They Lurk
An original flash fiction horror story
Monsters do not exist. They are only myths.
Devin repeated this fact to himself whenever day turned to night. Nothing lived in darkness that didn't also live in light.
He shared these same thoughts to Peter after panicked late-night screams brought him into his son’s bedroom. His son refused to accept an adult's explanation behind creaky floorboards and an unsettling shriek he claimed he heard.
“Something is hiding in this room,” Peter insisted, voice trembling.
“You probably had a bad dream, nothing more.” Devin patted his son's shoulder. “Go back to sleep.”
He wished Erica didn't need to spend all week at that conference. His wife possessed a knack for soothing Peter by saying all the right things. Devin did his best to mirror her calm demeanor as he tucked the blanket around his son's shoulders. Peter's eyes were still as large as plates and his lips trembled.
“Daddy, can you check for monsters under my bed?”
A slight tremor infused his son's question. Devin offered him a reassuring smile and nodded. He would do what he needed to do to set the little boy's mind at ease.
“Of course, that always tops my bedtime to-do list.”
He dropped to his knees and braced his left hand against the mattress. Devin peeked underneath the bed. His eyes locked on his son Peter. A pair of terrified eyes greeted him.
“Daddy, a monster stole my bed,” he whispered. “Help me.”
Devin's eyes widened. Heavy, short breaths escaped his lips. His heart pounded as his eyes trailed from the floor back to the top of the bed. A decrepit woman now lay nestled underneath the blankets. Saggy rotting flesh hung from her cheekbones and jaw. Blackened lips parted into an unsettling grin revealing jagged teeth.
“You can't hide from me,” she said. “I can take any form I choose until I feed.”
Devin scrambled to his feet and bolted from the room. The decrepit woman cackled behind him. Floorboards creaked beneath her feet as she pursued him.
A hand seized his shoulder from behind and hurled him to the hall floor. Devin crawled forward, trying to reach the doorway to his bedroom. Two hands seized each shoulder and flipped him over so he now lay on his back.
“I need a portal to enter this realm for good,” she hissed. “You will provide my portal.”
He kicked at her and backed into the bedroom. The decrepit woman crawled on all fours, her limbs twitching like a marionette's limbs. Devin screamed as she leapt into the air and landed on his torso. His eyes slid toward the nightstand and frantically searched for an object to use as a makeshift weapon.
The alarm clock flashed 3:33 am as she dragged her rotting claws through his chest. Her other hand pressed against his throat, muffling further screams as she sucked out his remaining breaths with her blackened lips.
Devin bolted upright in his bed and let out a violent gasp. His eyes blinked rapidly as dim moonlight flooded the room. He pressed a hand to his chest and worked to calm his breathing to normal.
It's only a nightmare, Devin silently reasoned. A nasty nightmare.
His eyes slid over to the nightstand. His alarm clock still read 3:33 am. A loud repeating knock greeted his ears. Devin's throat tightened and his heart raced. His eyes widened as they trailed over to the mirror hanging above the dresser.
A withered hand with rotting claws reached out from inside the mirror.
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This is especially creepy for me because I have the odd habit of randomly waking up at exactly 3:33. Thanks for the nightmares ;-)