Night Terrors, a short story
Night Terrors, a short story
by Suzanne Parrott
1905
Chapter 1
The train rattled southward, windows framing an endless, shifting tableau of fertile valleys and farmland bordered by the distant, snow-tipped Wasatch Mountains. Soon, the greenery faded into the stark white emptiness of the salt flats, a glimmering mirage stretching to the horizon.
Jagged peaks and arid basins pierced the landscape, painting the earth in shades of ochre and gray. As the sun slipped toward the western horizon, stark silhouettes of the sagebrush and the lonely Joshua tree dotted the desolate Mojave Desert, where unseen hands pulled at her from the shadows.
Ellie Marks groaned, rubbing her temples in time with the clacking of the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake maiden runs. She squeezed her eyes shut as the landscape started to blur. This affliction felt like a death sentence—a slow descent into madness, where the afflicted were locked away, forgotten, and left to wither away in solitude. Since childhood, the veiled protection of her bed covers had never kept the shadows at bay.
They were always there. Watching. Waiting.
Since her teens, she has filled her life with pleasant diversions: trips to the Cape, luxurious parties, and nights of drink and debauchery.
After her mother’s death, Ellie needed a change—a fresh start.
This is a mistake. Why am I staying in a no-nothing spec of town in the middle of nowhere? Something compelled Ellie to the decision —as if her life depended on it. But with every mile, her headaches worsened, and a sense of impending dread washed over her.
The steady rhythm of the sleeping car muffled the hum of conversations and laughter. Ellie’s gloved hand brushed the brass handrail as she inhaled the faint scent of polished wood and tobacco smoke. The desert stretched endlessly toward the horizon as the last hints of twilight faded into a star-strewn darkness. She paused to gaze at her faint reflection in the car window superimposed against the night sky—a pale oval framed by neat curls and the high white collar of her traveling dress.
Then, like a ripple in a black pool, the reflection changed. Her cheeks sank, and her face contorted into a gaunt, grotesque visage with dark, sunken eyes. Stumbling backward, her hand flew to her mouth as a scream tore loose, shattering the quiet cocoon of the sleeping car.
“Madam, are you alright?” A middle-aged man rushed over, his brow furrowed with concern. Ellie pressed back against the door of her compartment, her hand clutching her broach as though it were a lifeline to reality. Her chest heaved as the terror echoed in her soul.
“I—I thought I saw…” The window now reflected only herself and the gentleman against a backdrop of black. “It was nothing,” she added quickly.
The man’s gaze softened, but he didn’t retreat. “Strange surroundings have a way of playing tricks on you,” he said softly.
Ellie nodded, her hands trembling as she turned toward her compartment. “Yes… that must be it. Thank you.” Her words felt brittle in the stillness. The man lingered a moment before retreating.
Ellie burst into her compartment, locking the door as if she could keep the shadows at bay.
Chapter 2
Dawn broke over the Mojave Desert, casting dusty sunlight through the Netherfield Hotel’s open doors. Ellie paid the cab driver, grabbed her small suitcase, and entered the hotel.
She paused, glancing around the dimly lit lobby, a quiet relic in a forgotten corner of the Mojave Desert. Gas lamps sputtered along the walls, casting shadows across worn furniture. The thick air held the scent of old wood mingled with sagebrush. The once-polished marble floors sat dull and cracked, their luster lost to the years, and the ceiling fans wobbled lazily, their thin blades unable to cut through the stifling heat despite the setting sun.
The lobby was empty, save for the desk clerk—an elderly woman hunched behind a worn wooden counter talking to a middle-aged man. A cracked leather-bound register with yellowing pages lay open on the desk. In the far corner, an old grandfather clock ticked away the hours.
The portraits lining the walls seemed to lean forward in the dim light, their faded gazes following every movement. The grandfather clock, its pendulum swaying with mechanical precision, seemed louder than it had any right to be, each tick a countdown in the oppressive silence.
“How are you feeling today?” The gentleman from last night stood at the registration counter.
“Oh, much better, thank you.” She smiled. “I’m sorry if I disturbed your sleep.”
