The Man with No Face

It’s rare to remember a nightmare, but the kind of nightmare that still slithers through your mind when you’re awake are the deadly ones.

           Detective Rogers handed me a cup of coffee “Please, Ms. Crotts tell us what happened to you on October 31^st, 1971, when you bought the old house on Main Street.”

           My hands are shaking as I sip my bitter-sweet coffee “It was the worst night of my life.”

           October 31^st, 1971

           “Congratulations! The house is yours. I will leave the keys on the table by the front door.” Said the realtor.

           “Excuse me, what happened to the previous family who lived here? I anxiously asked.

           “Well.” She paused hesitant on her next words. “Their children had horrible nightmares some of which led them to the ER, and the doctor believed the wounds were self-inflicted. Possibly acting out because they missed their old home, of course, the parents were terrified and so, they packed up and left before things got worse for them.” 

           I find it odd how quickly she wanted to get out of the house. I opened the downstairs windows trying to eliminate the musky smell that is taking control of my house, as I explore places the realtor couldn’t show me it isn’t unusual for all the wooden floors to creak when this house has been vacant for ten years.

           “Knock, Knock!” a man’s voice echoed through the empty house.

           As I walked to the front door my breath was taken by a tall lean man with sandy blonde hair wearing sports attire. I stood still staring at this beautiful man who has gorgeous baby-blue eyes.

           “Uh. Hi! I’m Amanda.” I smiled.

           “I’m Cole. I lived down the road and I just wanted to welcome you to the area.”

           “Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee? Or Tea?”

           Cole grinned. “How about I come back with a bag of candy before the sunsets, and we pass out candy together to the trick-or-treaters?”

           Of course, I forgot about the worse holiday mankind has ever created. “Sure! I’ll see you in a few hours.” I don’t get out and meet people much because my head is always buried in my laptop writing stories and getting lost in my imagination.

           I grabbed a book from one of my unpacked boxes and sat on a nearby chair next to the window. The wind blows against the trees and the wind chimes make a calming noise in the distance, one of my favorite feelings in the world is having a good book, a great view, and a peaceful mind. I closed my eyes inhaling and exhaling the fresh air then suddenly, flashes of images appear in my head. Flashes of a tall man standing in a room that looks a lot like my living room. He’s wearing a black and white suit, long dangling arms with bone-like fingers to match, but what really frightens me is this thing has a head with no face. He waves at me and instantly chills creep down my spine. The sound of the doorbell woke me from a terrifying dream and though my heart is racing, and my mind is cluttered seeing Cole behind that door gave me relief.

           He holds up a bag of candy and two lattes. “I stopped by the local café and got us two pumpkin spice lattes so; I hope you enjoy them!”

           My goodness, who is this man? My obsession with pumpkin spice is unreal. Cole’s smile is gentle and kind something I desperately needed after the nightmare I’d just had. “Enjoy? I am a pumpkin spice fanatic!”

           I lit a candle and we both hung out in the living room exchanging smiles and sipping on our delicious addiction. Moments passed and finally, the trick-or-treaters arrived Cole jumps at the sound of the doorbell. Super excited he hands out huge handfuls of candy while interacting with the children about their costumes and finding out their favorite candies. The sweet smell of brown sugar vanilla temporarily fills the room, and as I watched Cole having the time of his life talking to those kids, I can’t help but notice the awful throbbing headache I started to receive. I covered my eyes, barely able to open them.

           “Oh man, I absolutely love Halloween!” Cole said. “Amanda, are you okay? Can I get you anything?”

           “No, thank you. I’m fine. I have a horrible headache can we please pick this up tomorrow? I’m going to hit the hay.”

           “Oh yeah. No problem. I hope you feel better, and I’ll check on you later.”

