CreepsMcPasta Creepypasta Radio - "Someone Tried to Save me 158 Times" Creepypasta

Episode Date: August 13, 2024

CREEPYPASTA STORY►by AliasReads:   / someone_tried_to_save_me_158_times  Creepypastas are the campfire tales of the internet. Horror stories spread through Reddit r/nosleep, forums and blogs, rather than word of mouth. Whether you believe these scary stories to be true or not is left to your own discretion and imagination. LISTEN TO CREEPYPASTAS ON THE GO-SPOTIFY► https://open.spotify.com/show/7l0iRPd...iTUNES► https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...SUGGESTED CREEPYPASTA PLAYLISTS-►"Good Places to Start"-    • "I wasn't careful enough on the deep ...  ►"Personal Favourites"-    • "I sold my soul for a used dishwasher...  ►"Written by me"-    • "I've been Blind my Whole Life" Creep...  ►"Long Stories"-    • Long Stories  FOLLOW ME ON-►Twitter:   / creeps_mcpasta  ►Instagram:   / creepsmcpasta  ►Twitch:   / creepsmcpasta  ►Facebook:   / creepsmcpasta  CREEPYPASTA MUSIC/ SFX- ►http://bit.ly/Audionic ♪►http://bit.ly/Myuusic ♪►http://bit.ly/incompt ♪►http://bit.ly/EpidemicM ♪This creepypasta is for entertainment purposes only

When tragedy strikes, it unfolds in the most unexpected ways. There were no ominous narrations or suspenseful melodies, no hints that the ordinary will suddenly transform into an extraordinary event. In an instant, a cataclysm can reveal its devastating more, leaving chaos and despair for those left a witness. The air was chilly in November, and amidst the anticipation of a four-day Thanksgiving, weekend, the impending doom of the finals loomed, clouding our excitement.

At morning, I was in science class doing my best on the final exam. Too quickly, in the blink of an eye, everything changed. The events that followed were both awe-inspiring and terror-inducing. As I recall, we were finalizing the evidence for our report. and my ears popped as if I had rolled down the window of a speeding car. A jarring rumble shook the classroom, accompanied by a deafening blast that robbed me of breath. The fire alarm wailed as water rained down, drenching us. I sprang up from my desk with an odd adrenal focus. We hastily made our way toward the aisle, abandoning our finals.

Surprisingly, we maintained a semblance of all. order. The fire alarm blared as our teacher guided us out and we obeyed in a mix of fear and trust. Like frightened animals, we followed the teacher's lead, navigating the corridors to the nearest exit. We had to walk past my mom's classroom and I wondered if I'd see her getting her kids out. As I turned the corner, her classroom came into full view and what I beheld was a nightmarred nightmare made manifest. My heart seemed to stop, yet its frantic pounding was louder than ever. My mother's classroom door, torn off its hinges, lay in a shattered heap against the opposite wall. The threshold was consumed by a furious inferno, raging uncontrollably.

I was now the one to stand witness to this wake. I don't know what compelled me to charge into that blazing more. Was it delusion of invincibility, a desperate belief that I could savor like a superhero? Or was it a simple act of need driven by an unexplainable force? And I cannot say, even now, I pushed through the flames and smoke, and as soon as I crossed the threshold, the fire ceased its anger. Descending the staircase with the grace of a stumbling infant, I hardly registered the loss of footing halfway down. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, dulling the pain as I tumbled, and I regained my balance on the final steps. And there, at the bottom step, an impossible coldness enveloped me.

The chill of the air permeated my senses as I departed the bottom step. Inside the room, obscured by dense smoke, the cries of anguish echoed. A nervous sweat broke out on my brow as I ventured forward, guided by the sound. The acrid stench of burning in flesh and hair assaulted my senses, threatening to overpower me. Gradually, my eyes adjusted to the darkness, granting me the unwelcome gift of sight. I wish they had failed me. The horrifying images etched deeply into my psyche. Child bodies strewn across the floor, the limbs twisted and contorted.

