Shadows by Heather M. Borger (i can read books .txt) 📕

It was dark in the bedroom; the only illumination was the dagger of light slicing under the door, cutting through the blackness. Teddy and his sister were huddled together in the farthest corner, away from the menacing light. Any attempts to call for their parents as they raced down the hall were unsuccessful - the strange sounds from downstairs grew ever louder. Their brown, terror filled eyes were riveted on the bedroom door, the only thing standing between them and the unknown. Gaping, their stares were drawn to the pile of stuffed toys across the room.

Six-year-old Maggie turned to ask her older brother if he, too, had seen the movement from under the pile. He held a finger up to his lips. She trembled with trepidation and fear. What was it? Before she could consider the possibilities, the light under the door was broken by a slow movement outside the room. Something had walked past the door. It strode slowly and deliberately, back and forth across the opening. They watched the shadow pace silently, hoping a reasonable explanation would materialize in their minds. Maggie wanted her brother to do something. As she turned to plead with him, he raised his finger urgently to shush her. She tried to speak anyway, but no audible sounds escaped. She began to panic, amazed at how her brother seemed so calm.

Teddy sat motionless; the glow-in-the-dark shapes on his superhero pajamas were beginning to fade. He had been awake in his bedroom when Maggie ran to get him. Reluctantly, he put his book down on his nightstand and allowed himself to be pulled into the hallway. When he heard the guttural growls from downstairs, he didn’t waste a second pushing his sister toward her room, then all the way into the corner next to the tall bookcase. For days, she had been telling him about the noises, but tonight was the first time he heard them himself. Maggie wished she had told him that she thought one of them was in her room tonight - that she had caught the reflection of light off it’s eyes as she ran past it. They should have gone back to his room.

Maggie’s pulse raced. Goosebumps traveled up her arms and legs. She couldn't determine if it was from cold or fear, but she tugged at the edge of her princess nightgown, wrapping it around her knees trying to warm herself.

There was another movement from the toy pile. A soft sound similar to a whimper followed. Teddy pulled his sister closer. The shadow outside her door immediately froze. It began to sniff and snort around the gap under the door. It sounded like a dog. The door opened a few inches, pushed by the animal’s nose. A full moon cast light through the hallway window. For the first time, Maggie saw the complete silhouette of the monster that had been haunting her. It had the shape and stance of a dog on all four legs, only much larger. As it raised its head to sniff the air again, rows of long white teeth were exposed. It snorted again and Maggie would have screamed if she could.

Another soft whimper emerged from the toys. This time, the large dog-like animal forced the door all the way open. It sniffed in Teddy and Maggie’s direction, then continued to the toy pile. Now, with the door completely open and her eyes adjusting to the darkness, Maggie could see the animal even better. She gasped silently at the size of it. The scariest dog she had ever seen - covered in thick, dark, unruly fur.

Maggie felt a sudden tap on her shoulder. Turning hesitantly toward Teddy, she saw him motion to the now-open door. Her eyes grew wide and she shook her head vehemently. His muscles tensed and she could tell he was ready to run for it. Sensing their movement, the animal turned back to face them. It sauntered closer, all the time sniffing the air. When it stopped momentarily to look back at the pile of toys, Teddy recognized his chance and jumped up. He ran past the enormous beast and out the door. With one leap, the animal was directly behind him. Finally, Maggie was able to scream. It was a high-pitched, terrified scream that appeared to startle the tiny animal hidden beneath her toys. She heard the faint yelp just before her mother ran into the room.

“Maggie, Maggie, wake up!”

Reaching both arms up around her mother’s neck, Maggie sobbed. “The monster was back, Mommy! I saw it. Teddy saw it, too.” Remembering the last time she saw her brother, she jumped up. “Where is Teddy?”

“He’s in his room, Sweetheart.” Gently pushing a brown curl behind Maggie’s ear, her mother continued, “He’s sleeping like you should be.”

“No. He was in here with me. He tried to run away from the monster and it chased him.”

“Maggie, Sweetheart, you were dreaming and sleepwalking again. Honestly, I don’t know why you’ve started this all of a sudden. What has your brother been watching on television while I’ve been working these past few nights?” An exasperated sigh followed while her mother shifted her weight and sat down on the floor, her back to the door. “You’re shivering. I told you to put warmer pajamas on tonight. Do you want to change?”

Maggie shook her head. She sat down in her mother’s lap and tried to relax, but just as she began to believe that maybe her mom was right, she noticed the large shadow along the wall and realized the nightmare wasn’t over yet.

Text: No part of this manuscript may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise - without written permission of the author.
Images: Heather M. Borger
Publication Date: 03-08-2013

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