Some of them are well known to me, souls I have disappointed, their spirits returning to remind me that I am lost. Others are the echos of promises I have failed to keep, responsibilities I let fall by the wayside. Others are shadows of loved ones staring at me, though I cannot see them in return. I can feel their displeasure, the heat of their anger, the chill of their scorn. Perhaps most frightening to me are the shadows in the air because I don't know what they are. They follow me around. I catch brief glimpses of them out of the corner of my eye. They dart in and out of rooms. They even leave peculiar scents in the air, making me aware of their presence with the smell of smoke. I can move to another area of the house, but within moments, the acrid smell returns. Though I can't see them, the stench of smoke is, and I know they are there.
But what are they? Who are they? What do they want with me?
I can't help but think that these are not from my past or my present, as the other monsters are, but represent something from the future. Perhaps they are tormentors yet to be met, the chains and bars that will be holding me back, locking me away from happiness and freedom, the doubt and hatred that will be cast my way to warp me beyond recognition. Or perhaps they are shadows of myself come back in time to find me, their gold to make me aware that my future will be filled with the destruction of all I hold dear, leaving behind the stench of burnt dreams and aspirations. For, though I am hoping for the best, deep down, I know that I will not travel this path unscathed.
The shadows flit about me, the door almost vibrates ever so slightly, and the unseen eyes almost glitter at the windows.
There are monsters in the air tonight, and I don't now how to dispel them. Does anyone?
