October 2016

It was the middle of the night, but I wasn’t tired. I snuck past Mom and Dad’s room and downstairs to the living room to watch some TV.  But in the middle of a show, I realized I had to pee! Soon I was in the bathroom, minding my own business, when the doorknob began to turn. “Oh no!” I thought, “Mom will see I’m up and she’ll be mad at me!” The door slowly creaked open, a hand coming around the corner, and when it was open I turned protectively in a half second. 

“Are you done yet?” she asked, unsmiling, brown bangs falling over a big forehead. Her head just reached the doorknob, and I’d hazard a guess at her age at six or seven. 

“Who are you?” I asked. She closed the door without answering. 

I shook my head. “Tired, Audrey, you’re just tired,” I told myself. I went back to the couch and watched some more TV, but I couldn’t focus on it anymore. When I finally gave up, the clock read 1:00 am. I headed back to my bed, wearily. But I couldn’t get to sleep… because I had to go to the bathroom.

There I was, in the bathroom, still minding my own business, when the doorknob began to turn. “Oh no!” I thought, “Mom’s going to see I’m still up and she’ll be mad at me!” The door creaked open, and when a figure appeared in the doorway, I started.

Because it wasn’t Mom. It was a little girl. 

“Are you done yet?” she said, although not with the anxiety someone who had to go would put in their words. “Who are you?” I asked. She closed the door without answering.

Thoroughly unsettled, I took to bed, convincing myself I would feel better in the morning. 

I awoke on the couch downstairs, though I clearly remembered collapsing in bed last night, upstairs. I mentally shrugged — maybe I’d fallen asleep watching TV? Two ding!s from my phone interrupted my yawn — two texts. 

I didn’t turn around.

At the top of the stairs, I pulled out my phone and checked the texts. An SOS, from Mom and my sister. Stomach dropping, I turned around. It was the little girl from last night, red eyes gleaming in the morning light. I choked on a scream, glimpsing my mom and sister in their rooms, lying on their sides, blood trickling down their sides. The little girl leapt at me.

And then I woke up.