What is humanity's deepest fear? Bone-chilling, blood turned to ice in your veins, the purest of raw terror.

I used to think my deepest fear was death. When I was a kid, my dog got hit by a car right in front of me. Ever since then, I've been terrified of dying. Sure, I'm scared of my loved ones dying too, but when it came down to it, I was a coward. The only one I truly loved was me. Some might have called me a psychopath. I called it survival of the fittest.

I was your average, run-of-the-mill type of dude. I had a nice family who paid for me to go to business school. I had a fun group of friends, and I'd had one best friend from kindergarten, Steve. He was dating the most gorgeous girl, a girl I'd had a crush on for five years. Her name was Melissa. Melissa was my obsession. I knew her favorite color, food, the night she lost her virginity. Hell, I even knew what her sexual fantasies were.

The shitty thing was, Melissa hated my guts. She made that decision about me after meeting me one time. She mentioned me being "creepy" or something crazy like that. Melissa hated me so much that she made Steve choose between her and me. So yeah...I hadn't spoken to my best friend in five years.

So that was me in a nutshell — terrified of dying and madly in love with my ex-best friend's girlfriend.

My life was uneventful and dull until one fateful night when I had a strange and horrifying dream. Nightmares of death were common for me. It started the same as all the rest of them; my house was burning with my family and me inside, and I had the choice to save them or to save myself. As always, in my dreams, I ignored their screams and chose to save myself.

I was five feet away from the door and safety when a burning beam fell on me, pinning me to the floor. I could feel my flesh starting to blister and burn away. My muscles contorted, and my arteries melted as the smoke and heat burned my lungs.

Suddenly, time seemed to freeze in my dream. I noticed a man, if you could even call him a man, leaning against the wall, unaffected by the flames. At first glance, he looked attractive, even beautiful. But when I looked closer, I saw his features would flicker into something grotesque and inhuman. His eyes held an unnatural yellow tinge. I wanted to tear my gaze from his face, but I felt unable to do so.

He smiled, revealing yellow teeth of an unnatural length and sharpness, and spoke.

"I can give you what you want."

"How do you know what I want?" I gasped.

The man waved his hand, and I found myself standing in a large room. It's hard to explain, but I felt invincible, and I knew nothing could hurt me. I turned to my right and saw Steve and Melissa walking towards me. When Meli saw me, her face lit up. She ran towards me and kissed me passionately.

I blinked, and with a jolt, found myself back in the burning room with the strange man. His smile fled his face, and his gaze sent shivers down my spine.

"I can give you eternal life; I can give you the girl of your dreams."

I blinked, still in shock from the vision. "What's the catch? What do you want in return?"

His ghoulish smile returned to his face. "I want nothing," he stated.

"There must be something you want. No one does anything for free."

He laughed, a chilling sound that seemed to scrape like fingernails, from my eardrums, all the way down my spine. "I don't want anything from you. My reward is to see your wishes granted. But remember this; once you wish something, you can't undo your wish."

I smirked, despite my unease. "Heh, there's no way I'd want to undo any of the wishes I'd make."

He arched a hairless eyebrow, "You'd be surprised how indecisive you humans can be. Now don't forget, you have three, non-refundable wishes. Use them wisely."

He made as if to leave, but turned back to me, "Oh, and one more thing. Wishes don't come from nothing. Whatever your wish gives you, it will take from someone else."

His leering face grew closer and closer as I lay trapped under the burning beam, as helpless as a rabbit trapped with a fox. I could almost smell his acrid breathe when I awoke with a gasp, safe in my own bed.


Sweat was streaming in rivulets down my face, and my entire body was shaking. The dream had felt so vivid. None of my nightmares had ever felt that real before. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"It's just a stupid dream," I said to myself.

Looking at the time, I gasped. Somehow, I'd slept through my alarm, and my class started in 5 minutes! My dream was forgotten for the moment as I leaped out of bed. I stumbled to the bathroom, splashed water on my face, popped a breath mint into my mouth, and ran out the door, pulling on my pants.

I'd arranged my class to be at the same time as Melissa. Unfortunately, Steve and Melissa took almost all their courses together, meaning I had to stomach seeing the two of them fawning over each other. No big deal; I passed the time by imagining myself in Steve's place and fantasized about all the things I'd do with her, given the opportunity.

After the professor dismissed us, I stopped at my favorite cafe to satisfy my hunger pangs. After standing 10 minutes in line to order, there was one person in front of me. I reached for my wallet in anticipation of my turn, when I realized I'd left at my dorm in my scramble to make it to class. Cursing under my breath, I wished that my wallet would teleport from my room into my pocket.

