“Sure is dark out tonight”, Laura whispered to herself, carrying a basket full of clothes down the street. “I sure hope I won’t stay out to long…” Laura always hated the dark. Ever since she was a little girl, she despised the ominous feeling that whenever the lights were out, something or someone was watching her. She managed to get to the Laundromat without a flashlight this time. There was another person here this time, but the lady didn’t seem to notice her walk in. She put the clothes basket on the nearest counter and started to put some quarters in the machine. She always loved the sound of change falling through the machine. “…Clank. Clank. Clank…”
“Excuse me?” Laura jumped at the voice. It was the lady.
Laura straightened her back and hastily replied, “Yes?” the lady bowed her head.
“Do you have two extra quarters? I need a few to run the dryer…”
Laura nodded and dug through her pocket and gave her three quarters. The lady seemed shocked.
“I only need two, you can have this one back” she said, taking the quarter out of her hand and gave it back to Laura. Laura shook her head.
“No, you keep it. I don’t need it.” The lady nodded and thanked her, then walked back to her pile of clothes.
Soon enough, Laura’s laundry was done, and she began to walk home. That ominous feeling came back to her again. But this time, the feeling was so real. Something was following her. She quickly turned around, to find just a squirrel. She sighed with relief and kept walking. But the feeling was still there, and she turned around again. Something in the bushes shuffled. Laura froze. Not thinking straight, she ran away from the bushes, fearing that the dark would eat her. She turned her head again, to find that a dark figure was chasing her. She tried to run faster, but the figure kept chasing her. The thing was going so fast, and her sandals were breaking. She quickly threw the sandals at the figure and ran faster. The dark thing outstretched its arms with anger and fury. Laura threw her laundry basket at it. It screamed. Laura recognized the scream… The lady! Why was SHE chasing her!? The lady ran faster. Laura had to think of something quick. She looked around… a mail box… some trees…an intersection… A Street light… A street light! She dashed to the right, hoping to outrun her for just a few more minutes. She dashed into the street light, hoping that someone would see her in the light, and she called out “Help! Help!” the lady caught up to her. “There is no help for you, girl.” Laura screamed louder. “HELP!” Laura tried to run again, but she felt a stinging pain in her leg, and fell. “This is it,” she thought, “I’m going to die here. “ then Laura blacked out.
When she woke up, there were red and white flashing lights. She saw the glare of the street lights again. She saw an ambulance. There were EMS workers scattered around her, picking her up and placing her on a stretcher. She turned her head to see that the lady wasn’t dark anymore, and she had a cell phone in her hands. She kept smiling at Laura, and waving the cell phone. Left, right, left, right. Laura screamed. “You…! Why are you still after me?! WHO ARE YOU!?” the EMS workers looked at Laura. One of them said,
“She’s having hallucinations. Maybe from loss of blood…?” Laura panicked.
“Cant you see her? That woman! She chased me and tried to kill me! Please tell me you can see her!?” But she was being lifted into the ambulance. The blood rushed to her head and she blacked out again.
Laura woke up once again. She was in a hospital bed, and at her feet, a bouquet of flowers. She looked at the wall next to her. An empty chair was pressed against it. She closed her eyes and sighed. “It’s gone, it’s over. No more running, no more darkness,” she said, trying to comfort herself. A sharp, sudden voice broke her comfort.
“It’s never over, girl.” She knew the voice. The crackling, yet sweet, voice. It was the lady’s voice. She turned her head toward the wall again. This time the chair wasn’t empty. The lady had her arms crossed and she had her head tilted. Laura shouted.
“WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?” but she was gone. A nurse comes in. She adjusts some things on a clipboard and asks,
“Do you need anything?” Laura started freaking out.
“That lady… She…” the nurse looked at her and took her temperature.
“You’re fine, there’s a person here to take you home.” Laura Inhaled. Maybe this was finally over. She got up slowly, and looked at her leg. No scars. No damage. She exhaled. It must have been a dream. There was no other explanation. A shadowy figure chasing her in the night was impossible. The shadow felt no pain, no sorrow, no remorse or joy. It was a violent hell spawned creature, she thought. She gathered her things, got dressed and walked to the elevator. She pressed the ground level button, and the elevator descended. Something was breathing down her neck. She swiftly turned around to see the figure, that horribly perfect face, that smug demeanor, the fire in her eyes, burning like a bonfire, red as the midnight sun. Laura didn’t say anything. The shadow woman laughed.
“Did you miss me? I sure did miss you, Laura…” Laura snapped.
“How do you know my name?! Who are you?!” The shadow woman’s smile grew bigger. Her sharp, shark-like teeth stuck out as she smirked.
“I have known you since you were a little girl. My name is Arual.” Laura hesitated. A bell rang and the elevator stopped. Arual disappeared with a cloud of black smoke. Laura quickly walked to the revolving door and ran out into the parking lot. Arual was following her. Laura screamed,
“LEAVE ME ALONE!” Arual yelled back.
“I can’t! Your fear is my energy!” Laura stopped. She turned her head toward Arual and glared.
“What do you mean by ‘My fear is energy’?” Arual sighed.
“I’ll just say this. I am your fear of the dark.”