Diego Lopez
The nightmare begins with scratching.
So faint you might mistake it for nothing.
Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
Something small is working against the wall.
The wall is white, hard and smooth. It has stood for years. Surely nothing so small could break through it.
But there are many of them. And they are patient.
They gather in the dark places. They scrape. They claw. They gnaw at the same spot, night after night, carrying away pieces too small to notice.
Until one night, the wall opens.
The scratching stops as they crawl through the hole and discover something softer underneath.
The little demons celebrate. They have opened the gate.
And something has been waiting for them to do exactly that.
He comes from the darkness.
A great hollow thing, blacker than the place from which he crawls. His body is riddled with holes. His fingers are long and crooked. Wherever he touches, something living begins to die.
The demons dance around him.
Then they bring out the drill. Rrrrrrrrrrr.
It drives deeper. You grab the side of your face. Rrrrrrrrrrr.
Deeper.
A sharp pain tears through your jaw.
The monster reaches from behind. One long arm wraps around your neck. Another grips the back of your head. His fingers settle across your shoulders.
Now he begins taking things.
First, your sleep. Then your food. Then your conversation. Concentration. Work. Joy. Soon, the smallest parts of life require his permission.
You pace. You sit. You stand again. You cradle your face in your hands and bargain for five minutes without pain.
The demons laugh. Rrrrrrrrrrr.
The world outside continues as though nothing has happened. Morning comes. Cars pass. Telephones ring. People laugh.
But your world has become very small.
There is only the pressure. The pounding.
The monster's claws. And somewhere behind the white wall— Rrrrrrrrrrr.
The demons are still drilling.
They dance around the opening they have made, delighted with their work.
Their master bends closer. His black fingers tighten.
Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
Take care of your teeth while they are still yours to protect.