The Closet: night three

A Story by Tyler Cox

I went though the daliy routinethinking of only the creature. Mrs. Parker asked me a question but I was in my own world. After that I at least pretended to pay attention. When I got home Dad was acting weird; he made my favorite food and let me stay up til midnight. It was Friday so there was not the worry of school. That night Dad came into my room.

"Jeremy for the past coulpe of nights your screams have kept me up. Is there anything you want to talk about? Maybe why you are having nightmares?" I shook my head but not convincingly enough, he knows I am lying.

"Do you want to tell mewhy you are having nightmares?" Still no response. My eyes glance at the closet door behind him. Dad noticed and just sighed. he got up, told me good night, and left without shutting my door. I fell asleep, grateful for the extra light. I didn't even fear the closet. When my eyes closed for the last time that night the door to the closet was slightly ajar. It felt like seconds after I drifted off that my door slams shut and I start burning up. I open my eyes and see glowing red circles in the corner. Now I'm sweating, my skin is sticky to the touch. It moves to the foot of my bed, quickly and without a sound. I scream. In response it roars, effectively silencing me. I start shivering uncontrollably with fear. What does it want? As if reading my mind it moves and arm- atleast I think it's an arm. At the end of it were four shiny, sickle-shaped talons. I don't know what they were made of: bone, metal, hard plastic? It points at me and growls softly. Then it sniffed the air, obviously smelling my fear. In a blur of a shadow the arm lashes out, slices my leg to ribbons, and disappears. The next thing I know I'm in the hospital with Dad at my side. My leg is burning in agony. I overhear one of the doctors telling Dad that they want to keep me over the weekend at minimum. Dad nods and says that's fine and I'm asleep again.