A Demon Comes Calling

I know he's there. I can always feel it.

He's never reached for me, not yet anyway. Always feels like he's gonna. Will his scabbed, liver-spotted hands make contact with me, or pass through?

Ugh.

I try to convince myself I don't gotta pee, but it's useless.

I've never told mum or my sister, Thea, about him. They'd scoff, and I'd feel stupid. Worse, they'd get scared, and their fear would magnify mine. Have they seen him? Suspended near the ceiling in his tatty black coat, nose curved like a knife, eyes gleaming? Or is he here for me?

Just a figment of my imagination, right? The darker thoughts and feelings I've wrestled with come out to play. But... no. He's not human, never has been, even though he's human-shaped. A manifestation of pure malice.

It's no good. Can't hold it. I look round for a bottle, something, anything... but mum's cleaned in here.

Heart thundering, shaking, feeling sick, I move. Hurrying, 'cause I've held it too long. Almost whimpering out loud when I open the door.

He doesn't make a sound, but he's laughing. I feel it. My head turns as if on a string, and yep: his too-big mouth stretched wide, those thin lips pulled back from tombstone teeth and bloodless gums. Coat flapping in a strong breeze isn't there... yet he's being carried forward on it, arms out, fingers like claws.

I try to move, but it's like he has me in a web. I stumble out of his reach, exactly as the ice of his fingertips grazes the back of my neck.

I slam the bathroom door. Too late; pyjamas soaked. I barely notice, sobbing and vomiting.

When my gut's empty and my breath steadies, I rinse my PJs in the sink and stuff them in the hamper. Calmer now. Don't even peek to check he's gone. I know he has.

I head back to it bed, creeping dread in my veins.

In the morning, my neck hurts. I've a headache that won't shift. When the seizures start, mum marches me to the doctor. Guess where the tumour is?

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Word count: (excluding notes): 366

Submitted on: 13th April at 23:30

*Quick Author's Note*

First, and most importantly: thank you for reading!

A Year of Stories: I'm writing a story every day this year. This one makes an 104 day streak since the 1st January. I can't believe I've come this far. I'm collating them all here.

Content warning: I was going to use an AI image of the demon for the cover picture, but decided it would be cheating and I should should rely on descriptive Wossname to get the picture into your brain. I've included a couple of things AI threw out further down. They are reasonably close to what I imagined. If you'd like to be creeped out and/or never visit the loo in the night ever again, keep scrolling!

Leave me a comment if you've had any weird ghostly experiences that freaked you out. Scare me silly!

Prompts: If you'd like to have a go at my unofficial April Challenge (Fucked Up Fairytales) I've linked it at the bottom. If you'd like some more prompts to get your creative juices flowing, I've posted a list of prompts for April, and I've linked that as well.

Here come the images!

First, a blooper from the cover pic attempt. How many fingers??

Here comes the creep fest!

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Last chance to back out!

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My personal favourite:

Thank you

Thank you again! Especially if you are one of the people who has been staunchly reading these daily scribbles since the start of the year. I see you, and appreciate you 😁

I do my best to reciprocate as many reads as possible. If you leave me a comment, that makes it much easier.