The Night
And Other Spooky Stories
I’m treading water in the middle of the ocean. The cold has faded, but something new has sunk in. I realize I’m surrounded by silence. No sounds of waves lightly falling on the shore. No wind whistling through the air. Then, something brushes against my legs.
Perhaps it was just a figment of my imagination.
Then it happens again.
In that instant I started swimming. When I’ve finally reached land I stand up, looking back at the beach once more. Whatever lies beneath the waves, I do not wish to know.
Every shadow danced. Every sound startled her before she settled into cruel uneasiness. As the light of her flashlight dimmed, she knew her time was running out. She’d tried re-tracing her steps, but all the trees had the same monstrous glare in the moonlight. She’d just about given up when she noticed it, a thin trail leading out. Hurriedly she made her there, barely noticing the puddle her foot landed in as she ran. It was only after the news broke, a body found in the woods, that she realized she’d stepped in a puddle of blood.
Night is here. I’m curled up in a pile of blankets on my bed in a desperate attempt to fight off the cold. But the cold creeps in anyway, sinking its teeth into my skin. To my left, shadows splay out on the wall. Outstretched arms hanging over me, ready to strike any moment. I look down at the foot of my bed. Beyond that is darkness. What monsters lie in wait? I pull my blankets over my head. The truth is, I’m not afraid of the things out there. No, the scariest things, are the things on the inside.
Ishaan Reddy 