“Not at all. I am often up late. I’m Thomas.”
She shook his hand. “Ellie Marks.”
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m sure we’ll meet again.” He tipped his hat and then followed the bellhop toward the east wing.
Olivia gave her cousin a raised eyebrow look. “Knock it off, Olivia. I met him in the sleeper car hallway last night.”
“Good morning, ladies. May I help you,” the desk clerk asked.
“Yes. We want a room, please. Two beds,” Olivia spoke up. Ellie started to object, knowing her cousin’s only reasoning was to keep her tethered to her apron strings. She didn’t want her terrors spilling out for Olivia to see.
“I’m sorry,” the clerk replied. “I only have single-bed accommodations available. But I could offer you two rooms next to each other. And at a discount.”
“That would be fine, thank you,” Ellie said quickly.
“You’ll be in the east wing. Much quieter. How long are you planning to stay?” The clerk handed each lady a key.
“Perhaps a month.”
Olivia gasped at her cousin’s comment. “A month in this place?”
The clerk scowled. “Please excuse the mess. There was an unexpected storm, and they can tend to throw up a lot of dust. But the room dining hall and rooms are clean.”
The room’s furnishings were Spartan, consisting of a bed, a dresser, a plush chair, and a mirror that hung crookedly on the wall. The once-bright wallpaper had faded from the sun’s punishing light. The floor was covered by a carpet that smelled faintly of mothballs and dust.
The bedsprings creaked under her weight as she sat on the edge. The bedquilt held bright patterns of blue and white. The small, wooden nightstand was a brightly polished electric lamp with a white glass lampshade, yet the faint scent of wax and pipe smoke lingered in the air.
The air felt thick, almost oppressive, and Ellie couldn’t help but notice how still it was—too still, as though the room was holding its breath, waiting for something. She shivered in the cold as all the warmth evaporated from the room. Then, a familiar sensation prickled her skin, and she turned to face a dark corner.
There, just beyond the reach of the lamplight, was a formless creature that breathed darkness—an unspoken presence, watching, waiting. She gasped, her grip tightening on the bed quilt as an unearthly shimmer rippled through the void, revealing a face—gruesome, terrifying. Then, the shadow folded into itself and vanished just as the door swung open.
“These rooms aren’t much to look at,” Olivia said as she flopped onto the chair.
Even after it vanished, Ellie sensed the faint echo of a rasping breath. “D-did you see that?”
“Was it a mouse?” Her cousin raised her feet from the floor.
Ellie backed away from the corner. “No. It was . . ..”
“Ellie, what is it?” Olivia rushed over.
“There’s something I need to tell you. But I don’t want you to think that I am crazy.”
“Too late,” Olivia quipped.
“I’m serious. I have . . . feelings. I know this will sound crazy, and maybe I am. When I was a child, after my father was taken to the institution, it came.”
“It?”
Ellie nodded, her eyes wide with fear. “It crouched above my doorway, blacker than I ever thought possible. The white of its eyes and long fangs emitted a sickly, evil luminescence that cast unsettling highlights across its gargoyle-like form. A grotesque statue, unmoving. Yet I knew it was alive.
“It made no sound, but I could feel its breath hissing in my mind.” Ellie shook her head. “And that’s when I knew it had marked my soul. Liv, it has come for me.”
“Hm,” Olivia said. “So, is it there now?”
“No.”
“El, are you sure it wasn’t a dream? People see all kinds of things when half-asleep.”
“I’m wide awake, Liv.” She dropped onto the bed. “I know it sounds crazy, right? I mean, people can’t feel shadows? Dear God, Olivia. I’m scared. I remember overhearing my mother’s hushed arguments with Father about him ‘seeing things.’ What if . . .?”
Olivia sat and wrapped her arms around Ellie. “You’re not insane, Ellie.”
“T-then what’s happening?”
“You’re grieving. That is enough to cause all kinds of odd feelings.”
Ellie wept on Olivia’s shoulder as a faint voice, rising from the depths, resonated in her mind.
“You belong to me.”