Some still smouldered, becoming consumed by thin lines of crimson that crawled greedily along their blackening skin, reducing it to ash. The scene was catastrophic. It was repulsive. A nauseating sensation crept up from within. a familiar prelude to vomiting. I fought to suppress it, driven by an instinct to reach the crying,

emanating from an overturned desk in the far corner of the room. That must be my mom. She's still alive, I thought naively. My path was obstructed by the lifeless forms of classmates. Deep down, my gut warned me to leave. But I ignored it. Almost reaching the desk, my attention was drawn to yet a night.

body lying in my path. This one was slightly larger than the others. It took only a moment to realize the unthinkable. This. What was my mother? Her right side was gruesomely absent. Her eyes clouded with milky white and a jaw hung slack. She had lost an arm and a leg.

Dead. My mother lay lifeless at my feet. The sound of sobbing erupted again, originating from behind the desk. No discernible words, just heartbroken sobs. Setting aside my grief for the moment, aided by shock, I left my mother's side to reach this person. The true magnitude of the disaster had not yet fully sunk in, the realization that no one could have survived. The crying grew louder as I approached. echoing not only in my ears, but in my thoughts.

It drowned out the clamour of the alarms. It was as if I was ensnared in a waking dream, where the cries became my sole focus, blotting out every other sense. Reaching the desk, I cautiously peered behind it. My eyes drawn to a huddled figure in the corner. His blackened skin mirrored the others, and he possessed little remaining hair.

Tremors coursed through his body. as he faced the wall. His arms extended limply, wrists hanging from his forearms. Hey, I yelled, are you okay? Can you move? I said as I maneuvered around the desk. Looking back on it now, it was incredibly obvious that he wasn't. No response. Perhaps the explosion had damaged his hearing.

Instinctively, I reached out and grasped his hand. The moment our skin made contact, the crying ceased and the tremor subsided. Slowly, he began to turn his head towards me, his neck moving with jerky, disjointed snaps. And then, I beheld his face. Leathery skin clung to his emaciated skull, while his eyes wide, milky grey and white mirrored my mother's. Through a slackened jaw, brown teeth peaked out, devoid of lips. His broken nose sat withered upon his face. Completely nude, his leathery skin continued down his skeletal frame,

with patches peeling off, revealing a putrid yellow fluid oozing from the infected wounds. I stood there in shock, taking in his convulsions and heaves. Suddenly his head rocked like that of a newborn And he took a ragged, strained breath Then he let out a sound Unlike anything I had ever heard But that's not the right way to describe it The sound triggered a sensation within me

A feeling that wasn't entirely my own I was engulfed by an overwhelming grief An intense pain that consumes me entirely guilt as I'd never known washed over me, threatening to drown me in its depths. I recoiled from the desk, stumbling backward until I fell into my mother's chard remains. A cloud of ash billowed forth, caressing my face as I gasped for air. I inadvertently inhaled the plumes in my mother's ash. I threw up on myself, tears streaming uncontrollably.

Crawling on my hands and knees, I distanced myself from the nightmare, my existence teetering on the brink. I crawled and then ran once I regained my footing. I ran out of that room, up the stairs, through the engulfing flames, through the school, past my bewildered classmates. I kept running. I ran until my legs could no longer bear the way to my body and my shattering reality. I just kept running. Eventually, I collapsed in a local park where the police discovered me. The cold, crisp grass cradled my face, leaving damp imprints in unison with my tears.

The officer who found me sat silently beside me in the field, offering no words of advice nor encouragement. We both began to shiver as the cold crept into our bones. I laid in that field until I succumbed to exhaustion and fell. into a fitful sleep, I was so utterly exhausted. When the officer drove me home, I awoke to a reality that felt both distant and surreal. The following year slipped away in a haze, an amalgamation of twisting memories and blurred moments. I found myself residing in my mother's home under the temporary custody of my aunt and uncle. The settlement from the life insurance payout locked away in a conservative.

mentorship, offered a glimmer of financial security. Grateful for their decision, I thanked Malaki Stars and my aunt did not seize the opportunity to claim the money as her own. Instead, she handed me a substantial sum of cash. It was an overwhelming amount for a 17-year-old to possess, while grappling with the weight of newfound responsibility. In due course, I was granted emancipation, propelled forward by financial freedom. Little did I know that this freedom would become a catalyst for a destructive spiral, deepening the void within my soul with every regretful choice. The passing months merged, as if time itself was nothing more than a fleeting illusion.

