Nightmares 

The ride home from the event was shrouded in an unspoken tension. Ava leaned against the car door. She fixed her gaze on the city lights that flickered past like ghosts as they rode by. Beside her, Damien sat with one leg crossed and his phone untouched on the seat. His face was half lit by the passing streetlamps, carved from shadows and steel. There was something unreadable in his eyes, as if he were fighting a war inside his head. His hand rested on the center console, mere inches from hers. So close, so close that she could reach out and touch him but it might as well have been miles away.

When they arrived at the estate, the staff lined up by the entrance once more, their faces tense and eyes downcast. Ava barely acknowledged them, her thoughts still lingering on the events from the gala. She hadn't asked Damien any more questions after the car ride, it wasn't worth it.

Emily greeted her at the top of the stairs with a worried expression. "You look pale, Miss… uh, Mrs. Blackwood. Everything alright?" She asked as she fumbled with the title.

"Fine." Ava replied quickly but her words rang hollow. The title still sounded foreign and forced.

Damien disappeared down the hall without a word, the sound of his footsteps swallowed by the unnaturally still air.

That night, Ava couldn't sleep. She tossed in the luxurious bed, staring at the shadows on the ceiling. Something about the estate felt… heavier tonight. The silence was louder, it was like the house itself was holding its breath. The chandelier overhead creaked faintly, and somewhere in the distance, a clock ticked slower than normal. The temperature in the room seemed to drop by the hour, sending chills down her spine.

She couldn't tell what time it was when she stirred awake. A strange movement caught her eyes and flicker of light from the hallway pulled her from bed. She slipped on her robe and padded softly to the door. When she opened it, the corridor was empty, bathed in dim moonlight.

She moved slowly down the hall, her steps echoing slightly. As she passed the portraits lining the corridor, she felt something shift in the air. It was cold and still. Her breath caught when she noticed one of the portraits was slightly crooked. It was a painting of an older Blackwood ancestor with piercing eyes that seemed to follow her.

She reached to adjust it. As her fingers brushed the frame, the temperature dropped instantly. Her breath became visible, fogging in the air. Then she heard it, a low whisper, like wind passing through a tunnel but there was no wind. Then came a sound, like a whisper. It wasn't words exactly, more like a melody sounding through an empty crypt. But it carried weight, it felt like it carried purpose.

She stepped back, heart pounding fast against the cages of her chest.

"Ava?"

She spun around too see Damien watching her. He stood at the other end of the hall, barefoot, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar, revealing faint red markings across his chest. His hair was tousled and his face paler than usual.

"What are you doing?" he asked. His voice was low, almost strained.

"I thought I saw someone walk past my door and saw a light... and then I heard..." Her voice trailed off as words failed her.

Damien walked over, his eyes flickering to the crooked portrait. "You shouldn't be out here."

"What was that?"

"It's nothing," he said too quickly. "Go back to bed."

She didn't move, her eyes fixed on his.

"You're lying."

His jaw tensed. "It's safer if you don't ask."

"Safer for who?" She whispered.

He didn't answer. Instead, he placed a hand on her back, guiding her gently back to the room. She noticed a tremor in his touch, something she hadn't seen before.

Vulnerability? Or fear? She couldn't tell.

Once inside the bedroom, he didn't follow her in as he stood by the doorpost. "Keep the door locked tonight," he said softly.

And then he was gone.

For the first time since arriving, she wasn't just curious or intrigued by Damien Blackwood. She was afraid.

And in the shadows outside her window, something watched her. It blinked and vanished. 

She locked the door. She even dragged a chair in front of it, just in case. Ava stood in front of the door, she couldn't go back to sleep. 

The entire estate went quiet for a minute before the doorknob rattled. Ava looked up frozen before she heard loud thudding on her door. They were heavy and aggressive. She screamed as she fell back hearing scratches and hisses on the other side of the door. She stumbled away in fear, backing into the wall as the door shook violently.

The thudding continued and Ava shivered in fear that who ever was clawing at the door would break it down. The sounds soon stopped as suddenly as they began. After minutes had passed she heard retreating footsteps, it went quiet, too quiet. After a while Ava stood up, still shaking with fear. 

Cautiously reaching for the door knob, she opened the door slightly, just enough to peep through. It was dark but the moon provided enough light for her to see through. The hallway was empty. After confirming that there was no one at the door, she stepped into the corridor, every instinct screaming at her to go back. She gasped as what her eyes saw made her breath hitch. There were long and ragged claw marks etched into the wood of her door as if someone had clawed at it while attempting to tear it down. 

The rush of wind blow past and as Ava looked towards the direction the wind came, the door slammed shut behind her with a thunderous bang as if it had been pushed by an invisible force. The air immediately went ice cold. Ava felt goosebumps as the hair on her skin stood. A rush of unsettled feelings flooded her as she attempted to open the door and get back inside. 

The door didn't bulge. She tried the knob again but it still didn't open like it had been looked from inside. She started to bang on the door when she hear a loud thud, it sounded like someone or something fell. Against every rational thought, Ava felt her legs move on it accord towards the direction the sound came. Her body ignored the warning signals her brain was sending. 

She willed her body to stop but it was like her legs had developed a mind of it's own. It kept moving towards the stairs where the thud came like an invisible force was pulling her towards it. As she got to the flight of stairs, her eyes caught trails of blood on the floor and wall. Her mind screamed at her to turn back but Ava kept walking. 

"Damien," she called but her response were echoes. 

She descended, one trembling step at a time and immediately she reached the end of the stairs, she saw him. He was there, laying motionless, face up on the ground in a pool of blood. 

Ava screamed as her knees gave way, making her fall to the ground, scared to death at the sight before her. His eyes were open, blank and were looking in a direction. Her eyes followed and that was when she saw it. 

The shadows came alive as moved out of place. It moved and crawled towards her. They slithered toward her, tendrils of darkness with no shape but all the menace of nightmares. Ava screamed as she tried to back away but she couldn't move, her body had suddenly stopped. The shadows crawled closer and her screams echoed as it swallowed her whole.

Ava jolted upright on the bed, breathing heavily. She was drenched in sweat as she sat up straight while trying to catch her breath. She ran her hands over her hair as relief washed over her, it was a dream. It was just a dream. She let out a long sigh of relief though she still felt goosebumps. She pushed the image of what she had seen in her nightmare to the back of her head.

Looking out the window, she realized that it was dawn. After steadying her breath, she grabbed her robe and exited her room walking down the hallway to the kitchen.

As the door slammed close after her, Ava failed to noticed the faint scratches on them.