creepshow (wattys2018)

A 'Black Eyed Children' Story

"The emergency numbers are on the fridge as well as the numbers for the restaurant and the theater. Don't answer the door for anyone, or the phone unless you recognize the number. If anything happens-"

"Mom!" Sara shouted over her mothers frantic instructions. "Chill. I've stayed home alone before."

"For five minutes while I was at the neighbors house."

"Same thing." She shrugged.

"Technically, I was still on our property so, no. Not the same thing."

Sarah sighed, placing her hands on her hips and jutting out her chin. "Mom, i'm practically an adult now. I can handle this."

"You turned fourteen a couple of days ago. Don't you think it's a bit early to start playing the adult card?" 

Her mother relented after a moment of holding her daughters careful gaze. "Alright, alright. I'm going now. I'm leaving Eric's number with you too. If you can't get a hold of me try him."

Sarah smiled, squeezing her mom in a hug before stepping back and waving her out the door. "Have fun! Tell Eric hi for me."

"I love you!" Her mother called over her shoulder as she opened the car door. "Stay inside."

Though she heard the last bit of her mothers instructions she didn't acknowledge the fact as she closed the door and let out a heavy sigh. She looked around the empty living room for a moment before plopping down on the couch and clicking on the t.v.

***

Sara sat up suddenly, glancing around in confusion. The digital clock across the dark room flashed 11:30 p.m. 

'I must have fallen asleep.' She thought to herself as she rose to her feet and started towards the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. A soft tapping noise caused her to falter mid step and spin around, eyes no longer clouded with a sleepy haze. 

It took her a minute to realize the sound had come from the front door, though it had sounded too soft to be a knock. 

She approached it slowly, hopping on her tip toes to peer out of the peephole. Her eyes landed immediately on the young child who stood outside. From what she could tell it was a girl no older than twelve, maybe even eleven, and she was wearing a black, over sized sweat shirt with the hood pulled up. 

Sara's hand twitched on the door knob as she watched the stranger for a moment longer before finally cracking it open. 

"Hello?" She tried to sound confident, but she knew she sounded nervous. Something about this girl was giving her a nasty feeling of dread. "Can I help you?"

"I'm lost." The girl responded in a high, monotone voice. 

"Oh." Sara spoke slowly. "Where are you trying to go?"

"I need to use your phone. May I come inside?" The girl asked without skipping a beat as though Sara hadn't even spoken. 

"Um, I'm not suppose to let anyone inside. Maybe I could help you though. Where do you need to be?"

"I need to come inside. May I come in please?" The girl asked again.

Sara opened her mouth the respond, but no sound would come out. It was only after Sara gave up trying to speak that she realized her teeth were chattering. She soon realized her entire body was shivering though the air outside was warm. 

She shook her head and took a slow step back. Everything in her mind was telling her to close to door and call her mother, but her hand seemed to have a mind of its own as her fingers closed around the door knob and began to tug the door open more. 

Just as the door was nearly half way open the phone rang with a sharp sound that jolted both Sara and the girl from their concentrated states. Sara gasped as the girls head jerked up just enough so that Sara could finally see her face properly. 

Her skin was a ghostly, sickly pale and her lips were so thin they were almost none existent, but it was her eyes that shook Sara to her core. They had no eye lashes surrounding them and they were too big for her a normal person, but most terrifyingly of all, they were solid black. 

Sara let out a shocked cry and stumbled backwards, shoving the door shut and twisting the lock. She stood motionless for a few seconds, fully anticipating another knock or some other sound from outside the door, but nothing came. 

The phone let out another sharp sound and Sara jerked again, dashing for it and clicking the answer button. "Mom!"

"Honey, is everything okay?"

"I- I saw- she-"

"Sara? What's wrong? What happened?"

"I don't-" She paused, knowing she wasn't making any sense, and inhaled deeply to calm herself. "Someone was at the door."

"What? Are you okay?" Her mother spoke quickly.

"It was a kid. She said she was lost and wanted to come inside to use to phone, but-"

"But what, honey? I told you never to answer the door when you're home alone!"

"I know, but it was a kid so I thought..." Sara shook her head, trying her best to process everything. 

"You didn't let her inside, did you?"

"No!" Sara spoke quickly. "But she had-" She paused once more thinking about how crazy what she was about to say would sound to her mother. "She startled me. That's all."

"Oh, Sara." She didn't need to see her mother to know that she was shaking her head in regret for leaving her home alone. "I'm leaving now. I'll be home in about ten minutes. Will you be okay? Do you need to stay on the phone with me?"

"I'm fine. See you in a minute." She lowered the phone slowly wishing she had stayed on the phone, but ended the call regardless. She kept it clutched in her palm as she slowly made her way back to the front door. 

Rising on her tiptoes she braced herself for the image of the little girl through the peephole, but when she finally peered through she sighed in relief. 

The child was gone.