The Face - Chapter 1, Act 1

 ...The sun setting in the distance, I get up from the bench I have been sitting on for almost an hour, pondering... and sweating like I never did before. My face completely absent of any expression but anxiety must scare people passing by me, as I stay really still and don't even blink for minutes before my eyes start getting teary. I gulp down one last time, and mustering every last bit of courage I have left in me, I turn back, and raise my head. What I'm able to see is the face that has been haunting me for days now. I quickly gulp again, and make sure no one notices the time I unusually spend looking at the face. My heart races, as I sweat even more, and I try to gulp down any bad feelings. But it only increases the slight nausea that has been bothering me for the while I've been sitting here. I slowly tilt my head down and, whilst trying not to raise my head to look up to that... face... I start turning around as well. I get on the park road, and start walking in the direction where my home resides. The dubiousness of the circumstances I've been placed in scares me, makes my heart race, and almost prevents me from blinking at all. I can hardly handle the darkness devolving over me as I shut my eyes down. I feel as if that face stares into my soul whenever I close my eyes, even easier than when I'm resisting its gaze with the power of my own.

Feeling helpless and restless, I decide all I can do is walk back home, and upon entering, I feel a little bit at ease. I sit down by the flats door, and breath heavily for a moment to gather my thoughts together. Not as easy as I think this is, it allows me to get on a train of thoughts. I force myself to get up, and look back, at the ceiling. Fortunately, nothing is there. Then I slowly go through all the rooms, carefully examining every and each wall there is, then finally settling down on the thought that the face was... indeed something that belonged to outside, or that I'm safe now that I'm in my sanctuary where I call home. I slowly walk back into my room, sit on my bed, and look out of the window to see the condition of weather... only then I'm struck with the sight of... that lurker, the abomination of a face... I'm startled, and I jump back a little on my bed, my breathing now erratic, and my heart racing, I stand there staring for minutes before I can actually calm down and divert my gaze from the face to somewhere else in my room. I decide I need to clear my head, so I pick up my guitar and start hitting a couple of notes before doing anything.

Quickly I become bored with my useless effort of playing the guitar, I put it aside... and stare at the ground for a few minutes, swallowing all that has happened in the past hours. I gulp down once again, then mustering a little bit more of my courage, I turn right and look at the face as directly as I'm able to. It is... still, as the night that is now befalling it... The face is hung on a tree, there is no expression on it, and seemingly the eyeholes are empty as well. I try to examine the face as thoroughly as I'm able to, gathering what information I can and ease my mind by changing the contents of what has been occupying my mind. The face looks gray, with almost wooden features, it has a nose in the shape of a coffin, a mouth open just as wide to let some air in. And and as I start describing its features, it begins to look less scarier. I start thinking I'll be able to handle the pressure of being stared at, if it's harmless... And, not to mention the face is absolutely still, and has no sign of life. I think to myself that there is no reason to fear it.

I realize that I've been running around the city all day long, and that causes me to become exhausted as to prevent me to keep looking at the face for too long. Since I'm on my bed, I decide to put my head on the pillow to take a nap before my parents arrive home, and with the face engraved into my mind, I quickly fall asleep...

