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Date Posted: 17:16:44 03/25/08 Tue
Author: Anonymous
Subject: They're Coming!

BANG.

Colour rushes round my tightly closed eyes and I pull my knees up right to my chin underneath the blankets. Damn, that sounded close.

BANG.

Dad said that any banging I might hear at night would just be the heating and there was nothing to worry about, but I’m not taking any chances. I know the footsteps of monsters when I hear them.

BANG.

They’re getting nearer. Why can’t they just let me sleep? Why must they torment me every night? I want it to be morning; it’s always better in the morning, when it’s light and people are getting up. Not that I dare look when I wake up. I’d rather Mum or Dad come in and check it’s all ok. I’m sure some creature could be there, waiting patiently all night, waiting for the slightest hint of bravery - or foolishness – from me and then …wham! I’m not sure what would happen, but I don’t want to think about it.

BANG.

I jump and my heart beats faster. They’re getting closer! My ears strain to hear them breathe, perhaps to hear them mutter their evil plans. Would I understand them anyway? Do monsters speak English? I don’t want to know. Please just stop; stop the noise and be silent. Let me have my peace so I can go to –

BANG.

They must be right beside me! That’s not the heating, Dad, that’s a real, proper monster and it’s right here! I can’t breathe, let alone shout for help. Just be still. Do nothing, say nothing and pray. Maybe they won’t see me – they didn’t last night, did they? Or before? Just waiting. Biding their time. Waiting for their moment.

BANG. BANG. Bang.

Where are they going? They always do this – start off slowly and then speed up. I can hear more but now they’re fainter, going off. Yes, they’re going away, perhaps to the corner, perhaps to my cupboard. Did I shut it? I think so, but not going to check; no way.

After a while, a distant humming noise stops. Silence.



Maybe I was being silly. Mum said monsters didn’t exist, not in the real world; only in books and stories they read to me. I listened again. It had now been ages since I’d heard anything, and as I’d survived I thought it was time for the tiniest of peeks. Pushing my stomach as hard as I could against the mattress, I reached high above my head and created the smallest of gaps. Red light filtered through, revealing little immediate danger. I was glad of that night light, even if I never saw much of it under the blankets. A few moments later, I dared a full look, revealing nothing more than my Liverpool pillowcase and white headboard. Phew. Nothing to worry about…except the lions. I stared at the wallpaper: at the giraffes, the rhinos, the monkeys, but it was always the lions that caught me in their never-ending gaze. They looked at me straight on, ready to move. I knew they could move; they were living things on my walls that watched me while I slept. Not just one or two of them of course, but lots, all over my bedroom. I’d started covering them up with posters but I’d need hundreds if I were to ever win my battle. I quickly pull the sheet down and hide away from them. They still watch I’m sure, but I’m safe here, safe from whatever they’re plotting.



Mustn’t get too close to the end of the bed, now. Mum doesn’t always tuck the bottom in, and there’s often a gap. Where are my legs? Are they near the bottom edge? Am I in the middle? How can I know? Maybe just check it out, send a toe out to explore. That’s what explorers do – brave the unknown and then report back what they find. I don’t think I could be an explorer. Too many dangerous things out there. Right, let’s see. I move my left foot a few centimetres down. Nothing, still mattress. A bit more. Same. A bit more…there it is! I quickly draw my foot back. Ok, I’m close but not dangerously so. I relax a little, and think about sleep. A sudden thought snaps me back to the risks I so stupidly had forgotten about. They know I’m here now! They would have seen my foot and now they can come up from the bottom of the bed. I could picture it now: the hand - probably hideously ugly and green - slowly, ever so slowly creeping up over the edge, towards my foot. It could happen! Hang on - was my foot being pulled now? I concentrated all my thoughts on that foot, but was sure something was pulling me down. If not now, then soon, dragging me down, down out of the bed into God knows what kind of pit of slime. I sucked in a deep breath and held it, waiting for my fate. Waiting. Waiting. Praying. Still I held my breath, trying to be totally silent. My chest was bursting, I could see big patches of red but I had to hold on. Heart pumping faster than ever, I blew out a big blast of air and took in several gulps more. Maybe I’d be ok now.

A short time later, I fall asleep.



* * *



This feels familiar. Is this a dream? I’ve been in this situation before – upstairs, in my bedroom, whilst Mum and Dad watch TV downstairs. I don’t know what they’re watching, but I can hear Mum laugh, so it must be something funny. I never get to watch their shows; it’s not fair. I don’t like being here, on my own and I can feel the room somehow getting nearer to me, surrounding me from all four sides. I’ll go downstairs and sit with them, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll run down the stairs and jump on the sofa and stay with them for a while. Yeah, they’ll like that. But then, there’s the landing, isn’t there? The dark, long landing where anything could be lurking. I suppose I could fling open the door, close my eyes, reach for the banister and run down the stairs, three at a time. That would only take a second, surely – no time for anything to get me. It’s quite a challenge though. Just one second from safety, but I’d have to gather all my courage just to take the first step. I wonder if explorers are ever scared? I bet they would just casually walk out the door and down the stairs no problem. I summon all my courage. Let’s do it.

No time for further thoughts, I pull back the bed clothes, close my eyes and rush to the door. I know where I am even blind, and before I know it I can feel the banister in my left hand. Run - run down thirteen steps and you’ll be there!

Three stairs…six…nine...nine…nine…but no further. I reach, pull and stretch as far as I can but only my arms make any progress. They’ve got me! Just round the corner, my Mum laughs again, unaware of the terror that I am currently facing. I go to scream – mouth as wide as a Frisbee – but nothing, absolutely nothing comes out. I scream in my head for my parents to help – to free me, but they don’t hear. Now I remember. I’d been here many times before, and I never made it to them. Then it started – the long, slow drag back upstairs by an invisible force taking me back to their lair. I watch as the front door gradually gets smaller, the dim light of the front room slowly being replaced by the darkness behind me. Back and back I go, silently screaming, trying to swim to safety, trying to grab onto anything to stop the relentless pull into the deadly shadows.

I awake, sweating, crying, with the noise of my heart booming in my ears. It was just that nightmare again. Maybe it will be morning soon and this hellish night will finally be over. Somehow, I knew they were coming for real.



I’ve stopped crying now, but things are not good. I can’t move. At all. I can’t scream, I can’t move my arms, my legs, my head – I can’t even blink! I’m definitely awake – this isn’t a nightmare now. It’s about to happen; they are about to finally get me and I’m going to be powerless. My body starts to move. No! Where are they taking me? An invisible force with no hands slowly drags me out of the safety of my bed, while I scream and scream for Mum and Dad to come in and save me. I can hear the wind howling in my room - why can’t they hear this from their bedroom? I’m clear of the bedclothes now, hanging in mid air, like washing from Mum’s line. The curtains flap wildly before me, as I’m moved face-first towards them, inching ever closer. Like deep purple capes of evil superheroes, they whip at my face, hiding whatever terror lurks behind them.

I’m floating high above my bed, just waiting for them to make their next move. As I start to hear them speak, I go numb inside and give in to my fears.

http://www.spinetinglers.co.uk/ViewStory.aspx?story=261

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