Chapter Three

Chapter Title: Peaceful Sleep, A Thing OF

The Past.

The night was eerily quiet, a stillness so profound it felt like the world itself was holding its breath. For most, this was the time for rest, a reprieve from the day's burdens. But for some, sleep was a treacherous thing—a gateway to torment, where the mind relived its darkess moments, and nightmares prowled like predators in the shadows.

...

"Love you, Mom," a little girl's voice rang out, sweet and innocent, as she leaned in to plant a gentle kiss on the woman's cheek. The woman, her face radiant with love, smiled softly and whispered, "Love you too, baby," as she tenderly caressed the child's face.

But the warmth of the moment shattered like fragile glass. In the blink of an eye, the woman and child vanished, swallowed by the void. A piercing scream ripped through the silence, slicing into my soul. Instinctively, I clamped my hands over my ears, desperate to block out the sound that resonated with pure agony.

Suddenly, I found myself standing amidst the ruins of a forgotten place. The air was thick with despair, the walls whispering secrets of pain and sorrow. My gaze caught the little girl once more, her figure flickering like a ghost from the past. I moved towards her, my heart pounding in my chest, but just as I reached out, she dissolved into nothingness, like smoke slipping through my fingers.

Another scream tore through the air, dragging my attention to its source. And there it was—the memory. It surged forward with brutal clarity, a relentless tide that I couldn't hold back. The despicable faces of those vile men loomed before me, their laughter echoing in my ears, a grotesque symphony of cruelty.

And amidst the chaos, my mother—my beloved mother. Her eyes, once filled with warmth, now wide with terror. Her cries for mercy drowned in the cacophony of brutality. My hands trembled as I stood frozen, forced to relive the nightmare that haunted my every waking moment.

The past gripped me with iron claws, refusing to release its hold. I was trapped in this purgatory of memory, a prisoner to my own mind.

" Why... why... WHYYYYYY," The scream tore from my soul, raw and primal, echoing into the abyss. My chest heaved with ragged breath, the weight of hopelessness crushing me. My legs buckled, rooted to the spot as if the ground had swallowed them whole.

Before me, my mother's broken from form trembled under the cruel hands of these beasts. Their laughter a twisted melody, drowning out her agonized cries.

One of them pressed a glowing red iron rod to her flesh, the sizzle of searing skin a grotesque sound track to her torment.

She writhed, her screams piercing the air, each one a dagger to my heart, each second stretched into an eternity of torture.

" Mom " I choked out, desperation clawing at my throat.

I strained to move, to reach her, but my body refused to obey. I was trapped in a nightmare, forced to witness the unspeakable horror once again, as they continued their viled assault. Her eyes, once filled with warmth, now brimmed with pain and terror.

They defiled her, their violence a grostesque dance of dominance. The red-hot iron red branded her skin leaving charred marks that etched their cruelty into her body. Each burn, each scream, tore at every fabric of my being. I clawed the ground, nails splitting as I fought the invisible chains that was holding me back.

" Stop! Please, STOP!" I begged, my voice creaking but they reveled in her suffering, their amusement sickening.

They knew no mercy, no humanity.

And then, the gun. One of them raised it, a cold instrument of finality. My mother her strength waning, turned her head towards me, her lips moving in a silent goodbye. The shot rang out, a thunderclap of desperation.

Her body convulse,then stilled, lifeless on the bloodstained floor.

" No " I wailed, collapsing onto my knees, my hands clutching at the earth as if I could dig into the past and change it.

Tears streamed down my face, mingling with dirt, a futile offering to the void that had swallowed her.

" You...monsters!" I spat, my voice shaking my unbridled fury. My fist clenching, nails biting into my palms, drawing blood. The scene burned into my every detail a brand on my soul. The searing iron, their laughter, the gun shot it would haunt me forever.

As silence descended, a storm brewed in me, a tempest of grief and vengeance. I raised my head, eyes blazing with a fire that would never be extinguished. "You've taken everything from me" I whispered, with my voice low and venomous " You've ripped my heart out and left me with nothing but this rage".

I stood my body trembling with the weight of my vow." I swear on her blood, I'll hunt each one of you down" I vowed, each word seething with fury. " I'll make you feel every ounce of pain inflicted. I'll burn you world to the ground. I'll become you nightmare".

The air around me seemed to pulse with the intensity of the promise" There will be no mercy, no forgiveness. I'll make you beg for death, just as she did. And when you do, I'll smile knowing justice has been severed.

I clenched my fist,nthe tears drying on my face, replaced by a cold, unyielding resolve.

". This isn't over,"I murmured, turning away from the horror that had defined me" This is just the beginning. I will not stop until every last one of you is six feet I'm the earth"

.....

I jolted awake, my body drenched in sweat, my heart pounding like a war drum. The darkness of the room pressed in on me, the echoes of my mother's screams still reverberating in my ears. I clutched at my chest, gasping for air, the nightmare gripping me tightly, refusing to let go.

My hands trembled as I pushed the damp strands of hair from my face. The cold sheets beneath me offered little comfort, stark and unforgiving against the heat of my torment. Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, I planted my feet firmly on the ground, seeking stability in a world that felt like it was collapsing under the weight of my memories.

"It's just a dream," I whispered, though I knew it was more. It was a memory, vivid and cruel, a haunting reminder of the past I could never escape.

I stood, pacing the length of the room, each step a battle against the ghosts threatening to drag me back into that dark place. My fists clenched at my sides, rage simmering just beneath the surface. Pausing by the window, I stared out into the night, the city lights flickering like distant beacons.

"I won't let it consume me," I vowed, my reflection in the glass meeting my gaze with fierce determination. "I won't let them win."

The nightmare had rekindled the fire inside me, the drive to seek justice for my mother. I knew sleep was a distant hope, but it didn't matter. The path ahead was clear, and there was no room for hesitation or weakness.

Turning away from the window, I felt the weight of my resolve settle over me like armor. Every scream, every tear, every drop of blood would be avenged. I would make sure of it.

"Let the hunt begin," I whispered into the night, the words a solemn promise. I was ready.

Slm...