I was constantly oscillating between moments of heroin-induced intoxication and near unconsciousness. My days was spent in a perpetual state of chasing a fragile equilibrium, and so, as predictable and anticlimactic as it may sound, I succumbed to the overwhelming grip

of a heroin overdose. I vaguely recall the nature documentary playing in the background as I craved another hit. Preparing the syringe, I found a suitable vein and the liquid bliss coursed through my veins

flooding my senses was it my fifth hit sixth more than I'd ever done before the rush searched through my body with an intensity I couldn't bear my balance faltered and I collapsed onto the couch

my head spinning in a disorienting haze I slipped into unconsciousness unaware of the vomit that spilled forth from my mouth At that moment, I believed I was on the brink of death. In my haziness, I faintly recall the piercing scream of someone who had entered the front door. I must have appeared as the visual embodiment of the death I had longed for.

It was my aunt who discovered me in that state, a sight she never deserved to see. She was far too good to be exposed to the wretchedness that had become me. me. Rehabilitation became an inevitable path I had to tread. My therapist posited that the horrors I witnessed in my mother's classroom were projections of my mind, personifications of the hellish experiences I endured. In the ensuing months I grappled with a profound sense of worthlessness, despite the earnest efforts of those around me.

continued to bleed into months, and progress toward emotional and mental recovery became a slow, agonizing burn. No matter the tools and coping mechanisms I acquired, no matter the mental acrobatics I performed, I found myself sinking deeper into the abyss. The insidious cravings for substances clung to my heart with sickening tenacity. By the end of that year, I retreated into seclusion, abandoning my education. and embracing a life of isolation. Depression became my constant companion, blurring the days into an indistinguishable haze.

I traded one vice for countless others, escaping reality through endless hours of content and video games, despising every fibre of my existence late into the solitary nights. Even in sleep, I found no respite. My nights were tormented by relentless nightmares, unyielding in the pursuit of stealing away what little rest I had left. And my emotional nadir, I ceased to care for even the most basic needs. My body, an instrument of survival, is now perpetually hunched, bent by the weight of my deteriorating state.

I'd become a repungent wreck, a physical manifestation of the turmoil within my mind. I was a mirror reflecting the distorted image of my shattered mentality. The battle against my demons was slipping through my fingers, and I was losing myself in the process. In time, my life embarked on a transformative journey, emerging from the shattered remnants of an existence that had unwittingly become my solace.

It began with a simple spark, an eruption of laughter. It was not a mere chuckle. or a fleeting smack. It was a belly deep laugh that reverberated within me. The sound itself was foreign to my ears,

stirring confusion and exhilaration. At that moment, I felt immense pride swell within me. Soon after, I shared my former self, transitioning from a reanimated corpse to an animated being.

My new addiction became growth. and I pursued it with fervor. I constructed a fortress, a barricade to withstand the relentless onslaught of my mind. It tamed the internal chaos that had consumed me, gradually reclaiming control over my destiny. With every strained step, I crawled a feeble, yet indomitable way up, a treacherous mountain.

Knowing I had to venture beyond my child at home to nurture my emotional development, I decided without hesitation. I relinquished my home to my aunt, packed my belongings, and embarked on a journey to Florida. Florida became my homestead. I found refuge in a vacation cabin amidst the serenity of the Everglades. There were no neighbours from miles around, and the land belonged to a kind couple who were seldom present.

The cabin nestled within a dense, humid, forest provided ample opportunity to confront my innermost thoughts aiding my recovery. Though reclusive, I reveled in the newfound freedom. The forest around me was a testament to nature's magnificence. It thrived with beauty, teeming with life and vibrant hues. Bird sang, insects hummed, and the sun set gracefully. He was a stark contrast to the desolate At nights I had once known, occasionally I would venture to an ocean-fed creek as stones throw away, indulging in peaceful fishing. With each passing day, I slowly fortified my resolve, gathering the shattered pieces of my courage.

The journey ahead remained daunting, but still, a glimmer of hope illuminated the path ahead. I clung to the belief that someday, somehow, I would break free from the clutches of this fear. It was precisely what I'd yearned for. My life had become my own again. Though the memories still carried pain, they'd become more bearable. I was on the verge of uttering those elusive words. I am happy. Until the nightly lamentations found me.

The anguish cries piercing the silence, a relentless reminder of the entity that haunted my sleep. Sleep became an elusive luxury. For as darkness descended, the wales shattered any chance of rest. Daylight offered a brief respite. The cries became a force that unleashed forgotten pain, shattering the barricade I directed. The torment rancour within me stirred, awakening with a vengeance.

