Ghosts

Dull buildings, dim light of rusty street lamps, a sign covered with thick layer of dust – everything was slightly distorted in the growing puddle in front of me. It was raining pretty heavily, but I was too exhausted to hurry. As I got close to the puddle, I saw the trembling silver light of the crescent moon reflected in it. I suddenly stopped, gazing into the deep night sky, as unclear images unexpectedly appeared in my thoughtless mind. That lovely reflection reminded me of something.  

Just like now, a puddle was in front of me, reflecting moonlight. It was just another boring day as a strange shadow appeared from around the corner of a building, looking like a cat with two tails. I quietly chuckled. Maybe something like this would lighten up my monotonous routine today? Ha-ha... 

Suddenly two purple thunders hit the ground. 

Just immediately torrential downpour began. Noise of heavy raindrops hitting the ground was overwhelming; everything blurred; my clothes instantly got completely soaked.  

I run as fast as I could until I finally found a shelter. A bridge crossing the river. It was absolutely immense; hundreds of people could hide under it. But I was afraid there are no civilized people this late there - only bunch of creeps. Probably it's even safer to be in the middle of a thunderstorm than under that bridge. I wiped my eyes with wet hand - it didn't help. Almost blinded, I ran down the soggy path leading to the river.  

I didn't even notice how I stepped off the wet ground onto the slippery concrete, but I was about to fall. Clumsily spinning my arms and shuffling my feet I somehow stabilized myself, and slowly walked under the bridge.  

Only there I noticed I’m trembling. So c-cold...  

Small puddle appeared underneath me – it was dripping of my clothes. I looked around, there was no one here. No one, only me, rushing flow of the river and murmuring noise of continuing downpour.  

I rubbed my hands together trying to warm myself up. Then I carefully took off my shoes to pour the water out of them. Put my shoes back on myself afterwards.  

Spooky place. Even in the darkness I could see a dense grid of webs hanging above me on the rough ceiling, like frozen parachutes. A huge shadow slid across the right side as a car drove over the bridge.  

Such intense downpours don’t last for too long. I will leave this place soon.  

Next five minutes I was simply staring at the river, at its fastened flow, when rain finally stopped. I slightly raised my head and saw some weird movement on the other side.  

My heart dropped. I stared blankly into the shadows, hoping it was just someone I hadn't noticed hiding from the downpour. A distant hunched silhouette became clearly visible in the darkness; it walks towards the road on the other side. I sighed in relief - it looks like a normal human... 

Until it suddenly looked at me. Their eyes were glowing like bright neon signs. Left one was dark blue, deep as an ocean, right one was bright green like toxic acid. It stared into my soul. Mind was screaming - “run!”, but my body was paralyzed. I couldn’t move a single muscle. That horrifying creature, like a giant spider, climbed the uneven ceiling and rapidly, in big spurts, was moving towards me over the river. I lost my last chance to escape. The creature was so close it could reach me with a single leap. But it stopped right in front of me, hanging on the ceiling and silently staring at me. After intense eye contest the creature made an odd sound, similar to whistle but deeper and quieter. Right after this, two similar creatures jumped out of the water, surrounding me.  

From close up, they were hard to mistake for humans. They had two arms, two legs and a head, but these are the only similarities. Long and slender fingers, with blade-sharp claws at the tips; rough skin as black as coal; gleaming fangs that can tear apart anything... I am prey. Defenseless and very convenient prey.  

But instead of attacking and fiercely tearing me apart to make a decent dinner out of me they were just staring. Then the one on the ceiling jumped off, whereupon the other two stood beside him. Then the smallest one of all nodded to me, in a very human way, as if it was saying "follow us".  

I don’t think I have a choice.  

I tentatively took a step towards them, and they led the way forward.  

I couldn't get my mind around what had happened; I’m following some darkling creatures, appeared from nowhere and unnoticed by anyone. Frantic thoughts chaotically popped into my head one after another, but they all boiled down to one thing: I was scared. But excited, in a weird way. For the first time in a big, big while.  

Where could they have come from? In a town a hundred kilometers from here, a mysterious nuclear accident happened seven years ago, but significant amounts of radiation didn't spread that far, due to a swift response of working personnel. But still some strange things happened there for a while - mutated animals, babies born without ears... But nothing as close to big humanoid spiders with glowing eyes. 

Suddenly two of them stopped and held out their clawed hands to me. Now I was sure – they are not going to kill me. But I had no idea what to expect. What will happen when I touch them. What will happen in a minute. I gingerly held out my hands to them, feeling their rough, almost sharp skin. They tightly held me and jumped. Jumped unimaginably far and high, into a wooded area nearby. I felt a sweeping, cool breeze gently wafting me around. I feel so free...  

We landed softly and quietly. I noticed that their feet were kind of sinking into the ground a little bit. They are like... Ghosts! That’s how I will call my new companions from now. Ghosts, rounding the trees, ran as fast as lightnings, leaving behind themselves a bizarre light tail. I didn’t stay behind; I was following them, and then began to notice many-many glowing eyes in the dark – more ghosts. We sped up and time slowed down; the moonlight suddenly brightened as a huge flashlight; hearing and vision sharpened.  

We abruptly stopped and Ghosts began to gather around us as if it was some arcane ritual. They held hands all together, forming a ring, and then they looked up, straight at the shining moon. Ghosts swirled in an undulating, elusive dance, and I with them, as if trying to reach the moon...  

I could feel the moon getting closer, getting bigger – I could reach it with my hand, like all the Ghosts here. Unity with the night, with these mysterious creatures was just miraculous – I couldn’t dream of more in my entire life... Couldn’t feel any more free, happy and fulfilled. Than now, mindlessly twirling in an arcane dance, charmed by the beauty of the night. As I felt the penetrating touch of the sky, the soft touch of the moon and its brightening silver light, something kicked me out of heaven. 

Pain. Horrible pain running through my entire body.  

I cautiously looked down at myself. Terror immediately gripped me as I saw disgusting black creatures reaping out my skin as hungry predators. They bared their gleaming fangs to me, from which slowly dripped dark blood, and continued their meal. A scream burst out of me, but it was stuck in my throat. I couldn’t move a single remaining muscle. I couldn’t utter a sound. All I could do was watch huge spiders eat me alive piece by piece. 

Smallest one gnawed furiously on my arm, shattering my bones with immense power. The one whom I “met” the first was drenched in blood after devouring both of my legs. The third one was slowly gnawing through my stomach. Every single movement of their fangs reverberated with unbearable pain, every time they bit me, I thought I’m going to die in a moment. But unfortunately, I was staying alive, in a cage of my own terror and their powerful grip. 

My eyes fogged up, the puddle of blood beneath me is growing even larger – this time pain was so intense I stopped feeling it. I couldn’t even breathe anymore. This is the end. 

Almost. The smallest one slightly lifted up and opened its jaws in front of my face. I felt his slimy saliva mixed with my blood dripping down on me, I felt his urge to devour me.  

— Ki-i-ill me!, - I suddenly uttered a hoarse scream. 

But instead, he slowly approached me; it felt like an eternity. I was desperately wishing to die before the next wave of pain, before the next torture. But I somehow was still alive. Then he ripped part of my face. Pain was infernal. I felt everything inside of me tearing apart, dying, leaving me. Every single moment was unbearably long. Until finally, after another wave of pain, a moment of bliss has come - I passed away...