Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-27675561-20170102062555

I can still remember what happened to this very day. I was having a sleep over at a friend's house, back when people weren't so concerned about their kids and who's house they were going to stay at. Of course, this is one of those stories that may raise some concern. And why parents would worry now. Things just aren't like they used to be.

I was playing with my friend Cody in his room. Legos were scattered all over the floor, and we had created our own imaginary environment for them. Some of the pieces were used as a currency to buy things from each other, models that we made, or to order parts for our other creations. It was like our own little community with their own little rules and government.

Often Cody's little sister Sam would come in and we would play with her too, she'd frequently come in and play with us. She'd often switch back and forth from playing with the dolls in her room to playing with us and all our Legos. Eventually she cried because the rules didn't go her way, so we decided to do something else to include her. So later that night, we made popcorn and watched a series of Looney Toons on the television in the living room together.

We had a lot of laughs and a good time, but like every night, eventually bed time came.

I had brought my own sleeping bag and pillow, my shoes were over by their front door and I had slept just a small hallway away in the living room on the couch. I laid out my sleeping bag and crawled inside, made myself comfortable. I remember listening to the sounds of crickets and other bugs just outside. I just slept in my clothing, back then when I was a kid, just my jeans, socks, and a shirt.

Later that night, about a half hour after midnight, I felt unusually cold. I felt as though something was watching me. I looked around the room, and nothing was there. It was a strange feeling. I had no idea what it was. But it was so unnerving, that I woke from my sleep. I'd never felt this way before. I figured that it was just me, and I'm just fooling myself, so I just laid back down and tried to sleep. But then, about 5 minutes later...

"Get out..."

I heard a very, very, quiet whispering voice. I sat up and looked around. All I could hear is the clock in the room, ticking away. Otherwise, there was nothing but silence there in the room. Much more silence than usual. The breeze outside was gone, the insects had stopped chirping. I sat there, listening carefully. Was someone there? I thought to myself. My imagination... It must be out of control tonight. So I laid back down, and tried again to sleep.

"Get... out..."

The voice came again, slightly louder, in a whisper. It sounded like an adult- I sat upright again, this time taking my feet off the couch in my sleeping bag and setting them on the ground. I sat there, looking into the corners of the dark living room. I can still remember, how carefully I listened, I listened hard, for any little sound. But still, just that clock, ticking in the room. It felt cold. The hair on the back of my neck raised, and I could feel goosebumps on my arms. I swear I can hear someone, I thought, I swear that was real. How could that not be real? I sat there for a few minutes, eyes wide open, looking left and right... Nothing.

I eventually calmed myself down a little. Maybe that really was just my imagination, I explained to myself- There probably isn't anything here and I'm acting silly. Maybe it was just my hand rubbing against the fabric of the sleeping bag, or maybe someone in one of the bed rooms down the other hall shifted in their bed, and you mistook it for some voice talking. I took my feet off the floor and moved them back onto the couch. I laid down once more, and got comfortable... Yet still, after awhile, something felt off in the room. Something wasn't right, I couldn't close my eyes. Something was there.

"Get out... Now!"

I bolted up straight. There simply was no mistaking that. Something was in here! That whisper, that voice- I got off the couch. I slipped the sleeping bag off of my body and I went into their kitchen and looked around. The hair on the back of my neck was raised so cold, I swear, they were like needles. My skin was crawling, my body was cold. It was like the only warmth I could feel was my heart pounding. I looked into their pantry room which led out to a side door, nothing there. Went back through the kitchen and into their nearby dining room: Nothing, no one. I peered down the hall that led to the bedrooms, I held still, even shut my eyes for a few seconds to listen: Only that clock in the living room. I found no one there. No foot steps, no breathing, no sign of any physical body or life. I saw one. I heard no one.

I sat back down on the couch in my sleeping bag, I wondered for a moment if I was just being crazy. I know what I heard. I thought- I heard that voice... is this a prank? And yet, I thought about it, and I thought thoroughly: Why am I acting all shook up? Why do I feel so cold? And I realized that the voice itself I wasn't afraid of. The voice, that whisper, I remember it didn't sound angry. It didn't sound threatening. It didn't have that "or else" attitude in it's tone. I realized...

This is a warning. It's warning me about something. But what?

"Now!"

I jumped- I listened, I obeyed. I hurriedly packed my sleeping bag and pillow under my arm, and walked quickly to the front door. I slipped my shoes on carefully as to not make any noise, I opened the door silently, and crept from the house. I paced across the lawn and out to the street and started walking home in the dead of night. I looked back at my friend's house, it seemed so peaceful... For a moment it didn't make sense. Maybe I should just go back, I thought. Maybe I really am just crazy... I felt my skin go cold and my hair raise again, and then-

"Go!"

My pace quickened. I just kept walking down that street, straight towards my home just a few blocks away. That voice... I didn't feel fear for it, I just felt fear of why? Why should I leave? What's going to happen? And apparently the voice followed me out to the street- but I somehow don't feel cold or afraid because of the voice. The cold... That feeling of something there. It's not the voice, it's something else. I could just feel it, and that fact alone- Just thinking about it sends that slight chill up my spine...