My inner turmoil returned, engulfing me in a tempest that left me gasping for breath. My resilience crumbled like sand, slipping through trembling fingers. The laughter that once danced upon my lips died in my throat. I broke quickly, so quietly. Then one night, I stirred. from a nap that had inadvertently consumed me. A strange sensation tugged at my consciousness, rousing me from my slumber. The room was shrouded in stale silence, the clock displaying a.m.

It was the dead of night, yet mercifully devoid of the haunting cries. With cautious curiosity, I rose from my seat and made my way toward the front door, spurred by newfound audacity. I recall thinking I should step outside, prove to myself that nothing is there, prove the crying is simply in my head. As I approached the door, I envisioned walking outside

and wondering where I should go. That night, the air was eerily calm, devoid of the usual bug song. I pressed my face against the small window on the door, peering into the darkness beyond, fully expecting to find only an indistinct shadow, but to my horror. There it stood, staring back at me with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. Our faces were separated by a mere fraction of an inch of glass, locked in a macabre face-to-face encounter.

A cacophony of screams erupted, shattering the once-trankled air, and sending tremors through my home. The glow from the kitchen illuminated his face, etching its haunting contours deep within my mind. His quivering jaw moved erratically, a grotesque dance of opening and closing with each labored breath. Each exhale birthed a clinging mist, smearing the glass with intricate patterns,

forming its surface into eerie artistry. His vacant eyes remained fixed ahead, devoid of recognition as if ensnared within the clutches of unyielding madness. With unsteady steps, he gradually retreated, his form shrinking into a crouched position, mere feet away from my door. There was no denying the presence before me. Frozen in shock, I stood there, grappling with a maelstrom of emotions. Fear, curiosity, and twisted fascination intertwined,

forming a turbulent whirlwind of conflicting impulses. Though an unsettling truth settled within me, there was no denying the raw reality of his existence. This was no figment of my imagination. It was a chilling encounter with a realm beyond my comprehension. My scream tore through the air. An instinctual response fueled by primal emotions. No coherent thoughts.

could encapsulate the overwhelming turmoil within me. Anger, fear and frustration merged into a sickening sensation that gnawed at my core. I had grown tired of sleepless nights in a life that no longer felt like mine. I'd escaped across the country to flee from this. Yet here it was, huddled just feet away, mocking my desperate attempt at solace. It felt like a cruel joke my own mind was playing on me. Leave me alone, I shouted, my voice cracking his tears streamed down my face. Please, just leave me alone. My cries resemble the agonized whales of a wounded and trapped animal, raw and untamed.

Outside, the creature continued its relentless screams, rising to its feet again with a disjointed movement. It approached my door, its contorted posture resembling the grotesque position of a late-stage tetanus patient, skin tearing as it leaned. Leave me alone, I yelled again, unleashing a surge of pent-up emotion that had been dormant for far too long. My pleas fell upon rotting ears I could not comprehend or sympathize. It reached my door.

I had rehearsed this moment in my mind. Over and over, I imagined how it would confront and eradicate this. embodiment of my deteriorating sanity. I had chosen this entity as the symbol of my mental decline, the effigy upon which my deserved future lay flayed in a blood-eagull-like fashion, offered to the altar of my current reality. Driven by panic and rage, I grabbed the fire axe above my table, my body moving mechanically as I propelled myself back toward the barrier that separated us. A wordless scream of terror, revulsion and hatred erupted from deep within me as I crashed through the door. My clenched teeth unable to contain the overwhelming intensity of my emotions.

The creature was struck by the door, its body forcibly pushed backward, eliciting a feral gasp from its throat. Now I was determined to end it. Kill it. Kill me. Candle, kill. The words reverberated in an unsettling loop within my mind, out of sync with each other, fueling my purpose as I prepared to face the culmination of my anguish. In a whirlwind of uncontrolled movement, I tumbled down the steps, my body flailing as I crashed onto the ground. Before I could fully process the fall, I found myself my feet instinctively rising without conscious thought, And there it was, face to face with me, its breath uncomfortably warm and sticky against my skin.

The butrid stench of decay invaded my nostrils, causing me to recoil in demoralized repulsion. I felt my courage waver and my resolve crumble. I realized I was not strong enough, not capable of facing this. I backpedaled until I was pressed against the wall of the wall of the wall of the wall of the my house. Then it screamed, convulsed and trembled before me, its milky eyes fixed on an unseen horizon. Its hands stretched out, reaching for something beyond my comprehension. With that scream, a surge of courage and rage flooded my being.

