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CHAPTER ONE - NIGHTMARES

I lay in my bed for what seemed like ages staring up at the ceiling, the light outside my
bedroom window was getting brighter and the shadows the moonlight cast across the wall were
slowly ebbing away and yet my alarm clock had still not gone off, wretched thing.

It looked as though we were going to be in for another day of sunshine with clear blue skies,
the temperatures were beginning to wane now that we were getting deeper into September but still
a nice day never the less, I thought to myself.

I finally decided that I’d better check the time and think about getting up for collage,
5:23am, I really did think it was later than that, I still had another 2 hours or so till its shrill sounds
echoed around my room and in my ears alerting me to the fact that it was time to get up.

I must have been lying here for at least a few hours now, torn between contemplating the
day’s events that lay in wait, the weather, oh and the alarmingly horrible nightmare that had woke
me up at god only knows what time this morning and yet it was still so early.

What time had it been when I’d woken from my nightmare, I still had the images of it etched
before my eyes as if imprinted there by a brilliant blinding light.

I was trying not to think about it, but the overwhelming fear which had so suddenly woke
me from my slumber was still rooting me securely to my bed, the object of my dream...., its
piercingly deep crimson eyes was still staring straight at me preparing itself to lunge and..., And do
what? I asked myself, it was just a dream, pull yourself together, you have a presentation at collage
you need to be thinking about.

“Abi....Abi, it’s time to get up” I heard my mom call from the kitchen.

What? That can’t be right, it’s only 5:23am, what is she up to now in her infinite attempt at
ruining my life and social calendar.

I looked at the clock again, still it read 5:23, ok something’s a little strange here, it’s still
plugged in to the power why is it stuck on 5:23am?, I sat up in my bed and stared at the red LED light
until it was all I could see as my room faded into oblivion from around me.

At least a few minutes had passed, my eyes were starting to sting from staring at it for so
long and yet my damn alarm clock still read 5:23am.

“Abi if you don’t get up now you are going to be late and you have your presentation at
collage today, will you please hurry up”

“I’m up mom” she’s so impatient I thought to myself.

“Do you want pancakes?” she yelled back.

“What time is it?” I suppose I’d better find out since my alarm clock seemed to be broken.

“6:50am”

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“No thanks Mom, I don’t have time now”

Crap 6:50am, Why has she left it so late to get me up?, I looked at my clock again then
deciding I didn’t have time to worry about it now I pulled the plug cutting the power, there was a
delay of a second or so before the red LED light on my alarm clock faded away.

I went to the bathroom to wash my face and clean my teeth, I arranged my hair into an
untidy bun on top of my head so that I could apply my makeup, I used a little foundation with my
favourite dusty pink eye shadow and black mascara, I then selected my diamond rose lip gloss and
gently swept a little blusher across my cheeks to finish off.

I have never been one to use much make up, I am utterly useless at applying it, less it more I
always think, or at least that my excuse.

I let down my light brown hair which naturally fell into big lose curls around my shoulders, I
tucked the right side behind my ear and appraised my appearance.

I don’t see myself as beautiful or attractive, I think I am pretty but ordinary, either way I am
content with how I look.

I’m of average height and build for my age, I have bright blue eye and a small button nose,
my complexion is pale and my lips are delicately shaped and slightly pink, my check bones appear
soft but are prominent owing to the fact that I always look ever so slightly blushed.

Apart from the few freckles which had annoyingly appeared across the bridge of my nose
during the summer giving me a slightly child like appearance and the strangely shaped birth mark I
had on the right side of my neck, I was entirely happy with my appearance.

I went back to my bedroom and to my wardrobe to select some clothes, I picked out a pair
of natural coloured linen trousers and my favourite flowery chiffon top with spaghetti straps, I then
grabbed my white corded cardigan and a pair of white sandals.

After dressing I quickly look in the mirror which hung on the back of my wardrobe door to
make sure I looked presentable then I grabbed the shoulder bag I used for collage off the floor and
quickly checked its contents against the day’s timetable to make sure I had all the books I needed.

I picked up my presentation I’d prepared the night before from my dressing table along with
my purse and stuffed them into my bag, I quickly arranged my bed covers, closed my laptop and
switched my printer of before scanning my room for anything out of place and heading downstairs.

My room was relatively small and was simply arranged with a single bed, a bedside table, a
dressing table and a built in wardrobe which was situated above the stairs.

