The Endless Chase: A Horror Short Story

Once, there was a young girl named Sue who could run in an unusual way. Sue would fall asleep, and once asleep, she would find herself in a peculiar world run by sinister creatures. These creatures had long, dark tentacles that they would use to ensnare their victims. Sue was never worried because she knew she had the power to control everything in her dream world. That changed one night when Sue fell asleep on a car ride with her parents to the beach.

As Sue drifted off to her slumbering world of mystery and horror, she noticed something was off this time. Usually, she felt she could wake up at any moment if she thought things were too scary. This time, however, something clouded her ability to sense the "real world" from the ties of this darker shadow world. While this made her feel different, she was still not too worried as she knew this was her dream world and was in control. She would always just run from anything and never be caught; after all, she had never encountered anything she could not outrun. As Sue ran through the twisted landscape of her dream world, she realized she was being pursued by a creature, unlike anything she had ever seen before. Unlike the "normal" dark and twisted creatures with long tentacles that were slow and almost zombie-like in movement, this new creature had a glow that almost erased the darkness of her dreamscape and illuminated the twisted features of its grotesque form. This creature possessed a speed and agility that surpassed anything Sue had ever encountered in her dream world. The new creature could also speak. However, it was hard to determine what it was saying at the distance she kept from it. 

"Y...ca....run...fo..ever..." 

What was it saying, Sue wondered, and why was this creature so fixated on her? While the other darker creatures would run for her, they would typically lose interest in unobtainable prey and head for other slower victims. But this creature, with its radiant and enigmatic presence, seemed to be different.

As Sue continued to explore the dreamscape, she noticed it was becoming harder and harder to see the once-vast landscape. Sue, finally out of the range of this new and terrifying creature, decided to see if she could think about why this trip seemed different than before. She tried to fit all the pieces together as she sat under a sizeable, decaying tree. Sue pondered over the strange circumstances of her dream and the relentless pursuit by the unearthly creature. Why is this time different from the last, and why can I not wake up? She asked herself. Sue remembered waking up this morning knowing she would be headed to the beach with her parents. She was so excited as this was her first summer vacation trip. Sue recalled quickly rushing to the car, packing bags, and grabbing all the extra beach toys needed. As Sue sat and reminisced on this morning's events, she wished she could go back and never fall asleep on the car ride. She thought, What if I never wake up and miss my whole trip? What if... Sue quickly realized that she had sat for too long and that things around her were getting brighter, a sign that this new creature was getting closer and it was time to run again.

Sue had let the creature get close enough this time to hear the screeching words coming from its mouth. It was more like nails on a chalkboard turned into a horrifying melody. 

"You can't run forever." 

Sue wondered what this thing was and why it wanted her so badly. With no time to think, she looked toward the creature and saw that her dreamscape was not only being consumed by the light but that what was left after it passed was nothing. No land, no sky, no grotesque monsters with tentacles ready to capture its prey, simply nothing. What could this mean, and why was she being pursued by a creature that seemed to defy the rules of the dreamscape? As Sue continued running, she noticed she felt slower and tired. For the first time ever, Sue felt tired from running in her dream. This was very alarming as Sue just figured "real world" effects on her body would not affect her mental body. As Sue ran, her legs grew heavier and weaker with each step. It was as if her energy was being drained away by some unseen force. Sue started to think again. We loaded the car, started down the road, and then everything went dark. Wait a minute, Sue realized; I felt like I was falling, but why? Why did Sue feel this way? Sue had hardly any time to think about this as she heard a new voice, different from the creature chasing her, saying,

"Don't go into the light." 

Sue thought to herself, no kidding, Sherlock. But she did not know why or what to do other than to let her last bit of energy out and fall victim to the pursuing creature.

Sue fell to the ground, finally out of energy. She stood and turned to face the creature and accept her fate. As the creature moved closer, she noticed the almost human look of its figure, like a beautiful lady with a long dress on and a sweet, inviting smile that comforted her. 

"Sue, Sue, You can't run forever." 

As Sue reached out to the creature, the creature began to change form into something more otherworldly. The skin of light began to almost run off the lady's face to reveal a skull with sunken eyes and sharp teeth. The creature's once inviting smile turned into pure terror, and her once welcoming embrace turned into a cold and empty void of hollow desolation. Sue's heart raced as she acknowledged the true horror she was facing. With a surge of adrenaline, Sue's mind snapped back to reality, filled with the chilling realization that she couldn't escape this nightmare. She was trapped, caught between the realms of dreams and reality, unable to outrun the horrifying creature that haunted her every step. The creature inched closer, its bony fingers reaching for Sue's trembling form. As Sue stared into the creature's hollow eyes, she knew her fate was sealed. 

Just then, a jolt of energy vibrated through Sue's body, and she found herself with the power to run just a little farther. She began to run to the voice that she heard earlier, "Don't go into the light."

As soon as Sue began to run towards the voice, a blinding light engulfed her surroundings. She heard the creature scream as if it was a murder of crows, "YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER." 

The light consumed Sue, and she found herself standing in an unfamiliar place. She looked around, disoriented and afraid. The air was heavy with an eerie silence, broken only by the faint whispering of distant echoes, "Don't go into the light...." 

Sue's heart sank as she realized that there was no escape, no refuge from the horrors that pursued her. As she stood in the light, she saw it as if it was a movie at the start of this morning. She saw herself get into the car and her mother and father laughing and talking about how much fun they would have. She saw the moment she fell asleep but continued to watch herself asleep in the car instead of going to the dreamscape. She saw the 18-wheeler cross the line, and her vehicle crashed and fell off the bridge they were on; Sue thought that the falling feeling must have been when the car went off the bridge. The creature stood at the doorway pointing at Sue; behind it was a dark room, so dark not even the light from the creature could light it. Sue asked the creature who it was. With the same horrifying melody, it sang out, "I am the one many fear and few embrace willingly. The cold you feel when drifting to sleep, the nightmare that haunts your deepest fears. I am called by many names, but you may call me Death." 

Just then, a hand emerged behind Sue and grabbed her, pulling her away from Death quicker than she had ever moved in the dreamscape. Death's face grew angry, and shouted, "No, she is mine; she can not run forever!"

Beep....beep....beep. Sue woke to the sound of footsteps and the blinding glare of fluorescent lights. As her sight returned, she saw a man wearing a doctor's coat, saying, "It's good to see you awake. We thought we lost you there for a little." 

Sue's heart raced as she realized that the horrors she experienced were not just a dream but a glimpse into a terrifying reality. As the doctor explained her condition and the extent of her injuries, Sue couldn't shake off the lingering feeling that Death was still lurking just beyond her reach, waiting patiently. The doctor told Sue that she needed to rest, and as he walked out the door, he turned around and said, 

"Now, don't go running off again, Sue."