She heard the footsteps
"Shh wait right here."
Her sister whispered
as she quickly ran from the stairs.
No sound;
green glowing light
the outside door illuminating the rug.
Her heart pounding;
afraid of moving,
but desperately needing a hug.
“Where is my sister?”,
she said "I’ll be right back."
"Please hurry"
she rolled in her mind
as her fingers
around her knees were wrapped.
She started to calm,
but the fear has begun to consume,
the longer the time passed,
she knew it only meant…..
doom
DOOM
bang
BANG
"Oh no, she’s coming"
as she fought off her fear inside
she forced herself further back against the stairs
trying not to cry….
or breath.
Stomp,
Stomp,
Stomp,
"She’s getting closer"
her heart racing hard,
"Please don’t find me"
and then the footsteps
stopped.
She could imagine
how much trouble she’d be in
if her mother ever knew
that she was under the stairs
doing what she was told to do
She obeyed
and was quiet
and the footsteps faded into black;
silence again;
except for the sound
of sweat
on a 4 year olds back
Soon
a dirty
outstretched
child’s hand
slid under the companion way,
her sister led her to safety
and then a nice woman took them away.
Has it been 11 years,
since those footsteps came that close?
Then why is she still shaking
afraid to keep the door closed.
“They're not real! They're not real!"
she tells herself every night
when she hears the heavy footsteps
she tucks herself in
and says goodnight.