The pretty cashier's standard company greeting interrupted me from my panic. I fumbled in my pockets again in a desperate attempt to save face. My fingers closed around the familiar, worn, leather, and I pulled out my wallet in a daze. I realized the cashier was giving me an odd look, and I forced a smile.

"Sorry," I mumbled, placing my order.

I'd sworn I'd checked all my pockets the first time I looked for my wallet. Where the hell did it come from!? Am I going crazy? Last night's dream started to return to my memory, but I was jolted out of my reverie by a minor commotion.

"Where is my wallet? It was in my pocket seconds ago," A red-faced man at the counter shouted at the flustered cashier.

"I'm so sorry, sir; let me get my manager for you," she tried to placate him.

My food turned to ashes in my mouth, and I abruptly stood. I grabbed my things and pushed my way past the morning coffee addicts and out the door.

"It's a coincidence," I told myself as I hastened down the early morning sidewalks. "There's no way a stupid nightmare can affect real life. I'm paranoid, nothing more."

I slowed my pace to a more normal gait and started musing over the exact details of my dream. I wanted to prove beyond a doubt that the previous events were no more than coincidence, to put my mind at ease.

"Well, there's only one way to find out if that dream was real or not. I have to test it on something else; something that leaves no room for chance." I closed my eyes and whispered my desire. "And now, I wait," I murmured.

Barely 15 minutes had passed before I heard my name being called by the silvery tones I'd never thought to hear aimed at me.

My heart near burst out of my chest as I turned in anticipation to see Melissa running down the sidewalk towards me.

Confused thoughts rattled through my head like pebbles in a jar. "Could this be happening!? There's no way my wish is coming true...is it?"

"I broke up with Steve," She exclaimed in a breathless voice, "I never loved him. I've been in love with you this whole time, but I've been afraid to tell you 'til now!"

Delirious with joy, I caught her up in my arms and kissed her. I couldn't wrap my head around my stroke of luck. The man in my dream had been real; there was no way this was a coincidence. I had the girl of my dreams, and I still had one more wish to use! My only regret was that I'd wasted my first wish, but no matter. I couldn't change the past.

That night I lay awake in bed, mulling over the day's events. I'd spent the rest of that magical day with Melissa, ignoring Steve's baleful looks and the shocked glances of my friends. Neither of us cared what anyone thought. We were caught up in our giddy, fresh romance. We'd spent hours together, in the cafe, in the park, and of course, in my dorm room. That had been the moment I'd dreamed of for five years, and it was better than anything I had imagined.

The persistent buzz of my phone jarred me from my reverie. I debated ignoring it for a moment, but curiosity bested me. I rolled over and answered the phone call. It was my friend, Alex, wanting to know what the deal was with Melissa, Steve, and me. I explained that Melissa had been in love with me all these years. I embellished the story, saying that Steve had been physically and mentally abusing her, but she'd been afraid to open up about it until now. I warned him not to mention it to her since it was a sensitive subject.

"Dayummm, I never would have expected that of Steve. He seemed like such a chill guy." Alex exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yeah, you never know what messed up psychos some people can be under their nice guy appearance," I agreed.

"The whole thing is so fucked up, dude. Anyway, I was gonna ask you if you were free tomorrow night. My girlfriend and I were gonna go see a movie, and it'd be cool if you and Melissa wanted to double up with us. It would help her have some fun after everything she went through with Steve."

I was eager to show off my new girlfriend, "Yeah, we'd love to come tomorrow. Melissa needs to get out and take her mind off it all. This'll be good for her. See you then!"

As I turned off my phone, I felt the sensation of being watched. I hunted around my room, looking for the culprit, but the only presence in the room was me, myself, and I. I plopped down on the bed, ignoring my goosebumps. I sat very still. Was that a laugh I heard? No, of course not! How stupid am I?

My room was empty, so it must have been my overactive imagination. Turning out the lights, I laid down on the bed, blocking the unease from my mind.

My sleep was deep and dreamless.


To my surprise, I was kind of nervous as I prepared for our double date. This was my first official date with Meli, as well as my first time showing her off to my friends. I was debating between a button-down shirt versus a plain, black t-shirt when I realized that I had to leave to pick up Melissa in five minutes. I decided on the t-shirt. I wanted to play it cool, no point in overdressing.

