The Shadow Stalks At Night

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Gentle rhythmic sounds from the wall clock in the kitchen reverberated through the house, barely audible over Max's thunderous snores. He laid beneath my feet, curled into a fluffy ball of white and black, his massive paws draped across the edge of the couch. An occasional bark and whimper rumbled from his fluttering lips.

My mother rested on the loveseat to my left, her feet propped on the coffee table. She snagged a handful of popcorn from the bag on her lap and glared at Max.

"Silly little beast, chasing butterflies even in his dreams." My mother grumbled, reaching for the remote.

The first installment of The Fear Street Saga played in the background, the volume increasing as Kate struggled with Skull Mask in the grocery store. Feeling squeamish, I averted my gaze, focusing on the orange, jack-o-lantern shaped bowl at the center of the table.

Nearly midnight, the last of the trick-or-treaters had come and gone. Halloween, being my mother's favorite holiday, encompassed gorey movies, pizza, and passing out candy. Yet, I counted the seconds with every tick of the clock. It'd been years since I'd last traversed my neighborhood, donned in whatever grotesque costume my mother chose, seeking sugar laden goodies of my own. Since then, I remained home, humoring her nausea inducing fancies.

She smiled, sensing my displeasure, and retrieved a Twix from the bowl.

"Oh, come on, Blakey. It's not that bad, sweetie." She sighed, as I gazed out the window of our French patio doors, "I can turn it off, if you'd like."

Watching the grey, low rolling, clouds dance across the glistening crescent, I bit my lip and shook my head.

"No, it's ok. I've just been having trouble sleeping the last couple of days. Keep waking up in the middle of the night. Besides, I don't want to ruin your fun."

Tucking a long, dark strand of hair behind her ear, she laughed and switched off the television. Awakened by the sudden absence of sound, Max yawned and stretched, opening his golden eyes. He rolled off the couch as my mother stood. She scratched his ear before stretching herself.

"Well, it's late, anyways. I'm thinking about heading to bed. You should, too." She stated, her amber eyes swirling with worry, "Have you tried taking a melatonin tablet? I just hate seeing those dark circles under the eyes of my beautiful little girl."

She stepped towards me, caressing my cheek. Laughing, I squeezed her hand before pushing it away.

"Mom, don't be weird." I mumbled, tugging the blue velvet blanket from the back of the couch, "I had some ZzzQuil. It didn't help."

Her nose scrunched and brows furrowed. Tapping a lone finger against her chin, she groaned.

"That's no good. You let me know if it keeps happening. You might have to go to the doctor."

Rolling my eyes, I waved her away and covered myself with the blanket.

"No, it's not like that, mom. Probably just stress from school. Nothing serious." I dismissed with a shrug.

My mother snorted, shuffling towards the hall that led to her bedroom at the back of the house. Pausing beneath the doorway, she glanced over her shoulder and met my gaze.

"Be careful, mija. You know what they say about waking in the night. Someone, or something, might be watching."

Her ominous warning sent shivers rolling across my spine. I gulped, tugging the blanket to my chin. She cackled with laughter and wagged a finger as if to say she only teased. However, her actions did little to erase the fear built by her previous words. Clicking on the tv, I found a channel playing a repeat of the Charlie Brown Halloween Special.

At some point, sleep graced my presence. Blissful dreams of lambs and fences absorbed my consciousness. Though, peace was short lived.

A pitch black living room greeted me beneath the fluttering of my lashes. The television was off. My body ached as pain thrummed against my skull.

Struggling from the blanket, I located my phone within the pocket of my fleece pajama pants. I cracked my neck and jabbed the button on the side, revealing the lock screen.

3:00 a.m.

Yawning, I slid the phone across the table. It halted beside the candy bowl, clinking against the ceramic.

Cold sweat formed at my brow. Heart pounding and lungs burning with fire, dread washed over me. Thrusting my body into a sitting position, I lifted my chin and blinked the sleep from my eyes.

Don't look! My mind begged. Tears welled as my body trembled. Piece by piece, the worms of fear riddling my soul gnawed away my mind's pleas. Bravery and courage remained a fragment of imagination. Against primal instinct, I shifted focus from my lap to the world outside my patio doors.

Dark clouds hid the moonlight. Trees swayed in an unseen breeze. And at the center of the backyard, staring towards the sky, a tall figure towered.

It resembled a skeletal form of a human, with a dark cloak flapping at the knees and a wide brimmed hat upon a head of onyx-black straw-like hair that crept past the shoulders. Except this thing lacked any other significant characteristics. It's shadowy form twisted in a haze like radio static created from the darkest part of night.

Gasping, I covered my mouth. It's head jerked in my direction. Piercing scarlet spheres met my gaze. The towering shadow took two steps towards me and I screamed.

The blanket flew over my head as my lips trembled. Tears poured freely. Its image burned in my brain. I whimpered, laying perfectly still, and prayed the shadow would leave. Stabbing needles of anxiety tickled my skin. Taking a deep breath, I sniffled and slowly removed the blanket from my head.

My heart jumped to my throat. A wave of panic stiffened my muscles. The shadow stood inside my home, looming in front of the back doors.

My jaw dropped and a screeching noise rang through the room. It took several seconds to realize the sound came from the smoke alarms and not my mouth.

"Blake! Dios mío! Blake!" My mother screamed, rushing from the hall with Max on her heels.

She darted towards me and grabbed my hand, hauling me up. I struggled in her firm grasp, panic tensing my shoulders.

"But, mami! There . . . there . . . the shadow!" I stammered, yanking my hand away to point at the creature.

Glancing back, confusion enveloped me. Nothing. Nothing was there. The shadow had dissipated. My mother smacked my head and wrapped her fingers around my arm, digging her nails into my skin.

"Blake, we have to leave! Now!" She commanded, gagging as a cloud of thick smoke filled the room.

Max snarled at the backdoor. He inched closer, his hair standing on end. My mother snatched his collar, dragging both of us from the burning room. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the shadow man, once again, looming before the back doors, watching with those same piercing scarlet spheres.

Blistering heat rolled across my body. Flames of orange and red licked at the walls, threatening to overtake us. Escaping from the house through the front door, we ran to the street. Neighbors flocked from their houses, toting water bottles and blankets.

The crisp autumn chill swept over us. However, the raging inferno enveloping the house created the heat of a hot summer's day. Sweat graced my temple as the only home I'd ever known twisted away as smoke and ash. By the time the fire department arrived, nothing remained. Luckily, we were safe, Max included.

My mind wandered to the shadow, wondering over its connection with the fire. Though superstitious, my mother refused to accept my vision, claiming it merely a dream. She never believed me. Yet, I knew the truth.

The appearance of the shadow man symbolized inevitable disaster. Whether by natural causes or a lapse of judgment leading to a terrible fate, its presence loomed as a warning. One that I'd eventually experience many more times to come.