And They All Fall Down

#6 So It Begins

  Lisa slips her nightgown over her head, feeling the soft silk caress her body. Looking in the bathroom mirror, she runs a brush through her hair. Once her teeth are brushed and her face is clean she crawls into bed, taking the place next to her husband. He had already drifted off to sleep. Gently Lisa leans over, kissing John's cheek. She turned off the bedside lamp and snuggled down into bed.

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A loud bang startles Lisa, forcing her body to launch forward. Her heart picks up an unsteady beat as she looks around the dark bedroom. "Aggie?" Lisa said horsely. Slowly the door began to creak open. She was forced to squint against the black. There seemed to be no one there. Lisa slowly slipped herself out of under the blankets. Hesitantly, she placed her feet on the floor. With each step the floor creaked quietly under her.
   As she got closer to the door she could here a light, rhythmic thud down the stairs only a few feet down the hall. For a minute Lisa didn't know if she was actually hearing something or if it was her heart about to beat out of her chest. As she reached the stairs, the thudding stopped. Stopping at the top step, Lisa paused once again trying to see through the sheet of darkness engulfing her. Then out of nowhere five or six fast, loud thuds filled the stairwell. Lisa nearly fell down the stairs trying to turn around and run back to the bedroom.
   "John!" Lisa yelled, jumping onto the bed shaking her husband. "I think someone is in the house! Please wake up!"
   John opened his eyes, foggy with the mist of sleep. It took a few seconds to understand what Lisa had been yelling at him. As quickly as he could he jumped up and grabbed the baseball bat he had placed by the bedside a few nights before. John scrambled out into the hall, switching the lights on in the stairwell. Nothing. Slowly he tip toed his way down the steps, peering behind him every so often to make sure he was alone.
   He had searched the whole house and found nothing. All of the windows and doors had been locked. With a sigh, he made his way back up to his wife. "There's nothing down there honey, it's okay" gently he rubbed her back. John put the bat back and laid back in bed. Lisa did the same yet this time it wasn't as easy as the first. She couldn't stop staring at the dark doorway.