It’s five in the morning and I’m lying here in the dark.
Something just tickled my face. At least I think that’s what woke me.
I am frozen… terrified… maybe even petrified. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration but I am scared enough that I can feel the pounding of my heart.
What was it? Was it some-THING or some-ONE? And what do I do now?
I reach blindly for the phone… then stop. No. I cannot… I will not… allow myself to freak out. I must be strong and deal with this on my own. But can I?
Pulling the covers over my head, I curl up in a ball. I remain in that position for several minutes as all sorts of possibilities run through my mind.
Then I shake my head as I realize this is ridiculous.
Maybe it was a dream… or just my imagination. If that was the case, I would feel very foolish if anyone else knew.
That means I have to get up and check it out myself… and to do that I must face my fear and force myself to move.
Taking a deep breath, I throw back the covers and sit up quickly… just in case there was anything on the bed.
Next I fumble for the flashlight which I keep underneath my pillow for emergencies. With my eyes squeezed shut, I turn it on. Then I open them slowly, turning the flashlight and looking around me without moving from my spot. I don’t see anything.
Kneeling on the bed, I check the sheets and pillow, fearful of what I will find.
Nothing…. I find nothing.
I shine the light over the headboard and night table also.
And there’s nothing there.
There is nothing that I can see and yet I KNOW I felt it. Something touched me.
Was it a spider? Could it have been the tail of some small furry critter?
Or was it something totally unknown and much worse? Like something from one of my worst nightmares.
Still, I know I have one of the most active and wildest imaginations possible, so…
Next step… get out of the bed and check the entire room.
I check the rug beside the bed before my feet touch it. It looks okay.
Then I shake my slippers and shine the light into each one… just to be safe.
Nothing there either.
I slide my feet into the slippers slowly and breathe a sigh of relief when I feel nothing else in them.
I reach for my robe on the chair… could something be hiding underneath it?
I pick it up cautiously… with the tips of my fingers… and give it several vigorous shakes.
Nothing falls from it but I give it a few more good shakes to be sure before putting it on.
I look down and I wonder… could whatever touched me be under the bed? Uh-uh! No way. I know what I will see if I look in there… beside the dust bunnies… I will see the eyes shining in the dark. They might be yellow… or green… or maybe even red… but I know they will be there… watching me…
And with that in mind all thoughts of checking the room or going back to sleep just fly out the window. That’s it! I cannot stay in this room a minute longer! I yank the door and rush downstairs toward the kitchen and the coffeepot. I don’t care how early it is. What the heck? It must be daylight somewhere.
When daylight arrives, and after I’ve had oodles of coffee to calm my nerves, I go back upstairs and make up my bed. While doing this I find a fluffy feather sticking out of the pillow. Was that what tickled my face?
How silly of me. I feel like a complete wimp. And yet… one never knows what strange things lurk in the darkness… especially at five in the morning.
