Angela felt a weight on her abdomen; her eyes weren’t focused yet but she was very aware of something being very wrong. The pressure was holding her down on her bed and it didn’t seem as though she was able to move. She wasn’t able to discern much of the figure on top of her: small, dark and malformed.

The little light in her room didn’t fall correctly on the figure. It wasn’t right. Angela thought to herself, “It isn’t… human!” The creature clawed at Angela with a taloned hand, gripping at her chest and turned its face to hers.

Angela would have screamed; would have bolted or fought, but she was paralyzed by its gaze. Its eyes were red rimmed black. Its face was covered with bristly black hair, with pointed ears and a wide black smile full of jagged canines. She knew it was demonic and knew it was going to hurt her. Strings of her blond hair plastered to her forehead and neck as cold sweat broke out over her body.

The creature’s nails tore into Angela’s breast, slicing through the night gown to the skin beneath. The pain made her whimper and her vision blurred as tears gushed. The fiend leaned over her examining her face.

The beast worked quietly, kneading at Angela’s breast. Angela felt the burning as her skin was scraped away. The creatures palm made contact with her nipple and sent a jolt through her. It wasn’t attacking out of hunger or fear it’s purposes were darker. Contact with her nipple caused an unconscious rush and shame flooded her. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation but…

Whatever the sensation was it was a distraction from the attack. Her body reacted before the shame even came to Angela’s mind. Her back arched to push the nipple into the fiend’s deformed hand and her hips ground into her bed.

Her attacker of course did not fail to notice this and smiled its scarred black lips wider. It reached to slide its other claw up Angela’s thigh; the sharp hairs of its wrists prickly and unpleasant against her skin.

Angela fought against her inability to move, but remained prone and defenseless. The creature assailed her crotch attempting to get under her nightdress. Its frantic scratching at her panties kept the tears flowing and she closed her eyes to try to escape.

The pain, though, wouldn’t stop and the few pleasant sensations filled her with sickening guilt. As a nail hit a sensitive point she’d hear herself mewl, but the beast was completely silent in its attack. She reopened her eyes simply to reassure herself that it was still there. The dark creature sliced a nail through Angela’s underwear cutting into her flesh. She still couldn’t scream and her writhings were not voluntary.

Angela heard sounds that weren’t produced by her, they didn’t appear to come from her inhuman attacker either — the fiend was too small for these noises, in fact it should be too small to overpower her, at all, but it was inhumanly/infernally strong. The sounds were huge panicked breaths and they were coming from behind the fiend.

Angela strained to see past the dark form. She tried to ignore the pain in her own body to peer into the shadows behind it. The snorting, scared breathing became louder as she looked harder.

A spot of white appeared and shot toward her. A long pale face of a terrified horse hurdled right toward Angela as if in slow motion. She could see the look of pure horror in its eyes as it let out a bellowing scream.

The scream was actually hers. The fear of being demonically raped was replaced by the fear of being trampled by a terrified horse, and she shrieked.

…And fell out of her bed. She scrambled to her feet and looked at her bed where she was being raped just moments ago. She looked to where her assailant should have been then to where the horse should have been; but it was only her room.

Cold washed over her. She pulled her intact nightgown tight around her shoulders. Angela noticed her nipples were hard as her chest heaved. She shivered, quickly got her robe, and raced out of the room.

“Just sit in the living room till you get your wits about you,” she tried saying to herself. She knew she wouldn’t though; she was freaked. She went to her door and stepped outside.

The hallway was like that of most any apartment building light and sterile; which was exactly what Angela wanted. Her own apartment was cozy but it held shadows. The hallway was industrially fluorescent.

She looked up and down the hall just to be sure no one was staring at the crazed woman in only a robe and nightgown at whatever time of night it must be. No one was around and she began feeling calmer.

Angela heard noises coming from down the hall, mumbled lyrics and harsh guitar sounds. There was a door propped open. It was 306, the newest neighbor. The neighbors tended to keep to themselves but she knew this apartment moved in a month ago and she still hadn’t seen the occupant. Angela, curious, stepped toward the door.

