“What do you want with me?” Help me...“Where are you?” Closer...“What are you playing at?” Help me!

It was useless. There was no reply. Nothing could be heard against the pounding rain and sleet. Bringing his car to an abrupt halt, the man stepped outside. The only protection he had against the elements was his humble hood, which, in this instance, was being torn apart. Winds blew heavily, nearly uprooting him, but he continued on through the mud to the station house. He had heard voices coming from there earlier, and a light was on. Yet, every time he called out, there were no responses. What was going on here?

Maintaining his balance, the man steadily trekked his way to the door of the shelter. Touching the frozen handle, he shoved the door open with all his might, watching as it swung open. Walking inside, he took his hood off. There would be no need for it here.

“Hello? Is there anybody here?” Help me! He received no response. Frowning, he took off his wet coat and shut the door. It was surprisingly warm inside compared to the world around the station house. Hanging his coat on a rack near the door, he stretched his shoulders and began walking up the winding stairs left of the entry.

Wood creaked under his heavy boots as he ascended higher and higher. Still the light flickered on behind a door upstairs, but he could hear no voices. He noticed his breath showing in the air, though he felt no chill. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw nothing.

“Hello?” He called out again. Here, please! Help me!. No response. Shrugging off the feeling of fear he was beginning to feel, he placed his hand back on the railing of the stairwell and continued walking up the stairs. He was beginning to shiver, though he knew not why.

A shriek came from behind the door as he reached the top of the stairway.

“Don’t go,” it sobbed. “Please, don’t leave me here!”

“Hello?” The man called out again, reaching for the door handle. Another scream reached his ears, this time of a younger girl, instead of a woman.

“Help me!”

Spinning around, the man searched for the cause of the voices. There was no one there, and nobody seemed to hear him as he called out. Turning around hesitantly, he reached for the door handle. Slowly he began to turn it, but before he saw what was on the other side, his vision blurred. When they opened again, he saw himself at his home in bed.

His heart was racing now. It had felt so real, but could it have only been a nightmare? What did it mean, this dream? Sitting up, he wiped the sweat from his brow. It was cold out, and the rain and sleet were falling against the windows. He gazed through it all to the station house down the road. What had it all meant?

Help me...Looking around frantically, he grabbed his head in his hands.

“Go away! Leave me be!” He shouted out, beginning to despair.

Don’t...leave me in here...

“Get out!” He shouted again, this time angry beyond words. He would face this fear. It was unknown to him why he was hearing these voices, but he didn’t want them any longer. It would not be he who would be held accountable for them.

Gripping his shotgun in his fingers, he steadily loaded it. Strapping it around his shoulder, he clothed himself for the weather outside. He reached the station house, and finally saw the source of the voices. A young woman, as radiant in her beauty as any, and a daughter, not even eight years of age.

“What do you want?” He asked them, pointing the gun at them.

“Please, don’t!” The woman cried out. She began to stand up, weakly, for she had been beaten prior, but her sudden movement had caused the man to shoot her as a gut reflex. The little girl began to sob, but she, too, was ignored. The man heard their cries echo in their ears, but he did not listen to them.

“Go away!”

Closer...

“I said, get out of my head!”

Please...Don’t leave us!

“Shut up!” He roared, in a rage now. Without thought he erased the voice of the young girl, before the screams filled his mind to the exploding point. Letting out a cry, he threw down the gun and ran from the building, leaving the dead corpses for the police to find the next morning.