The Unseen

I thought I heard a sound, but maybe I didn’t. It was very dark out, but I willed myself to go to the window. My eyes almost refused to adjust to the darkness. My heart was already beating against my chest, protesting against my bravery to even dare look. Finally, I stood in front of the window. The cold air of the night seemed to crawl up my spine. Now I was immobile. I had to see what was outside. It was imperative. I could swear I saw something dart among the treeline, but then again it was so dark. My eyes could’ve been playing tricks. But I continued to watch. I had no choice. 

The movement started again. This time I was sure. It darted to and fro, somehow faster than it had before. I never saw anything move like that. My heart began to protest again. Then, the movement stopped. Two glowing orbs appeared, pale blue and unmoving. I could only assume it was the thing that had been darting around before, staring back at me. Oh God, I thought, as I tried to pick my feet up to move, but my body categorically refused. I was frozen in place like a statue, watching the ice blue eyes come ever closer.

The eyes were so close now, probably three arm lengths away. I couldn’t even blink. My breathing was so shallow I could hear myself panting. Why didn’t I turn on the light, I thought, why don’t you run? Why can’t you scream? My mind ran so that I almost lost focus on the reason I was panicking. Before I knew it, the eyes were directly in front of me now. They were luminous and large, but didn’t emit any light of their own, but were more reflective, like a dog’s. I could barely make out the silhouette of the creature in the dark, but I knew it stood as tall as me. I could tell it cocked its head inquisitively, as confused as I was at what it was looking at. Maybe it had never seen a human up close. Maybe it was pondering what to do next.

BAM! The creature slammed an extremity against the thin pane of glass, rattling the whole window and similarly shaking me out of my trance. I finally screamed. A visceral, deep scream that seemed to come from somewhere else. My body was finally reacting to what my eyes were seeing. I still could not make out the outline of the creature. I didn’t know where it ended and the darkness began. I could only see the icy blue reflective eyes that never blinked, never wavered, that just maintained their hollow stare. BAM! It hit the window again. This time I jumped back and screamed simultaneously. My legs moved me to the other side of the room. As panic set in, I stumbled around in the dark for a weapon to defend myself. I didn’t dare look back until I had something, anything that would give me a chance to hold my own. Finally, I found an old rusty fire poker in the back of the closet the owner of the cabin must have neglected to throw away. I thanked him and God with a small sigh of relief.

When I turned back to look after only a few moments, the eyes were gone. I froze again. Where the fuck did it go, I whispered to myself. I still was afraid to move. I could go turn on the light, maybe it would scare it away, I thought, but I was honestly afraid to see the thing in its full glory. I couldn’t even comprehend what it could look like, and I truly didn’t want to. I continued to stand in the dark. I listened. Closing my eyes, I focused on the sounds around me. I started to hear footfall around the walls of the cabin. They were slow and sluggish at first, then they skittered up and down the walls. It made me shudder. Then it was on the roof. I instinctively looked up, though I obviously couldn’t see it and I was still very much completely in the dark. It labored slowly to the spot right above me. I heard it scratch a bit at the shingles. I could even hear it sniff a bit. I swallowed. I held my breath so much that when I remembered to breathe I was practically gasping for air, but I kept as quiet as I could. Maybe it was just curious. Maybe it would lose interest and move on. I prayed with my whole heart for the latter. 

BAM! It hit the roof so hard that the little cabin shook. I yelped, throwing my hand over my mouth, fire poker pointed toward the roof to feign any actionable defense. The banging continued, getting louder and harder. I could hear it grunting now, it felt like it was using its whole body to break open the roof. With the loudest bang yet, I fell to the floor and slid myself against the closet. I started to cry, my hand still over my mouth. I hated it. Just go away, just please go away, I prayed. The thing was coming in through the roof and there was nothing I could do about it. Instantly I remembered I was against a closet door. Dummy! I reached for the closet handle and pulled myself inside, still holding the handle. The fire poker was still at my side, the hilt clammy with my sweat. I began to shake. The banging continued, each hit making me more and more queasy. Then, as suddenly as it began, the banging stopped.

I didn’t move. I just waited. I tried to slow my panting so I wouldn’t make noise. I really wanted to hear what was going on outside. But there was no movement at all. I stayed in the closet for what seemed like hours, completely unmoved in the same position as I entered. My back and arms hurt, but I didn’t want to make a sound. Eventually, I could see sunlight sliding under the door. Morning.

Slowly I turned the handle. Every increment was agony as I was trying to be quiet, but the old wooden door with the ancient latch and hinges offered me no help. I finally poked my head out to look up. The roof of the room was still intact but for a barely noticeable split in the wood. It almost got it open, but daylight must have caught the thing. Was it nocturnal? Did it hate the light? Fully loose from the safety of the closet, I cautiously walked under the crack. It definitely would’ve gotten in had it had more time. I gulped almost cartoonishly. What would it have done if I was standing here when it got in? I didn’t allow myself to entertain the thought. I walked tentatively to the window where the creature and I first locked eyes, except now, I was met with the tranquil setting that I fell in love with from the pictures in the listing, as pristine and untouched as it ever was. The sunlight danced on the newly formed dewdrops, a light fog hung above the grasses. The trees sighed gently in the breeze. I took the deepest breath I had taken in hours, the poker leaving my aching fingers. I sat down on the bed, dazed. I started to feel the fatigue of being up all night and spread myself across the mattress. I sighed into the pillow as my eyes closed heavily. I could hear the faint sounds of the trees and the birds. I drifted only for a moment when I suddenly heard a creaking.

I bolted straight up. I looked around the room but nothing was there. I started to panic. I grabbed the fire poker on the floor and sat in the middle of the bed. The creaking continued. I wasn’t sure where it was coming from, but I knew it was coming from under the floor. Before I knew it, I was out of the bed and slowly moving myself to the floor. I put my ear to the dirty unfinished boards and closed my eyes to concentrate. I could hear the thing, the skittering. I felt sick. It was under the cabin. Was it waiting for me? Waiting for darkness to fall again so it could make another attempt? Maybe it can’t be in the light. Maybe I have time. Maybe I can make a run for it.

I have to make a run for it. 

BAM!