Answer Honestly and I’ll let you go!

The friends in this recurring dream change every time, and I’ll be giving them aliases.

It’s summer time, and three friends and I go on a summer trip to a near by ocean. We’re in a white van, and it’s past dark when we arrive to the waterfront. There are long, dark cliffs cascading down to the waves, and the moon’s full light casts upon the rocks just right to give an eerie, beautiful setting. Rocks sitting in a row according to height lead from the top of the cliff (where we have parked) and lead down all the way to the water. Mitch leads the way down the rocks, Hanna and Karin follow. I stay up on the cliffside with my little cousin Millie, due to a fear of heights. We eventually follow thanks to the coercing of Mitch, Hanna, and Karin, but all I can focus on is the quiet splashing from the waves rising on the rocks. We come to a hidden bank, with a trail to a dark forest. We decide to explore it, and find a tunnel hidden in leaves beside the trail miles deep in the damp forest. In order to fit, we must crawl on all fours. Before completely sinking into the mud, the long tunnel finally breaks way to a lone 3 story house, with a garage similar to the ones seen on houses off of  beaches. It’s completely surrounded by the same dark green forest, no moon light able to escape the trees.

We climb the stairs to the first room inside the house, which is a large ball pit. We laugh amongst ourselves and throw the brightly colored balls at each other. On the other side of the room is a neon colored ladder, leading up to the next room. After passing through the plastic flaps placed as a doorway at the top of the ladder, we come to a completely foreign room. There are neon orange cushions on the walls, like sewed down pillows in a triangular pattern, repeating. I go to one of the patterns while my friends talk amongst themselves about the slightly unsettling room.  There are yellow horizontal zigzags across the design, eyes with long grey eyebrows, and a long grey mustache to adorn the face. “It looks so real.” I say, running my fingers through the strings that strongly resemble human hair. A bad feeling begins to stir in my gut as we finally leave the strange room, which also only has a ladder as a means of exit. The final room is very small and plain, with violet color on the walls and a cream colored carpet. A set of glass doors framed by mahogany wood stands in the middle. We push through the doors and enter the other side of the room that looks identical to the one before, save for women’s underwear and bras laying scattered on the floor. A yellow glow catches my eye, coming from a hallway on the left. My friends are giggling amongst themselves about the underwear, while Karin protests how creepy it is. I step closer to the hallway, ignoring them, and can hear faint voices of someone else talking. I turn on my heels and face them and beg them to leave, but Hanna pushes past me, telling me to “calm down, and stop being such a baby.” She goes down the hallway.

After a few minutes, she doesn’t return and Karin follows her. I’m sitting with Mitch and Millie, they’re talking amongst themselves. Again, I get a horrible feeling, so I stand and follow Karin, but stay at a distance and try to keep hidden. She comes to a middle aged man sitting in a chair, with two women at each of his side. The beautiful girls stand in their lingerie and casually draped over him, smiles on all their faces. Panic immediately sets in when I lay my eyes on him. He smiles at Karin. Karin looks around the room, trying to find any trace of Hanna before addressing the man. “Where did she go?” The man looks at her and smiles. “If you can answer one question, completely honestly, I’ll let you go.” She stares at the man and hesitantly replies “Of course I can answer honestly.” 

“Do you think for yourself?”

Karin continues to stare, as if she’s on the brink of unlocking a puzzle. “Of course I do.” He shakes his head and smiles wider, bearing sharpened teeth. “…You’re lying.” He replies, grabbing her, tearing off her head. His hand pierces the flesh of her stomach and he pulls out a segment of her intestines. All air escape from my lungs as I try to scream, but instead I prepare to run. Before I can get back to Mitch and Millie, however, he looks at me and smiles, telling me his name is Grady. I run and grab Mitch and Millie shouting “we have to get out of here! NOW!” We dart through the house all the way down to the garage, where our van is magically parked, and flee the scene.

Years later, Mitch is giving a speech to toast a successful business product, how everyone wants it, why you need it, and how you’re no one without it. It’s a huge garden party, everyone dressed in suits and fancy gowns, drinking a thick, dark red liquid in crystal wine glasses. Mitch and I are married, and Millie is in her early 20’s. She walks up to us and congratulates Mitch on his product. We both say “Thank you.” While he and Millie are having a conversation, I slowly bite his neck, and the edges of my lips curve to a smile. I stare directly at Millie, and Mitch continues to talk, as if my cousin wasn’t now silent. Her eyes widen as she stares in horror and sputters “you… you’re exactly like him.” I wipe the blood off my lip and smile, replying  “Some people just can’t think for themselves.”

Then I wake up, still able to smell the forest and feel the wet dirt against my face.

Female, 19, Oklahoma UNITED STATES