The Sweetest Nightmare
The Sweetest Nightmare
Short Story By: Yesenia Rivera
This tale is of a little girl named Jessie, a sweet child who lived through the worst nightmare. Some wondered why she was dealt such a horrible fate. But some know, that demons from our past will haunt our future.
It was the summer of 1982, in a small town in NJ, there resided a quiet family, the Masons. The Masons lived in a brick corner house with a fence high enough that no one could trespass. Jessie felt trapped most of the time, but when hearing the sound of the radio, she knew she was free just a little bit. The static from the radio could be heard throughout the kitchen in the morning, never bothering Jessie though the slow hum of the music meant that everything was back to normal. She loved the kitchen with its bright yellow flower wallpaper and wooden cabinets. Her favorite part was the window that looked out to the yard, giving her some peace. Her mother used to cook breakfast every morning, and after breakfast, they would go to the yard and play with Jessie’s dolls. As for her father, he worked the night shift and slept all day, giving Jessie some relief knowing he was away for most of the day. Jessie; adored her mother, but she feared her father, feeling nervous around him and timid. Jessie never worried because she knew her mother was always there to protect her, but one day her mother disappeared. Or as her dad would tell her, your mother left because she didn’t want to be with you. Jessie knew that was a lie, knowing her father liked to play the victim.
Jessie would have flashbacks of her father constantly yelling at her mother, calling her names that Jessie was not allowed to repeat. When things got worse, Jessie would hide in her room and grab her snow globe, staring at the calming snowflakes falling to the bottom. She would wind up the snow globe and put her ear close to it to block out the screaming,
humming along to twinkle twinkle little star; she would fall asleep on the floor holding on tightly to the snow globe.
One day her father was upset and grabbed the most precious thing from her and slammed it against the wall. All Jessie could focus on was the sprinkles of snowflakes that glistened on the wall. She no longer heard the sound of static coming from the radio or the melody of twinkle twinkle little star, knowing; that no longer there, are the days where her mother will protect her.
Jessie wondered, “Could it be true that Mom left us? Who would blame her? She probably couldn’t deal with Dad anymore. Maybe she got tired of me too.”
Jessie was alone and sad, sitting on her bed and remembering what her mother warned her about. She would tell her this scary story every night. Her mother would warn her that every year on August 18th, the nightmare will appear at midnight. She says to herself “I have two days left. What am I supposed to do? Why did my mom tell me about the nightmare, and is it true?” She started to have memories of her mother telling her it was their little secret. She would tell Jessie the nightmare appeared once a year to feel his void of loneliness. Her mother would describe this horrific monster. The nightmare is devilish looking with sneaky black eyes and a temper that no one could control. He is your worst nightmare. Her mother would tell her if I’m not here, I need you to hide in the crawl space with your dolls. They will protect you. Jessie was lost but knew she had to listen to her mother.
Jessie started to wonder if she should ask for help but knew if her father found out, she would get a spanking. Jessie spent the last two nights restlessly tossing and turning. She could not stop thinking about her mother’s words. Jessie would usually go to her mother at a time like this, but her mysterious disappearance had her wondering if her father had anything to do
with it. Jessie steered clear of her father, going to school and coming home without so much as a hello.
On the night of August 17th, before the clock struck twelve that’s when Jessie heard the sound of a muffled scream. She did not dare search for her father. Jessie quietly crept from her room, careful to keep her breathing even. BANG! Her heart paced as it took all her control to keep quiet. She knew exactly where to go; she just had to make it there. The screams got louder the closer she got to the basement, hearing the pounding against the kitchen table; the closer she got to her haven, the more uneasy she felt. As she creeps through the kitchen, she breathes a sigh of relief not to see her father there. Jessie notices the table and chairs were scattered, but instead of focusing too closely on it, she hurries her way to the crawlspace. She nestles herself between her dolls and begins to calm down. Replaying the events in her head, she realizes how quiet it had gotten. Where did her father go? That uneasy feeling returns as Jessie starts to analyze the dolls surrounding her. These aren’t hers. These are not the dolls she grew up playing with. The faces of the dolls seem twisted and sad. They look dirty and worn; some even appear to have been buried as they look caked in dirt. Nothing makes sense, this is supposed to be her safe space, and the more Jessie starts to worry she feels a slight tickle at the back of her neck. It was the whisper so small she may not have noticed if it weren’t for the deathly silence. Jessie slowly turns her head, almost too afraid to look. “It’s nothing. You’re safe.” She chants in her head over and over. ” Turning completely around, Jessie is met with the faces of masked dolls. Believing herself to be crazy she shakes her head and starts to turn back around but that’s when it catches her eye. One doll, in particular, is smiling. While all the other dolls seem to share the same morse expression, this doll has a sickly wet smile, one that curls at the edges and begs to be heard, but that is not what scared Jessie, it was the fact that the doll shared her mother’s
face. It was a mask of equal beauty and cruelty. The expression on Jessie’s face changed from confusion to fear. How could this be? Her heart pounded against her rib cage. Her breathing labored as she sucked the minimal air out of the tiny space. Gasping layers of dust filled her lungs. Did her father do this? How could he? Her brain couldn’t keep up with the thoughts racing through her mind; she couldn’t grasp the answers that were staring her in the face. Everything turned off following the words of her mother. “Well, hello daring. I’m so happy you could join me.” Jessie stared at the doll unmoving, but there was no sound, the doll had not moved. Paralyzed in place, unblinking as she stares back at the eyes that belonged to her mother. Within the shadows, Jessie can see an outline of the nightmare. With a raspy and harsh whisper her mother says, “I warned you.” Jessie begins to slide backward in an attempt to get out of the confined space. Her mother’s taloned claws dig into her thigh as she pulls her forward. The sharp pain startles Jessie as she opens her mouth in a silent scream that never comes as her mother places her hand over her mouth and kisses her on the cheek. Jessie’s vision starts to blacken. Her only company was the sound of her heart and the cruel twist of her mother’s face staring back at her. In the distance, she can hear the wail of sirens just as her vision goes black. Jessies whispers to her mother “You’re my sweetest nightmare. I love you.”
Unbeknownst Jessie’s family was cursed, cursed with the nightmare. Her mothers warning was to lure her to the basement so she can end the curse once and for all.
