Chapter 1

‘We are all afraid of the dark as children; we keep the hall light on so shards of gold seep through the cracks in our door. We close our eyes and flit them open to check the light is still there. The night makes our room alien, wardrobes loam over us and the dark chasm under our bed conceals monsters of our imagination. But with age we learn to turn off the light and ignore our fantastical...’

 

Francesca stood rigid clutching the banister rail with her ivory knuckled hands. She refused to move a single step, her heart pulsated and she began to sway. The darkness swirled around her and she felt engulfed by it, as though unable to breath, incapable of uttering a sound. Her other arm nurtured her greying bunny, Jasper and she buried her small face into his matted ears. At that moment her mother released her hand from the banister and began guiding her up the stairs and yet Francesca didn’t raise her eyes until she was wrapped tightly in her lilac duvet, surrounded by the friendly faces of her cuddly toys. Her mother kissed her tenderly on her forehead before she stood to depart. Francesca’s hand darted from its wrappings to clutch desperately at her mothers, “You will leave the hall light on and keep my door open? Please mummy”. Her mother folded her daughter’s hand under the covers; “Of course pumpkin, I wouldn’t leave my angel in the dark, would I?” and with that she swept from the room.

Francesca wriggled deeper into the covers until they enclosed her completely. She felt their soft touch caressing her skin, stroking her, comforting her. Jasper was still tucked under her arm, one of his floppy ears draped over her nose. The warm glow from the hallway sidled slowly into every crevice of her room, it danced over the small dresser that sat under her window and illuminated her tall wardrobe that stood in the far corner. She could see every inch of her petite bedroom, the chest of draws stood proudly next to her bed and her butterfly clock counted the passing minutes.

She rolled over feeling contented and in doing so nudged jasper to the floor, instantly she leapt to the edge of her bed and scanned the floor. He lay next to the black chasm under her bed and as she lowered her hand to grab him she could feel a coldness grip her wrist. Her fingertips brushed against her bunny’s foot and she jerked him back into her arms. She sat up and rearranged all her cuddly animals as far away from the edge of the bed as possible so that they ended up being seated in a line against the wall, her own personal body guard. Sleep as it inevitable does claimed her soon after and it wasn’t long until soft snores issued from her.

She jolted awake due to the inevitable call of nature that arises from too many glasses of milk before bed, but her room was different. Her personal army of bears, giraffes, pandas and elephants seemed alien to her. They glared at her; the little street lighting that seeped through her curtains illuminated their amber eyes which stared never blinking at her. She recoiled from them and glanced around her once cosy room. Her dresser loamed taller than before like a giant spider with its bowing legs, her wardrobe seemed a mountain of darkness that clawed its way across the ceiling. The small clock had a tick that echoed profusely around the room. As she crept towards the edge of the bed she saw the black chasm beneath her, the darkness extended an arm as if to coerce her to step down. She sat taut for several minutes and then began to extend her leg to the floor as soon as it touched the cold surface she sprinted from the room and felt something catch the back of her ankle as she did so.

The landing seemed alien and as she tried to step towards her parent’s room it seemed to spiral away from her. Yet she waded through it and burst the door open. As the lights flickered on and the golden glow flooded every inch of the room Francesca’s pale, tear streaked face was illuminated, and clutched in her hand was Jasper.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I liked the use of the description. You made thoughts, place and fear come alive in the chapter. You create a visions of confusion and danger. Thank you for sharing the excellent chapter.
Coyote

[Another Mayfly]

Thank you so much. I appreciate your comments on my capabilities to create vision, I take that as a great compliment

[Coyote Poetry]

You did and you are welcome.