Midnight Snack

A gentle breeze ruffled the curtains in Sammy’s room. Her blue eyes fluttered open as the chill crept over her. Moonlight cast eerie shadows across her room. Something felt off. She slid from under the covers and ran across the icy wood floor to close the window.

She peered out into the backyard. Even the pale glow from the moon wasn’t enough to keep the darkness from pressing in on her, watching her. It was too quiet. Her heart raced as she saw something moving. She ran back to bed, pulling the covers over her head. She knew from horror movies that investigating never ends well.

Morning arrived too soon. Sammy groaned as she stared at the stubborn pimple on her cheek. Of course, it wouldn’t pop. She sighed, hurriedly dressed in a sweater and jeans, her insecurities shadowing her.

School dragged by. Family dinner was more of the same—unspoken tension hanging thick in the air. Sammy didn’t have the energy to argue, and neither did her parents. They all stared at their plates avoiding eye contact.

“So,” Sammy said between bites of mashed potatoes, “I was thinking of redecorating my room. You know, add some… um, I don’t know, character?”

Her dad grunted. "Like what? Boy band posters?"

“No," Sammy said, rolling her eyes. "More like—"

Her mom interrupted, not looking up from her salad. "Remember the time you added ‘charcter’ to your room by drawing on the walls."

Sammy huffed. "I’m not a kid anymore, Mom.”

Her dad shot her a look. "Teenagers. Always wanting to change things and never happy with what they have."

“Yeah, Dad, real helpful," Sammy muttered.

They ate in silence. Sammy started zoning out, imagining the moonlight outside her window transforming into something horrific—a towering figure with glowing red eyes.

After dinner, she collapsed on her bed. Her thoughts circled her like a storm as the sky outside darkened. The moonlight filtered through the blinds, illuminating her room like a nightlight. The quietness of the house settled in, and Sammy fell asleep.

"Ugh!" She shot up, struggling to get comfortable in the stifling heat. She turned the fan on. The clock read 3:04. Sammy rolled her eyes. How coincidental she would wake at the witching hour. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to go back to sleep.

Creak.

Blue eyes snapped open in irritation.

“What now!?” Sammy yelled to the ceiling.

Thump.

The motion-sensor light flickered on. Sammy’s heart lurched as she heard movement in the backyard. Her first instinct was to pull the covers over her head and pretend she was five again, but she quickly realized that wasn’t an option anymore.

Something was out there. Was it an animal, demon, serial killer?

Sammy pressed her forehead to the window, peering into the dark abyss. A large shape shifted in the dark. Demon. For sure.

Thwack!

Her head bounced off the window. The motion-activated lights turned on, blinding her as she stumbled back. She lost her footing and fell to the floor, landing squarely on her tailbone.

"Ow! Son of a—" Sammy screamed in agony and shock.

Frantic footsteps approached her room. Her parents burst through the door like the cavalry, all wide-eyed concern.

“What happened, honey?” her mom’s voice trembled.

“I heard…” Sammy’s breath was shaky, “something outside. I think it’s a demon. Or a Skinwalker. Or a serial killer. I fell and—”

Sammy’s voice cracked. She felt stupid for being afraid of the dark at her age. But the fear was real, and it stung worse than her tailbone.

Her mom held her, comforting her until she calmed down, though the tension in the room lingered.

As they turned out the lights and left, Sammy lay in bed, still convinced something was watching her. Was it a demon? Or had she imagined it?

Exhaustion finally took over, and she drifted into a deep sleep.

When morning came, the events of the night before felt blurry in the light of day. But as she shifted in bed, the pain in her tailbone reminded her it hadn’t been a nightmare. Something had been out there. Her door creaked open, and her mom walked in, holding a steaming mug of tea. Her mom expressed her worry for Sammy and shared a comforting hug before leaving her alone.

She was thankful it was Saturday, and she had the weekend to relax. Her mom and she were on better terms, laughing and cracking jokes like they used to. Sammy helped her with dinner, and when they ate together as a family, it was enjoyable. After dinner, Sammy went to her room to get ready for bed.

After finishing her bedtime routine, she leaped into bed and turned out the light. She fell asleep quickly, but it didn’t last long.

Creak.

Sammy’s eyes opened.

Scratch. Thud.

Her breath caught. Not again.

The motion-sensor light blinked on.

Something was out there.

She leapt out of bed to catch a glimpse of the figure but her foot got caught in the blanket and she ended up cocooned in a mix of bedding. Maybe she should just lay here until the monster thing came to kill her. Nah. She untangled herself and walked to the window.

A figure was hunched over the trash bin.

She held her breath. It shifted—bigger than a possum, too steady to be wind.

The figure turned.

Two beady eyes glinted in the light. A raccoon. Enormous. Angry. It bared its teeth at her, hissed, then began aggressively slapping the side of the trash can like it owed him money.

Sammy stared in silence.

The raccoon maintained eye contact while pulling out a rotisserie chicken carcass and parading it around the patio like a trophy.

She backed away from the window and climbed into bed.

“I think I preferred the demon,” she muttered.

From outside came a sharp thwack as the trash bin tipped over. Something shattered as the raccoon was rustling through garbage.

With a last, dramatic thwack, the raccoon finally calmed down, leaving only the distant sound of its victory lap in the yard. Sammy felt like she should’ve been more concerned, but at this point, the whole thing had become so ridiculous, she couldn’t help but laugh at herself.

She stared at the ceiling, then whispered to the darkness, “Well, at least I didn’t get murdered by a demon, right?”

She pulled the covers tighter around her, bracing for the next round of raccoon mayhem, but somehow, she knew it would be a while before she could relax. This is my life now. Awesome.