#2 Its In The Closet
The Uninvited Guest (Or Its In The Closet)
The clock was blinking.
3:30
Rat blinked. Why was he awake at 3:30 in the morning? It felt as though he had just fallen into bed only a few minutes ago. In truth it was probably more like a few hours. He was still wearing the clothes he had on all day, including his boots. Nina hated it when he fell into bed like that, shoes and all. It used to drive her into fits. That was probably why he had made such a habit of it.
With a sigh, he rolled over and draped an arm over his eyes. He started working his boots off of his feet, no small task with them laced all the way up. After a few moments of trying he just simply gave up and laid still.
It wasn’t a noise that so much grabbed his attention as it was a movement. How he was able to see anything in the dark room with is arm over his eyes was anyone’s guess; however he could have sworn he saw something move. And move quickly.
Rat took his arm off of his eyes and turned his head to where he thought the movement had come from. His window wasn’t open so the cloth that had been placed over it hadn’t been moved by the wind. He could see light from the streetlamp just under his window struggle to shine around the edges of the thick fabric, but that was all. Maybe a bird had flown across it and had cast a shadow? Yeah. A bird. In the middle of the night. Why not?
He sighed and rolled over onto his side. He fussed another moment or so with his boots before giving up again. He curled up with his arms under his head and closed his eyes preparing to go back to sleep. No sooner had he just started to slip over the edge when his eyes opened again as though they had been spring loaded. Something had darted through his room. Through his room.
Do you believe in monsters?
No, of course not! His parents had made sure he knew that every time he woke them up blubbering that he had just seen a monster in his room, under his bed or in his closet. They had told him countless times until he had stopped calling out for them. He wasn’t a little kid anymore. Of course he knew better than to actually let the words of some crazy woman get the better of him.
And yet here he was leaping out of bed and tripping his way to the switch by his door and flinging the light on. Once the room was bathed in the light from the fixture overhead he turned around and pressed his back against the door. He could see his entire studio apartment from there. The one thing he couldn’t see into was the closet. Was it just his eyes playing tricks on a tired brain that made him think the sleeve of one of his shirts moved?
The kind that hid under your bed or in your closet?
It was ridiculous to think. The door was deadbolted behind him. If anyone had come in he would have heard them. The door creaked like a sonofabitch whenever it was opened, even just a crack. He was cursing himself as he approached the closet cautiously. It was like he was 7 years old again and his parents had gotten sick of coming in every time a shadow was thrown. So he had to investigate things on his own, waffle ball bat in hand. He was all grown up now. The wiffle ball bat had been traded in for a crowbar. But he was still creeping towards it with all the hairs on the back of his neck and on his fore arms standing on end.
He took in a deep breath and held it once he reached the open closet door. With a shaking hand and still cursing himself for being so afraid, he reached out and quickly shoved aside the clothing within prepared to bean to death whatever was lurking on the floor in the darkness.
Nothing.
All apprehension and anxiety instantly flooded from him. He just felt foolish now and let his arms drop to his sides. He had to laugh out loud now. Shaking his head and muttering under his breath about being an idiot, he set the crowbar down against the wall and started back to his bed. No sooner had he gotten within arms reach of it did something leap out from under it with a horrible sounding growl.
It lunged right at him and all Rat could see were beady glowing yellow eyes, and long claws. He let out a terrible scream and flung himself backwards. He tripped over his own two feet as he stumbled back. He almost landed hard on the small table in front of the sofa, only his butt didn’t quite make it and he slid off onto the floor with a loud thump.
His smarting ass was the last thing on his mind, however, as he stared at the creature that was now sitting on the corner of his bed looking at him. It could have been a cat, and Rat would have really liked to have convinced himself that was what it was. The problem was that despite its general appearance resembled something feline, it most certainly was not a cat. It was much larger than an average cat. It had a pair of beady looking eyes set far apart on its oval shaped head. It looked completely hairless, but unlike hairless cats, its skin wasn’t wrinkled on its body. Instead it seemed to be stretched over its bones. In some places, like its neck and tail, there didn’t seem to be any flesh at all, only bone. It had four massively huge paws with long talon like claws that curved and dug into his sheet leaving equally large holes. It was its mouth that was the most frightening. It had a huge mouth and it was smiling at him.
“Ssso you’re the onne sshhee choossse.”
If Rat wasn’t breathing before, he certainly was holding his breath now. He stared at the creature. It took everything he had to force air from his lungs up his throat and through his mouth to say, “did…did you just speak?”
The cat like creature’s mouth spread into an even broader smile and its eyes took on an even more demonic look.
“Who are you?”
It didn’t answer him. Instead it stood up and leapt off his bed with agility and grace. It made absolutely no sound as it hit the floor. It walked up to him, practically gliding. Rat felt his body instinctively press against the coffee table behind him. It kept that chilling smile plastered to its face as it walked up to and then around him.
Rat watched it, keeping it in his line of sight even after it had ducked under the table. “I’m dreaming…
“Oh thisss isss no dream,” the thing cooed at him. He circled around Rat once before coming to a stop in front of him and sitting once more. “I’m not sssuuure what I wass eeexxxpecting, but it cccertainly wassn’t you.”
“Wh-what?”
It only continued to grin at him. Then it reached out one of its paws and swiped it across Rat’s leg closest to him. Its long claws tore into his flesh easily and Rat let out another scream as pain shot up through his calf. Instantly he jerked his leg towards him and pressed his hands to the wound. “Sonovabitch!” He lunged for the crowbar he knew to still be against the wall. Once he had it in his hands he whirled around with it raised over his head. He had every intent on pounding this creature until it was nothing more than a bloody stain on his floor. However, all he found was a floating set of yellow eyes and a broad grinning mouth. It was laughing at him. Then slowly before his eyes both the eyes and the mouth faded into nothing.
