The Figure
'The Figure' is a piece of writing I did to explore the realm of suspense and horror. I have always been heavily inspired by music whenever I write or draw something, and I was listening to a track from the hit game 'Alan Wake' for Xbox 360. This was written in first person, as is everything I write that comes from a place within myself. I wrote this short story in 3 hours, start to finish, and this story came from a very dark place inside me. I just picked up a keyboard, and started to type. I have no idea what dark corner this comes from.
The track is by Petri Alanko, and is instrumental. It is called Tom The Diver. The link for YouTube may be found here > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmMwH_Th5DE&feature=share&list=PLF30A67AF19578954
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.
Walking down the darkened alleyway, I find myself stopping suddenly as a Figure appears, seemingly out of nowhere. I do not see her face, I just know it is a female form looming before me in the narrow alley. Her form looks like a mere shadow, cloaked with an older and almost flimsy material, almost like a monk's hood. The rain continues to fall, heavy droplets bouncing and sliding down each blackened brick wall. The air felt thick, like a heavy fog as I took a shuddering breath, suddenly feeling as cold as an arctic wind. I stood completely still, fixated on The Figure. Unable to say a word, I merely waited for something...knowing that The Figure would speak first, somehow. I continue to observe The Figure, that sense of pitted dread scraping at my insides. Something is not right, but I can not look away. Something is drawing me to her, to The Figure. Something primal perhaps, but no; It is that sort of drawn magnetism that we only fall victim to when we find something we should not have found to begin with. That forbidden experience, the fruit of Eden tugging at our curiousity that has damned entire nations. Missing piece of creation, you are here at last. Here at last... A dark, piercing whisper that sounds almost like the hissing of a viper shot like an icy arrow hitting its target dead square in my heart. The Figure is speaking to me. Creator, creator of darkness...muse of the Damned...You are here at last...here at last... Fear shot through my heart, my very veins seem to be trembling. The Figure suddenly appears closer to me, an inch away, and I jump with a loud cry, unable to move otherwise. I can see her eyes, icy gray and almost devoid of life. She has a perfectly chiseled face, almost too perfect, like pale marble. A small almost half-smile adorns her face, but it doesn't reach her eyes. I look back in cold fear at her features, having trouble taking this all in. The sides of her face are cracked, like cracked stonework after generations of weathering. Just as before...your creations will rain darkness upon the world. Abominations unending, darkness without light...you are here at last...here at last... Somehow The Figure was able to say all of this without opening her mouth at all. Her face is a solid moonlit mask, exactly like a statue of ancient Rome. And somehow, every single syllable that shot it's hissing tone was able to freeze my soul in place. I am transfixed, unable to look away, yet, trembling as a sense of mortal danger hits me. I need to run. I need to run, I need to go. I need to get away. I need to get out of here right now. There is no path to flee upon, Scribe...it is as it is...as it is...as it is... I manage to regain my strength, able to move regardless of the seemingly binding power of The Figure. I take a few steps back, staring back at The Figure in fear. I stumble as my legs give way, falling into a deep puddle and soaking myself. The heavy rain feels suddenly heavier, like every droplet was a weight, unnaturally burdening. I manage to crawl back to my feet as I start to run down the alley, finally looking forward. I look with shock as the alley seems to stretch, become longer and unending. The alley which originally led to a quiet street now led into a soup-like fog, an impenetrable wall of blinding doubt. I run as fast as I can. Fog or no fog, I needed to go. I need to escape this horror, this demon. The fog seems to get further and farther away as I run, the alley stretching like an elastic band of dread tugging at my soul. I start to pant in desperation, looking back over my shoulder. My heart nearly stops. I hadn't moved even a few yards away from The Figure. I was still right there, right next to that deep puddle, still within The Figure's influence. I feel myself pale, draining all of the blood from my face. Turning away from the figure again, I attempt one last time to escape before stopping cold in my tracks. There were more Figures, dozens of the same exact face staring back at me, identical in every way! They were blocking my path in separate rows, all staring at me with those empty gray retinas. Here at last...The Scribe...here at last...here at last... Seemingly hundreds of the same whispering voice echoed, frigid tones of icy daggers piercing me with each word. I am frozen, I couldn't move once more. I am utterly paralyzed with fear. Come with us Scribe...Come with us...at last... The lone Figure behind me flickers like a camera image, appearing a centimeter from me, placing both of her hands on either shoulder from behind, as the many other Figures flickered together, a mass of darkness shimmering in the alleyway as I silently screamed, unable to voice my fear. The shimmering darkness of The Figures grows stronger, and then the world was dark. Complete darkness absolute surrounds me, and the World ends. I cannot breathe. I cannot see. I cannot feel. I cannot think.
The alleyway is empty. The rainstorm of yesterday left a long line of deepened puddles along the middle, trash and graffiti lines the sides of it. No sign remains of what occurred, no hint at foul play. On either side of the alley, day-to-day life continues. Cars with angry drivers honked and tore up pavement as they zipped past, business men and women walk down the sidewalks, either talking on a cell phone or to each other. A student passes by with headphones in each ear, oblivious to it all. The student takes a turn into the alley, walking up to a lone figure in the alley, waving as she jogged to him. The figure smiles, leaning against the wall half-way through the alley. She takes the student's hand in her own, leaning in to kiss his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder contently. She whispered to him in dulcet tones, a lover's gaze painted upon her face as she looked at him like he was the only thing in existence. "You're here at last!"