My bed was against the far wall which also housed the window, I liked it there as it allowed
me to stare out the window at night and watch the stars twinkle and wink at me as I fall asleep.

Between the top of my bed and the door of my wardrobe lived my bedside table which
housed my table lamp and my now broken alarm clock.

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My wardrobe door hung about 2 foot from the ground due to the slope of the floor on the
bottom of it. The shelving and hanging space inside my wardrobe had been built by my dad and was
more than adequate to house my relatively small collection of clothing.

My Dad had raised the bottom of my wardrobe about 2 feet from the original sloped floor
level to create a flat surface to store my shoes and things, as a child I’d thought this was great as it
created a secret space more than big enough for me to hide in, the chipboard which enclosed this
space had come lose years ago.

I reckon I could probably still squeeze into that space if I really tried, although It would more
than likely be very uncomfortable.

My dressing table was on the opposite wall with three small draws on either end which I
used for my cosmetics and hair accessories, on top of my dressing table was my laptop, printer,
another small lamp and lots of paper, or stuff I otherwise referred to as my collage work.

My room was decorated in pale pink and lilac with matching curtains and bedspread, as I
looked around the room I realized that it had not been redecorated since I was at least 9 years old
but I liked it so I imagine it will stay this was for a few years more at least.

When I arrived in the kitchen my mom was sitting at the table reading the local news paper
looking as beautiful as ever, it amazed me how she managed to get up in the morning and look as
though she had already arranged her hair and features.

She was of slim build with blue eyes and shoulder length blond hair, but where mine had
curls in it hers were straight, her features were soft like mine only her nose was slightly longer and
her lips slightly thinner, her complexion was sun kissed and she was slightly taller than I was which
gave her an elegant and graceful appearance.

As I looked at my mother sitting at the kitchen table I found myself hoping that I still had a
few more inches to grow and then maybe I would be able to pull off some of my mother’s graceful
elegance too.

As beautiful as she may be she’s also incredibly annoying and controlling, she never lets me
go anywhere without an in-depth rundown and analysis of where and with whom I shall be going
and then if she finally succumbs to my insistent grovelling and I do mean “if”, she usually only allows
me to go provided I accept a lift to and from the event in question.

Obviously this behaviour of my mother’s has had quite an impact upon my social calendar
and status, particularly considering that I’m now 17 years old and able to drive myself, or at least I
would if she allowed me to have a car.

I shouldn’t really complain too much though, I know she means well, she loves me
unconditionally as I do her, all she wants is for me to do well and be safe, she worries a little
excessively but then what mother doesn’t.

“Morning” I said as I entered.

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“Oh hello honey, I was beginning to think I wouldn’t see you this morning “she eyed me with
suspicion as she poured herself another cup of coffee.

“My alarm clock appears to be broken; it was stuck on 5:23am, I’m not sure for how long” I
replied.

“Well I can’t say I’m surprised, you’ve had that thing since you were 11, it’s about time you
had a new one, I will pick one up while I’m out today” she said smiling at me.

“Thanks Mom”

“Your Dad is working away tonight and won’t be home until tomorrow evening and I have
my gallery opening, will you be ok to see to your own tea?” there was an apologetic look in her eyes
as she started clearing away her leftover pancakes.

“Sure no problem” I smiled at her and she come over and kissed my forehead.

“Are you sure you won’t have any breakfast before collage honey” she asked.

“No I really don’t have the time I should be off now to meet Lucy”

“OK well just in case you don’t fancy cooking tea when you get home I will leave you some
money on the window sill so you can order pizza or something”

“Thanks Mom”

“I should be home around midnight I would imagine, can you set your mobile to wake you in
the morning and I will set up your new alarm clock tomorrow”

“Sure Mom, no problem, I hope all goes well at the gallery opening and I’ll see you later, if
you speak to dad tell him I said hi” I gave her a kiss goodbye and left to meet Lucy, she waved me off
and watched me disappear around the corner.

As I walked up the road my feet carried me without thinking about it, I’d made this journey
to Lucy’s house so many times before, we lived in a small village called The Mount, the streets were
lined with identical house after identical house all with perfectly manicured front gardens and
driveways.

The area of land which the village inhabits actually has quite a rich history and is believed to
have been the site of an early Anglo Saxon settlement.