The music continued, a chorus of “Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Halloween!” She peeked in to see a black haired man in front of a laptop from which the song played. “Candy apple and razor blades, little dead are soon in graves. I remember Halloween.”

The man, sensing a presence or seeing a shadow, looked up to the door. He looked shocked that someone was there, but waved for Angela to come in.

Angela almost ran away. The last thing she wanted was for someone to see her like this, especially a man. She looked closer at him: glasses, 5 o’clock shadow, sweatpants and a t-shirt covering an athletic build, business style haircut growing a little shaggy.

She got tongue tied trying to think of an excuse. He motioned to the laptop, “This didn’t wake you did it?” He closed the computer and The Misfits cut out.

“No, Sorry I shouldn’t disturb you.”

“Please, I can’t do anymore work tonight; it’s too dull and I’m too tired. I’m looking for any distraction. I’m Nick Black. You must be 309.”

“Hi, yeah, I’m Angela Bright. I shouldn’t barge in on you. It’s so late and I’m not presentable at all.”

“You look good to me. You really weren’t woken up by the music?”

Angela shook her head. “I didn’t hear it till I went outside my apartment.”

“Well that’s good at least. What did bring you out of your apartment at this hour?”

A shiver ran through Angela, she obviously hadn’t shaken off the dream. “Bad dream, I got creeped out in my apartment thought I’d step into the hallway for a minute or two.”

Nick motioned Angela to sit. “Sit and relax. I’ll make you some tea, it’ll calm you down.”

She realized she still wasn’t comfortable enough to go back to her apartment so she sat despite her self consciousness about her lack of makeup and real clothes. She settled for pulling the robe further around herself.

Nick busied himself and soon had tea for them both. He chatted as he worked and Angela learned that Nick had just moved here for work and was only 28, four years younger than Angela; but she found him charming.

“So what was this dream all about?” He asked.

Angela only froze a moment, she was slowly calming. “I was paralyzed on my bed while this demon thing was attacking me.”

‘Best to leave the sexual parts out’ Angela thought.

“Then I heard this panting noise behind it and a horse that was scared shitless seemed to charge right at me. It screamed, then I screamed, then I woke up still screaming. It’s weird I know”

Nick actually gave a quirky smile. “So your nightmare actually had a mare in it?” He chuckled twice, “Sorry”

But Angela didn’t mind that brought a smile to her face. “Well yeah, I guess it did. Though that’s even weirder, isn’t it?”

“A bit maybe, I actually looked it up once when I thought ‘what did horses have to do with bad dreams?’ The ‘mare’ in ‘nightmare’ comes from the old word ‘mara’ which was a demon that fucked up people’s dreams. Actually it’s the class that Incubi and Succubae are in. So if you find yourself knocked up it was an Incubus. Anyway, I think that was what Wikipedia told me anyway. It was back in college and I might’ve been drunk at the time.”

“What?! Do you have a mind like a steel trap or something?”

“If it interests me and doesn’t do me any good in the real world; then I’ll remember weird facts forever.”

“Well I think it’s cute.”

“In that case let me tell you more useless trivia. I didn’t know that was a way to impress beautiful women in lingerie.”

“Maybe next time, it is really late and I do need to get some sleep tonight. I’ve kept you up too late too.”

“Don’t worry about me. I don’t think I ever sleep. What about you? You okay to go back to your apartment? Want me to check under your bed for monsters?”

Angela shivered again; there was something she still wasn’t able to get over yet.

Nick noticed, “I’ll take that as a yes. It’ll be okay. You’ll see. If it’s creepy we can come back here. I don’t care if you even sleep on my couch, if it comes to that.”

Nick offered his hand, which she took and was hoisted from the deep couch cushions.
She lost balanced and fell into his chest. She felt firm muscles under his t-shirt, he steadied her.

“Thanks again, Nick”

“It’s my pleasure.”

They walked down the hallway innocently. Angela’s tension crested right before she opened the door. Then, nothing at all; her apartment felt the way it always did: comforting and warm. She felt ridiculous for being so frightened earlier. Angela went into the bedroom and no discomfort returned. She let out her breath in a huff.