The clock was blinking.
3:30
Rat blinked. Why was he awake at 3:30 in the morning? It felt as though he had just fallen into bed only a few minutes ago. In truth it was probably more like a few hours. He was still wearing the clothes he had on all day, including his boots. Nina hated it when he fell into bed like that, shoes and all. It used to drive her into fits. That was probably why he had made such a habit of it.
With a sigh, he rolled over and draped an arm over his eyes. He started working his boots off of his feet, no small task with them laced all the way up. After a few moments of trying he just simply gave up and laid still.
It wasn’t a noise that so much grabbed his attention as it was a movement. How he was able to see anything in the dark room with is arm over his eyes was anyone’s guess; however he could have sworn he saw something move. And move quickly.
Rat took his arm off of his eyes and turned his head to where he thought the movement had come from. His window wasn’t open so the cloth that had been placed over it hadn’t been moved by the wind. He could see light from the streetlamp just under his window struggle to shine around the edges of the thick fabric, but that was all. Maybe a bird had flown across it and had cast a shadow? Yeah. A bird. In the middle of the night. Why not?
He sighed and rolled over onto his side. He fussed another moment or so with his boots before giving up again. He curled up with his arms under his head and closed his eyes preparing to go back to sleep. No sooner had he just started to slip over the edge when his eyes opened again as though they had been spring loaded. Something had darted through his room. Through his room.
Do you believe in monsters?
No, of course not! His parents had made sure he knew that every time he woke them up blubbering that he had just seen a monster in his room, under his bed or in his closet. They had told him countless times until he had stopped calling out for them. He wasn’t a little kid anymore. Of course he knew better than to actually let the words of some crazy woman get the better of him.
And yet here he was leaping out of bed and tripping his way to the switch by his door and flinging the light on. Once the room was bathed in the light from the fixture overhead he turned around and pressed his back against the door. He could see his entire studio apartment from there. The one thing he couldn’t see into was the closet. Was it just his eyes playing tricks on a tired brain that made him think the sleeve of one of his shirts moved?
The kind that hid under your bed or in your closet?
It was ridiculous to think. The door was deadbolted behind him. If anyone had come in he would have heard them. The door creaked like a sonofabitch whenever it was opened, even just a crack. He was cursing himself as he approached the closet cautiously. It was like he was 7 years old again and his parents had gotten sick of coming in every time a shadow was thrown. So he had to investigate things on his own, waffle ball bat in hand. He was all grown up now. The wiffle ball bat had been traded in for a crowbar. But he was still creeping towards it with all the hairs on the back of his neck and on his fore arms standing on end.
He took in a deep breath and held it once he reached the open closet door. With a shaking hand and still cursing himself for being so afraid, he reached out and quickly shoved aside the clothing within prepared to bean to death whatever was lurking on the floor in the darkness.
Nothing.
All apprehension and anxiety instantly flooded from him. He just felt foolish now and let his arms drop to his sides. He had to laugh out loud now. Shaking his head and muttering under his breath about being an idiot, he set the crowbar down against the wall and started back to his bed. No sooner had he gotten within arms reach of it did something leap out from under it with a horrible sounding growl.
It lunged right at him and all Rat could see were beady glowing yellow eyes, and long claws. He let out a terrible scream and flung himself backwards. He tripped over his own two feet as he stumbled back. He almost landed hard on the small table in front of the sofa, only his butt didn’t quite make it and he slid off onto the floor with a loud thump.
His smarting ass was the last thing on his mind, however, as he stared at the creature that was now sitting on the corner of his bed looking at him. It could have been a cat, and Rat would have really liked to have convinced himself that was what it was. The problem was that despite its general appearance resembled something feline, it most certainly was not a cat. It was much larger than an average cat. It had a pair of beady looking eyes set far apart on its oval shaped head. It looked completely hairless, but unlike hairless cats, its skin wasn’t wrinkled on its body. Instead it seemed to be stretched over its bones. In some places, like its neck and tail, there didn’t seem to be any flesh at all, only bone. It had four massively huge paws with long talon like claws that curved and dug into his sheet leaving equally large holes. It was its mouth that was the most frightening. It had a huge mouth and it was smiling at him.
“Ssso you’re the onne sshhee choossse.”
If Rat wasn’t breathing before, he certainly was holding his breath now. He stared at the creature. It took everything he had to force air from his lungs up his throat and through his mouth to say, “did…did you just speak?”
The cat like creature’s mouth spread into an even broader smile and its eyes took on an even more demonic look.
“Who are you?”
It didn’t answer him. Instead it stood up and leapt off his bed with agility and grace. It made absolutely no sound as it hit the floor. It walked up to him, practically gliding. Rat felt his body instinctively press against the coffee table behind him. It kept that chilling smile plastered to its face as it walked up to and then around him.
Rat watched it, keeping it in his line of sight even after it had ducked under the table. “I’m dreaming…
“Oh thisss isss no dream,” the thing cooed at him. He circled around Rat once before coming to a stop in front of him and sitting once more. “I’m not sssuuure what I wass eeexxxpecting, but it cccertainly wassn’t you.”
“Wh-what?”
It only continued to grin at him. Then it reached out one of its paws and swiped it across Rat’s leg closest to him. Its long claws tore into his flesh easily and Rat let out another scream as pain shot up through his calf. Instantly he jerked his leg towards him and pressed his hands to the wound. “Sonovabitch!” He lunged for the crowbar he knew to still be against the wall. Once he had it in his hands he whirled around with it raised over his head. He had every intent on pounding this creature until it was nothing more than a bloody stain on his floor. However, all he found was a floating set of yellow eyes and a broad grinning mouth. It was laughing at him. Then slowly before his eyes both the eyes and the mouth faded into nothing.