Sunday, September 5, 2010

The Thump

I sat up in the darkness of my room, frightened. Some noise from the land of the waking had jolted me out of unconsciousness. Groggy, I reached across to the nightstand, turning my alarm clock toward my face. The dim numbers read 3 AM, and I groaned. So much for a good night's sleep. Forgetting what had awoken me, I rolled over and settled back into bed...but there it was again. It was a thump from the attic above me, loud and deliberate. There was another. It sounded as though someone (for surely it was a person, no house settles in a manner so resembling footsteps) was attempting to make me aware of his presence, almost toying with me. I bolted upright, adrenaline pumping. Someone was in my house.


The thumping stopped somewhere above my closet. Slowly, I stood up in the darkness of my room, the illumination of the alarm clock extending no further than the night stand upon which it sat. Slowly, I worked my way out of my room and down the hall, heading for the storage closet, and grabbed my old bat. I retreated down the hall to stare, waiting, at the trap-door into the attic. Whoever the intruder was, he wasn't going anywhere. 

I held my breath, waiting for any noise, any sign of life. Nothing. Heart racing, I slowly approached and pulled down the ladder. The light was on in the attic. I wasn't sure if I'd left it that way. I climbed up as quietly as I could and peeked into the room, only to be confronted with...nothing. There was nothing there at all, just the old crap I'd left up in storage. I sighed, relieved. I must've been imagining things. It's easy to convince yourself you're hearing things when you're alone in the dark. Laughing, I shut off the lights behind me and went to lie down.

I closed my eyes, thinking on how ridiculous I had been, then...thump. It was closer now. It was just as loud as I'd heard it before, though closer now to the center of the room. I jumped out of bed, less frightened than angry, and rushed up the ladder, bat in hand. I kicked over boxes, swung at shadows at old clothing. There was nothing. There was no one there. I rubbed at my temples, climbing down the ladder and back towards my room. There must have been too much stress at work. I must have been imagining things. Maybe I'd take the day off tomorrow. I felt strange as I approached my door. A sense of dread washed through me and I hesitated, hand outstretched towards the doorknob. I groaned. I was being stupid. I'd probably feel better after I got some sleep. Fingers rubbing the bridge of my nose, I blindly flicked on the light-switch and made my way towards my bed. I slumped down onto the edge, rubbing my eyes. I was so tired. I had to stop being paranoid.

Thump.

I jerked my hands away from my face, whipping around to glare once more towards the attic. With the light on, I could see it. It was a grotesque mockery of the human form, bent and twisted, head facing the wrong way, and empty sockets where the eyes should have been. Slowly, deliberately, it lifted a hand. It grinned as it slapped it down with a thump, dragging itself closer to me.

Thump.

I give a panicked laugh as it smashes the bare bulb that is my only source of light, shrouding the room in darkness. I'm not insane. How could I have known?

Thump.

It walks on ceilings.

12 comments:

  1. sooo...freaked me out. I should probably stop reading these before I go to bed.

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  2. gonna sleep with a 12-gauge under my pillow tonight. thanks. XD

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  3. And that's why I sleep with a blade under my bed.

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  4. Better to have something under your pillow than under your bed. God only knows what's lurking down there. :S

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  5. You're totally right Travis, what if that thing on the ceiling was holding Serverus's blade? 7000% scarier

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  6. ^
    Scarier in a way if it were real but it also takes some edge away.
    What if it just wants to duel rather than actually harm you? The sword would probably make it look silly too. I would laugh at least a little before getting sliced.

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  7. have searched high and low for a pair of glasses

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  8. what the hell is all these "terra gold" and "cheap WOW gold" links?

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    Replies
    1. I was just wondering the same goddamn thing... anyway, liked this story better than the previous "thump"-one.

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  9. I found the end quite humorous; It made me laugh because I could see myself thinking the same thing and laughing as well in this grim situation.

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  10. Sooo... Are you sure that the sound wasn't just your neighbors having sex? Because I lived in a townhouse once where my bedroom wall was shared with the house next to me. All I can say is that my neighbor sure did like to throw his wife against the wall, if you get my meaning.

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