Overcoming the Fear

You know you should go to bed. But you continue to stay up and read pointless things online, or chatting with your friends, whom also are contemplating sleep on the other side of the monitor. You feel your eyelids slowly lowering themselves. The attempts to pull them back up are futile.

Picking your way slowly through your room to your bed, where you hear a thump. No worries, you tell yourself. You're just tired, you tell yourself. Glancing across the room, you find dirty clothes scattered about. With the quick flip of your switch, you plunge into a world of infinite darkness, which makes you uncomfortable. You have had major anxiety when it comes to the dark since you were a small child. And it has passed on to your sibling.

The blankets are warm from your cat lying there all day. Another thump shivers near you. You swear that when you look at the corner of your bedroom, you can almost see the shadow of a grown person. But when you throw the light switch up and investigate, there is nothing there. The light switch gets put down once more, and you wiggle back into your warm bed, thinking of all the sleep you are going to get.

But now isn't the time to be longing for sleep. You close your eyes and let the warm hand of sleep embrace you. Oh how you have waited for this all day. You have had such a long day.

As you close your eyes, you feel the day's wears take their effect on you. You notice something as you are almost asleep--- your computer monitor is still on. But you aren't going to let that interrupt your sleep. But even though your eyes are closed, you can still see the glare--- as bright as ever.

Annoyed, you rip the blankets up and cover your face with them. Even under the blankets, you can still see the monitor light. Determined not to wake fully up, you squint even harder. Thinking about how you are going to avoid the light, you notice that it has been completely dark for a minute or so.

Curious, you lift the blanket slowly, expecting to see your younger brother standing there after a bad dream, or even that creepy kid from one of those stories you've read online. What's his name? Jerry? Joseph? Jeff. Definitely Jeff. But you see something else. Some ungodly creature with sunken eyes and wild hair. Looking back at you.

At least you aren't scared of the dark anymore...

-Hanthorness