The Tapping

The rain was distracting. It was so distracting that it seemed to distort each word I attempted to read. But the constant barrage of water on my window was a luxury I would soon be begging to come back.

I put my book down, frustrated.

After a while the rain died down a little. I let out a sigh of relief, about to pick my book back up. It was subtle at first - barely noticeable - but just as I was reaching for my end table, I heard a soft persistent tapping. Rain still drizzled down on my window, but this tapping was different. It was in perfect rhythm, coming every second and a half.

I crept towards my window, terrified beyond my wits. My hand shook violently as I held onto the drapes. I shut my eyes and breathed in deep. Finally mustering up some courage, I dragged the drapes to the sides. There was nothing behind the window; only rainwater dropping from the gutters. They came down in rhythm because of the gutters. I breathed another sigh of relief.

My heart was pounding underneath my chest. I told myself I was being ridiculous. But then my heartbeat started to slow down, and I heard it... tapping. This time it sounded different, not like rain on a window. It sounded like a hand on a door. "No way am I opening that door," I thought to myself. I turned the lights off and curled up into a ball underneath my blanket. I pretended to sleep, afraid to even move.

I lied on my bed motionless, keeping my eyes closed tight, for about an hour before the tapping finally stopped. At that point I wasn't happy so much as I was surprised. It seemed a little too good to be true. Slowly, I began to open my eyes. My eyelids fluttered as my vision began to clear. I was horrified at what I saw. Outside the window, something was peeking in. I only caught a glimpse of its piercing eyes and hideous grin before it slid away from the frame. It must've seen me open my eyes.

The tapping was gone but now there was a slow scratching. The scraping was similar to a cat's purr; gentle and lingering.

"What kind of game is this thing playing with me?" I thought. I was slowly growing tired of the whole thing. Eventually, I got over my fear and dialed 911.

"911, what's your emergency?" It was relieving to actually hear the sound of a human being's voice. "Something's trying to kill me. I've locked myself in my room but it's been waiting for me to come out for more than an hour," I replied. "We're dispatching policemen to your location now."

Just as I hung up the phone, the scratching turned into slamming. The creature, whatever it was, started banging on the door forcefully. Fear crept back into my bones. I felt a tingle surge through me. Tears rolled down my cheek as I prayed for the police to come quick. Thankfully, it didn't seem like the creature would be breaking the door down anytime soon; maybe if it had a couple of hours more.

Within twenty minutes after the call, I heard sirens outside my house. The police were here. I wiped my face with a sense of hope. I went to the window to let them know which room I was in. When I reached the window, the slamming had stopped. I looked down to my driveway. The policemen were just getting out of the car when a devilish silhouette appeared. I watched in terror as they were torn apart almost instantly by the ghoulish figure. It ripped the siren and lights up as well. In a split second, it had disappeared back into the house.

And again, the tapping began.

Written by chip_eater.