To be honest, I didn’t want Cole to leave but my headache is getting worse by the second. I walked upstairs and climbed into bed hoping that a power nap will do the trick, and Cole can come back. It feels like my headache is pulling me into a deep sleep and the more I allow it, the more I see that man and I don’t want to see that man because he’s scaring me but unfortunately, I got pulled in too deep. The moment I think I’m waking up; I realize I’m in a nightmare. I’m strapped in a chair surrounded by a dark room, with my arms and feet tamed by zip ties and as I try to wiggle around to break free the ties become tighter and tighter. Everything around me is dark except me, there’s a tiny light shining above me. I tried to scream but nothing is coming out and it almost feels like my voice has been taken away from me. Suddenly, a light shines in the distance and I squint my eyes trying to see better but without a doubt, they soon are filled with tears, the man is walking towards me holding an object that I can’t see. As he walks closer to me, I got a better visual of the object he is holding and I panic, trying to escape. The saw drags on the floor making a screechy sound, tearing the inside of my eardrum to shreds. Something is happening it was like this man is giving me permission to speak. 

“Please, leave me alone! What do you want?! Who are you?”

I am trying to communicate with this man, and he doesn’t even have lips to speak. What the hell is going on? Is this Slender Man? Before I gave up a voice rattled the darkness.

“Wrong place, right time.”

Screaming at the top of my lungs I looked down and noticed cuts forming at the bottom of my legs. “Let me go!”

He pulled out a knife from his coat jacket and held it to one of my arms, the tip is sharp, so I don’t move an inch. I held my breath trying to calm myself down. The man takes the knife and stabs himself in the arm. I scream in the most agonizing way possible and look over to find my arm bleeding from the vein.

“When this house was built someone did dark witchcraft and unleashed me inviting me in to collect souls. You are the soul I am collecting.”

What the hell is this? I am lost for words this is only a nightmare! It isn’t real! Someone wake me up, please! Although, this is a horrifying nightmare every single cut feels 100% real and I can’t shake the feeling that I’m going to die in my sleep.

The man with no face starts the saw. “I am going to cut you open, take your soul and you will then wake up in the lake of fire where all the lost souls go.”

“You can’t take me. I will call on Jesus Christ himself! You cannot take me.”

With rage and anger, he yelled. “I promised him a soul and I can’t go back without one!”

Slashes of cuts and bruises covered my body, and I began to bleed out, I can’t move or speak. Cole’s voice faded in and out, and I can gain consciousness of the real world. I can’t believe it; he’s waking me up!

“No!” said the demon. “SHE’S MINE!”

He grabbed my neck squeezing it so tightly that I can feel myself falling back into this nightmare. He’s trying to kill me so my soul will fall into hell. The more Cole tried to wake me the more my mind follows his voice into the real world.

“Looks like this is goodbye.” I smiled at him.

“This will never be goodbye.” He takes his knife and brands me with a symbol. “We will be connected forever, and you will see me again. When you think I’ve gone away forever, I’ll be there still watching you, waiting for the right moment to take your soul. You, Amanda Crotts is damned.”

As he smiles the grip on my neck loosens and I can fully breathe. I watch him disappear into the darkness and I wake up gasping for air. Cole’s face is shocked speechless at what he’d just encountered, and while my hands are smothered in blood, and my vision is a blur I saw him the demon standing in the corner of my room waiting for me to die.

Present Day

“Wow. That is some nightmare, Ma’am.” Detective Rogers opens a folder and hands it over. “These wounds look like they were self-inflicted. The cuts on your arms, legs, stomach, etc. Your friend Cole? Right? Woke you up from your sleep. That’s what it says here in your statement but there is so sign of Cole anywhere. So, where is he? Matter of fact there is no Cole that lives in this area at all. “

Tears poured down my face. “I’m not crazy! I swear. Please! You must believe me. This man is after me. I can’t sleep or eat. I am constantly awake, and I am terrified. Cole does exist! He is the one who saved me from the no-face man. Everywhere I go I see him that demonic thing and when I close my eyes, he’s there waiting for me, waiting to drag me into another nightmare.” Feeling hopeless and unprotected I let my mind slip and the demon appeared in the real world. I screamed and screamed begging for Cole to help me, protect me, and save me.

“Cole doesn’t exist, and you will remain here in the psychiatric facility until the day you die.” Detective Rogers whispered in my ear. Before the door slams behind him he says, “Wrong place, right time.”