Idea dump: Demons

We crept quietly into the darkness. A musty scent invaded my nose and it took everything for me not to sneeze. I held a flashlight in one fist and an EMF meter in the other. The light blinking to each color minutely, I didn’t know what it meant. I didn’t want to be here.

Jason edged around me, his flashlight bigger than mine cut through the darkness like a beacon. His light touched the walls, giving me a view of a pentagram in bright red spray paint. For some reason it gave me chills. 

“School kids are dumb,” I announced, trying to shake off this stupid fear. “Paint shit on the walls to put spookiness to urban legends and creepy pastas.” I turned away from the wall and took a breath, wondering just what I had gotten myself into. 

“Shh,” Jason shushed me furiously. “I’m trying to get audio here, Liv. I don’t need you interfering with it.” He threw a glare at me, “You said you’d help.”

“I’m here to help,” I assured him and I turned, catching the view of a penis spray painted on another wall. “Oh no!” I cackled. “We’re gonna be haunted by dick!”

“Liv,” Jason snapped at me. “Take this seriously,” he huffed out at me. He drifted away from me, the darkness seemed to widen the space between us.

It felt surreal. The surroundings didn’t seem to matter and I stepped further into the broad room, it looked like it stretched. I swallowed, Jason was further away. “Wait,” I called out to him. The word echoed out, bouncing off the walls I couldn’t see. 

“Jason,” I said his name, trying to keep him from widening the distance between us further. 

He paused, pulled a lighter from his pocket. There was a flicker as he lit a candle. It barely cut through the dark at first, dust rising up like a halo. He turned to look at me, his face pale and stark next to the growing flame of the candle. His eyes looked hollow.

“Jason?” I stepped forward, trying to get closer. Did the room stretch? Why couldn’t I get closer to him?

The EMF meter in my hand blinked rapidly on red. It got my attention. What did it mean? I looked back up at Jason to see a shadow that separated from the darkness. It towered over Jason’s shoulder and I had the overwhelming urge to run.

“Jason?” My feet felt like they were cemented into the cracked concrete beneath them. 

“The deal is struck,” he said, his eyes still hollow. “Your reward is before you. My gift to you,” Jason continued. “Your will be done.”

More shadows parted from the darkness. My breath caught and I turned, shining the little flashlight around me like it could save me. Its weight was in my hand like it could be a weapon.

The bulb went out then the blinking lights of the EMF meter. The only light now was Jason and the candle. The shadows crowded in and I gasped. Something hit me in the gut and I managed to scream before I was swallowed up by darkness. 

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My bed shook violently. I clung to my comforter, using it like a shield against whatever made my bed rock. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know how to get help for this. It was like a nightmare that I couldn't shake. 

I didn’t know what happened. I didn’t even know what was happening now.  I didn’t know what caused this and I had no idea how to make it stop. 

All I could do was squeeze my eyes closed and pray it stopped.

There was a pounding at the door. It was loud enough to snap me out of the dream that this had to be. The bed stopped rocking, the lights stopped flickering. Silence stretched in my apartment.

Except for the pounding on the door. 

Afraid, I lowered the comforter. Darkness filled in the spaces of my bedroom. I was surrounded by it, there was no escaping it. Panic started to set in, I struggled to breath.

The pounding at the door became louder, snapping me out of it.

Fear clung to me as I sat up. It followed me through my apartment to the door. It echoed through my ears as I opened it. 

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