Ferret Press – PANEL Blog

I’ve only contributed one other time to Panel’s contribution to Flash Fiction. Clocking in at 332 words, here is my second attempt. Bonus points to anybody who can guess what this is really about.

NIGHTMARE

He woke up. He had no idea where he was, who he was. Only vague memories. There was a bottle of pills on the nightstand. He took one, and stumbled out the door into the hall.

The halls were dark and the corridors were labyrinthian.  A lightbulb flickered once on the ceiling  and he thought he saw a shadow. The shadow took on a ghostly aspect and he knew somehow it was the spirit of someone he didn’t want to remember. He turned and ran, not knowing where he was going, just knowing he must find the exit.  He knew he was being pursued, could feel the spirit’s malevolence close behind him. He entered a room and popped another pill. There were more ghostly shadows here. They all felt so familiar, yet so hostile. The hate that emanated from them was suffocating. He turned and ran. The darkness pursued him.

He managed to duck into an alcove and popped another pill. There was a door directly behind him and opened it and entered, unable to control his own actions. The darkness followed. It was a small dilapidated lounge. On the bar sat a small shotglass full of dark liquor. Without thinking he drained it. The ghosts vanished. He shivered, took a pill and left the room to explore the corridors again.

He stumbled blindly through the musty halls.  He stopped again to take another pill.  For the pain.  He could feel a new presence directly behind him.  His memory stirred and for a moment he knew her. Then it was gone, but the emotions remained. Not hate this time, but profound loss  and despair. The shadows embraced him. He opened his arms and welcomed this new oblivion. All of the pain disappeared. There was nothing else.

He woke up he had no idea where he was, who he was. Only vague memories. There was a bottle of pills on the nightstand. He took one, and stumbled out the door into the hall.

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