Short Stories 🖋

Waking Nightmares

Elsie watched the ceiling fan spin.

The ceiling fan, because anywhere else had her tiny chest seizing up in fear, had her trembling, had her screaming for her parents. She watched it because nothing else was safe. She watched it because she had no other choice.

Tangled up in her blue-and-green blanket- the one with schools of fish dancing around the edges- Elsie shivered. Her light, wispy brown hair was spread out on the pillow, and Elsie reached up an arm to pull it behind her head.

I am coming for you.

A whisper, echoing in her consciousness. A hiss, rebounding in her mind.

You can't run.

Elsie whimpered.

You can't hide.

Elsie buried her face into her blanket.

I will find you.

Snot clogged up her nose, and Elsie let it run freely, too scared to move.

I will always find you.

Elsie sniffled. She wanted to cry out, but she knew that even if her parents came, there was nothing they could do. They said the monster under the bed wasn't real.

Elsie strongly disagreed.

Are you afraid of me?

Yes.

Sweet child, darling little girl. Don't be scared.

I am afraid of you.

Don't be.

Something moved from under the bed, a soft snarl breaking the silence of the air. Elsie froze.

Don't you want to be friends?

Her mother always said it was good to make friends. So even though every instinct fought against her, Elsie thought, yes.

Let's be friends.

And then something lunged out of the darkness.