Stories That Go Bump in the Night: a collection of short spine-tinglers

In The Dark They Glow

"Sam. Sam. Sammy. Saaaaaam." I keep calling to my cat. The black cat has his back to me and is proudly ignoring me on top of my dirty clothes pile. "I know you can hear me." I grumble from my bed, one leg crossing over the other. I lightly flip my thumb over the comic book against my stomach, debating with myself on reading once more or demanding more of my cat's attention.

As of lately, Sam has been waking me up in the middle of the night. He will sit in the corner of my room and stare at me, eyes never really leaving me. The intense stare is enough to wake me out of a dead sleep. He will also position himself on my nightstand to watch me, but that's a more recent spot for him. I can't say that the behavior alarms me because my cat has always been a little... Off.

Letting out a sigh, I reach over to click off my lights and curl further into my large comforter. The blanket swallows me whole as darkness fills the room.

It isn't long before my hair is on end and my ears ring. It's the same creepy feeling that someone or something is watching me. My heart races as my stomach ties itself into knots.

I dare to peek open an eye, it adjusts rather quickly to the light. "Sam." I mumble, realizing the old coot is staring at me from his mountain of clothes.  "Sam, come on. Get up here." I pat my bed.

My breath catches as my door creaks open, a crack of light flooding the room. "Sarah? Who are you talking to?" My dad asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I was calling for Sam." I admit sheepishly, fear releasing it's bony hold on my heart.

"Sam's outside. I'll bring him up to your room when he comes in." With that, dad closes the door and the room is flooded in darkness.

It's at that moment that I realize, over the past week or so I haven't seen Sam's eyes glow once in the dark.