Empty Spaces

The shopping centre had always had an obscure entrance. But this time, it wasn't like it usually was. I walked down a long narrow corridor. I hope it wasn't just me, but the more i walked, and the closer i got towards the door, the corridor got narrower and narrower, squeezing in on me. But there was no door on at the end.

I couldn't turn back. There was nothing there. I couldn't go forward, because there was no door. But to the side of me, there was a gate, and so through that gate i walked, to end up in the lobby. There were children in the lobby. It was enclosed by glass windows with the only diretions i could go in either back through the gate, or up an escalator. There were coins scattered around. I picked one up, and handed it to a little girl. I stepped onto the escalator, where it took up me. Up and up to a place i hadn't been before. There were more coins. Except they were all the wrong size. Either too big, too thick, too wonky or were simply blank. Until i saw one that looked like the right size. I picked it up. It was a 20c coin. I looked around. I looked at the coin again, and put it in my pocket. It was the only thing that was real.

I stepped off the escalator, and found myself in the food court. All of a sudden i felt hungry. An insatiable hunger. I lined up in the queue to get some food. But when i got to the front, it was empty. there was nothing there. there wasn't any food, and there wasn't anyone there to serve me. So i walked out.

As i walked, the corridor got narrower and narrower, until i got to the end, where there was simply a gate to the side of me. I walked through that gate, and into a lobby. There were children about. I went up an escalator, that was littered with oddly shaped coins, until i got to a food court. I was hungry, so i went to order some food.

"What would you like" she asked me. But i couldnt' answer her. Because i couldn't see what they had. I couldn't read the menu. My vision was fogging up. So i tried to push up my visor. My sight was restored for a brief moment until it started fogging up again. My order was staggered, but I finially managed to tell her what i wanted. She passed me the EFTPOS machine so i could pay. But i had my sisters ATM card. No probs, because i knew her PIN and knew she wouldn't mind. I coudln't see the keypad. I JUST COULDN"T SEE IT!. I know the PIN. How can i pay if i can't read the DARN keypad!!!!!. "Transaction Failed". She didn't know this, because she was too busy serving another customer. So i walked away.

Through the busy foodcourt I walked, until i saw someone i thought i knew. I looked at him. He looked at me. It couldn't have been. I haven't seen him for years. What would he be doing here? So i kept walking. Towards the escalator i paced. Until i got a tap on the back. "Do you remember me?" he asked. Of course i do. We walked a bit, talking. Actually he did all the talking, but i couldn't hear anything he was saying. He was RIGHT BESIDE ME!!! but he seemed distant and muffled. I couldn't pick up ANYTHIGN he was saying. Down the escalators we both went, until we got to the lobby.

The gate was no longer there. There were no coins. I turned to him an asked him...."you're not real are you? you're just a dream" He looked at me and smiled. He replied "yes, you are right". He walked with me, until we got to the two doors that had appeared in the lobby. we walked through the doors, and out to the street where there was a pedestrian crossing. I saw my sister. She was crossing the road towards us. I called out at her, and she came over. She stood there looking at me. I put my hand in my pocket to give her back her ATM card. But when i pulled it out, it wasn't hers. "oh the lady must have given me the wrong card!". She turned away and started walking towards the door that me and my friend had just come through before. I called out several times, each time with my voice getting softer and softer until i no longer had a voice. Great. Just great. I could not see. I could not hear. And now i could not talk either.

A truck drove by, and as it did, the sound of its engine and its vibrations reverberated through my ears. There was a flash of light and i was no longer on the street. There was no light, except for a hole in the far left above me. I couldn't move. I was frozen.

The sound got louder and louder, as if my ears were pressed up against the engine, and my entire body was shaking violently. And then i felt it. It crawled up on me. It could read my thoughts. The more i thought about it, and how it made me feel scared, the more i could feel it on me, and the louder the sound would get and the more intense my body would shake.

Bohemian Rhapsody plays in the background.

Whatever you are, you ARENT REAL. Thats what i tried to say. But because i couldn't talk, i communicated by thought. It responded. Im on my back. it grabbed my hand and was squeezing it, before it grabbed my crotch. I could feel it sitting on my stomach.

You're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real

I shivered violently and the sound of the engine got louder and louder and louder. STOP. and it stopped. but it was still on me. with my right hand, my only free hand, i manageed to reach out and grab it. I held on tight. If you want me, you're going to have to put up a fight. I grabbed it by the leg i assumed, which it had on my crotch. And i pulled it towards me, and gave it a big bite. It's grip on my left hand subsided. So with both hands i tried to grab it. but i couldn't. I punched wildly in front of me. I knew it was still there. I could feel its presense.

I started shivering and shaking again, and the noise in my ears became defeaning. I started to cry. I tried to scream. but nothing would come out. Again and again and again i tried to scream for help. I was defenceless. I couldn't see. I was deafened by the noise in my ears and i couldn't physically get it. I couldn't move my body. It was on top of me. I had no voice.

I tried with everything i had, and managed to move my right leg, and kick it off me. And just as quickly as it came, it dissappeared just as fast. The violent shaking stopped. my vision restored. and i slowly regained body control.

I awoke to find myself on my bed, with the covers over my head, and the sound of the trains and cars driving pass.

This isn't the first time i've encoutered it. It's tried to get me before. It scares me. I dont want to fall asleep again.