Chapter 3
Ellie reclined on a hotel veranda chair, trying to escape the oppressive heat of her room. Although the faint breeze brought little relief, she shivered as the waves of desert heat twisted the lengthening shadows into faceless creatures.
Creaking wooden floorboards pulled her attention away from the unwanted scene. “May I join you?” Reverend Thorne asked, motioning to the chair beside her.
Ellie nodded.
Lighting his pipe, faint tendrils of smoke swirled into the air. “It’s a peaceful view, isn’t it? Deceptively so.”
Ellie frowned. “Deceptively?”
He gestured toward the endless horizon. “The desert hides many dangers—creatures lurking beneath the soil, blowing sand storms.” He gazed at her. “Everyone carries hidden storms—some deeper than others.”
His penetrating eyes locked onto her—waiting. She focused on the darkening expanse. “Shadows are part of life too—though unwanted.”
“Yet, they provide shade from the blistering heat and protection from the hunted.”
Ellie shivered as the last ray of light slipped below the horizon. “I am afraid of shadows.” Her voice sounded like that of a child.
“Many people are afraid of the dark, Miss Marks. But I sense that is not what you meant.”
Ellie shifted slightly in her chair. Did she want to divulge her troubles to a stranger? She shook her head. “It’s nothing. Just conversation.”
“And yet, not a typical topic of conversation. You saw it, didn’t you? In the window on the train.”
Her eyes opened wide. He saw it too. This is impossible. They aren’t real. Ellie tried to shake it away, the confirmation that she was slipping slowly into an abyss.
He nods his head. “I call them night terrors—tormentors that lurk in darkness. They latch onto a person, one that is not swayed by the evils of the world.”
“Father told me never to tell anyone he saw them. Then he died.” She didn’t know why she felt compelled to confide in this stranger. Yet, with each revelation, her burden lightened.
Her eyes welled. “I think it followed me here,” she sobbed.
He stood up and walked to the railing. “I didn’t realize this entity thrived on breaking souls. Understand. The lost are of no interest to this creature. Its purpose is to divide and break. I thought I could pray it away. But some battles aren’t fought only on your knees—they’re physically fought with every ounce of faith you have.”
He turned, his brow furrowed. “This thing has been feeding on the Marks family for a long time. Whatever tortured your father has now claimed you.”
“But why me? Why not my cousin, Olivia?”
Reverand Thorne sighed. “You were chosen because you have the strength to break its hold on your family.”
“Strongest? I’m no stronger than Olivia.”
“But your faith is.”
Chapter 4
Olivia listened as Ellie related what the reverend had said. “Ok, so let me get this straight. A shadow—an actual shadow—is stalking you. And now it’s . . . talking to you? Do you hear how crazy that sounds?”
“I know exactly how it sounds. My father died alone because no one believed him! I could have supported him, but instead, I hid.”
“And now you are heading down the same path, El. If you keep talking to shadows, you’ll end up exactly where you don’t want to be.”
Ellie smiled. “I didn’t realize it until I talked with the Reverend, but Father was right. Liv, I felt it tremble when Thorne said that thing had been feeding on our family for generations.”
“Feeding on the family. Are you crazy? What kind of crap is this Thorne telling you? Your father is dead, El. You can’t help him, and God knows you apparently can’t help yourself.”
“Olivia. I’m not crazy. This is a generational battle. My father failed to subdue it, and maybe I will, too, but I have to try. If speaking the truth can shake its hold, then there has to be a way to break it entirely. For the first time, Liv, it showed fear.”
“Ok, Ellie. I’m sleeping in your room tonight, and when nothing happens, you stop talking about shadows.”
Olivia groaned. “God, this chair is uncomfortable. Are you awaked Ellie?”
“No.”
“Well, nothing is happening, and I need some sleep.” Olivia got up and turned up the lamp. “Sorry, El”
“Olivia, wait.” Ellie jumped out of bed. “Please wait. I can’t do this alone.”
“Do what? Be crazy? No thanks. If you want to chase ghosts, you are on your own.”
Silence filled the room as a chill prickled their skin. Ellie’s scream echoed, sharp and raw, as she stumbled backward. In the doorway, the shadows coalesced, dark and formless, their presence an unnatural void swallowing the light.
