Where'd it come from?

The noise

Night had fallen and Jonsons were in bed after a long and busy day. Claudia had just fallen asleep, her tinker bell night light shining on the wall across from her bed. Claudia is a eleven year old girl with cornrows peeking under her dew rag. She has brown eyes that matched her skin. She also has this birth mark on the left side of her left leg. It was shaped like what the skeleton boys in Halloween wore for gloves. Just like a hand with no flesh. It looked cool, all the kids in her class thought so. She was mature for her age and got complimented by all the teachers and any adult she met about her proper speaking. She has a bit of a low hum to her voice, like whales do. Actually you could hear her speaking gibberish in her sleep. She also sleep walks. Her mom woke up one morning and saw Claudia walking into her room. She screamed out of surprise, and Claudia fell in response. She still has that scar from where her dads football cleats scraped her shoulder. Her dad would play football with his buddies on Saturdays.
Bam! Claudia fell out of bed. Again. She opens her eyes. And sees her black pug puppy waddle over to her. She giggles as he licks her face. "I'm fine Doug, I just fell." She whispers to him as she picks him up. Doug loved Claudia and didn't sleep in any other room but hers. Her younger sister, Tina , was always jealous of that. But her parents got her a calico cat named Nancy whom didn't mind laying around in her room. Doug is only a puppy and would try to play with Nancy. But Nancy would just climb up on Tina's bed if he annoyed her, leaving him barking in the hall at Tina's door. He wouldn't even step in unless carried.
Claudia was walking into the kitchen with Doug in her arms half asleep on her shoulder. There was a glass of water she had left in the fridge. But she stopped at the sound of foot steps. She turned but didn't see anything. She turned and put Doug in his bed next to the table. He of course got up and whimpered at her and pawed at her bunny slippers. "Shh. I'll get you in just a second." And she picked up the glass and drank the rest of the water. Then she walked over to the pantry and snuck a treat out of the bag without making a sound. "Here you go."
Doug panted silently as he waddled over to get his midnight snack. But he stopped. Claudia looked at him, a little concerned. He looked over in the direction of her room. Then she heard the steps again, as if someone was in there. When the steps stopped. He waddled on over and snatched it out of her grasp. Claudia stood up straight and was watching very closely at the hall.
She was a brave girl. One time during summer a croc had crawled up next to dougs doggy door. She was home alone and it wasn't too big so she got the rake from their garage and stuck it through the door and smacked at the croc with it. It eventually left but she wanted to make sure so she stood there waiting for her parents to get back from the emergency call they got from her grandma. Something about granddads heart. Thats what she heard from eavesdropping. Claudia walked over to the hallway and looked into her room. Doug was at her legs and proceeded to walk in. "No Doug wait..." But he was already in the room. She walked in and turned the light on. Nothing in sight. "Must've been Nancy. She is probably back in Tina's room." She said. But she wasn't thinking what she was saying. Nevertheless. She turned off the light and rolled into bed with Doug laying next to her legs.

She wasn't asleep but instead was waiting. And after about twenty minutes she heard steps again. She listened as they crept closer to her bed. She could tell they came from her closet. She griped onto the bat she was hiding and after she heard one last step she sprang up and swung the bat. And boy could she swing. She played at her schools little league baseball team. She was the only girl but she never missed the ball. Doug yelped at the noise of a "whack!" And hid in the sheets. Claudia was surprised. She hit something alright and couldn't see what. But she had no time to be astonished and grabbed Doug and ran out of her room. She stopped in the hall with the bat in hand and listened. She heard a noise. But this time it was a dragging noise. And she smiled." That'll teach you" she said. And she walked over to her sisters room and slept there.

Saturday morning came and she woke up with a yawn and a pug on her chest. Her sister was still asleep and nancy was siting by the window looking outside. She got up and got her bat. Gripping it hard as she walked over to her room. Like the FBI agents in that one movie she watched, she snuck near the entrance. And listened. She heard nothing but cautiously walked in still ready to swing.  She looked around her softly lit room. And looked down. She saw something. A stain of black on the carpet. It looked like little drops had soaked into it. She looked around some more. Under her bed too. Then she shivered noticing this feeling she wasn't alone. She turned quickly swing the bat but hit nothing. She squinted at her closet door. There were stains in front of it too.
She wanted to go open the door but she walked backwards out of her room and then walked into her parents room. "Mom!Dad! There was something in my room! Last night I hit something!"  Her mom sighed and sat up. "Claudia put that bat down. What are you going on about?" She said tiredly. Claudia told her about the noise and that she hit something and it must've been bleeding. Her mom woke her dad and they went into her room.
Claudia walked in and pointed at where the stains were. "Wait. Where the stains go?" She said in surprise. "Claudia don't make up stories honey." Her mom said. "But wait! It was in my closet. Go look." Claudia said. Her dad walked over and opened to door. Nothing but clothes and some of her baseball gear and a few dolls. "Dady checked. No monsters ok honey?" Her dad mumbled." Just try not to hit your sister or the pets with that bat" " No I swear! It was in there! Doug heard it too!" She in slight panic. "Ok baby just make sure if you hear it again to come let mommy know ok?" Mom said. "Okay" Claudia said. And her parents went back to their rooms. "Don't worry Doug. If it comes back I'll bop him another one."she assured to him. And she put the bat back between her bed and the wall. And went to go get breakfast.

