Goodnight

I am laying in my bed, listening to the rain pound against my window. The wind is picking up and it seems the forecast for a thunderstorm was accurate. Nature’s tantrum is all that can be heard in the house but my eyes are focused on my back door. The knob keeps moving and no matter how much I want to, I cannot move. My body lay here under this blanket, pulled up tight over my ears and I’m frozen in fear. I have left it open just enough so that I can peer out and to breathe. The dim yellow glow from the bathroom night light reflects on that silver handle and each time it jiggles I can see the streak of amber shift slightly. I know my parents are down the hall asleep but getting to them requires passing by that door. If I scream they might force their way in anyway and they will be at me before I can reach safety. So, I lay here trying to be as quiet as possible, stare at that knob, and hope whatever is on the other side goes away.

I can hear it clearer now. The door itself is rustling and the knob jerks side-to-side. The rain, wind, and thunder hides the sound from my parents but I can’t get it out of my head. The blanket encroaches my mouth and I can feel the warmth of my breath as it picks up pace. I ease my head upward and look to the window behind my headboard. My hand slides out from my hiding place and gently pushes the curtain to the side. It is too dark to see anything at first but suddenly a blinding flash of lightning illuminates my back porch. A large dark figure grips the other side of the door as appears to be preparing to shove his shoulder against it. The thunder rolls out through the night and the figure slams against the door in tune with it. My body jerks and the curtain falls back into place. The door is still and so is the knob. I hope they didn’t see me. The house is quiet for a moment so I reach up again and push the curtain over once more. A featureless face presses against the window, the eyes the only thing I can make out in the darkness. A scream erupts from my throat and my body can’t be contained in that bed any longer. I am up and down the hall in seconds, my chest drumming away from my pulse.

I can hear dull clinking of the knob being pulled behind me as I pass through the kitchen and toward my parent’s room. I shove the door open and yell out in the night, “There is someone at the back door!” My father leaps from his bed and bounds through the house. The deadbolt turns along with handle lock and in moments the door is flung open into darkness. He sees nothing and reaches back to press the switch. Our back porch is bathed in the dim porch light and I stand watching from the hall. Then he closes the door and locks it back before turning out the light. “There is nothing there. Now get back to bed,” he says before walking passed me. I slowly maneuver my way back under my covers. My father looks back to see I am still staring at the door. I know what I saw. He can tell I am not convinced and sits in the hall watching the door with me until I fall asleep.

I did not wake until the storm had passed and the day had forced the clouds away. I open my curtains to let the sunlight in. At the bottom of my window was a thin squiggly line. I lowered my head and right at the height of my bed I could see words that had been left behind. "Goodnight, my new friend."