It was the same as it had been all those years ago in the school. An overwhelming flood of emotions that were not truly. mind to feel. It's difficult to articulate, but I embodied those emotions and allowed them to engulf me, to consume me, kill. The word reverberated relentlessly in my mind. Springing forward with a wild scream, I swung the axe with all my might, the blade sinking deep into its side. The sensation of bone deflecting the force of my strike is etched into my memory, never to be forgotten. Blood and other fluids sprayed from the wound as it took a few faltering steps to the side, pushed by the momentum of my assault. The creature seized its cries, its tremors,

its breath. Time stood still, and it finally turned to look at me. Fear held me captive under its gaze. We stared at each other, locked in a moment that felt like in eternity. Vow breath washed over me once more, seeping into my senses. Beyond that, nothing happened. We simply stood there, locked in a silent exchange. I wailed my frozen bones to thaw, my mind transitioning from terror and frenzied rage to... Something else. It wasn't pride, but rather a different, indescribable emotion.

Yet it carried her sense of triumph, I believe. Unbeknownst to me, it had reached out and gently grasped my arm, his touch going unnoticed, until it began to speak. I never meant to scare you, he rasped, his voice torn and ragged, struggling to emerge between shallow breaths. I'm sorry, this had to... happened to you, it uttered, its words filled with agony and desperation. Tears welled up in its eyes, a flicker of pain crossing its face as its ragged hand clutched at

the axe lodged in its new laceration. Please, he weased, his pleas reverberating in my mind and reaching my ear simultaneously. With its other hand, it gripped the axe and brought the blade to a week. its neck. Now! Final word echoed like an explosion within my head and his hand pressed against my face. Everything plunged into total darkness for a fragmented moment as I swung the axe. Suddenly I felt myself hurtling through space, a void engulfing me. The air grew cold and the wind whipped past, intensifying the disorienting descent. I screamed in a frenzy of confusion and terror, my voice lost in the abyss.

Downward I plummeted, faster and faster, the nauseating sensation overwhelming me. Did I die? Is this death? I'm dead. Thoughts of my eminent demise gripped my courage, but I resisted, unwilling to accept my fate just yet. In the distant, distance far below, a growing light pierced through the darkness. Fresh tears streamed down my face, blaring my vision, and making it difficult to gauge the proximity of the light, and how much time remained before I had be halted by the unforgiving ground. But it was rapidly approaching. I squeezed my eyes shut, unleashing a scream that echoed through the void. In the face of imminent death, I summoned every ounce of defiance within me.

I want to live. The words echoed in my mind, a fervent plea repeating like a mantra. I curled into a protective ball, bracing myself for the impending impact that would mark my brutal end. Seconds stretched into eternity as I awaited the inevitable.

Then, with a soft and gentle thud, I collided with the ground. The impact akin to falling off the couch. A feeble whimper escaped me, carrying away the remnants of my shattered pride. Slowly, I uncored my limbs and remained still. A mix of confusion and exhaustion paralyzing me. Was this death? Or had I somehow managed to survive?

At the very least, I was conscious. I reached out with my hands, feeling the texture. of the hardwood floor beneath me. I attempted to open my eyes, but darkness engulfed everything, rendering me blind to my surroundings. Rolling onto my back, I extended my arms as far as there would go,

searching for walls that eluded my touch, instead only finding a formless nothingness. A new fear emerged as a creeping suspicion arose. Did I even have her face? With trepidation, I brought my unseen hands towards my face, and a sharp sting shocked me, as my dirty, sweaty fingers met my open eyes. It burnt, and a faint chuckle escaped my lips, mingling with tears that continued to cascade down my face. I released a weak, triumphant sigh, throwing my arm in the air, and darkness claimed me once more. My consciousness slipping away.

When I awoke, I found myself in an unfamiliar hallway, illuminated by ethereal torchlight. Glancing around for my position on the floor, I took in the details of my surroundings. The hallway stretched endlessly in both directions. It's warped and aged dark wood floors covered in a thick layer of dust. On each side of me, two doors stood. adorned with handles clad in aged bronze. The peeling, curling white paint of doors cast the small shadow that danced in the flickering flames.