I do not remember waking up... but now I have a vision of... a blurry purple in front of me. It's as if I'm in a puff of smoke that doesn't leave me wherever I go, blocking most of my sight. I try to move my limbs, but they seem to have been binded down. I try to open my mouth to speak, only to find it has been stitched shut. My eyes dawdle around, looking for someone, but I ultimately give up hope as I realize I've been placed in a state of comatose. All I can do is look around in the purple mist, and it doesn't give me any ideas about where I am. Slowly, I can feel the mist moving around me, as if it's trying to leave me, but I'm not allowing it to do so. Eventually it disperses into the darkness that covers me. I am left to stare into the said darkness. Slowly, I can feel a presence closing up to me, but I'm not sure what this could belong to. I turn forward, and I can see somewhat of a more lighter color in the darkness around it, and squinting my eyes I can see...
The Face.
It didn't abandon me... not even in my sleep. Sure, I'm aware of the fact I'm asleep, and surely, I'm dreaming...
...Or that's what I tell myself to calm down. It works for a moment, but the face just keeps peering into my soul, as if it lusts for it, or maybe its downfall...
I feel my nerves getting wrecked, my heart is thumping, faster by the minute, and it causes my vision to also go along with the tempo. The face, just by staring at me, is able to make me feel uneasy... and before I notice it, I'm sweating like rain has poured down on me. And I can't even move my hand to my forehead to swipe off the sweat, as I'm rendered unable to move. The face... it slowly approaches me in silence, and the lack of emotions. I do not feel any sort of anger coming to me from The Face, but it surely is going to harm me in ways I can't imagine.
I start to tremble, like a glass of water beside a railroad.
My mind is in ruins, and I struggle to regain my freedom, but... it's proven futile. The face is almost in my proximity of three meters, but it still doesn't even flinch. Just... floating in the air, coming at me. And it's enough to make me burst into tears. I start crying out of desparation, swallowing me in the incurability of my situation. Feelings that The Face lacks are as if they're swarming me now. I look back in case I see a light of hope... but it isn't there. And when I turn, my nose meets The Face...
...
Moment of silence, then I blink.
My mother is kissing my nose, in an attempt to wake me up without scaring me.
I blink deliriously, sweat covering all my face. 'Honey, are you okay?' I hear my mother's soothing voice... And it's as if she is the angel that has came down from the heavens to save me from my misery... I breathe irregularly, enough to make her worry. Her face saddens, she frowns a little, and kisses my forehead, while swiping the sweat off of it. I manage to utter a few words, 'I'm... I was having a nightmare... I'm... okay.' and she nods her head slowly, but in a refined manner. She understands me, and I can already feel her hand on the back of my head, supporting me to get up without putting any real effort in it. I raise my head slightly, to look at her in a position more closer to one of sitting. She still looks worried, and I feel at fault, so I open my mouth again. 'Please, there's... nothing wrong. Don't frown.' she smiles faintly, to let me know that she's only trying to help me, she shakes her head. 'I know, honey. You're strong enough not to be trifled by a mere nightmare.' Her usual jocose tone... It brings me back to my senses that all it has been was just a nightmare...
I sit straight, hoping my mother will also sit beside me. And so she does. I look to my side, to her face, and find her smiling at me. The sight relaxes me, and I wrap my hands around her, to embrace her tightly. I gulp down, and she kisses my cheek lightly. 'Let's eat dinner, honey.' says she, and I nod in response right after we break up. She gets up and heads to the kitchen, and so do I. But before the leaving, I take a peek back at my window... and suddenly, my eyes meet those of The Face. I'm startled again, but this time I manage to break contact before I get sucked in the madness...
I start helping my mother prepare dinner. And as I cut onions, my eyes get full of tears and... I'm suddenly reminded of the nightmare I just had... I leave the knife there for a moment, and turn back... to look for comfort, while all I'm doing is trying to avoid the cause of my tears. My mother notices my sudden take off, and pats my shoulder, 'I can handle the preparations, so just go ahead and rest.' she smiles. And I don't hesitate in nodding back, then proceeding to leave the kitchen and enter the living room. I let myself fall on the couch, and I look out the of window as my habit dictates.
...
The Face is there. I thought I got over the sudden fears by now... But seemingly I didn't, as I feel the piercing stare of it through the thick glass that intercepts us. I turn my gaze towards my father, who is absorbed in playing his games on the computer... As my attempt to seek refuge fails, I start breathing normally, and eventually, start interpreting The Face... as the observer of my life. I look out of the window once again, and our eyes meet.
...
The Face didn't have eyes.
My sight gets blurry... and I feel my life being sucked out of me.
I pass out.