The Reaper
I was walking down a long and narrow hallway. It was dark, the walls were black with red accents lining them. The ground beneath me wasn’t any type of carpet or wood. No, it was cement. Black cement. It was cold, and for some reason, I was barefoot. I wore dark colored jeans and a plain t-shirt. My dog, Hailey, whom I’ve had since I was just a baby, was walking by my side. No leash needed, she was loyal and obedient. The hallway was never ending. There was no light at the end, just darkness. I was afraid, deathly afraid. Not of the dark itself, but of what lurked within. We kept on walking for some reason. I couldn’t stop myself.
Finally, after a long time of walking, there was an opening. We walked forward into the black nothingness that started to fill with noises I’ve never heard before. Screeches, gurgling noises, and something dragging… I couldn’t see and since my dog had black fur, I couldn’t see her either. I had lost her. I felt around for her, but nothing. I called out her name in whispers, afraid something out there would hear me. The noises grew louder though, and still no sign of Hailey.
I saw something glowing from afar. It looked as though it was hiding behind blackness. I called out again. It heard me. I stopped dead in my tracks as it turned slowly. My eyes widened and my heart started racing, but I couldn’t move. I was in shock. There was a horrifying skull-type face looking at me. It had blood seeping out of its bones, but there was no skin. The bones weren’t even white. They were a dark brownish red, stained from the blood. It started gliding towards me, picking up speed quickly. For a split second I thought that Hailey was gone, that it had taken her and killed her, but then I heard her bark. I looked behind me, my eyes were adjusted to the dark so I could make out her figure and glowing eyes. It saw her too. I saw it change paths, moving towards my dog. I ran after Hailey, calling for her, screaming at her to run away.
I got a better look at the thing gliding towards us as I passed it, running to my dog. It was like a Reaper. It had a weapon. That’s what was dragging. It was a Scythe, the Reaper’s weapon of death, of course. I ran past my dog, yelling for her to come and she followed close behind. She was old, though. She started getting slower. I knew I could carry her though, she was too heavy. I kept encouraging her to run, but she became slower and slower.
The Reaper lifted his Scythe and I screamed. It reached so far, and grabbed ahold of Hailey. The Scythe skinned her alive. Her whole fur coat ripped off, revealing her naked body. I could even see her veins and heart through. She was bleeding out, but she kept walking. I stopped and I couldn’t move. I was in tears as I watched the Reaper lift his Scythe again. I turned away and ran. In the distance, I heard Hailey yelp in pain and then she went silent. I looked back. Blackness. The Reaper was gone, she was gone. I stood there by myself, drenched in tears. Asking myself over and over, ‘How could I run?’ ‘Why didn’t I grab her?’ ‘Why didn’t I sacrifice myself?’
And then it was over. I was awake.
This nightmare was one of the most frightening experience I have ever witnessed in a dream before. It recurred very often when I was younger, all the way up until something really happened. After having this nightmare, I would be extremely anxious and highly aware of my surroundings, keeping her in my sight at all times. I will never forget this nightmare, for it was one of the most vivid dreams I’ve ever had and it has scarred me for the rest of my life. In reality, my dog was skinned alive, by another dog, though. And she walked past me, bleeding out, but still walking to the house. I could see everything. I just stood there in shock, screaming.
