The Window

Rat a tat-tat. Went the sound at the window. Rat a tat-tat.

Jack lay in his bed, covers up to his chin. Eyes open as wide as they possible could be.

Rat a tat-tat. The sound grew louder.

Jack wondered if maybe it was just a tree branch hitting the window, even though he didn't even have a tree outside his window for that to happen. But it seemed just as unlikely that someone was actually tapping at the window, seen as his bedroom was on the first floor with no way for anyone to get up to the window without a ladder.....that's it, someone has used his Dad's ladder and his trying to get his attention; scare the bejesus out of him more like.

Rat a tat-tat.... Rat a tat-tat.

Whatever it was, it wasn't stopping and it was freaking Jack out. 'did I remember to lock to window?' his imagination was running wild and he was now convinced it was someone knocking on the window. He could hear the wind howling outside and his heart beating violently in his chest.

Rat a tat-tat.....rat a tat-tat.

To begin with, there was a sort of rhythm to the tapping with long pauses between each set, causing Jack's rational brain to think maybe it really is just something, not someone, hitting the window due to the wind. Jack never slept with the light on and he knew that if he turned around in bed, to face the window, he would see the street light glow through his thin curtains. And if he saw a shadow of someone, all he had to do was shout his mum and dad and they would come running to see what the matter was. But first, he had to steady his heart beat, take a deep breath and muster up some courage to actual turn around and see.

RAT A TAT-TAT ..... RAT A TAT-TAT.

The sound was so loud that he nearly jumped out of his skin. "MUMMMMMMMMM!!!!" Jack screamed at the top of his lungs. No way was he turning around to face the window. His mind had been made up, there was someone at the window and they were trying to get in, probably to kill him and eat his flesh; no, he wasn't going to deal with this, he would get his mother to face to demon at the window instead.

Jack's mother came hurtling through his bedroom door, flung on the light and in her 'just woke up' crumpled state, she asked "Darling, what's the matter? Did you have a bad dream?" by the time Jack had chance to reply, his mother was sat on his bed giving his a warm, reassuring hug.

"someone is outside my window!" cried Jack, now he would deny the crying part in the morning, he's 14 and he feels that is too old to admit to crying. His body was shaking and by this point he had come to believe there were a tribe of demons, floating outside his bedroom window ready to pounce on them at any given chance. "get a baseball bat mum, just in case." His mother, being practical and unwilling to be fearful of anything if front of her son's eyes, Stood up, tightened her dressing gown around her cuddly waist and headed to the window.... slowly. Giving an awkward little laugh "oh Jack, my darling. There won't be anyone at your window, there's a bit of a storm outside, it's probably just something banging about, out on the street."

Rat a tat-tat.... rat a tat-tat.

It was enough to momentarily stop Jack's mother in her tracks, a heartbeat was definitely missed and a thought quickly popped into her head of 'why didn't I get his Dad to come and check on him.' But she was not to show fear in front of her son, so she took the final step towards the window and tore open the curtains as quickly as one may tear off a plaster, fast and furious to get it over and done with.

Rat a tat-tat...rat a tat-tat

Went the lose cable that was hanging from the houses eaves due to the storm. 'thank god for that' thought Jack's mother.

"See, my darling boy. There's no one there, it's just a lose cable from the old TV satellite, I'll get dad to sort it in the morning." Only then did her heart start to calm down and she gave a little laugh to herself on how silly she had been. She had always been a little jumpy herself, but being a mother had made her try and face her fears, a necessity, she had thought. She turned to face Jack and saw that he looked as white as snow and his eyes had a look of a baby owl, wide as can be. "oh hunny, its ok. Did you want to come and sleep with me and you Dad?" at that moment, his dad let out a thunderous snore that was loud enough for them to hear from the other end of the hallway.

"mum, I'm 14. I don't sleep in the same bed as my parents. But I will keep the nightlight on though." Jack gave his mum a big hug and he thanked his lucky stars for the love of his parents, and thanked the even luckier stars that it had been nothing scary at the window after all.

"Night my love." Said Jack's mother as she left the room, turning the big light off and closing the door as she left. Jack turned on his night light, snuggled back deep down under his covers and got himself ready for the good night's sleep.

Rat a tat-tat.... Rat a tat-tat

And still that noise! Ok, so he knew it was a cable he didn't need to turn round to check, but how was he to sleep with that noise all night long. He took his headphones from his side table and put them on, hoping to drown out the sound with his music.

Jack fell to sleep quite easily, the fear and adrenaline had left his body, leaving him exhausted. He was deep into a dream that was filled with hope and joy.... until he felt a coldness come over his body, that even his dream self, shivered at. Once again that evening, he was aroused from his sleep by something that just wasn't right. His bedroom was freezing. Jack took off his headphones and placed them on the side table. He could feel a chill coming from the window area and with no fear in his body, he turned towards the direction of the coldness.

His window was fully open, the cold damp air pouring in from outside; before he could muster up a thought in his head, the room went dark, someone had turned off the night light, leaving only the street light and the moon as a source of light. Jack spun his head round to where the night light was stationed on his bedside table and there at the side of the bed stood a creature dressed in dark clothing, his body bent over in a distorted shape, all that Jack could make out was its pale grey face and massive, round, red eyes, filled with fire and evil. It was just staring, not moving at all, but it held something in its long arms. They curled out of its body like ropes of liquorice but with hands that were like large rocks and fingers made of sharp claws. And in each of those hands it held something and there was a noise coming from the side of the bed

Drip...drip...drip

Jack registered all this within seconds, he was frozen, unable to move or to make a sound. All he could do was stare back at the creature as his heart nearly thumped through his chest. He needed to shout his Mum and Dad; but it was as if he was in a trance. Fear consumed Jack. The creature smiled a large, wide, terrifying smile. Finally, Jack broke free from the terror trance and screamed "MUMMMMMM, DADDDDDD!!!!" his own scream scared him even more, still screaming, Jack lunged for the night light and switched it on, wanting to use the light as a form a safety from the horror in front of him. As soon as the light filled the room, he wished he'd never turned it on.

There in the creature's hands, hung his parent's heads, lulling back and forth, each having an expression of pure fear and terror etched upon their faces. The drip, drip, dripping was the sound of their blood hitting the floor boards. Jack moved his eyes from his parents decapitated heads to the creature's face once again just in time to see it lunge at Jack.... tearing the boy's face off with his monstrous teeth.

The next morning, as the sun arose in the sky, Jack's little sister woke up from a lovely deep sleep. She sat up in bed, stretched out her arms and smiled at the thought of spending the day with her family. Jack's little sister always slept with headphones on, soft music helped her sleep. She got out of bed and opened her door, padded, bare foot to the bathroom. She felt the stickiness on her feet as she walked. She looked to the ground and only then saw the blood that covered the floor, she ran to Jack's bedroom, as that was the closest to her at the time. When she opened the door all she saw was blood, limbs and her families half eaten heads laying on the bed. Jack's sister didn't stop screaming until a neighbour kicked down the front door and came running up to her. Another neighbour, who was at the moment in time, walking her dog down the street, looked up at where the noise was coming from and notices deep, long scratches down the front of the house as if something had climbed the side of the house and let itself into the open window.