Short Story: The Monster In My Room: by Willow Cross
Frozen in place, I stared from my
seated position in the bed at the thing moving across the floor. It
was the thump followed by the dragging sound that had pulled
me from deep slumber. I’d lain there for a moment letting my eyes
adjust to the darkness and listening for some clue as to which
direction it was coming from. When I caught the movement in my
peripheral vision, my head snapped to the far side of the room. At
first it looked like an elongated pile of clothes being jerked a
short distance. There would be that odd thump, a pause, and
then a screek as it moved again. By the time it reached the
halfway mark from the wall to my bed, I could see the claw like
hands. Long, black nails protruded from mangled fingers as they dug
into the wood floor.
Closer and closer it came with each
jerky movement, yet I still sat there unmoving, as if my entire
muscular system had quit working. My chest heaved as my breathing
increased and finally surpassed the beating of my heart. I wanted to
scream. I tried, I really did, but my lips would not part and my
vocal cords refused to contract.
Inch by inch it continued towards me.
I lost sight of it when it reached the foot of my bed. Suddenly, I
was able to move again! My body flew into overdrive and wasting no
time, I reached over and twisted the switch on the nightstand lamp.
The dull glow from the bulb barely encompassed the bed, leaving the
rest of my bedroom shrouded in darkness.
Still breathing heavily, my eyes darted
around the room looking for any sign of the creature who had
inhabited it just a few moments earlier. Nothing. Not one blessed
thing out of place. No thumps, screeks, or dragging noises. Just my
dark, silent room.
My hands trembled as I rubbed my eyes
and searched again.
Without warning, my door knob began to
turn slowly. This time my horrified scream erupted before I could
even attempt to contain it. The door flew open as my mother rushed
into the room.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “What’s
wrong?”
Tears filled my eyes, spilling down my
cheeks as I tried to tell her what I’d witnessed. Stuttering
between sobs, I relayed the entire event.
Sitting on the bed beside me, she held
me close and stroked my hair, saying, “It’s okay, baby. It was
just a bad dream. You are just fine.”
I could hear the smile in her voice. I
knew what she must be thinking. She was probably already mentally
going over a list of which doctors to call. Eighteen year old girls
who see creatures stalking them in the middle of the night obviously
have some issues. However, I knew she was wrong. It wasn’t a
dream. I wasn’t asleep. That thing was coming after me!
Shoving away from her, I looked up into
her eyes. “Mom, I was wide awake. I’m scared. There’s
something in this house!”
Sighing heavily, her face transformed
from a worried expression into the one that says ‘I’ve had enough
of this nonsense.’ She stood, saying, “Christina Anne, you are
far too old to believe in the boogeyman. Now it was just a dream.
Get settled down and go back to sleep. We have to be up in three
hours.”
“But, Mom!”
She shook her head. “No buts.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and
lifted my chin in defiance.
Her eyes grew wide as she gasped and
then locked on mine.
I had no time to think, or even speak,
before she screamed and was pulled under the bed.
I screamed my head off for the first
hour, too terrified to get out of the bed. But we are the only ones
home tonight. Dad will be home at 6 AM. I think as long as the
light stays on, I might be safe. As long as the lights don’t go
out...
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Wowzers! Story sounds really good. Now I want to make sure I check under everyone's bed tonight lol. Thank you so much for sharing a story and for being on my blog. Happy Halloween.
ReplyDeleteAmazing short. Love it!
ReplyDelete