My Short Short Story for the Day

“What do you mean you don’t know where it came from?”  Mark yelled.

“I came downstairs and it was just…just there.”  Joe said.  “No!  Wait!  Don’t…”

 Mark screamed as the icy tendrils pierced his flesh.  He jerked convulsively as his body fought to expel the intruder.  He grabbed at the tendrils but his fingers passed right through them.  “Help me!”  He shouted.

“You have to stop struggling.”  Joe urged.  “It’ll only make it worse.  Mark!  Look at me!”

Mark glared at Joe locking his eyes on Joe’s face, forcing himself to remain still.  “What?!”

“Move backward slowly.  Don’t fight, just keep moving.  You have to get out of the shadow.”  Joe motioned to a sunny spot nearby.  “But Mark.”

“Yeah, what?” 

“Whatever you do, don’t stop moving until you’re completely free.”

“Or what?”

Joe cradled his shriveled, bloody arm.  “Just don’t stop.”

Mark took a deep breath, turning his focus to the sunny patch.  He paused for a moment and the pain seared through the adrenaline rush.  He took a step and then another fighting his flight response.

“That’s it Mark.  Slow and steady.”  Joe said.

Mark cussed under his breath but kept moving.  Sweat dripped from his forehead and his muscles felt heavier than the dumbbells he had curled this morning.  That seemed so long ago, this morning.  What he wouldn’t give to have another morning.  Just a few more steps.  Keep moving, keep moving.  Almost there.  Just keep mov…Mark stumbled.

“No!  Mark!  No!”  Joe’s shouts hung in the air as Mark stretched out his hand.  Joe turned away clutching his throbbing arm tightly to his body.  When the room returned to silence, Joe turned back.  The shadow was gone.  Mark was gone.  All that remained were the echoes of the nightmare.