Tina had rolled out of bed and walked up to Claudia. "Morning."she said wiping her eyes. "Tina I hit something last night. It was a monster or something. So I'm gonna give you my extra bat ok?" She said to Tina. "Oh ok. Is that why you was in my bed?" She said. Claudia nodded. Tina said ok and walked to the pantry to get the box of cereal. She was nine years old and had an Afro. She looked up to her sister and when there was something wrong she'd listen to Claudia. Tina had a monster under her bed once and Claudia killed it. It was just a wolf spider but Tina was so scared. She's not as brave as Claudia but she tries to be. A kid was bullying her on the bus and after she pushed Tina, she smacked her with the back of her hand so hard her retainer fell out. Ever since then she hasn't been bullied anymore.

Tina grabbed her bowl of cereal and sat next to her sister. Afterwards they spent they're Saturday like always. Watching tv, catching grass hoppers out side, playing with dolls, they always had the best time. Late after noon, seven o clock, dad was still out with his buddies playing football. He'd be home in an hour. Mom was in the kitchen cooking up some fried fish with mac and cheese. Claudia and Tina were in Tina's room on her bed watching tv with Nancy on Tina's lap. Their favorite comedy was on until the tv started flickering. "Geez what is this? Wish dad would've given me a less used tv." Tina whined. "I'm sure it's fine. Just give it a sec." Claudia said leaning more on her side. The tv flickered then changed channels. Claudia and Tina jumped as the tv switched from channel to channel on its own. "Wha...." But before Tina could finish the tv shut off. Then it turned back on with static in its screen. It wasn't on any channel it was just on. Claudia and Tina held each other close as words formed out of the static and the sound of horrifying and deathly screeching flooded the room. Claudia watched as the words spelled out "your gonna die I'm coming for you." And with a sudden flash the tv cut off. Tina was crying in Claudia's arms and Nancy hid in the sheets. But it wasn't over. The sound of foot steps on the ceiling sent shivers down Claudia's spine. First it was next to the door and made its way above them. Claudia, in a panic, grabbed the metal bat that was in her laps and swung upwards. She got nothing but air. She looked up and saw nothing. Then heard the steps in her room down the hall.

"Tina. Are you alright?" Claudia said as she brought Tina to sit up. "N..N..No! What....was that?" She said in tears. "I don't know" Claudia said calming herself down. Claudia got her bat and checked under the bed and in the closet and looked around the room. "Where's Nancy?" Tina throwing the sheets off the bed. Claudia told her to get her bat and went to the hall. There was no sign of Nancy. Other than some fur. They crept through the hall and into the living room which was next to the kitchen. Claudia's mom was still cooking as if she didn't notice anything. Tina cried aloud and ran into her mothers arms, Weeping heavily. "What's wrong?! What's going on!? Claudia did you hit her with that bat?!" She yelled in worry. Claudia explained what happened with the tv and that it was that monster again. Her mother looked worried and asked Tina if it was true. "Yes! Yes it's all the truth all of it!" Claudia shivered and looked over and saw the door wide open and a dark figure holding something furry. "There it is!" She yelled but it vanished as a car drove up in the drive way. "Oh it's your father." their mother said. Dad came I through the door and asked why it was open. After a lot of talking back and forth Claudia asked if she and Tina could sleep in their room. "Yes you guys are sleeping with us tonight and tomorrow we will get out of the house and go search for Nancy. Honestly these crazy games you girls play are getting out of hand." Claudia tried to explain it wasn't a game but her mother shushed her and everyone went to bed.

Claudia made sure Doug was in her parents bed with her and also snuck her bat under the bed. It was late at night and Claudia woke up as usual and listened in the darkness. Moments passed and all seemed well until she heard the foot steps. Each step seemed to lead into Tina's room. She couldn't be too sure cause it was on the other side of the house but she had a hunch. When the steps stopped she swore to herself shed keep Tina and Doug safe and finally fell asleep.