“Sorry Nick I don’t know why I was so chicken before.”

“Well I’m here now. So I’ll keep my promise” He stuck his head in the closet ostensibly looking for monsters and knelt down to check under the bed. “All clear.” Nick smoothed out the sheets and comforter making the bed fit to sleep in again. “Okay, get in. I’ll tuck you in so you’ll sleep tight.”

Angela accepted the offer and began getting into bed.

“Robe.” Nick reminds her.

Angela felt a tiny twinge of self consciousness again but then stood up straight and slid the robe off her shoulders. She hung it back up and prepared to get in the bed again. She impulsively gave Nick a pseudo-chaste kiss on the cheek then turned purposely brushing her breast against his arm. She lay down and slid beneath the sheets.

Nick’s eyes bulged slightly when she kissed him then they were locked on her nightgown’s hemline as it rose as she lay down. He regained his composure and pulled the blankets over her. He even smoothed them down over her stomach and hips.

“If you have any more bad dreams you come straight to my place.”

“Okay, but won’t you be in bed?”

Nick smiled “Just jump in with me I’ll protect you. Come to think of it now I hope you do have bad dreams.”

Thinking about the dream made Angela suppress a shiver; but Nick Carried on, “What if I have a nightmare can I jump in bed with you?”

Angela sat up and rekissed Nick’s cheek “Maybe next time. You’re my neighbor; I will want to take things slower, just in case.”

When Angela settled back Nick leaned over her “Now I found you, you won’t be able to get rid of me.”

He kissed her forehead then looked into her eyes. Then he kissed her lips. Angela responded intuitively she kissed him back. She pulled him down so his body covered hers. She parted her lips and her tongue slipped out to play against his lips. His tongue tangled with it a moment later.

Sweat broke anew on her forehead and neck but this was a warm sensation. The warmth eased at the ache in Angela the dreams iciness had left in her. They kissed and she felt his hands sliding from her sides to her breasts over the covers. She knew she wanted him on the other side of the bed clothes in with her, in her.

Her eyes opened as the realization hit her, her body craved his. Her breasts felt hotter than ever and she realized her nipples really hadn’t gone down since she woke but now they radiated heat. Her stomach fluttered as the sensations rushed back and forth to her crotch. She mewled a desirous hum against his lips. He responded by kissing her deeper.

Nick’s hand left her chest and slid up to her neck, he pulled her more insistently toward himself. He lay on top of her and she felt the lump through his sweats, the covers, and her panties. A quite respectable lump at that, one that she had no doubt that she would thoroughly enjoy, and enjoy soon.

Just that feeling of being desired and desiring someone inspired contentment in her and fanned her desires even further.

She followed his example and grasped her hands behind his neck so their lips could be further crushed together; something that always increased her passion. Her grip brushed against his hair and it prickled her hands.

It felt bristly much rougher than it looked, almost sharp. He pressed his lips against her more pressing all his weight into her becoming nearly uncomfortable for Angela. Nick’s hand worked its way down from her neck toward her breast, but she felt a sharp pain as his nail scratched her skin.

“Ow!” Angela squeezed her eyes shut as tears jumped to them. Her hand released the now bristly hair on the back of Nick’s head. “What happened? That hurt.” she said as she pushed him off of her.

Her teary vision played tricks on her. His hair was a mass of sharp,s bristly tufts and his face looked darker.

“Now I found you, you won’t be able to get rid of me.” Nick repeated, his voice sounded coarse. His lips were thinner and his teeth seemed sharper. His hand crept further down to her breasts, his nails cutting through the gauzy material as they curled.

Nick’s entire skin darkened several shades each time Angela blinked. His handsome features melted into sinister ones. He chuckled in Nick’s voice which turned demonic. Angela found herself unable to move first from simple shock, then from fear.

The creature that was once Nick, the Mara, bent over Angela to bite at her neck. Angela felt its scarred lips before the teeth sank into her flesh. She closed her eyes in pain and horror.

From behind the fiend bending over her she heard the panicked panting of a terror stricken horse.

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