Fearsome Entity

It stood in the doorway as it did every night. I hid under the covers pretending to be asleep. It was dark out in the hallway, but the window in the stairwell let in just enough moonlight to create the eerie silhouette and the long shadow that it cast; the shadow which stretched out almost to the base of my bed. It was silent and unnaturally still just watching me while I peered at it through nearly closed eyes, squinting and hoping it would leave soon. It came by every night once my parents had gone to bed and I was alone and about to fall asleep. And each night it moved a little closer than the last. Tonight, it leaned almost all the way in through the door. Its hunched shoulders and long spindly limbs adding an extra menace to its lanky form.

For the first time, I saw something moving around near where its mouth would be - a dark sinuous shadow writhing and oozing out. The shadow moved like a snake extending along the floor getting longer and longer. I stayed still, like I did every other night hoping it would leave, but I knew tonight was going to be different. It started to move towards me taking the first step into the room. I wanted to scream out, but all I could do was lay there paralyzed with my skin cold and clammy with fear.

It will get me tonight.

At that point I heard my mother walk down the hall and turn on the light in my room. The thing disappeared instantly and in its place my mother stood looking longingly at me with tears in her eyes. She stood there for a while leaning against the door. I wanted to call out to her but I couldn't; I was still unable to move.

"Come back to bed, Alice. Don't torment yourself," I heard my father call out from the other room.

My mother looked very sad.

"I miss you so very much," she whispered softly, as she turned off the light and walked away from me.

Mom, don't go, I wanted to say, I am still here.

But my lips stayed motionless.

The thing came back soon as she left and this time it stood in the room at the foot of my bed. It loomed over me with its tongue hanging from that hollow face. I knew what was next. It moved towards me.

Goodbye, Mom, Dad.