Nightmares
You may wonder why I have such an interest in my stories. My experiences came at a young age. Nightmares at best, but occurrences that leave a child of 7 questioning.
This is my story.
The summer was great for a kid at my age. Playing with my friends, planning a camping trip to the Grand Canyon. Awaiting the arrival of my Aunt and Uncle and their kids, coming up from San Diego. I knew I was destined for the couch in the living room, but I didn't mind. Its been almost a year since my Grandfather had passed, 2 days after my 6th birthday. July was fast approaching and I had mixed feelings of emotion. Sad that my Grandfather was gone, but happy because of the events soon to unfold. Or so I thought.
My first night on the couch was of nothing unusual. For a house filled with people, the silence was unnerving. I settled down on the couch for the night, snuggled in under the covers and began to drift off to sleep. A few hours later I was awoken with a start. I felt an unsettling presence. I laid there in the dark, facing the dinning room, the moon from outside hung low and shown through the kitchen drapes. The eerie blue glow seemed to intensify, until a sudden shadow passed in front of the moon, mimicking the flickering of a candle. I felt my body jump, tucking myself further under the covers. I was never worried about the experience of a ghost, but more of an intruder.
The miniature grandfather clock we had sitting in the living room began to chime, 2:00am. The flickering of the moon light on the dinning room floor caught my attention again. Suddenly a light tapping began emanating from the kitchen. A continuous "tap, tap, tap", slow and steady. Fearing the worst I pulled the covers over my head, hoping that whatever it was would go away. The tapping stopped and all was quiet again. I peeked out from under the covers, fixing my gaze upon the glow in the dinning room, nothing.
Of course I never said anything, in my family chances of being laughed at where greatly increased with subjects of this caliber.
The following night I was fast asleep, having not gotten much sleep the night before, I went to bed early. The clock chimed softly, waking me from my rest. 2:00am. The room seemed oddly cold, I pulled the covers up to my neck in hopes of keeping warm. I began to shiver and twitch as one usually does when cold, the steam from my breathe increased with thickness. A strange fog seemed to flow from the dinning room into the living room, where I laid. Suddenly the moonlight began to flicker. This time outside the living room window, only a few feet from me. The tapping began as it did the previous night, echoing throughout the room. I yanked the covers up over my head, praying. For a few minutes the tapping seemed to get louder, then suddenly, as it had begun, it stopped. Silence.
I had to tell someone, but who? My brother would only joke, my sister only cared about herself, my mother never believed anything I said. Who to tell? My Uncle? My Aunt? My Grandmother. The only one I considered my mom. She would believe me. To my surprise, she knew what I was talking about. She too had heard the strange noises, felt the cold. The relief of not being alone was greatly appreciated, but she offered no comfort or understanding of what was happening. She too was at a loss.
That night, I expected it. Not knowing what I would do, or what it would do, I expected it nonetheless. My eyes shot open. Glancing around, I took sight of the clock, 1:57am. 3 more minutes and IT would come. I watched intently as the hands on the clock moved. 2:00am. The room suddenly filled with chills. The moon brightened its glow. The faint chiming of the clock pierced the silence. Before I could react the sounds of tapping rang out.
A shadowy image appeared in the hallway, I could feel its eyes upon me. I snatched the covers over my head, as a tear rolled down my cheek. Frightened beyond imagination and paralyzed, I laid there focusing on the sounds. The tapping ceased. In its place was the sounds of heavy breathing. I peered out from under the covers and there, only a few feet from me was the image from the hallway. Its back turned to me. I peeked out further from under the covers, trying to get a better look. The image suddenly turned, fixing its stare upon me with widened, hallow eyes. Its skin was pale and decaying in some parts. Unable to move I found the courage to scream. The image screamed back, with the sounds of a thousand souls burning in hell. The room burst into flames with anger, the image just stared.
My Brother and Uncle where the first to arrive at my side, followed closely by my Grandmother. They shook me trying to wake me from my nightmare. The radio across the room, suddenly began playing a familiar tune. Hells Bells. The sounds echoed, as the room filled with a bright red glow. The heat grew, intensifying with every degree. My eyes fluttered open, giving way to the images of the deepest pits of Hell. My Uncle wrenched back in fright, nearly knocking over my brother. An evil laugh filled the house. And, as quickly as it began, silence.
Nothing has come of the events. Most simply sweep it aside as a nightmare. But was it?
