It's Always There

You are lying in your bed.

You can barely keep your eyelids from slamming shut.

You look at the clock; it's about 2 am. You feel yourself drifting off.

You are startled out of the trance-like state by a quiet, soft creaking sound on your floorboards. But you live alone, so, What could possibly have made that noise? you ask yourself.

You know you locked the front door before you went to bed. Besides, if someone had broken in, you would have heard, right?

There it is again, louder. This time you rip the bedsheet back and leap out of bed! You slam the door of your room so hard into the door-frame that you dent the wall!

You are left staring into the hallway.

Nothing.

It must have been your imagination. After doing a quick scan of the house, you return to the heavenly warmth of your bed.

But.

You can't get it out of your head. What made the noise? Did I dream it? Well, my dear pasta junkie, you certainly aren't dreaming. It follows you everywhere. In fact, this very moment it's right behind you.

Waiting.

Now that I have gotten you to look 'round, it knows that you have acknowledged its existence. I probably should have told you that you can only see it if it wishes so.

Now that you know, it will leave you.

But don't think this is a good thing. This being was there to protect you. It's a shame you have just left yourself unguarded. Now all of Hell can rain down on you.

But you must understand, I'm so sorry, it forced me to. It said that if I told you, it would let me live. Don't try to run. It's already there. It's watching you read this.

It's just waiting.

Waiting for you to go to sleep.