Giggle

Tabitha awoke with a start. Turning her head quickly from left to right, she scanned her dark bedroom. The little girl had never been afraid of the dark, in fact, Tabitha rather preferred this time of day. However, tonight felt different. Maybe the unsettling feeling she had was from the disorientation that comes from awakening so suddenly. Perhaps she was not actually awake, but still asleep and dreaming right this moment. She smiled and quickly dismissed this theory as the lingering remnants of sleep lifted from her mind. In its place confusion emerged for the parts of her brain that were alert and active while she slumbered had heard something. It was fuzzy and already fading from her memory, but she thought she could recall something out of place; something strange. Had she heard someone giggling in the darkness?

Slowly sitting up in bed, she intently listened to the night. The ever curious eight-year old was in wonderment upon the realization of how loud the silence could be. She heard the long groan from the foundation travel through the walls of the old house. The light tapping of a tree branch in the breeze caught her attention. She could even make out the monotonous Tick-tock, tick-tock from an ancient grandfather clock that sat proudly downstairs. More and more sounds soon revealed themselves to Tabitha, but none were out of the ordinary nor did any cause her fear or alarm. Satisfied that all was calm, Tabitha lowered her head to her pillow. She froze in place when creaking floorboards from steps on the other side of her closed bedroom door cut through the silence. The steps were slow and profound as it grew closer and closer. Upon reaching her bedroom door, it paused. Tabitha could hear the slight scraping of finger tips rubbing against the door. True silence fell over the room and remained unbroken until a soft, high pitched giggle emerged, sending shivers down the girl's spine. She could not tell if it came from a boy or girl, but it sounded muffled as if the giggler was trying their hardest to hold in a flood sniggers and laughter. There was also a sadness to the chuckles, and for a moment Tabitha thought she might have mistaken it for sobs or maybe weeping.

Cautiously, Tabitha climbed out of bed and placed her small feet on the cold floor. She made her way silently to her bedroom door and slowly turned the old brass knob. She was a brave little girl and prepared herself to face whatever monster stood on the other side. With a loud squeal from hinges neglected over the years, Tabitha slowly opened the door and was greeted to a crimson balloon bobbling in the air at eye level. She cocked her head curiously and thought, "What an odd thing to find."

The balloon was large and shiny. Its red color was vibrant, and its silver ribbon sparkled brilliantly. There was nothing out of the ordinary or cause for alarm except for the clump of gray mud that plastered the end of the ribbon to the ground and held it in place.

"Teeheehee!"

Tabitha turned towards the giggling, now coming from downstairs. She slowly walked to the edge of the stairs and once again saw a balloon, this time blue of color, tied with a silver ribbon, and floating at the bottom of the steps. Fascinated by the object, she neglected to see the foot and hand prints along the walls and ceilings as she descended the stairs. The prints were from the same mud that was used to hold the balloons in place and spiraled the side of the walls to the ceiling as if up or down had no meaning for the owner of those clawed hands and feet.

She plucked the ribbon's end from the clump of mud that anchored the pleasant thing in place and proudly looked upon her two fantastic prizes she had gained tonight.

"Teeheehee tee hee hee!"

From behind the girl, the snickering giggles rang out with even more failing restraint. It was as if any moment, a frenzy of uncontrollable laughter would erupt from its owner. At the end of the hall, she stood in front of the open door that led to the backyard. Obscured in shadows, hand prints at the top of the door frame peppered the wall from where it entered. She approached the opening, and in the night, a shining light revealed the most amazing balloon of them all. It was in the shape of the letter "T," for Tabitha she surmised. Like its ribbon, it too was silver, but it sparkled so brilliantly in the darkness. The twinkling light reminded the little girl of pixie dust from the many fairy tales told to her at bedtime.

As she approached the balloon, the giggles became more persistent. Its intensity rose as the ability to restrain the laughs grew ever more challenging. Closer and closer, Tabitha approached her final prize. Without realizing it, she had stepped over and past the boundaries of the door frame and was now outside the protective walls of her homestead. Tabitha lifted her small hand to take hold of the fantastic balloon but froze when she saw that its ribbon was not held in place by the slimy mud this time. It was a dirty hand that held the balloon's ribbon. The hand slowly rose and offered its gift to her.

Tabitha took a step back and gasped. The thin hand once again gestured for the girl to take the thin ribbon from its grasp. The hand was attached to a gnarly arm that disappeared into the shadows. Both the little girl and the hand remained frozen, neither making the first offerings of greetings towards one another.

The Giggling Man's broad grin slowly emerged from the shadows. Deep and sad eyes appeared next. The creature was horrifying, but its wide eyes and a broad smile from red lips were disarming. Hunched on all fours, the beast contorted its limbs in ways not intended by nature. The thin and naked body, completely covered in the mud, gave off a stench of sulfur that made Tabith think or rotten eggs.

