A hand appeared from the darkness. Outstretched, beckoning me to grab on and follow it into the expansive void in front of me.
I didn’t move. My eyes were fixed on its fingers that began to curl one by one. Suddenly, a face pushed through the dark. It almost looked human, but the features were all wrong. It looked like a woman who had been drawn by a child.
Her smile was too wide with thin lips pursed together in a tight U shape. The dark pupils of her unblinking eyes were just two black dots on her face that was a smudged peach color. I felt my whole body flush with red-hot fear as her stare bore into me.
Her short black hair swayed from side to side as she bobbled her head back and forth. I knew I didn’t have a choice. I was compelled to take her hand while she led me into the nothingness.
I couldn’t see anything as her strong grip pulled me further and further into the dark. The only sound was the clack of our shoes on the floor echoing for an eternity with each step.
Eventually, I saw a small pinhole of light up ahead. It was a single spotlight whose origin I could not trace above me.
She pulled me into the light and let go of my hand. Without moving her lips she spoke in a childlike voice that was playful yet determined.
“Give me your words.”
“Give you my what,” I asked. With each word that escaped my mouth, I could see it bubble out of my lips and land in her cupped hands. The fonts and colors of each word were different.
“Give me your words,” she said again through her tight sealed smile.
“How?!” I shouted. The word popped out of my mouth in a bright red Impact font. It landed with a thud in her hands. Her smile pressed deeper into her face, clearly, she was pleased. I clasped my hands over my mouth understanding what she meant now.
“Give me your words.”
An invisible force pushed my hands to my sides. I could feel bile backing up in my throat as something beyond my control urged me to speak.
“Stop it!” I screamed. The words popped out in bright yellow bold Merriweather font.
Her arms were now almost full of words. She held them to her body and jumped up and down.
“More words! More words!” She exclaimed.
“Leave me alone!” More hands emerged from the darkness eagerly grabbing at my words as they tumbled out of my mouth.
The woman passed out the words in her arms to the impatient hands trembling for more. She slowly walked towards me her hands now empty.
One hand from the darkness grabbed the top of my head and yanked it back. Another held my chin in place.
Now standing right in front of me, the woman pried my mouth open and began to reach her hand inside. Choking and gagging I tried to wiggle free, but the hands wouldn’t let me move.
Her hand moved deeper and deeper down my throat as I struggled to breathe. Tears streamed down my face mixing with the drool running out of the sides of my mouth.
“Gotcha!” She exclaimed her lips still not moving. I could feel her hand latch onto something deep inside me and squeeze. Whatever it was she was yanking it free.
She retracted her fist and brought the item close to her beaming face.
Blood began to projectile vomit from my mouth all over her. But she didn’t care. Sobbing as blood continued to pour out of my mouth the hands released me and I fell to my knees.
I looked up to see what she was holding. What had she taken from me?
She bent down and held it up to my face. It was a 26-sided die each side imprinted with a letter.
I reached up to try and take it from her, but she swiftly popped it into her mouth. Her lips parted for the first time revealing rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth.
“I have your words now,” she said her mouth now moving with each word.
I tried to scream as loud as I could. Nothing came out. I tried to plead with her, but I was silent.
The next morning I woke up completely mute. I’ve been to every doctor and specialist my health insurance will pay for, but no one knows why I’m no longer able to speak.
Having exhausted every traditional medical route I turned to sub-reddits and online forums, but no one has been able to help me. All I can do is hope every night as I drift off to sleep that I’ll dream of her again and take my words back.