Out of the Darkness

In the summer of 1994, I am visiting my grandparents at their home in a small east Texas town. It is unusually warm for June, which means another scorching summer is on its way. My baby is due in a few months so, I want to spend as much time with them as possible before the big day. Later that evening, exhausted, I excuse myself and head off to bed. I am asleep within minutes.

Some time in the night I wake to an awful scent in my room. Initially I cannot place the odor. Then, in a snap, I realize it is the smell of singed hair. I feel nauseous as the stench fills the room. I raise my head to see if anything is out of place and that’s when I see a shadow in the corner of the room where the closet door should be. I try to focus my eyes in the dimly lit room to see what is casting the shadow. Then, it slowly takes form into shades of gray, turning beet red and then to crimson. I try to get out of bed, to flee from whatever is before me. However, I am paralyzed with fear. It moves slightly towards the foot of the bed. I try to scream but fall short.

It crawls onto the bed, making its way up my body until it has completely covered me. It is cold and smells of rotten meat. I am petrified with trepidation as I am forced into the mattress below me. I turn my face towards the bedroom door and attempt to call out to my grandmother who is sleeping in the next room, my only salvation. The creature’s breath is now on my neck and I fear for the safety of my unborn child.

I find a bit of courage and gasp out, “What do you want?”.

The creature whispers with a hiss, “The child…”

I reply, “You can’t have it.”, followed by a horrific scream.

Thankfully, It is loud enough to wake my grandmother. She barges into my room, flicking on the light, which seems to take forever to fill the room as the beast recedes back into the shadows of the closet. She gasps for air as her lungs fill with odor in the room. However, she appears to be angered by the occurrence.

Now in tears, I attempt to explain to my grandmother what has transpired. She pulls me off the bed into the floor. Then, she retrieves her Bible from the dresser. She opens it and begins reading verses from its pages. She walks to the closet, Bible in tow, opens the door completely and continues reading. She places the open Bible on a shelf in the closet, steps back and says loudly, “This is a house of God, you are not allowed here.” She walks back to me, sits down beside me and begins to pray.

After what seems to have been hours, we get up and make our way to the living room. I seat myself on the sofa as she fetches me a blanket. I lay down on the sofa and she stays with me for a while to make sure I am well. She kisses my forehead and places her hand on my belly, saying a quick prayer before returning to bed.

I stare into the darkness of the room for an eternity before I close my eyes. As I drift off, I hear a scratching at the window across the room, followed by a sinister laugh. I know in my heart I will have another encounter with the creature in the future. But, for now, I am safe.