Ornate red and gold walls framed the hall, extending into the distance without interruption. The air hung still, thin and cold. I brushed myself upright, drawing a reflective breath just to find that my lungs refused to cooperate. I couldn't join the air, an unsettling revelation that further shook my fragile state. Yet, amidst the disquietude, an unexpected acceptance settled upon me. Maybe I truly am dead, I mused while massaging the space between my eyes.

And perhaps this is limbo or some other place beyond the realm of the living. Standing before the doors, I brushed off the occasion. accumulated dust as my fingers traced the bronzed knobs. I attempted to turn the knob of the door on my right. It remained resolute, refusing to budge with my attempt. I turn my attention to the door on my left, hoping for a different outcome. Yet, once again, my efforts proved fruitless. The doors remained firmly shot, denying me entry.

A sense of resignation settled over me as I contemplated the possibility that I had indeed entered a land of limbo or purgatory where the deceased wondered aimlessly, seeking answers and respite. If there were lessons to be learned or tasks to be fulfilled, I had yet to discover them. But the absence of purpose,

the prospect of eternal nothingness, weighed heavily on my soul. With a deep breath, I made the conscious decision to venture further into the darkness, forsaking the dwindling light behind me. Hours turned into an indeterminate passage of time as I traversed the corridor, my hand trailing beside me against the cold surface of the wall. Surprisingly, fatigue and hunger eluded me, further reinforcing the notion that I probably died. If this was the extent of my existence, an eternal cycle of aimless wondering, I yearned

for something more. The prospect of mere nothingness, devoid of purpose or meaning, felt like a reality abandoned by the gods long ago. Determination and desperation mingled within me, urging me to maintain my pace and keep moving forward despite the uncertainty. And then, a sudden burst of light rupture the darkness behind me, catching me off guard. The icy tendrils of fear gripped my chest, causing me to flail and stumble. My yelp swallowed by the darkness. The surprising display of grace, I flopped heavily on my stomach. I clambered to my feet and swiftly turned around, propelled by a sense of desperate longing.

I hurtle toward the newfound light, driven by an unspoken fear that it would fade if I didn't reach it in time. Desperation fueled my actions as I lunged for the handle of the nearest door, seeking the anchor to halt my momentum. The handle remains steadfast, unyielding, as it abruptly halted my chaotic trajectory. I clutched the doorknob with both hands, pouring every ounce of strength, into my attempt to pry it open. I threw my weight against the door, pulled, hit, kicked, and pleaded in desperation, but the door remained unafflicted. Exhausted and defeated, I crumpled against the door, collapsing to my knees.

I buried my face in my folded arms, tears flowing freely once again as a sense of hopelessness enveloped me. What was the point? There was nowhere to go, no escape from this damn place. I was trapped, imprisoned within my own personal purgatory. This was my punishment. Reality began to fracture, my veil of ignorance slowly lifting. Could I truly be dead?

The realisation dawned upon me, shattering the feeble illusion. of safety and acceptance. I wasn't okay. I wasn't safe. The weight of my unease bore down upon me, threatening to consume what little resolved remained. In the face of uncertainty, I whispered the truth that echoed within my being.

I'm not okay. I rolled onto my side, curling into a tight ball, clutching my legs close to my chest. I surrendered to the oceans that consumed me. I ceased all efforts, resigned to my fate. Time lost all meaning as I lay there, motionless, accumulating layers of dust upon my immobile body, months or perhaps years past in this frozen state. I remained frozen, a monument of despair and defeat.

The way to my surrender bore down upon me, and I grew steady. stagnant in body and spirit. As time passed, a small voice emerged from the depths of my being, offering tiny shards of defiance. It urged me to continue, questioning why I should give up. The relentless nagging of that voice eroded the staleness of my resolve. And so, with great effort, I gave in to the persistent beckoning within. I began to stir, my brittle bones creaking and cracking in response to the tentative movements.