The day was perfect-sunny and warm, but not too warm, and clouds bruised the sky in the distance. I went well over the speed limit on the way to Melissa's house, unable to contain my anticipation to see her. Out of the blue, an uneasy sensation started gnawing at the pit of my stomach. I glanced in the rearview mirror out of paranoia and froze in terror. There were a pair of yellow eyes and a mouth with too-sharp teeth leering in the mirror from the backseat. His chuckle seemed menacing and made my stomach churn with nausea and regret. I whirled around to confront my demon, but the empty seat stared back as if it was taunting me.

A blaring horn jolted me back into reality, and I stared in horror at the road. I'd somehow swerved into the oncoming lane, and a massive semi-truck hurtled towards me at full speed. My sweaty hands slipped on the steering wheel as I jerked the car back into my lane. I pulled over onto the shoulder of the road and tried to calm my racing heart.

"It was just my imagination," I told myself. "I'm paranoid; nothing to worry about."

The remainder of the drive to Meli's place was uneventful, and seeing her gorgeous face pushed the rest of the unpleasant thoughts from my head.

We pulled up to the theater and joined Alex and Sylvia. I couldn't focus during the movie; the yellow-eyed man's face kept looming in my mind. As I stared at the movie screen, it transformed before my eyes into the burning room where I'd first met him.

The man appeared onscreen and bared his sharp teeth in a semblance of a smile. His voice echoed through my brain, "Whatever your wish gives you, it will take from someone else."

The flames leaped out from the screen onto my arm, and I cried out in pain. The screen was playing the movie again, and Alex and the girls looked at me in confusion.

"You alright, man?" Alex asked me.

I nodded, not trusting my shaky vocal cords. "I just need some water," I mumbled, pushing past the seats and into the lobby.

The splash of the cold water from the bathroom sink did little to clear my mind. I inspected my throbbing arm, and the burn blisters glared up at me like bloodshot eyes. I thought again of his ominous words. What did he mean by saying my wish would take from someone else?

The hard lump of my wallet in my pocket triggered the memory from the cafe. The man had lost his wallet right after I had gotten mine. So, if I gained a girlfriend, that meant someone would lose a girlfriend if the pattern continued. But how? And who?

I slipped back into my place by Meli's side. "Everything okay, babe?" she queried in a concerned voice.

I pushed the nauseating thoughts from my mind. It didn't matter if someone else lost their girlfriend. I had Melissa; I was happy. That was what mattered. I kissed her, "Everything is perfect, now that I have you."

Melissa and I kissed and cuddled for the rest of the movie, and for that hour, it felt like we were the only two people in the universe. I almost wished we could stay like that forever.


We all decided to go out for drinks after the movie; we were having too much fun to cut our night short. Three shots and too many beers to count later, I had lost control of all my senses and couldn't give a shit about anything except now, in the moment. And the moment was nothing short of perfection. Surrounded by close friends and my girlfriend at my side, I no longer cared about the unpleasantness of earlier today.

Alex insisted that he was good to drive. While a small part of my alcohol-muddled brain protested, I was too high on shots and life to care. I should have cared. I should have stopped him. But even if I'd stopped him, it would have happened anyway. There was no stopping the smiling man.

The first thing I noticed was the sound. It wasn't like the car crash sounds you hear in movies, but more of a gut-curdling, sickening sound — the sound of metal and glass crunching into bones. The agonized screaming, forever seared into my skull. And after...the silence...dead silence, followed by a "drip...drip...drip".

Something warm splashed onto my face. Was it my blood? I lifted my trembling hand to wipe it away and angled my head upwards. The mashed thing impaled on a jagged spike of metal was no longer human. The mouth twisted in a silent scream of agony and terror, and one whole side of the face caved in. One of the eyeballs was crushed like a grape; the other dangled out of the disfigured socket like a fetus ejected from the womb too early and barely clinging to the umbilical cord.

I jerked away in horror. All I could identify the thing by was its hair — that thing was Alex's girlfriend. Pulling myself from the wreckage, I stumbled to my feet. Melissa and Alex were both passed out but seemed unharmed. I tripped over something with the texture of rotten meat and looked down. It was a hand with no arm attached — Sylvia's hand. I turned away and vomited up my movie snacks. The yellow popcorn kernels met my eyes, and for a moment, I saw those damned yellow eyes winking up at me, mocking me. His voice yet again oozed into my ears.

"Whatever your wish gives you, it will take from someone else."

