When Darkness Comes!

[Ghostwriter1983]

When Darkness Comes!

I had just moved into this seaside cottage a week ago, when I heard it. I heard footsteps, walking on the hardwood floor outside my bedroom door. At first, it was soft footsteps and I thought I had been dreaming. Suddenly, someone was banging on my door and I grabbed my pillow screaming, "Who is it?" But I heard nothing but silence afterwards. I never slept the rest of the night and even when daylight came, I shivered.

When I found the courage to open my bedroom door I saw wet foot prints and seaweed clumps scattered on the floor leading out my front door. I stood there crying as I looked out at the path leading to the beach, struggling to think of who would pull such a mean prank on me? I was just 19, and this was my first time on my own, as I stood and cried. But I had my momma's strength and I'd never pack my things and leave.

Someone else wanted my cottage, I was sure of it, they were jealous. Perhaps they were a writer, an artist well, I wasn't going to leave. So that night I locked my doors and kept a baseball bat on my bed. If someone pulled the same stunt and tried to break in, I'd show them. I made sure I locked all the doors and windows, before I went to bed. I knew that 911 would bring the police and there was only one road here.

I had finally dozed off about 3:15 am; when suddenly, I was awakened again. Someone was frantically trying to kick in my door, the pounding was thundering. I desperately grabbed the phone, but all I heard was static, no dial tone. Then to my horror, I saw saltwater seeping from under my door.
Suddenly, a low rasping voice came on the line that begged me, to open my door.

I dropped the phone and screamed, “Leave me alone.” and hid in the corner shaking, my baseball bat held by both hands. When I looked down at the floor, I saw the loose end of the phone line. The phone I had held and heard the static on, the eerie voice talking to me, was not plugged into the wall. When morning came, I stood by my door barely able to unlock and turn the knob.

Just like the day before, saltwater soaked my floor with pieces of seaweed leading outside. I found all my windows and doors still locked, just as I had left them the night before. I went outside and followed the foot prints which ended in the sand, at the ocean's edge.

©2002 Raymond Cook (All rights reserved)