There were always eyes in the dark, but I tried to tell myself they were only tricks of the light. Shadows pretending to care.
I used to sleep, once back when dreams still obeyed Me. But something has changed. The darkness wasnβt silent anymore. It seemed like it was looking at me.
Then it began as whispers in the walls, the kind that pressed against your ears like a heartbeat too close. Then came the shapes, formless, sliding things that shifted when I blinked. And then, one night, it stepped forward.
It wasnβt a person. It wasnβt even a thing that moved in a way living things should. It simply unfolded, like ink spilling upward, taking on the suggestion of a face. Four eyes gleamed from the darknessβ¦
There was one that glowed a clear white, then there was one that had a disturbing yellow that glowed so bright it burned my eyes, it made my vision very blurry but I could still was able to make out the two others, the most prominent of them all was a deep red that I only felt anger and hatred when I looked at it.
The more I looked around the more appeared, till there were eight different eyes looking down at me, a smile appeared on my face as I began laughing…. And laughing unable to stop as what remained of my sanity got crushed by the pure emotions that flowed out like a titlewave.
I wanted to scream. But only laughter came out.
The creature tilted its head, its many eyes never blinking.
βYouβre not afraid of me,β it said.
Its voice wasnβt heard, it was felt, crawling down the inside of my ribs.
βYes, I am,β I tried saying loudly but it came out raspy and broken.
The creature smiled wider. βNo. You are afraid of what you see through me.β
It gestured, and suddenly I could see, not through his eyes, but through theirs. The walls pulsed like veins. The air shivered with shapes of thought, looping endlessly, whispering names that belonged to no one. My reflection blinked even when I didnβt.
βWhy are you showing me this?β I whispered.
βBecause you wanted to be known,β the creature replied softly. βYou wanted someone to understand the noise inside you.β
It leaned closer. βI am that noise.β
My breath began to tremble. The darkness was cold now, but the eyes were warm, almost kind. I felt their vision blur as tears slid down my cheeks.
βI donβt want to see anymore,β I said.
βThen close your eyes,β the creature whispered.
So I did.
But when he opened them again, there were more eyes than before β and none of them were his.
