Triskaidekaphobia

Thirteen. There were always thirteen.
James had been running his whole life, running from the Thirteen.
He knew he wasn't crazy, that it wasn't some insane case of Triskaidekaphobia, but something was truly on his trail. He'd seen them once or twice, lurking in the dark recesses of his world.
he was alone, in this world of his own design, a perfect virtual playground made just gor his specific whims, and yet, it had been infiltrated by them.
There wasn't any access point, or any way someone could have possibly gotten into his system, and yet, there they were.
The few times he'd tried to confront them,they'd scurried away like roaches in the instant kitchen light.He never rally saw what they looked like, but they didn't seem entirely human. ut, he was tired of the chase, and tonight he was ready to face them. he'd set up the intricate traps while he was sure they weren't around. No flitting shadows, no looming shades.
"I was supposed to be safe here" he thought as he placed the twisted metal of the makeshift snare into the corners of his apparent. Well, the virtual representation in any case. He'd been spending so much time here that it wasn't even considered a different area anymore. it was his life, and he was happy to remain there. If only he could get rid of them.

Why couldn't he just have some peace? Why did things have to plague him even here.
This world-HIS world. he had to make it better again. but those things kept coming to get him. There were thirteen, he was sure of it. he'd counted one night when they got more aggressive, and lashed and gnawed at his body as he slept. He woke up to see them, looking up at him like pleading children, the one and only time he'd seen them clearly enough to know that he wasn;t in fact losing his mind. the screeched pitifully at him and vanished, but he was sure of the number. he'd even tried sketching them in the waking world at one point, but could never get them quite right.

And what a waking world it was. All the problems, the expectations, the pain that plagued him every single day, pressing down on him until he nearly broke in two. So, he'd used what money he could save, shirking some of his responsibilities, but if his dream would be a reality...
He had finally achieved it, after long years of fending off the demons that plagued him, and that first day inside his new utopia had been the most wondrous of his life. Free from everything, the bills, the pain, the people always hounding him, just free.
But then they started coming, seeping in. He now had nowhere to escape. He'd seen therapists, even psychics to try and get those things out. he was sure they were just inside his head, but the last few times, they'd been so real, so threatening. he hoped the traps would catch them, and let him finally get some answers...