The Monster In My RoomA Story by Adam GartonAs a storm rages outside a man wakes to discovers something lurking in the shadows, something hungry. Thunder rolled on the night air as I drifted in and out of a
fitful sleep. Lightning flashed silently outside my window, followed by the
crack of ionized air collapsing in the gap left by the white light of the
storm. Rain pecked at the windows surrounding my room in a symphony of percussion,
tapping out an apology for the disruption lulling me back to sleep only to
cruelly rattle my home with thunder shaking me back to consciousness. The
tapping apology turns to mocking laughter as it continues tapping
between the claps of thunder that reminds me why the ancients quaked in fear of
storms. Desperate for a few hours more sleep I bury my head in pillows
to muffle the storm outside. Lightning flashes again and again burning red
through my closed eyelids demanding I view nature’s power this night. Eyes half
open surrender to the assault of another lightning flash illuminating my room,
revealing something hidden in the dark. A creature in the corner of my room sat
hunched over, something clutched in its hands rocking back and forth like a
child. Covered in short white bristling fur with features resembling a man, the
creature twisted its head back and forth violently as it rocked on its crouched
legs. Darkness envelopes the creature as the burst of light lasted
only a mere moment. My throat begins to close and I feel my heart begin to race,
pumping liquid fear through my veins. I hold my breath counting with eyes
closed tight hoping that with the next flash of light the creature would be
gone and I’d wake from this nightmare. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 I count but fear that if I
hold my breath too long I’ll gasp and alert the creature in the corner to my
presence. Slowly I let the air out of my lungs past quivering lips, my pulse
pounding in my ears subsides just long enough for me to hear the sound of teeth
on bone, scraping and gnawing emanating from the darkened corner of my room as
I lay paralyzed by fear. Forcing my mouth into my pillow as I lay on my side, hoping
to stifle the sound of my breathing I hear the scraping and grinding continue
until a sudden snapping erupts through the room drawing a deep primal fear of
what was occurring just feet away from me as I lay paralyzed in my bed. That’s
when I heard the unmistakable sound of the grinding teeth stop, then the
gulping sound of swallowing. I realize to my horror the creature was eating
something. Like a photographer capturing a moment in time, lightning
flashed outside illuminating the image of a bristle covered creature turning
its head towards the light, a sight that will last forever in my mind. The
light from outside granted me a clear view of the human leg that now lay
clasped in the razor sharp shark like teeth of this monsters mouth. Its face
resembling a human from the prehistoric era looked out the window into the
storm with hate and anger. Darkness fell
again as a screeching sound of rage and bloodlust poured out around the limb
gripped in the creatures’ mouth. Blood coursed cold through my veins as my heart beat
violently faster, thundering louder than the rolling storm outside. Like venom,
terror and darkness filled my mind with poison as the scream permeated the very
fiber of my being. Like a slideshow of horror in my mind, images flashed through
the darkness of the creature gnawing and chewing away at a faceless human
corpse. Memories of fearing the monsters under my bed as a child that seemed
foolish as I grew older, now feel far too real and reasonable to dismiss.
Forcing my eyes closed just like I had all those years ago, I pray silently to
any god that might hear my plea for mercy. As I beg for one more sunrise I feel the blankets covering
me begin to slide away exposing my bare shoulder to the cool night air. The
sounds of scraping teeth had stopped at some point I had not noticed, the
blankets covering me were tugged again exposing more of my vulnerable flesh to
the darkness. My bed shifted as a weight crawled from the floor onto the mattress.
Slowly something crawled along the length of my bed until I could feel the
weight of it at my back, I felt it shift and lay down beside me in the dark. I
tremble as I felt the bristled fur and fetid breath of the monster in the dark
at my back as I lay upon my side curled like a child in fear. Lightning flashed outside the windows with a crashing boom louder
than any thunder from the storm before sending a bolt of panic through my
limbs. Throwing the remaining covers from my legs, I scramble away from the
creature at my back falling to the floor twisting and grasping at the air
attempting to separate myself from the creature and the bristles touching my
bare skin. I stumble trying to rise flailing my arms as I struggle to my feet prepared
to run for the door as another flash of lightning illuminates the room. My bed is
empty the covers lay tussled and moist with sweat. My room lay just as it had
when I had turned in for the night. No creature in the corner eating and
gnawing on someone’s leg. My bed held no occupant of otherworldly nature. Light
faded as I reached for my lamp on the night stand, incandescent light flares
burning away the darkness. My room lay empty, I take a deep heavy breath
inhaling the night air to steady myself then set about making my bed again. Scolding myself for foolishly believing monsters existed, I
finish adjusting the blankets tucking the corners in neat and tight. Picking my
pillow up from the floor where it had fallen during my hasty escape I sigh in
relief as I place it back on the bed. Just to reassure myself that I was safe I
check the closet, out of childish fear my heart began to pound again but
subsided when the light from the lamp revealed only my clothes and a gift for a
friend’s party tomorrow night. I return to my bed pulling the covers up to my
chest wrapping myself in their warmth then rest my head upon my pillow. As I
lie in bed I wipe my face with my hands and feel the days stubble on my cheeks
pass beneath my finger as I attempt to brush away the memories of the monster
in the dark. I pull my hands from my face and open my eyes to see claw marks
upon my bedroom ceiling illuminated by the lamp for just a fraction of a second
before a thunderous clap explodes outside plunging the room once more into
darkness. Terror fills me as a gnawing sound begins again and I realize to my
horror that I didn’t check under the bed. © 2014 Adam Garton |
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Added on July 21, 2014 Last Updated on July 23, 2014 Tags: Monster, Storm, Creature, Short Story AuthorAdam GartonOKAbout"Tomorrow may be hell, but today was a good writing day, and on good writing days nothing else matters." .... Neil Gaiman more..Writing
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