Every inch of my being protested, muscles screaming as I defy the platitudes that had held me captive. The desire for something different, something more ignited within me. It took time when I managed to rise to a sitting position. My body clung stubbornly to the remnants of my self-imposed stagnation. resisting my will. But I knew I had to move. Just move. I whispered those two simple words to myself, a mantra in the stillness. With each painful twitch and each tear in my flesh, I pressed forward. The blinding light pierced through the darkness, and I quickly shielded my eyes. The hallway, once shrouded in darkness, was now ablaze with a face.

furious glow of burning candles, illuminating every inch of the endless walls adorned with their white doors. Shielding my eyes from the searing exposure, I recoiled from the scorching heat that began to radiate from the flames. I peered through the gaps in my fingers, and a sight greeted me that filled my heart with renewed hope. There, at the end of the hallway, lay an exit it. A definite continuation beyond these confines. A rush of motivation coursed through my veins, igniting a fire within my soul. Leaning against the wall for support, I wield my legs to carry me forward, pushing past the pain with each step. The longing to reach their final door consumed me, drowning out the agony. With a shaky shuffle that evolved into a stiff,

determined speedwalk. In retrospect, I can only imagine the nightmarish image I presented. But at that moment, all I wanted was to reach the end to embrace the promise it held. With each passing door, I caught glimpses of their numbered plaques. 37, 39, 41, 43. The numbers ascended. I found myself running soon.

The blinding light soon seared through my closed eyelids, the symphony of pain. Perhaps I should have gauged the distance to the end, but in my blind pursuit, I collided with the ending wall with a resounding thud. The impact broke my nose, and I tumbled to the floor, disoriented and wounded, as my body sprawled upon the ground. The once illuminated candles in the hallway extinguished one by one, enveloping the space behind me, in an impenetrable darkness. Yet, amidst the obscurity, one candle remained defiantly aflame. The candle beside the door labelled

158. His flickering glow drew my gaze, anchoring me to the present. Candle. The word reverberated within the recess of my mind, its significance echoing relentlessly. And then, like a distant echo from the past.

A strained and familiar voice permeated my thoughts. Kill. Candle! It urged. A haunting reminder of the encounters I had faced. The voice, bearing the same ragged quality that has sent chills down my spine before, emerged from the darkness,

piercing the silence with its command. A low, ominous rumble stirred in the distance. a sound foreign and unsettling to my ears. It started as a mere murmur, barely perceptible, but gradually swelled in volume, intensifying with each passing moment. The air itself seemed to thicken and vibrate with distraught energy, a growing force that quell the surroundings.

I felt it from deep inside my being. It was the sound of impending doom, a creeping darkness that threatened, swallow everything in its path as the rumble resonated through the depths of my being a profound distress began growing within me it crawled beneath my skin coiling around my muscles and sinew with a chilling grip the sensation of impending nothingness clawed at my very core filling me with a deep-seater dread it was a fear unlike any i had ever experienced a realization that i stood at the precipice of an inevitable and irrevocable end.

The weight of this knowledge settled heavily with a visceral stab of anxiety that sent tremors through me. The world around me seemed to hold its breath as if bracing for the impending collision with an unimaginable force. I stood helplessly transfixed, caught between fight and flight,

adhering headlights. The rumble grew louder. reverberating with the resonance that shook the very fabric of reality, and it quivered under its weight. With trembling hands, I clutched at the door-knob. My small rattles quickly became me desperately trying to twist it open, but the door-knob remained stubbornly locked. The rumble grew louder as the unstoppable force closed in on me. Panic surged within me, causing me to frantically shake the door with wild desperate. But still, it resisted, unyielding to my futile attempts.

The feeling grew ever stronger and I became ever more frantic. I felt as though I fell into the quicksand of insanity. Kill, candle. The words thundered in my mind, echoing over the impending roar that threatened to consume me. It was a command. a directive to extinguish the flame. In a moment of clarity amidst the chaos, I realized what I had to do.

I reached out, smothered the candle's flame with my bare hand, and at last the door swung open. I was violently thrust forward, pulled into the void. The deafening roar receded, replaced by a disorienting rush of motion as I spun and flailed, completely at the mercy of another unseen force. Control slipped from my grasp once more, leaving me to surrender to the unknown

as I flipped and spun through the void once again. Abruptly, the tumult ceased, and I found myself standing outside my own home, as real tabloo frozen in time. There, I witnessed the enigmatic moment, a version of myself suspended mid-swing, the axe poised to strike the creature's neck. It was a fractured moment of the reality I'd left behind all that time ago, a moment frozen in time and space. Taking a hesitant step forward, was abruptly hurled back into my own body, the fragments of my existence reuniting.

