Cloud

THE CLOUD IS STILL OUTSIDE. WATCHING ME. FOLLOWING ME. WAITING TO CONSUME ME! AND IT IS CLOSE TO ACHIEVING ITS GOAL. MY TIME IS RUNNING OUT WHICH IS WHY I AM WRITING THIS NOTE. I THINK TONIGHT MIGHT BE THE NIGHT.

This all started on my way to work a few days ago and has only escalated since. I noticed a particularly interesting cloud. It was much larger than the rest and seemed oddly symmetrical. There were two adjacent perfectly circular holes, with an oval shaped hole beneath it. My first thought was that it resembled a face. Like how a cloud can resemble a dog. Typical pareidolia but no, that's not what this is. Unfortunately.

My entire forty-five minute drive to work that morning the cloud moved in the same direction as me and I couldn't help myself from staring at it. And I believe this is what made the cloud mark me. Chose me.

As my drive to work progressed, my uneasiness grew. I started to notice its unusual behavior. The cloud seemed to move strangely. It didn't appear to be moving at a constant speed. Able to slow down, speed up or stop completely so that it was in the perfect viewing distance of me and my car. And my suspicions grew only more true when I arrived at work that morning the cloud seemed to stop. Me and the office in its view.

I tried not to think much of it that day at work, but I couldn't help but occasionally look through windows towards the sky when I got the chance. Or when I went for my lunch break. It was still there. The exact same cloud. Standing still. While other clouds moved at a constant speed.

I started to go from uneasy to paranoid when I asked my co-worker about the cloud. His response was haunting. He told me he couldn't see the cloud I was referring to. So, I pulled out my phone, zoomed in on the cloud and took a photograph. But, when I looked at the photo my heart dropped. The cloud wasn't in the photo. And horror became reality. Only I could see this cloud.

My entire drive home from work, the cloud followed me as well and stopped outside of my house. That entire evening, I kept peeking out my front windows hoping that the cloud would somehow not be there. Even though I knew it would be. It remained there the entire night.

That night, I had the most horrifying nightmare. In the dream, I was floating high up in the night sky. I was facing the cloud and moving towards it slowly. Its eyes piecing deep into my soul. Its mouth wide and titled upwards slightly on either end as if it was smiling. Smiling maliciously at me. Thunder bellowed in the background. Almost like laughter. The type of laughter someone laughing at you, not with you. Rain trickled down on me, but not normal rain. It was a dark red. Like that of blood. When it touched my skin, it was painful. It burned. The dream continued on for what felt like forever. Almost torturous. The dream ended moments before I would reach its mouth. This is when I knew for certain that it was going to consume me. For what reason, I am not sure. And, I woke up suddenly drenched in sweat. Or so I thought. My sheets were covered in blood, but I had no apparent wounds. It was if I had sweat blood. Or the blood from the nightmare escaped onto my bed.

This pattern repeated for a few days. The cloud would follow me to and from work, and remain at both locations. Each day the cloud grew larger, and darker. The first day it was much smaller and a bright white. But now, it is massive almost taking up the entire sky and only a few shades from pitch black. Its presence continued to increase as well. Before, I couldn't feel it while inside. But as I write this, I can sense it looking at me through the walls. Watching. Waiting. While at home the house felt darker. Lights dimmer. An eerie quietness.

The nightmares continued too, getting darker. It felt like each nightmare continued to become longer. As if the cloud was extending its time tormenting me. Torturing me. Like what a cat does with a mouse before it finally decides to pounce on it. The trickle of rain now a downpour of blood. The pain at first hurt of course, but it was bearable. The pouring rain was a constant intense burn. Like if you stuck your hand in boiling water.

But, the pain wasn't even the worst part. As the nightmares progressed I continued to get closer and closer to the clouds mouth. And I was able to catch glimpses of what is beyond. I have heard screams, whispers, crying, begging. From what I can only guess are from others who were consumed prior to me. I can't seem to see what it is actually inside of the mouth though. It is pitch black. The blackest black I have ever seen. Just an endless void. I continue to wake up suddenly each time, the pools of blood getting larger. Almost as if someone had dumped a bucket of blood on my bed.

The pain has somehow passed into the real world as well. I am constantly in pain the second I wake up to the moment I go to bed. And each day it is growing worse. A very small part of me is looking forward to finally being consumed by this cloud, in hopes that this pain will go away. But, I quickly put this thought out of my head because I instinctively know the pain of being consumed will be far greater. And, I can only imagine what is actually beyond the void. The sounds of the consumed echo through my head.

I am going to go to bed now. I am almost positive this will be last night, so I will leave whoever is reading this with a warning.

IF YOU SEE A STRANGE CLOUD IN THE SKY DO NOT LOOK AT. DO NOT STARE AT. OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE NEXT. IF YOU DO, THEN YOU WILL SOON BE HEARING ME FROM BEYOND THE VOID.

Goodbye, [Name]