Borrowed nightmares.

He sat down to write and lit a cigarette. The man stepped into the room from a dark corner in the room.

" still looking?" Said the man smiling

" I want a deal." He replied without looking up from the page. Then he continued streching his arm to offer the cigarette " I need to borrow your pen for this story"

The man took it and paused as the tip of the cigarette lit in the quiet room.

" I gave up looking but I'm tired of the lies. Same deal as always and I'll just need it for this story" he said brwking the silence.

" I'm intrigued…" said the man putting the cigarette back on his lips. With the same hand he reach into the inside of his suit jacket pulling a black pen with a silver spiral going from the tip to the top.

The man smile and put it on the desk. "is yours for this story"

He offered a fresh cigarette and the man lit it with the one that was almost over and reached for the pen.

The pen felt warm to the touch and a tingle ran down his spine the first time it touched the page.

The man smile letting out a cloud of smoke.

" before the next new moon." He started. " you will have admitted that it was a lie. It'll be the only way to end the nightmares." The pen felt warm but comfortable he felt a rush filling his body. " every night you'll live your worse fears, when your eyes close and you drift into s deep sleep. It'll begin.

Every fear since memory serves will visit and over and over. You'll be trapped in this world that you created yourself.

In the darkness of the night. In the depth of sleep. Over and over.

With only one way to leave this cage.

This cage that you created. In your dreams. Over and over." His heart pounder inside his chest as he kept writing.

" you'll laugh at first. Then the first night with the first nightmare you'll think it's a coincidence.

The second night will be different. Fear when you open your eyes. Awake and afraid that when you close your eyes you'll be back.

And you'll be right. Behind your eyelids. The nightmares that I'll write will keep you trapped. In the cage you created in your dreams.

But you're free to leave. Tell the truth.

The third night. After loosing sleep. Eyes shut or open. There will be nightmares. The nightmares I'll write.

Before the next new moon you would need to leave the cage or It'll be set in stone. The cage will be close and the nightmare won't leave.

Awake or asleep. You can't run from your fears when they're in your head. Before the new moon.

Every night. They will repeat. Over and over. Until you tell the truth. Over and over before the cage is close.

Don't run out of time."

The man was laughing in the corner almost with a glow in his eyes that showed pride.

He put the pen back in the desk. His whole arm warm by the heat from it and his heart still pounding.