My progress towards home was about halfway now, the night sky was beautiful. Full stars and a half moon outside. I was just starting to pass a really dark part of the block. There was one home to the right that didn't have much light around it and was enclosed from view by a small bunch of really large trees. They were like four story buildings and the house was covered in shadow and darkness. The left of the street was the same. The brightness from the tall street lights didn't reach this area of the street. I felt an urge to move somewhat faster... But I'm away from my friend's house now, so why should I? I thought. I could tell that urge is the same presence as that voice, only it was just something that I could feel in my gut.

It was then, that low, angry, vicious growl... That growling from behind me, never had I felt so afraid. My heart instantly doubled it's rate and an ice cold chill of needles rolled up my spine in what seemed a split second. I turned to look over my shoulder, and I could see what appeared to be a solid black silhouette of a giant bull dog. It's eyes gleamed with red, piercing, staring right at me, it's posture ready to charge, to stalk towards me. It's shoulders were haunched and muscular, and it's size- It looked as though it could tear me apart like a rag doll, were it to get ahold of me. I ran. Instantly.

No time for hesitation- I was at a full sprint. I could hear the growl follow me, the sound becoming more aggressive, gaining on me as a darted towards a street light to the left of the block and I could see my house just across up ahead in view. I ran hard, heart beating, blood pumping, I didn't dare look back- I got to the street light, and then- for my home! Just across the street, second from the corner of the next block!

But then- I noticed after I passed the street light, the growling faded as I ran further from it, but I didn't stop- I just kept running. I got into the driveway of my home, panting, almost out of breath, but shaking, eyes wide open from adrenaline. I couldn't hear the growling anymore... I looked at the street light- I froze still. It was still there...

And I was just staring at the thing, right in those angry, stalking red eyes. It was standing just beneath the street light, looking at me...

I watched in horror. What's next? I thought- What is going on? I then witnessed this dog, it's detail: It was slightly transparent. I could see through this thing. I couldn't tell before, it was too dark to notice- And then, It stood up. This thing, this unnerving, in-explainable, out of the ordinary supernatural thing- It stands up, not as a dog on it's back legs, but up into the form of a human being. Still transparent, still those same vicious red eyes... We gazed at each other for a few seconds, I could feel how hostile this things was. It hated me. It wanted to completely and utterly destroy me. What irked me even more, is the lack af appearance. This thing didn't have a body. It was like a dark shadow, standing in three dimensional space instead of just laying on a surface. It had a volume to it, but no mass. Just a solid black, transparent sillouette.

Pure evil.

It walked backwards out of the light, and faded into the darkness of the block, the eyes slowly dimming in the distance until it was gone.

I ran inside, heart beating fast- I was glad to be home. I felt safe, finally safe. But then I realized- how cold it felt, to look at that thing, to be in it's presence. It felt like being in that living room. The dark living room, in utter silence, none but the clock ticking on the wall to be heard, nothing but that uncomfortable cold to be felt. It was the same. That thing was in there with me. But that voice? The whisper? When I recollect and think, that was the only comfort. It didn't make me afraid. The voice didn't make me feel uncomfortable.

"You are home."

I can still remember the comfort, hearing that voice say that. "Thank you..." I uttered. I drank some water, and I went to bed, safe and sound in my room. No problems here, I thought. That voice... I believe it's always there to be with me as long as I try to be a good person and do the right things. It's worth it, to have that still small voice with me.

The next morning...

I heard a knock at my door. I woke up and wandered from my bedroom to my front door. When I answered, there was my friend Cody, standing there. He was holding my sleeping bag and pillow.

"Hey," He said, "I found these on the way over here. They were laying on the ground just before the street light over there."

"Oh geez, thank you!" I said, taking the bag and pillow from him "I had no idea these were still out there."

Cody looked upset, almost to the point of tears. The first thing I thought he would mention is why I bailed and left his home in the middle of our sleepover, and I was about to make up an excuse or an explanation.

"I- I'm sorry, Cody," I began to explain "I just felt strange and-"

He interrupted, "Something happened last night, with my dad and Sam."

"What? Sam? What happened?" I asked, suprised with concern.

He continued- "My mother went into Sam's bed room early this morning, and my dad was in there... It was still dark. And she started yelling at him and hitting him, and then the police came. My mom and dad had this huge fight... And my dad is gone, now. The cops took him away."

I was shocked. "C-Cody," I began to stutter "I- I don't know what to say... Is everything all right? Do you want to just stay here for a while and play video games?"

"No, my mom says that she needs me today. She was only letting me ride my bike over for a few minutes to tell you. Thank you though, I just thought you should know. I have to go back now."

We waved goodbye, and he took off on his bike back to his house.

Later I heard my mom and his mom talking on the phone, and my mother began to cry, hearing the story. I had no idea what had happened there. I just over heard that Cody's dad landed himself in prison that day, for whatever he was doing with Sam- and it had happened so many times... Later at the dinner table with my parents, they had a talk with me that I am not allowed to do sleep overs anymore from that day forward. Not there at our house, and not at any where else, no matter how much fun or how exciting it is, or how nice they seem- no sleep overs, period.

I willingly agreed.

A week or so later, I was playing video games on the weekend when I heard the phone ring. I hit the pause button and ran to answer it.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Hi..." It was Cody's voice. He sounded anxious. "There's something in my room."

What? I wondered... "What's in your room? What is it?"

There was a moment of silence, all I could hear was Cody's broken breathing, and the phone somewhat shaking. Then he said:

"It's asking me if we can have another sleepover." 