A strange sound startled me, the sound only a human in agony could make. I realized I was the one making the sound. The scream was involuntarily spilling from my lungs as the realization of what was happening set in. I fell to my knees, panicking. What if it had been my hand? What if it had been my malformed face screaming the frozen scream of death?

I found my speaking voice and rasped, "I know what I want for my third wish. I want to never die. I want to be immortal. I never want to end up like this. Please grant me this wish," I begged.

I knew the effects of this wish could be terrible. If my wish for getting Steve's girlfriend ended up with Sylvia's gruesome demise, I could only imagine what the yellow-eyed man would want in exchange for my immortality. But I didn't care. Nothing mattered as long as I didn't end up an oozing lump of flesh impaled on a metal spike.

My traumatized body finally decided to give up, and I slumped at the side of the road while the world faded into oblivion.


I peeled open my swollen eyes, and the room took its sweet time coming into focus. The familiar white hospital walls glared at me, stabbing me with their brightness. I forced my sore neck to turn my aching head around and was greeted by Melissa's gorgeous face. She threw herself sobbing into my arms.

"It's horrible, she's dead, she's dead," She wailed, inconsolable.

I wrapped my arms around her sweet body and comforted her as best as I could. I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling churning in my stomach, the feeling that I'd done an irreversible, horrible thing. The yellow-eyed man's smile and laugh haunted my mind. What price would someone have to pay for my immortality? Would it be worth it? Of course it's worth it.

All that matters is me. Melissa and me. I didn't give a shit about the rest of the world as long as I could be with her. But wait...what were my exact words when I uttered my wish last night? Had I protected Melissa as well as myself? Or had I, in the heat of the moment, only thought to make myself immortal. My blood turned to ice in my veins as a dreadful realization set in. What if the smiling man decided to take Melissa?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound I never wanted to hear — Melissa's scream of horror.

"What's happening to me? Help, please help! What's wrong with me?"

I recoiled in disgust as I saw Melissa's once-lovely frame, now disintegrating before my eyes. Her body was crumbling away into nothingness, starting with the arms and legs, and traveling all too fast towards her chest and head. Her eyes pleaded with me, begging me to save her.

"Please, please don't let me go, don't let me —"

And then she was gone. Just like that — erased from existence. My fingers desperately grasped the air where she had been moments before. I screamed for the nurse, the doctor, and anyone to save her and reverse what had happened. I knew my screams were futile, but I screamed anyway. My clumsy fingers reached for the button to call the nurse, only to touch...nothing?

I jerked my gaze to where the button was supposed to be, but it had disintegrated. The hospital equipment and walls, all vanishing before my eyes. My body felt heavy as I lurched out of the hospital bed and ran out into the hall. A nurse fell to the floor at my feet. Her mouth had already disintegrated, but her eyes implored me for help; her handless arm reached for my shaking legs.

I fell backwards, desperate to avoid her deathly touch. Closing my eyes for a moment, some part of me hoped that when I opened them, it would all be a dream. But when I opened my eyes, I saw...nothing. That's how I can best describe it, as nothing. The hospital, the people, the trees, birds, animals, and even the sky were all gone. It was all replaced with emptiness.

I screamed for the yellow-eyed man, pleading with him to take it all back. This wasn't what I bargained for when I made my wish. An all too familiar chuckle rattled against my eardrums. I whirled around, furious, to confront the cause of all my problems.

My ragged voice could barely form a coherent sentence. "It's you, all your fault! Take it back. This isn't what I asked for!" Spittle frothed from my mouth as I screamed.

He shook his head and laughed, "Oh, you humans, always wanting to blame anyone but yourself for the consequences of your actions. Well, this was all you, a product of your own selfishness. I warned you there would be consequences, but like your entire pathetic life, you only cared about yourself. Typical human."

I gaped at him in shock, "But...I just wanted…"

His gaze pierced my soul, "Exactly. You just wanted. And now, you just got. Enjoy your immortal life." His dreaded laughter bored into my skull like red-hot rods, as he faded away into the emptiness. No one heard my screams.


I don't know how long I've been here now. Weeks, months, years. Emptiness doesn't measure time. Emptiness consumes all, oozing its way into your mind, your heart, your soul. It envelops everything and nothing. My mind is but a hollow shell of what it once was; I don't deserve to be called human anymore. My brittle fingernails carve the last words of my story into my bloody, grey flesh. I smile my yellow smile, and my yellow eyes crinkle with crazed mirth. I am not in emptiness anymore. I am emptiness.