The Music Box Player

2:15. I never knew why it liked that time. I would wake up to it. The gentle tune of a music box. Innocent, yet malicious at the same time. I would try not to open my eyes, to resist the temptation. But I had to. I knew it was there, and it knew I was here. I would open my eyes, and see it. It's head was looking straight down, but l knew it could see me. It would stand there for hours, it's hand turning the crank, never seeming to get tired. I would try to stay up to see what would happen, but l could never stay up. That... thing, it would be gone before l woke up. So many sleepless nights...

I went to sleep expecting the same thing; to wake up at 2:15, and have no sleep bar two hours of nightmares. But, that didn't happen. l slept. l got into my bed and slept. l woke up at 10:43 the next morning. l thought to my self, "It's gone. My life is back to normal." This thing that had been haunting me for 17 months was gone. That night, l made my self some tea, got my hot water bottle and got into bed, looking forward to another happy night.

2:15. l never knew why it liked that time. l woke up to it. The familiar tune of that music box. l opened my eyes, expecting to see the figure once again. I saw nothing. "I must just be paranoid" l thought. Probably just imagining things. I lay my head back down on my pillow. Once again, l hear it. I must be going crazy, l think to myself. Until l realize the music is coming from the other side of my bed...

