probed inside my mouth and down my throat with his fingers before playing with my nipples. A sharp pain ran through my breasts when he bit my nipples.

He was thrusting a finger up my nose when the mysterious voice called, "Time."

This man didn't argue; he simply climbed off and walked away.

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

I knew where I was. It was a hospital or an asylum filled with insane and evil, monstrous creatures.

I had to escape into my mind. It worked before. I closed my eyes, and the first image I saw was a memory of me rocking my baby sister. I ignored the grunting noise on top of me.

"Time."

I saw a photo of Lane and me sailing on a lake before we married. A nice breeze filled the sails as we smiled at each other. I felt something invading my vagina, thick yet flexible. Perhaps it was a snake, but I ignored it.

"Time."

I was sitting on a sofa, breastfeeding a baby. It was a boy because he had on a blue sleeper. His bright eyes stared at me, content to be feeding on my nipple. I barely felt the creature on top of me.

"Time."

My daughter was placed in my arms in the maternity ward while Lane kissed me on the cheek.

"Time."

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

How long this torture lasted, I had no way of knowing. But the nurse quit calling out pain readings, and I couldn't feel or hear anyone using my body.

I focused on my happy memories, like my wedding, the Christmas Lane got the children a puppy, and the retirement party my brothers, sisters, and I threw for our dad.

Finally, I was alone in a room, lying on a hospital bed, not tied up or restrained. I was free, so I jumped off the bed and ran through a doorway. I was back on the trail, nightgown intact with a ragged pink scar below my naval.

A section of the path I remembered moving through was just ahead of me. I called it 'The Dark.'

As I walked forward, everything became pitch black. I remembered there were holes in the floor that needed avoiding and a doorway on either side that moved around.

I recalled falling into a hole once, and I was returned to the bed in the cabin where I'd woken up. I always avoided the doorways so I wouldn't be grabbed by some monster lurking in the dark.

I began feeling my way forward before remembering how to defeat this section; all I had to do was close my eyes.

I shut my eyelids.

Instantly, I could see a doorway on each side and several holes in the floor. I weaved around them and was back on the trail.

I was pleased with myself for defeating a section of the path.

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat."

I was exhausted. Somehow I knew a clock was counting down. I only had a limited time to escape, hours or maybe a day.

The two sides of the hall in front of me began alternating into sections of silver bars. They were capped at a 45° angle by a slightly larger horizontal bar. The bars scared me because the path narrowed. I had to turn sideways to get past them.

Nothing happened through the first section of these bars, although the floor moved forward like an escalator very quickly.

I prepared myself to get past the next section as quickly as possible. I took several deep breaths before moving sideways as fast as I could. But I didn't make it, and the bars seemed to move, squeezing me until my arms were tight against my sides.

Whoosh, clink, clunk. This noise sounded louder, but the voices were fading.

Immobilized, I couldn't speak; I couldn't even blink. Ghostly hands stretched out my arms, away from my side. I felt painful pressure around my left upper arm.

Both feet were pricked with needles, every toe and the bottom. A burning pain spread up the back of my legs until it reached the top of my thighs.

Abruptly, the pain moved to the back of my hands and fingertips. It felt like I was stung by a hive of yellow jackets.

The pain resumed in my calves, between a needle inserted into my Achilles tendon and one stabbed into my knee. Without warning, electricity surged through my lower leg. I screamed, but no sound came out of my mouth.

The inside of my elbows had long needles plunging into my veins, and blood leaked slowly down my arm.

Fingers forced my mouth open, and a snake was inserted that went to the back of my throat, making me choke. I was coughing and felt dizzy when the snake stopped moving, and I could feel it breathing in my lungs as its tail stuck out between my lips.

My eyelids were held open, and bright lights blinded me.

I felt the urge to pee and let go when the pressure became too much to hold back. I watched a pitcher on a shelf fill up with a yellow liquid.

Whoosh, clink, clunk. The sound was deafening now.

Without any warning, my arms were released, and the bars disappeared.

The blood on my skin disappeared, and I couldn't feel the snake in my throat.

I rested briefly, getting control of my emotions before I continued walking toward the light at the end of the trail.

The path ended in a circular room with a chair and table in the center. The table had a large bowl containing needles, vinyl tubes, and several bags filled with a clear liquid.

Drapes were covering the back wall. I opened them, revealing a stone wall.

I sat down and rested while thinking aloud, "What do I do now?"

Then, a new question popped into my mind for the first time since the cabin, and I cried out, "Who am I?"

"I now know I have a husband, Lane, and a boy and a girl." I closed my eyes and concentrated, and immediately the three pictures I'd seen before appeared to me again.

"I have a husband, Lane, and two children. Who am I?" I couldn't get any other pictures into my head now.

Whoosh, clink, clunk. "Trick-or-treat." The voices were back but very faint.

"Why do I keep hearing those voices and that strange noise? Does all this have something to do with Halloween? Did I go trick-or-treating? Or maybe I went to a party with my husband and kids?"