I can hear it breathing. A sharp, deep inhale and exhale every few seconds as I lie underneath my bed on the cold, hardwood floor. At least I located where it was coming from. The creature..or whatever it is, is inside my closet. It inhales, and exhales again. Over and over again. It almost sounds painful; like 40 years of smoking on a pair of exhausted lungs. It never makes any other noise, just heavy breathing. My mom always said there’s nothing to be afraid of. Nothing lives in the closet, nothing hides under your bed, nothing lives in the attic. Those words always used to comfort me as a child, but I knew my mother was wrong.
It started when I was just 9 years old. I was lying in bed after my mom & dad read me a bedtime story. I loved those damn stories, especially as a kid. They always put me right to sleep. Not a care in the world, I’d drift off into dreamland until the sun rose. This was our routine, this was comforting, this was safe to me. One night as my parents finished reading me a story I started to drift off into sleep fast as usual. My parents close the door, and shut off the lights. Not before turning on my night light of course. I relied on that thing. It kept me going through all the nightmares and through all the scary thunderstorms. When I was scared, I looked at the light. As I was falling asleep I heard the tiniest whisper of what sounded like wind coming from somewhere in my room. Unsure where it came from I shrugged it off as I stared into my night light.
An hour or two passed & I was completely in a deep sleep. I woke up suddenly to an almost completely dark room, just slightly illuminated by the moonlight. Where on Earth was my night light? Was I in some sort of nightmare? I felt so awake, it didn’t feel like a dream. That’s when I hear a wind-like sound coming from somewhere in my room again. This time it was louder & more defined. Not so much wind this time.. More so like a wheezing sound. My eyes darted across each corner of my room looking for the source of the sound. I finally came up with the courage to step out of bed to investigate. I checked under my bed first, and nothing. Checked behind my dresser, behind all my toys and vents within my room and nothing.
Finally, I heard it again. This time as a deep, defined inhale. It was so loud I almost lost my footing. Frozen in fear, my eyes turn to my closet. InhaleExhale* Again, and again. It felt as if the whole room was shaking. It seemed to inhale and exhale faster and faster the longer I stared at my closet door. I scream at the top of my lungs and dive under my bed. I could still see the closet from where I was but at least I felt safer. The.. “breathing” seemed to slow down now. Now that whatever was breathing so heavy in my closet, couldn’t see me anymore, but it continued all night. That was the longest night of my life. I didn’t sleep whatsoever. I just lied on the cold hard floor, watching my closet door, and listening.
Morning came. My parents open the door and panic as they discover that I am not in my bed. They rush through everything and discover me under the bed, eyes wide, and shaking in fear. I asked my parents if they heard that thing last night, the breathing. They said no, they also said they didn’t even hear me scream. Puzzled, I eventually took it as being a nightmare, and eventually was able to sleep in my bed again.
Then it happened again. This time a year later the exact same thing. My parents would read me my nightly bedtime story, and I would soon pass out. Then I woke up again to the horror of blinding darkness.. And the slight sound of wheezing coming from my closet door. I knew what this was. I could never forget what had happened last time. I didn’t even give my eyes time to adjust to the darkness. I started screaming and instantly hid under my bed. Then it began to get louder, and louder. I don’t think it saw me this time as it never picked up pace, but my God, was it loud. The whole house shook again, my night light was out, and I ;ay under the bed completely frozen in fear.
This would happen on the same night, once a year. I could never figure out the significance. I could never figure out why me, why am I to suffer in fear for this.. thing. No matter how much I pleaded, my parents never believed me. It followed me through multiple moves, through college and up to my first apartment.
After I graduated college I met a wonderful woman, got married, and just had our new born son. It had occurred to me that I hadn’t heard that awful breathing for almost a year now. We read our son a bedtime story and let him fall asleep. Just as I put my son to bed and was about to turn off the lights I heard the most horrifying, familiar sound from his closet door. Inhale…exhale