I cower in the moonlight streaming through my window, listening; hearing as background, the music coming from the horror movie I was watching on my little TV.
In the hallway; one sound follows the other; heavy, uneven rhythm, thump, kathump, thump, kathump; seeming to keep time to the beat of the music on TV; pausing then passing over the part of the floor that creaks; growing ever closer as each moonbeam fades from my bedroom window. The sound comes from something heavy; it may carry the weight of a thousand windstorms; prominent are the stains from the many salty teardrops of its victims; laces worn from being tied and untied, in places themselves tied in repair.
Unwelcome sounds; sending distress waves to my every fibre; awaiting the arrival of misfortune at my door; knob slowly turning; staring I wait, shaking from head to toe; dread anticipates entry of horrific injury; I am frozen, unable to utter a sound or move a muscle, knowing nothing short of death will enter through that doorway; the music rises in crescendo.
Silence; sound stops; begins once more; heavy, uneven rhythm, thump, kathump, thump, kathump; pausing and passing the same place in the floor that creaks. They carry the weight of one more trip but are no worse for wear from the windstorms they did not pass.
Retreating; distress slowly subsides; misfortune it seems will not call today. Dread slowly turns to thankful pause as sounds diminish; slowly move towards the front door opening then closing; gone with the music.
I open my eyes - not sure where I am for a moment - shudder as I wonder if I dreamed or.............
WWU Writing Prompt December 04, 2010
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