Man, Mystery, or Monster?

New years eve started like any other normal night. My cousin Shells had offered to pay me to babysit and what fifteen year old girl turns that down? Not me. So naturally I asked to bring a friend along since there was going to be seven kids. My friend Katy and I arrive at 4 p.m and start going over things, what to make for dinner, what movies the kids could watch, bed time etc. "Okay Sam, so don't forget pizza is in the oven, popcorn in the cabinet. Our numbers are on the fridge bedtime is 8:00 p.m. If you have any problems let us know." "Yes ma'am. They will be good I'm sure." Around 6 p.m we are left with the kids and things were going smoothly. The boys are in their room, the girls in theirs. Baby slept soundly in my cousins room.

Things seemed calm, normal, serene even. It was a good night. Not long after nightfall the boys had started a scary movie. I knew they were not supposed to watch it but I let them anyways because I thought it wasn't a big deal to let them break the rules for one night. Katy and I had just started watching X-Factor when the 3 boys came out of their room frightened, clutching blankets and whispering about knocks on the window. "Can we stay in here with you and Katy? Until we fall asleep?" Gavin looked like he had seen a ghost. Katy and I dismissed this as they were watching a movie and had scared themselves.

None the less we let them make a pallet in the living room to be close to us and away from any more scary noises until they fell asleep. Baby was still sleeping away quietly in Shells room and the girls were watching high school musical with the most intense attention I had ever seen in a group of girls. Not that I blamed them. Zac Efron was every young girls heart throb. We settled in to finish the rest of our episode and that's when the 3 girls came out of their room whispering about knocks on the window.

Sally was the oldest of all of the kids and even she seemed concerned. Since the rooms were on opposite sides of the house I knew they had not been able to hear what the boys had said to us. I also found it strange but assumed since we were way out in the country it could have been a deer or some other animal. Now Shells had insisted we locked the door behind her, looking back I'm glad that we did.

Because that's when things took a horrible turn. We let all the kids make pallets in the living room and left baby in Shells room. Katy and I sat down and nestled into the couch in front of the big bay window that was covered by a huge comforter. As soon as I pressed play to resume the television show, That's when we heard it. A simple tap,tap,tap... on the window. I looked at Katy. Katy looked at me. All the kids looked up wide eyed and horrified! What was that? Logan asked. "Is it a monster?" Lexa said to me in a whimper. "No, Surely not. They don't exist. It is just your imagination." Then there was a noise by the door we turned to see the door knob rattling and shaking like an earth quake. Shrieks of horror erupted from the kids. I began feeling frightened so I shoved all the kids in the bathroom and locked the door.

Katy stayed posted while I ran into Shells room to grab the baby and the gun. She began dialing shells number but it kept going to voicemail. I called my uncle, everyone I knew. When no one answered I dialed 911. As I was on the phone with the dispatcher something or someone slammed into the front door so hard it shook the front of the house. Things fell off the wall, the television knocked over, and I dropped to the ground. Clutching the baby to my chest thankfully she was okay. I handed her to Katy. I heard loud footsteps coming onto the porch by the back door. Part of the curtain in the lower right corner was pulled back just enough I caught a glimpse of whoever or whatever it was as it peeked inside. Pale white, no face and red hair was all I saw. I was chilled to the bone.

What was this? It jiggled the back door handle. I hung up with the dispatcher as she had sent patrol our way. Then I saw its shadow continue walking past windows and I thought it was going to come in through my cousins open window so I barricaded her door. All of a sudden everything went quiet. It was so still you could have heard a pin drop. As I was awaiting our untimely demise, sure that we were about to be murdered I hear Shells car come to a screeching halt in the drive way, It was just after 4 a.m. She had left the party and received all of our voicemails and hurried home.

"Are you guys okay?" She walked into a house full of scared little faces. "What happened?" "We don't know, everything was fine one minute and then..." I went on to explain to her the events that had occurred. "You called the police? What time?" I checked my call log. "About 1:15 a.m, but they never came." "I'm going to call again." She stepped into the living room and I watched her chat with the lady on the phone. "Yes ma'am my kids called in tonight and patrol was supposed to be headed over. I was wondering how far out they were?" "Ma'am we have not received any calls tonight. My officers are on regular patrol." Her eyes got wide as she listened to her. How had she not received my call? "I swear I talked to someone Shells, I swear I did." "Well whoever you talked to it wasn't the police."

I showed Shells the window it had looked in and she opened the back door. Without unlocking it. If the creature had wanted to come in it could have easily came in the door and taken us. As we stood there baffled by what just happened, there was a screech so loud it would have made my ears bleed if it had been any higher. It was blood curdling the most horrifying sound I have ever heard. I don't believe it was human. Shells fired three shots off into the forest chasing the sound but nothing ever came of it.

Once the sun came up it was like nothing had ever happened. As true as these events are, I'm still scared that whatever it was is still out there. One day it will come for me again, maybe it will come for all of us. I just hope when it does, I'll be ready.