Time resumed its course, and I felt. felt the weight of the axe as it carried out its intended purpose. The blade connected with a solid, metallic impact, tearing a new rift in the fabric of reality. I was again plunged into a jar in darkness. The whirlwind of confusion was the only thing familiar anymore. The musty scent of familiarity, reminiscent of my high school days, filled the air, punctuating the otherwise suffocating silence. In an instant, my vision returned.

But this time, with a disorienting rush accompanied by dizzying vertigo, I found myself standing in the classroom where my mother used to teach, a place I hadn't set foot in for years. Confusion clouded my thoughts as I turned my gaze to the left. And there she was. My mother, staring at me in disbelieve. A collective gasp rose from the students. Their eyes fixed upon me with fear and horror.

The way to their stairs pressed upon me, making me acutely aware of the unusual circumstances I found myself in. I glanced at my feet in habitual embarrassment. And there I noticed the axe embedded in the gas line, emitting an ominous hiss that sliced through the thick silence. My eyes darted back to my mother, and on a desk, illuminated by a solitary burning candle, my gaze fixated.

The word echoed relentlessly in my mind, the significance growing with each repetition. Candle, the candle, the candle. In a reflex surge of urgency, I released my grip on the axe, discarding any semblance of thought and propel myself toward the desk. But my efforts were in vain, whereas my fingers reached out,

the catastrophic chain of events unfurled before me. In an instant, the classroom erupted in a fierce eruption, an inferno that devoured everything in its path. The sheer force of the explosion shook the very foundation of reality, hurling me against the wall. My body crumpling behind a nearby desk. Chard and broken, my form bore the scars of the blast, and my consciousness stubbornly clung on.

I felt pain unparalleled to any other I'd experienced so far. Amid the chaos, I gathered myself and began to crawl towards my mother's mangled figure. She lay there, torn asunder, yet desperate. still clinging to life. With every ounce of strength left in me, I painstakingly dragged my injured body toward her. My movements had testament to sheer determination.

My hand reached out, seeking connection, but instead encountered a severed limb. Undeterred, I reached my mother, and she extended her remaining arm, seizing my hand with a desperate grasp. A bond unbroken, even in the face of such devastation. Mom, I sobbed. My voice choked with anguish.

Tears streamed down my face as I knelt over a broken form. Mom, I'm sorry, I cried out. My words punctuated by deep sobs. I'm so sorry, Mom. Her eyes met mine. And in that delicate moment, she mustered all she had to water, a sweet whisper. She barely managed. A weak attempt at a smile gracing her lips.

But her grip weakened. Her hands slipped away, surrendering to the pull of gravity. I collapsed once more, pressed my head against a scorching shoulder, the flames from her burning clothes licking and my tear-soaked eyes. At that moment, the white-heart pain of loss eclipsed any physical pain I might have felt. The realization struck with cruel clarity. I hadn't succeeded in extinguishing the candle.

I had failed once again, repeating the cycle with a hundred and fifty-eighth time. The weight of my failure bore down on me, crushing my soul into a cloud of fine dust to be carried away with a hellfire that consumed my surroundings. I didn't deserve the reprieve of holding my mother. I needed to escape from the desolation I had wrought. Crawling on hands stained with the blood,

I retreated to the corner of the room. My arms hung limply at my sides, my body trembling with a mixture of guilt and revulsion. I didn't want to touch anything, especially not myself. I recoiled from my own skin, my hands the instrument of a demise. I wanted to shed my skin as it pressed this decrepit form even closer to my heart. I killed my mom, I whispered the words heavy with self-condemnation.

I trembled uncontrollably, consumed by my otherworldly screams of anguish and sorrow that shattered the air. Suddenly, a voice pierced the chaos from behind me. Hey, it yelled urgently. We have to get out. There's a gas leak. Anne reached out and grabbed mine. As I turned to face the source, a jolt of recognition caused through me. I was staring at myself.

Another version of me, but younger. At that moment, I realized with terror, that I'd become the embodiment of the nightmares. I screamed a primal cry of disgust and horror, forcing the other me to retreat in a frightened flurry. Days have passed since then. After the younger me fled, I was pulled back into our timeline. This timeline, for the final time.

I hope my journey was enlightening, entertaining. I hope you once stagnant. as I did. And if you ever find yourself stagnant, placated, absent, then it's the why that keeps you down. And you should also ask yourself, why not? Your reasons just might be enough to move forward again.