The party began at six o’clock, but I arrived around eight o’clock. I knew that if I arrived early, no one would be there, and that people would begin to arrive at least seven thirty. It was Daniel’s sixteenth birthday, and almost everyone in my class had been invited except me, but that was because I was a family friend of his, and even if he hadn’t invited me, I would have to go anyway. I went to the arcade where the party was, which was about a twenty-minute walk from my house. When I arrived, I noticed that he had rented the entire arcade because there were only our classmates and a couple of other family friends there. I noticed him bowling with his friends. We caught a brief glimpse of each other, and that was the only interaction I had with him that night. We didn’t like each other just because we were family friends; at least, he didn’t like me.
Daniel was always acting strange in front of his friends, but when we were at a family event or I was at his house or he was at mine, he was very nice to me and we could talk for hours and just be like siblings around each other, but now…now he was just being a bitch. Fortunately, I noticed Josie. She isn’t my best friend, but we talk a lot at school. She was at the claw machine, attempting to obtain a pink teddy bear with sequences covering its entire belly.
“Hello, Josie,” I said as I tapped her on the shoulder. She was taken aback by my sudden appearance. She quickly smiled when she realised it was me. “Oh, Steph, were you invited?” She inquired before returning her attention to the claw machine. “Yeah,” I say simply. I asked if I could try out the claw machine, and she agreed. Suddenly, and almost immediately I got my hand on the leaver, a loud, other-worldly shriek filled the room. Everyone immediately covered their ears and squeezed their eyes closed. It wasn’t a piercing or deafening sound; it was just ugly. People began to remove their hands once they realised that the sound was not hurting anyone’s ears, and the only expression on our faces was one of confusion.
Nobody could figure out what the noise was or where it was coming from. Outside, the sound was even more lethal. A man who appeared to be a teenager was perched on top of St. Joseph Primary School, which is just across the street, as we waited outside looking for the source of the noise. He was wearing a tattered white shirt that revealed some of his flesh and hair. He was making that awful noise with his open mouth and tight hands. I approached it closer and noticed that he didn’t even look human when I got a better look at his face. His facial characteristics bore no resemblance to those of a human.
Everyone was baffled by the object in question. Daniel urged on everyone to return inside without even bothering to look. I felt like I was the only one who felt afraid despite the fact that everyone was clearly bewildered. Within five minutes, everyone had forgotten about it and resumed their normal behaviour, but the sound had not stopped. Even Josie, who was still closely observing the claw machine, didn’t bother to ask about the source of that noise. “Are you still hearing that, Josie?” To be sure I wasn’t going insane, I questioned her. “Yes, but it doesn’t matter.” It does, though. I was scared by the sound since I found it to be so eerie.
After only 30 minutes, I began to believe that I was the one who was truly insane. That sound, which, now that I think about it, was an evil scream, was one that I knew I wasn’t the only one hearing. I went to the pub to buy a drink in the hopes of becoming sloshed and possibly forgetting about the noise, but I didn’t. I turned to face Daniel, who was laughing with the majority of the party guests while seated at a table with them. I stood up from where I was to go and asked him about the sound.
I gave him a tap on the shoulder and he swiftly turned to face me as I said, “Hello, Daniel.” His expression entirely changed. “What do you want?” He said impolitely. I only intended to ask a question, get the answer, and leave at that moment. “Um, are you hearing that sound?” I questioned him. Yes, we all know, it has been going on for the past 40 minutes. He spoke loudly, and I could tell he just wanted me to go. I was the centre of attention, and I was so embarrassed.
I walked out of the arcade because, for some reason I can’t explain, the loudness was making me queasy. Despite the approaching thunderstorm, it was already very gloomy. I hurried back home so I wouldn’t have to be outside during the storm, but before I got there, the rain began to pour heavily. I only wore a thin t-shirt and jeans; I didn’t have on a jacket or a hoodie. That damned sound was still audible and loud from where I was during all of this.
When I got home and saw that all the lights were turned off from the outside, I remembered that nobody was there. My mother had an overnight shift. My father, too. I also don’t have the keys. I had left them at home. I noticed this as I reached into my pocket and found nothing. I knew I couldn’t wait until they returned because the rain was still pouring down… and that sound, that horrible sound.
It was as if the sound was influencing me in some way. Like my vision. When you looked down the street, it was pitch black, like a void into unknown danger, with a strangely thick mist that sparkled as it flowed in the air past the lights. Other people’s houses had some lights on, but they were all green.
I went to the house of my next-door neighbour. I knew someone had to be inside because the light was turned on, and surprisingly, it was the only one that wasn’t green. I pounded furiously on her door, and it swung open in two seconds.
“What are you doing here, Steph?” I didn’t respond. Della just looked at me and saw that I wasn’t feeling well. She let me in without asking any further questions. I could tell she could hear it as well.
“Where are you coming from?”
“A friend’s birthday party,” I replied quickly. When I looked out the window, I saw the same thing standing atop the building. “Won’t that thing just disappear?” I yelled. “Yeah, the sound is quite annoying,” she replied softly. Why was she so normal about it? Why was everyone so normal about some…thing standing on top of a building screaming. I was frightened by how calm everyone was, I started to think I was going mad. Is this a dream? “It’s not just annoying; it’s making me sick to my stomach.” I said, as I started to sound feeble and weak.
As I remained there, the sound became louder, scarier, and stranger. Della offered me a cup of coffee, but I didn’t even take a sip. I clenched my fist on the hot mug and bit my lower lip furiously. Then, “I CAN’T TAKE IT!” I exclaimed, unexpectedly standing up. Della was startled and moved back with her eyes wide open. I stomped all the way upstairs and made my way to the largest window, where I could see the creature so well.
I breathed against the window, glaring at it from afar. I don’t know why I was so angry, I’ve never felt this way before. Then that was it, that was the limit.
“Can’t we just kill it?” I said to myself.
Immediately I said that, the creature that was standing from afar jumped off from the tall building turning its head to my direction and sprinted to the house. I don’t know why it took me a few seconds to realize that that thing was coming our way. Was that the key? Just to say that I wanted to kill it? I moved away from the glass once I saw it already in the front garden, then I heard a loud scream from downstairs, then something crashed followed by another crash.
I freaked out and ran to the door to close it, when I noticed glass on the ground and pieces of a broken mug, including blood. I quickly shut the door, but it was too late. It was right beside the door, and I was right in front of it. I was frozen and panting like a sniffing dog. It dashed past me and jumped out the window, leaving a foul stench in its wake.
I opened my eyes and I saw my sister standing above me as I layed in my bed. She was holding a sock near my noise, and I noticed a silly grin on her face when I looked at her.