During an excavation of the area in 1953 by a T J Jones of The Ministry of Works, relics were
found dating back to the 13th century which suggested settlement of the area in the late 12th
century, the pottery shards were actually found within the foundations of what was believed to be a
moat fortifying the settlement against robbers.

Although it was suggested that the moat was probably built for fortification proposes, due to
the server damage it had sustained and the lack of any structural evidence such as a bridge or gates,
it true purpose remains unknown.

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Another survey carried out in 1976 found that the original water filled moat that was
discovered in 1953 had been completely filled in; nowadays it looks more like a big mount so when
the village was constructed shortly after the second survey in the 1970’s is was duly named The
Mount.

Not bad for a history student huh, it helps that I have spent the last few weeks researching
the subject obsessively for my presentation later on today; I should know it inside out.

If you’d not grown up in the village like Lucy and I had you were bound to get lost, every
road looked the same as the next with only a few minor differences, such as an extra window on the
top floor of a house, which meant it had four bedrooms not three, or the conversion of the
downstairs front room window from its original floor to ceiling one to a bay window, or perhaps the
owners had added a front porch or an apex roof to the garage.

The Mount is situated in the countryside just outside of Earlswood and is about a 2 minute
drive from the famous Earlswood Lakes, the lakes themselves are manmade and were constructed
as an additional source of water for the Stratford Upon Avon cannel in the early 1820’s, Earlswood
actually dates back as far as King Richard the III (1483-1485) when he granted William Catesby 100
oaks to be taken from Tanworth and Earlswood.

Its nearest town is Solihull about 4 or 5 miles away, we have our own post office and off
licence, a newsagents and a hair dressers, as well as, for some very strange reason I don’t know, a
shop which sells Kitchens, I have no idea how it manages to pull in much trade but it’s been there for
a fair few years now so must be doing reasonably well, oh and one mustn’t forget the local pub more
commonly known as The Saxon.

These few shops and pub are located on the main trough road of the Village and are
ingeniously referred to by the locals as “The Shops”. This always makes me laugh as whenever
anyone is asked where they off to today or what they have planed you can bet your bottom dollar
they are off to “The Shops”.

The Mount is surrounded by farm land so if you are a dog owner or a 10 year old boy or an
elderly couple looking for somewhere quite and quaint the place is just perfect, it also has its very
own primary school so it’s popular with parents of younger children.

It has a low crime rate if one at all, which is both boring and exciting at the same time,
whenever something does go awry all the locals start their incessant gossiping creating a buzz which
seems to radiate throughout the whole village, reaching the ears of even the most youngest of
residents.

However if you are a 17 year old teenager like myself it’s more like a prison in the middle of
the country side with little or no way out most of the time, we do have one bus service to the village
which comes ever 30 minutes, so its highly frustrating if you miss your bus as you then end up
waiting another half an hour or so for the next one, not that they have a habit of being on time
anyway.

This is the bus that Lucy and I have to catch to collage so once I meet up with her we will
head round to the bus stop and wait however long it takes for the bus to arrive.
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As I automatically made my journey to Lucy’s house I began to sieve trough the images and
events of the nightmare which had awoken me at god only knows what time this morning and had
been incessantly bugging me ever since.

I really should be thinking about my presentation, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling that
this dream was far more real than it should have felt. In the dream I’d been walking home from the
bus stop on an evening just like any other, Lucy had been with me and we’d been talking about plans
for my impending 18th birthday which was in a few days time.

Lucy had been trying to convince me to go up Solihull with her and a few other girls from
collage, but I knew that my mother would never agree to the arrangement, however tame Solihull
Town Centre was with it one night club which had been there since my own Nan’s heyday.

Apparently it had been called Snooty Fax back then, nowadays it was more commonly
known as Rosie’s or RB’s, either way it was tame, very tame, not that I had much to compare it to
since I was rarely allowed any further than Solihull without an escort.

As we walked down the street discussing another option in the form of a pizza and then a
film I had a strange feeling that we were being watched, I kept looking behind me when Lucy
suddenly startled me with a very stern...

“Are you listening or are you more interested in Mr Grimsby’s Begonias”

“Sorry Lucy its Just I thought I saw something or someone over there”

“So you saw someone, we see people all the time, it was probably Mr Grimsby peeping
trough his net curtains again looking for something to gossip about in The Saxon on Sunday” she said
sounding quite aggravated.

“Yeah you’re right, sorry what were you saying about my birthday plans?” I said with an
apologetic smile.