Immediately, Tabitha felt pity for the poor creature entangled before her. The painful grin tore and stretched into its face, and its mournful eyes touched her heart. The Giggling Man turned, and effortless bent over backward and upside down with a hand still outstretched, offering its gift. Tabitha could not help herself, and let out a tiny giggle of her own.

The Giggling Man continued to let out hysterical and nervous giggles as he stood still in his backward arch and waving his free hand in the air to an unheard melody. The desperation in his eye intensified as it continued to snicker and offer its balloon from its hand. Tabitha looked deeply into those sad eyes and finally convinced herself that no ill intent existed there. She smiled. Taking a step forward, the girl reached for the balloon.

"Tabitha! No!"

Having awoken from a strange and sudden sleep, Tabitha's mother knew something was amiss. Fear gripped her heart upon seeing the girl's empty bedroom and muddy prints along the walls. Racing downstairs, she arrived at the open door just in time to see the girl take the object from the Yo'Gitja Demon that stood before her.

The moment the girl took hold of the ribbon, the sound of shattering glass rang loud from the collapse of every protection spell cast upon the house. The powerful spells meant to hide, shield and protect against all manner of beast and demon was broken and no more. Now nothing stood between them and the darkness that approached.

The Giggling Man quickly turned upright and faced the little girl. He towered over her at his full height. The sad eyes were gone and replaced with milky red orbs that showed absolute delight upon seeing the defenseless little girl. The grin etched on its face widened and stretched its white flesh. Blood flowed from the corners of its mouth and teeth, thin as needles, tore through the skin.

As if all was calm, Tabitha turned her back to the creature and looked toward her mother. She raised her small hand to show off her new balloons and waved with the other. She smiled a radiant smile only a daughter could produce for her mother. It was a smile of love. A smile unaware of the danger and malicious intent looming behind her. The creature lowered itself and prepared to lunge at the little girl. It trembled with lust from the anticipation of tearing into the young flesh and gorging on the little girl's blood. It let out a loud squeal of giggles at the thought of smearing that hot liquid over its dried and desiccated body. With the girl facing away, it failed to notice the change occurring in Tabitha's eyes. Gone were the hazel green and the white corners of her eyes. In their place, orbs of the blackest night stared out into the evening sky; orbs of sight that saw everything.

The Giggling man pounced, fully prepared to devour the child that dared show her back to it. To its surprise, the demon found itself suspended and frozen in place. In mid-air, Tabitha took hold of the creature's essence in an unbreakable grip. With invisible hands, she explored the creature's body in both the physical and spiritual plains. Once curiosity no longer held the child's attention, she began to play.

Unseen fingers took hold of the demon and twisted and tore at the creature's flesh. The skin from the creatures back was peeled from muscle; the bone was bent until they split and shattered. Every organ within its torso was squeezed and eviscerated until yellow juices soaked the ground below its suspended body. Never once did the tormented beast cease its high pitched and insane giggling through gurgling blood and vomit pouring out of its contorted mouth. And all the while, Tabitha laughed and giggled at the sight.

Still restraining the beast in her mind's eye, the powerful little witch smiled at her new found toy, but like so many others before it, she grew bored. Although it was fun to play with those who dared to deceive her, it quickly lost its element of pleasure. She released it, and the unrecognizable clump of flesh hit the ground with a sickening squish. A small and almost inaudible giggle was still coming from the entanglement of bones, innards, limbs, and intestines.

Tabitha's mother ran to the girl and scooped her up in her arms. While embracing the child, she looked nervously around. With the protection spells having been broken, they were defenseless and no longer hidden to the world. It was widely known that Yo'Gitja Demons are summoned in threes. It was wise to assume the other two would not be far behind their fallen brother. It was also common knowledge to summon Yo'Gitja Demons required immense power rooted in ancient and forbidden witchcraft or allegiance to a demon of the highest order to bind these dark creatures to their will. Tabitha's mother brought up her foot and stomped her heel into the demon's skull until no more laughter could be heard, and only silence remained. Backing out of the night air and into the house, she scanned the darkness for any sound or movement.

They would need to leave this place immediately. Ever since Tabitha's birth, they had been on the run. Ever since her existence was made known, Tabitha's mother had done everything possible to keep her safe. She knew the child was extremely powerful. Possibly more powerful than any witch to have ever walked the Earth. It was her mandate to keep the child safe until she came of age. As she quickly gathered any belongings of importance, Tabitha's mother thought of the prophecy recited to her before the Great Coven had dissolved. The words rang loud in her mind, and she took the little girl's hand and exited the house in the warm spring night. They would run and hide once again, but those words would give her strength and comfort. Words from an ancient prophecy that gave her promise of hope of a new day when they would no longer need to run.


 * "Listen, my daughters and listen well. When the shadow of Bishagor falls upon the Sons of Adam and the Morning Star makes war with Son of Suns, the Mother of Endor will tear down the Four Towers of the world's corners. Before the waters from the gates of the Ancient Well crack and drown the land, and fires from the First Mountains fall and scorch the sky, a child will be born. This child will know power like no other and return the stolen magic robbed from the Daughters of Eve by the God of Lies."