Short stories
by ADAM TOMASZEWSKI
When night comes
When the night takes humanity into its embrace and the world, for a few short hours, halts its endless rush into the unknown, dreams take control over mankind.
Some of them sprinkle our souls with visions of a beautiful future, or of a world shaped according to our deepest desires.
The rest, however, rise to confront us — filling our minds with visions so twisted and horrifying that they follow us even into the comforting light of day.But the night — let’s not forget — is also the time when many creatures begin their day.
Countless predators emerge from their dens to hunt their prey.
The darkness that comes so naturally to them perfectly hides every horror they commit within it.
And it’s not only animals that should beware what hides beneath the watchful eyes of the stars.
Humans, too, should fear what lurks in the shadows — or waits for them among dreams.Not every nightmare is simply a byproduct of a quarrel between our sleepy minds and ever-alert bodies.
Some are real — living beings that feed on human fear, hiding within a world unreachable to most.
Sometimes, without realizing it, we wander into that reality, unable to distinguish those moments from ordinary dreams.
In most cases, such incidents end without consequence — we simply wake up in the morning with a faint vision of what we experienced, one that quickly fades with the first breath of day.But the less fortunate… during those brief moments of presence in the dream world, they might encounter predators lying in wait.
These beings, commonly known as Baku, feed on human dreams.
They devour the positive visions we experience through the night.
The more aggressive ones can induce nightmares and sip the fear that forms in our hearts.
The most cruel, however, are those for whom feeding on emotions alone is no longer enough.
They lurk in the darkest corners of their domain, waiting for lost souls to stumble into their reach.
When an unaware victim comes close, they strike without hesitation, draining the life force straight from their target — until they are satisfied.
Some wake up weakened, feverish, lucky to have escaped.
Others… remain forever trapped in the realm of dreams.
Chosen by blood
The middle of a forest at night is truly an interesting place — in the most uncomfortable sense of the word.
Trees touched only by moonlight turn into demons of the strangest, twisted shapes, waiting from afar for the right moment to attack.
Their shadows, standing out against the already dark ground, seem to be everywhere, seeing even what hides deep within our hearts.The smallest movement — even one caught only in the corner of your eye — makes your heart freeze for a moment, then start beating wildly, while cold sweat appears on your skin.
An innocent breeze triggers an avalanche of sounds which, in the dead silence of the forest, carry more power than the loudest screams.The forest at night is truly terrifying, no matter how strong your nerves are, no matter how cold your heart may be.So how on earth did I end up here… completely alone?
Lying on the ground, in the middle of a spreading puddle of my own blood.