The Chilling Tale of My Sweet 16: Part 1

My 16th birthday was just around the corner and my parents, undoubtedly knowing how much the day meant to me decided to throw a party for all of my friends at none other than Uncle Ben’s restaurant which was a small place owned by my father’s friend, Mr. Ben. Talking about the restaurant, it was a decent sized place, nothing too remarkable, with its basement utilized as a separate area for celebrations especially birthdays however the fact that it was located far from the city, amidst the woods and adjacent to the eerie mountainous highway was rather exciting after all, I didn’t mind getting a little scared.

The night before the big day was filled with anticipation as I snuggled into bed with utter bliss. However, I had trouble drifting off to sleep in the dimly lit and a heavily clouded night. I listened intently to the light showers of rain outside the window as the wind howled and trees rustled. Eventually, a moment of silence prevailed, allowing my mind to finally give way to slumber.

Around middle of the night, I was abruptly awakened by a raging storm outside, worsened by the fact that my bed was uncomfortably close to the window. Unable to fall back asleep due to sheer exhilaration and joy, I just decided to stay put in my bed and gaze through the window upon the empty street of this soulless town. It was a grim sight from the window as the rain had intensified and thunder roared throughout the sky, causing the trees to cast their ghastly shadows upon the dark avenue amidst these ungodly hours. The street lamps flickered while any moment of stillness was filled with heart wrenching cries of a hound, truly enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine.

The clock struck midnight on this bleak winter night, shattering my hopes of seeing the first rays of dawn and marking the onset of another beautiful year. I also noticed dense fog beginning to engulf the neighborhood, something I hadn't noticed earlier due to my excitement.

In that moment, however, my gaze fell upon a shadow trailing down the avenue. At-first 

I decided overlook it however the peculiar movements, marked by an unsteady pace of advance, grabbed my attention. I strained to peer through the dense fog, and as time passed, the footsteps grew louder until a young man appeared under a flickering streetlamp. He had a bold countenance and was well-dressed... Most of his features, however, remained concealed by this thick mist but he did seem quite the gentleman by the way he was dressed, a stark contrast to his obnoxious gait. Yet, all of a sudden, his movements seemed more furtive as he peered fiercely around, then sat down—or rather, fell back—onto the street.

I sat there, perplexed, with my gaze affixed on him, scrutinizing his actions. They were distrustful rather his presence itself arose many suspicions yet the circumstances indicated that he was himself a victim of fate. He struggled to get up, swayed, and then sat back down from exhaustion, or so I thought, until he removed his overcoat, revealing a shirt drenched in blood.

My heart fell at this horrendous sight... it was something straight out of some horror fiction and just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, I got to witness the most unexpected and dreadful occurrence ever. The man, who sat terribly still till now, looked up… his eyes glowing red, seemingly piercing through me. His vicious gaze met mine and his face, though difficult to make-out, gave way to a malevolent smile. My heart sank further, my legs trembled and beads of sweat incessantly flowed down my forehead in this chilly evening. I tried to move, to yell but words couldn’t escape my parched throat. It felt as if I had lost control over my senses and limbs, as if I was trapped within the confines of my own body, incapable of governing my wits. After failing at countless attempts to unshackle my consciousness from this ruthless restraint and with nothing else left to do, I closed my eyes as a way to escape the situation.

A tear flowed down my cheek as I tried to push everything away by focusing on my breath which rose and fell erratically. About a minute later, when my mind was finally at peace with my body, I opened my eyes only to be taken aback by the bewildering disappearance of that unnatural being which seemed all the more perplexing when his dire state of affairs were taken into consideration.

This train of thought overwhelmed me as innumerable thoughts crossed my mind simultaneously. Although his disappearance provided relief, it also brought forth a heart-wrenching realization. I felt a presence creeping behind me. I attempted to whip around but found myself held down by the crude force of a pair of abnormally large and strong hands, like iron shackles and thereafter came the whisper that shattered my will to break free.

“Happy birthday little one…” said the malevolent voice, crackling and completely heart wrenching. I couldn't take any more of this. My head started to spin, my surroundings blurred, and in an instant, I blacked out.

***

I woke up with my heart pounding in my chest, and my shirt clung to my body, soaked in perspiration. As I took in my surroundings, a mixture of relief and unease washed over me. It was the early morning hours, and I was grateful to have escaped the clutches of the nightmare. Yet, a lingering sense of dread tingled in the air, casting a shadow over the significance of the day that had just dawned.

As I lay back down, attempting to calm my racing heartbeat and soothe the relentless throbbing in my temples, a wave of discomfort coursed through my body. I couldn't ignore the pain emanating from my wrists any longer. With trepidation, I examined them and was met with a chilling sight—bruises marred my skin, a physical reminder that what I had experienced was not a mere figment of my imagination. It dawned on me with a heavy heart that the nightmare had transcended the realm of dreams; it had become an ominous reality.

-To be continued