I usually have a hard time going to sleep, always had. It started at a young age, have followed me all my life, and this evening was no different. I don’t know why or when it started, but the dark have always seemed to get my senses on edge. It’s like they become a thousand times stronger. I’m alert as a rabbit trying to eat and peering around for dangers at the same time.
My bedroom is small and my bed sits in the corner of the room with a window just above the top. I would never be able to fall asleep if my bed faced that window, especially around this time of year when it’s pitch black outside. As soon as I close my eyes I start see what possibly hides in the shadows. So silly for a grown up man. What my bed do face is three closets, I always make sure to keep those doors closed. On the street outside the window, there’s a single street light, casting a faint light onto the walls of my bedroom, a small for someone who truly hates the dark.
When I laid here earlier this evening, after a lengthy battle of trying to fall asleep, I finally felt my heart rate slow down and my eyes feeling heavy. I was suddenly awaken by a knock on my window. Initially I thought it was a twig or something banging, but then, three distinct knocks followed. They were slow, and pretty determined. As from someone who had knocked your front door without getting it answered. The hair stood on the back of my neck. My lips became dry. The sweat started to pearl on my forehead, my hands shivered and became cold. I live on the third floor of an apartment building. No pipes or something else that could support someone climbing the wall.
What was I supposed to do? At the same time i wanted to have a look at who, or rather what was knocking at my window, I also wanted to take a dash at the living room door and set myself in a safe, protected position until it all stopped. I couldn’t do anything, I was frozen solid by fear, as pinned down to my bed. The knocks intensified to the point that is was more like a frantic banging. I didn’t know what to do, so I screamed. In the light that usually lit the walls was now even fainter and I could see a shadowy figure. I couldn’t make out what shape of…whatever that thing was. But it almost completely covered the entire window. On thing I could make out was the foul smell starting to spread in my room, a smell of mould, wet cellar, thrash and rotting meat. Just as I thought my window was about to shatter the knocking stopped, and the shadow disappeared. I can’t sleep tonight. I’m fact, I’m gonna sleep in the living room with the lights on and blinders down.