Aim to Engage --2019 Collection of Short Stories

Prologue to The Stranger Outside My Window

  Every night at seven my father locks the doors and windows. He tightens the curtains, plays soft instrumental music,  and sends me and my brother off to bed.  He leaves my brother and I doors open and sits in the hall with a candle. We are not to wake up or use the bathroom. 

  I use to sob silently about this. Why was my father doing this? If he stopped, would mother come back?  Tonight was differently though, I promised myself yesterday I will not cry. After talking to my father, he told me about the monsters that creep into the darkness only at night. I told him that he should go to sleep and I could watch myself to make sure there's no monsters and if there is, I'll call him. Today he was putting that into effect. He gave me a whistle and a cross to sleep at night. He gave to my brother too and anointed the place with the blood of the Jordan river.

  Today I lay in my bed with a flashlight reading a book that I needed to read for school. I had completely ignored everything my dad has said. I wanted him to see that there was nothing wrong. I closed my bedroom door, opened my curtains and stayed up from midnight to now.

  All was going fine until I head crackling outside my window. I get up and walk to my door looking out. There was nothing there. I close the curtains as my father's paranoia begins to rub off on me.  I start to hear chatter and a little laughter.

  I glance at my window to see a black shadow looming over it staring at me. I close my eyes turning off the light and opening the door to do as my father says.

  A wave of cold air slams the door making me jump in fear. I look back at the window to see that the shadow figure was gone. I pull the blankets over my head and stare at the clock. It's exactly 3AM.

  "Cici," I hear my name being called. I tug on the blankets tighter looking at the window. The curtains droop to the side as the black figure begins to push open my window. I had forgotten that in my resistance to show my father that nothing is wrong. I went behind him and unlocked the window.

  I cried out for my father  dashing out of my room. My brother woke up and ran out with his cross and flute close to his chest.

  "What happened Cici? Why you screaming around like that?"

  I grab my older brother's hand and dash towards my father's room. His door was open so we ran inside closing it behind us. I called his name as we both ran climbing on his bed.

  My father's eyes looked at us as blood drooped from his lips.  His body was cold and stiff.

  The handle to his room began to twist.