Short Stories: Horror/Mystery

What Comes Out at Night

Have you ever wondered what comes out at night?

I did.

What I found scarred me for life.

I can never un see that.

Stop wondering.

It won't help you.

*****

My name is Erin. I live in a quiet little house in the country with no neighbours for five miles, it's just my parents and me.

I know what comes out at night.

They are not from this world.

I don't go outside or look out my window at night anymore.

They watch me.

I can feel it.

I will tell you what happened.

*****

My parents always said I have quite the imagination.

One day I was out walking in the forest behind our house. It was a cool late afternoon and I went a little farther that I usually do. I was about to turn back when I saw something moving about fifty yards from where I was standing. I was curious so I went to see what had caught my eye.

As I walked over, trampling sticks and leaves under my sneakers, I heard another noise. At first I could barely hear it. I stopped walking and listened intently. The sound came again and I pinpointed the spot it was coming from, the same place where I saw movement.

I was beginning to get nervous. What I heard wasn't a wild animal, or even a human, it was inhuman. I was turning back as I heard it again, this time louder. I started to run back to my house. Whatever it was must be following me because I can still hear the sounds, only they are right behind me. I am too scared to look behind me as I run, whatever is chasing me isn't something I want to meet.

I kept running with the sounds behind me. I see the top of my house about 1,000 yards away. Suddenly a feel a jerk on the hood of my sweatshirt, pulling me flat on my back. I squeeze my eyes shut so I don't have to look at what pulled me down. I hear shuffling all around me and I realise there are many of them. They are all making inhuman noises, like they are communicating with each other.

I scream and they all quiet down. When I try to move my arms and legs they are stiff and held down by some unseen force. I open my eyes and fall in a state of shock. I watch as they move back into the shadows of the forest and go inside my house. I look out the window and see them. Every time I look out my window I see them.  They are always watching.

Listen to the people who say they are real.

They are.

The shadow figures are real.