Can You Imagine?

The sound of small clawed feet as they skittered across the wood floor below my bed echoed through my dark bedroom.

I sat straight up in alarm. “Did you hear that?” I asked my husband as I gave him a shake, while he laid along side me.

“Hear what?” He mumbled in a groggy voice as he rolled over to look at me through sleepy eyes.

The same skittering sound came from under the bed again and I jumped in alarm.

“That sound.” I murmured in a fearful voice.

“I don’t hear anything.” He replied through a muffled voice with his face smushed into the pillow.

The sound started up again and my blood ran cold in anxiety. I pulled my legs up to my chest and hugged them tight, while I waited for the sound to start up again but it didn’t. I continued to wait for some time but nothing did and eventually I convinced myself that it was safe enough to lay back down. Eventually I relaxed enough that I was able to forget about the sound and fall asleep.

…

Hours later I was awakened by something wet as it rubbed against my hand. It left a cold slimy texture upon my palm as it hung over the edge.

“Ack.” I squeaked and yanked my hand back. I scooted myself towards the middle of the bed in fear, until I bumped into my husband and disturbed him as he slept.

“What now?” He mumbled in a dream-ridden voice.

“Something brushed against my hand.” I whimpered as I laid there and scanned the edge for any sign of the thing that touched me. Worried that it would crest over the edge and show it’s ugly face.

“It’s just a dream, go back to sleep.” He grumbled as he tossed a heavy arm over me in consolation.

I nodded to myself and hoped he was right. With a sigh I was convinced that this was nothing but my imagination and within seconds I felt safe enough to fall back asleep.

…

But my rest didn’t last long, at some point my foot precariously dangled off the edge of the bed. Which I only realized after a cold scaly hand reached up and yanked me half out of the bed as I yelped in terror.

I scrambled back on to the bed in a sweaty panic and curled up in a ball alongside my husband. I glanced over and saw his foot as it peeked out of the covers and over the edge. Without another thought I dove across the bed and pulled it into safety, just as that skittering sound from earlier had headed for his side.

“What are you doing?” He asked in impatience.

“It was coming for you.” I explained in a panic as I peaked over his side and saw a long black tail disappear below the bed, followed by the clacking of claws on wood floor.

“What was?” He asked through a scowl as he slapped lips together sleepily.

“The thing under the bed.” I stated as I curled up in the middle again, worried the creature would be brave enough to jump onto the bed next.

“What?” He asked one more time.

“There’s a thing under the bed and I can hear it running around. It touched my hand, grabbed my foot and tried to drag me out of the bed.” I explained with a fear-filled look at my husband.

“There is nothing under the bed.” He sighed in exhaustion.

“Yes there is!” I argued as the skittering sound circled the underside of our bed again.

“Fine, then I’ll have a look under and show you there’s nothing there.” He explained as he haphazardly rolled out of bed and reached for his phone.

“No!” I shouted and dove across the bed to drag him back on.

But he already had the flashlight setting on and was peering underneath.

“Relax, there’s nothing here.” He said with a furrowed brow in annoyance.

“Yes there is.” I protested and scooted over to the edge.

“Like I said, it’s just your imagination. Look.” He stated and moved the flashlight down to show me.”

But as I peered over the edge I saw a clawed scaly hand wrap its fingers around his ankle and in the blink of an eye my husband disappeared below the bed without a sound. The only thing that remained was his phone as it lay on the floor, it’s light shone upwards and cast the room in an eery glow.

And that was the last time I saw of him. All thanks to my imagination.