The Eternal Eye
A short horror(-ish?) story based on a prompt from a Halloween DGM stream. Normally I would not consider it to be worthy of publishing, but since all my other stuff so far ended up in the eternal "unfinished" or "not good enough" drawers... I suppose it may be a good idea to start small, but get into the habit of finishing and publishing stuff. (Also – why would I keep paying for the domain only to post two updates in a decade... :) Might as well use it for something.)
Trigger warnings: implied gore, body horror.
The Eternal Eye
I stepped across the threshold of an old antique shop. Strange and curious items filled every corner of the room. The shelves were reaching all the way to the ceiling. Nobody was inside.
I browsed the wares while waiting for the attendant. A small, unassuming box piqued my interest. The lid was open, and it displayed a plain-looking glass eye. The sharp, intricate details of the blue iris drawn my gaze deeper. The eye seemed lifeless, frozen in time. Yet it was staring back at me, as if with some hidden intent.
I did not remember why I came to the shop. I returned home with the box. People paid me no mind.
The first night, I dreamt about standing in front of a mirror. Through the glass, I saw a beautiful garden full of cherry trees. The cherries outnumbered the leaves and were exceptionally large. I reached through the mirror, and pulled on one of them. It held fast onto the branch and was not easy to pluck. I pulled harder.
I woke up in my bed. I sat up. My head hurt. The small box was on my bedside table. Open. Empty.
I went to work as usual. When I walked back home that day, the night seemed a little bit brighter. People were giving me strange looks.
The second night, I dreamt of walking along the edge of a cemetery. I stopped near one of the old, unmarked graves. A small tree was growing next to it. I reached for one of its branches. I started sawing through.
I woke up leaning on a pile of freshly dug up ground. My left hand felt itchy. The tree was intact.
It did not take me too long to find my way home. It felt as if I was led by a hand. People were giving me a wide berth.
The third night, I dreamt about descending into a dark cave. When I arrived at a dead end, my left hand reached for the wall. The hidden runes lit up and revealed an entrance to an old crypt. I stepped inside. A faint glow was coming from the top of a small altar at the far side of the room. I approached. On the altar stood a jar. In the jar floated a brain.
On the next day, I did not wake up.