The thing loomed, shifting and expanding, its edges flickering like smoke caught in an unseen wind. It hissed again—a guttural, rasping sound that vibrated through the walls and into their bones. Ellie’s knees buckled, her breath ragged, her heart pounding.
“Go away!” Ellie shouted, her voice cracking. The entity paused but then laughed.
“Your words lack resolve.” The darkness stretched toward her like claws, and Ellie fell against the thick curtain, her body trembling.
“I- I don’t want you here. I command you to go.” Her voice was not more than a whisper.
“You cannot defeat me. It is ordained. You are the last.” Then she felt it set its mind on Olivia.
“You cannot have her!” Ellie shouted defiantly.
“I already have her. You are the prize I seek. And soon, I will feast on the last of the Marks line.”
“Oh, yessss. I can feel your terror; it is delicious,” it hissed. “But you do not need to fear. Relinquish your quest, and I will leave.”
Ellie gasped, blinking through her tears. “I-I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
“If you stop this fruitless task, I’ll leave you alone. That’s what you want, right? To live a peaceful life on this Earth.”
“Yes.” Ellie clasped eyes with the creature. “To be left alone.”
“Very well. Release the guilt weighing you down—about the death of your father. It wasn’t your fault, you are blameless.”
“But, I can’t.”
“My patience is growing thin. If you do not release your guilt and embrace the world, then you will die, just like your father.”
Her cousin’s words echoed in her heart. ‘You are not to blame for your father, El. Just live your life.’
“Listen to her words, Ellie. Your father’s misguided passion hangs around your neck like a millstone. And, it will kill you.” the entity slithered closer, whispering, “Honor your father and mother by living a good life, free from your birthright.”
Ellie frowned. Oh, how she wanted to escape the shadows, the fear. “What must I do?”
The entity smiled. “Deny your faith.”
“I can’t do that.”
“You don’t have to mean it.”
God would know she didn’t mean her denial. They were just words to trick the creature. “If I do this, you will leave us alone?”
“Of course. I promise you will not see me on this Earth ever again.”
“Ok, I promise . . .”
The entity hissed as Thorne appeared in the room.
“Tell it to go!” he demanded, sweeping his arm toward the creature.
Ellie frozen. She wanted the nightmare to end, and a false promise seemed the right avenue.
“Say the words, Ellie!” Thorne screamed.
“Go away!” She shouted.
A sharp flicker coursed through the entity and then it collapsed into itself.
The room fell silent except for her shallow breaths. Ellie sank to her knees, trembling, tears streaming down her face.
“What just happened?” Olivia whispered.
“The beginning,” Thorne stated.
Chapter 5
“What did you do? I was finally going to be free of that thing.” She berated Reverend Thorne.
“It was a deception. That thing had no intention of removing itself from your life.” Thorne stated.
“How do you know? You know nothing about my family.”
Thorne moved across the room. “Ellie. I do know. I tried to defeat that creature but failed. But you are stronger than you think. You can do what I could not.”
Ellie collapsed on the bed.
“It’s like a cancer; you need to remove it, or it will take your very soul. Don’t let it.”
“But how can anyone battle such a creature?” Ellie sobbed.
“By understanding its purpose. Once you see that, you fight like hell.”
She stormed across the room and stood in front of Thorne. “Why don’t you fight it? You made it leave. I felt its anger when you entered the room. Maybe you’re the reason it’s here.”
“I am the reason,” Thorne said. “I tried to defeat that creature but failed. And my failure passed the burden on to my family— on to you.”
Sunlight filled the room, wrapping the man in golden rays. Her vision blurred, and she blinked away tears. “What are you saying?”
“Dear Ellie. It will never give up. It will keep coming and coming at you until you bend to its will, but you mustn’t give in. Once it breaks you, you’re lost. Its promises are empty. It doesn’t have the power to give you anything.”
Thorne lifted Ellie’s head to meet her gaze. “You’re stronger than you think, daughter. Stronger than I could ever have been.”
Through her tears, his face morphed into one of familiarity. “Father?”
