Claw (Flash-Fiction)
Exhaustion took over my being as my hand touched the doorknob. I sighed to myself, only a few more seconds until I’ll be passed out. Slowly I opened the door and was greeted by creek of the old rusted hinges. I looked into the dark void that was my bedroom at two in the morning, an enveloping blackness that ate up the color of the usually bright blue room. What was left in the darkness’ wake were the outlines of furniture that stood lifeless in the room.
Only a few steps from where I was standing was my bed. I did not feel the urge to turn the light on and to bring light into this dark space. I shuffled to the bed and fell face first onto the mattress. Yesss, I moaned to myself as my shoes plopped onto the floor. I breathed in deep, the sheets smelled of a cheap floral scent, clean. Slowly, I pulled myself up onto the pillow and let the heaviness of my eyes take over. Lying here so still, so peacefully, so quietly, about to let sleep take me away...
My eyes opened quickly, was someone just tugging on my clean sheets? I quickly dispelled the tricks my exhausted mind was playing and snuggled back into comfort. Again, I slowly began to drift off to the land of my subconscious when a scratching noise came from behind me. With the noise came a more abrupt pull of the sheets from the opposite side where I slept.
Fully awake, my body allowed me to use the last of its energy to sit up. I looked around the room and only saw the silhouettes of the furniture that barely decorated the room. I stayed up for a few more minutes and was not disturbed again. After coming to terms with being tired and not thinking clearly, I wriggled myself back under the sheets.
Lying on my back, I peered at the white ceiling that was now turned black. What will I tell everyone tomorrow, I asked myself. After deciding to tell everyone that didn’t know the truth that, “it was a mistake, that isn’t what happened, she’s lying,” let me take the load off of my shoulders. With that I rolled onto my side to sleep again. What I saw on the edge of my bed made my exhaustion disappear.
What I was staring at was a large claw. The dark, bumpy hand with long nails began to grip the sheet. I sat up quickly, pulling the sheet back so the hand wouldn’t take it off. As I looked at the dark claw I noticed that long pointed ears began to rise behind it. What followed the ears were a face with deep black eyes, the same bumpy skin, and a mouth with thin sharp teeth sticking out.
“I have come for you,” the being said with a wicked smile. I looked into its eyes, speechless. I knew that my exhaustion was causing me to hallucinate, but that didn’t make up for the fact of being scared shitless.
I cleared my throat, “I-I...uh... I don’t kn-know what you’re talking about.” The monster blinked it black eyes at me, as if to indicate I was stupid and it didn’t have time for my shit.
Quickly it hopped onto the bed. It had a small body, too small for its massive head and hands. The thing put its hands together and began to tap its claws. A big, demonic smile appeared on its face, “Oh you know. You know what you did and why it is unforgivable. I am here to make you pay for the suffering you caused that girl, prepare yourself.”
I swung my legs over the bed and pushed to get up. The escape didn’t last long, the next thing I felt was a burning sensation throughout my veins and then everything went black.
Photo credit link:
https://68.media.tumblr.com/0fbdbcc66a77736d8ff236f54c276283/tumblr_oj96wtW2nT1twbppvo1_500.png