“Well since your Mom is like the most unreasonable person I know, we will have to settle for
pizza then a film, I was thinking that new Rom Com with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds” she said
a little disgruntled.

“Yeah sounds good to me” I was still distracted by the feeling of being watched.

“Good, well we should get the tickets booked then, do you want me to sort it out or do you
want to do it?”

“I can do it, its fine” I said

“Well you will have to let me know in the morning how much I owe you” she replied.

“Ok no problem; see you in the morning then”

We waved each other good bye and I watched Lucy disappear into her house, I’d carried on
walking down the hill and around the corner to my house, It was already dusk but there were no

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lights on which ordinarily I would have thought strange, however in the dream it seem completely
normal.

I walked up to my front door and put my key in the lock, ok so no one was in and apparently
I was expecting this too, as again there was no flicker of curiosity in my face at all. I’d dropped my
house keys in the crystal bowel next to the phone and went into the kitchen to grab a juice from the
fridge.

There’d been a note left on the kitchen table, I can’t remember what it had said but I think it
had been from either my mom or dad, I then grabbed my bag of the floor of the hall way and made
my way up to my room.

I switch my bedroom light on and surveyed my room which looked the same way it always
did, I then opened my laptop and switched it on, I’d sat down at my dressing table and started my
collage work when I heard a crashing noise downstairs, like smashing plates, it had been very loud
and gave me quite a fright, I’d jumped up knocking my juice all over the dressing table and ruining
most of my work.

As I’d jumped up from my chair the adrenalin had started pulsing through my body, I stood
stock still for a moment or two listening to see if I’d imagined it, I knew that I hadn’t It had been too
loud to have just imagined it, but still I stood there and listened, frozen, I don’t know what I had
been expecting, I knew one thing though and that was that no one other than myself should have
been in the house.

In the dream my heart had been racing, hammering the inside of my chest and I’d felt as
though I could barely breath, I felt frozen with fear, It felt as though the temperature had actually
dropped a few degrees, it was that vivid, my palms had become clammy and the hairs on the back of
my neck had been standing on end.

I started to move closer to my bedroom door and I put my hand on the handle to open it, I
then moved onto the landing, it was dark and the light switch was over on the end, the faint light
from my dressing table lamp had spilled softly out of my bedroom door.

I‘d slowly made my way across the landing to go and investigate and as I rounded the corner
and positioned myself at the top of the stairs to make my decent I‘d spotted two deep crimson eyes
staring up at me, it had felt like an eternity that I stood there staring back in shear shock at what I
was seeing, I’d heard myself screaming before I’d realized I was actually screaming.

I turned to run back into my room but my path had been suddenly blocked by those very
same deep crimson eyes which had been staring at me from the bottom of the stairs, I’d skidded to a
stop and fell backwards hitting the back my head hard on the wall at the other end of the hall way, a
whole bunch of glittering stars had erupted in front of my eyes and I grabbed the spot where I’d hit
my head, was it the same set of eyes or a new set? I hadn’t even seen them move, it had been as
though they’d just faded from the spot where I’d seen them at the bottom of the stairs and
reappeared in front of my bedroom door, but before I had a chance to contemplate this theory any
further their owner had lurched forward towards me so fast that I had no time to react or move out

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of the way, I simply curled myself up into a ball right there on the floor and braced myself for an
impact.

That was when I’d woken up damp from sweat and lying in my bed, it had actually been a
dream, I couldn’t believe my luck, but it had seemed so real, those horrible deep crimson eyes with
their piercingly horrible stare going straight through me with such evil glistening in them it was as
though they were daggers themselves, as I lay there in my bed staring up at my ceiling those eyes
were all that I could picture, all that I could still see, they looked at me with murder deep within
them and I’d been so scared, I was still scared, they had seemed so real.

Now I’ve had nightmares before but I have never been affected by them like this, when I’d
woken up I actually had a headache, my heart had been hammering away from inside my chest, my
breathing had been irregular and I’d felt clammy just like I had in the dream, as though it had
actually happened.

I pondered the dream trying to find answers as I rounded the corner just before Lucy’s
house, how real it had felt to me? How I’d had felt when I’d woken up? But as I there stood at the
end of Lucy’s driveway waiting for her to appear I still had no answers, only questions, and one in
particular, Should I tell Lucy?

© 2010 Sarah Anne Phillips