Chapter 6
Night fell across the desert as Ellie stood in the hallway outside her room, preparing to battle a demon—an ancestral spirit that fed on her family’s sins, guilt, and pain. Wide eyes glanced toward her father, now a fading translucent apparition. He softly touched her shoulder, his strength seeping into her. “God’s plans may not feel like protection, but they always have a purpose.”
“What about Olivia?” she’d asked her father. “Won’t it come after her?”
“She already belongs to him,” he’d said. “But you can help her once it is banished.”
The door swung open, and the room groaned as the darkness pressed against the threshold. The air reeked of death, and she gagged, taking a step back.
“Remember. You are not alone,” her father sighed.
She nodded with uncertainty. How could she even consider battling an entity such as this? She stepped backward.
You are mine. The entity’s thoughts penetrated her mind.
“Don’t listen to its lies,” her father whispered.
Taking a deep breath, Ellie crossed the threshold.
The door slammed shut behind her, and a searing pain slashed across her shoulders. She screamed, stumbling forward as her knees buckled on the warped wooden floor. An unseen force lifted her up, only to slam her back to the floor.
You will fail like your father and all the others before you. You are the last link in a long, unbroken chain, and I will savor your defeat.
She choked as unseen hands lifted her off the floor and then slammed her against the opposite wall, where she crumpled into a heap.
You are alone, Ellie. No one is here to save you.
“There is,” she rasped. “And I am not alone.”
A searing pain enveloped her heart. A vice clamped around her lungs as the world started to fade. Stop! she thought. Again, she was flung across the room, where she landed next to the bed.
Images flooded the room, harsh and jarring. A man in a wide-brimmed hat struck a chained figure with a rawhide whip. A woman dropped a bundle into a river’s cold current. Her ancestors—and their sins knifed through her.
“Dear, Lord.” Ellie cried as the suffering of the ages flooded her soul. Cries of anguish escaped her as she fell against the wall.
Then she felt the darkness. “You did this,” she spat, anger rising from every fiber. Pushing her shoulders back, she stared at the creature.
No. I only watched, allowing them to do what they wanted. It was their choice, and it can be yours, too.
Emily watched as images of her future danced in front of her: a wedding, happy children, peace. Her mind was flooded with joy, happiness, and fulfillment.
I can offer you a wonderful life and much more. Just stop this foolishness.
Her father’s words fill her soul. ‘It will lie to you, Ellie. It has no power on this earth. Trust in me. Believe.’
“You lie! You have nothing I want.”
Another strike landed, this time across her face. Her cry broke the air, but she forced herself upright, her nails clawing at the splintered wall. Blood ran freely from her mouth.
“Forgive them, Lord,” she rasped, the words barely audible over the roar of her pulse. “I break the chain of torment, and take the burden of their sins and ask for forgiveness.”
Their sins are unforgivable, it hissed. You are not like them. You did nothing. Let them go, and you will be free.
Ellie shook her head as unseen hands wrapped around her throat.
Then join them in hell, it hissed.
The entity threw her onto the floor like a rag doll. She screamed in agony as she felt her calves sliced open. Her bloodied hands braced against the floor as she felt a flicker deep in her chest.
Rising to her knees, she mustered her strength. Images raced through her mind: betrayal, theft, murder, infidelity, lies. Their weight pressed her down as her voice struggled with each broken gasp. “Forgive them. Forgive me.”
The room fell silent except for her ragged breathing. Then, a seed welled up from within, and she saw the creature cowering in the corner.
“NO MORE!” she demanded. “You are done.”
The air filled with unearthly shrieks. Then, like a final breath, the darkness receded forever.
“You seem to be feeling better,” Olivia said as she and Ellie boarded the train for California.
Ellie nodded as she glanced toward the passing landscape and smiled at her father’s reflection in the window. “Liv. I need to tell you a story.”
I wrote this in about 5 hours, with minimal editing. I am planning a longer or full-length novel.
Let me know what you thought of the story below. I’d love to hear from you. ~ Suzanne
Night Terrors (c) 2025 Suzanne Parrott