Hunted

I could smell its rancid breath as it permeated the humid air in my bedroom closet. It was scratching and sniffing, tasting the molecules for my scent. Its heavy footsteps thumped around outside of the door.

”Please, no!” I whispered, closing my eyes.

I heard it coming closer, still searching for its prey, me. I squeezed myself farther into the back of my closet, trying to melt into the darkness around me. I was clutching my favorite childhood toy to my chest. I had found it on the floor when I had scrambled into my closet, trying to hide from the horror that awaited me outside. The tattered teddy bear provided small comfort from the terror that hunted me.

THUMP.

Silence.

THUMP. THUMP.

A steady thumping sound traveled across the walls of my bedroom. It came closer and closer, growing louder and louder. My heart was beating so hard against my sternum I thought that it might break through my chest.

THUMP.

The thumping stopped abruptly, and a deafening silence ensued. I cautiously looked up at the door of my closet, expecting the inevitable crashing of the door being torn off of its hinges, screams piercing the dark, and vile laughter, but there was nothing.

THUMP. THUMP.

The thumping resumed, growing ever closer until my closet door was rattling under every blow. I stifled a scream as a giant claw wrapped around the edge of my door. A screechy creaking sound emanated from the hinges of the door.

“Anybody home?” asked a deep, raspy voice. “Don’t be shy! I just want to play!”

The fist of fear gripped my heart and squeezed it until it stopped.

CRASH!!!

The door flew off of its hinges, revealing a ghastly sight. A reptilian creature rose to its full height, stretching four scaly wings, and flexing rippling muscles covered in sharp scales that wildly pierced the darkness at scattered angles. Bioluminescent light cast a pale blue glow over everything.

“What do you want?” I whispered hoarsely.

”You.” It rumbled.

”Why?” I trembled.

”Because, child! You are my greatest trophy! A human, especially a young one such as yourself, is quite a delicacy where I come from.”

”No!” I tried to scream, but it got caught somewhere between my lungs and my throat as the creature dragged me off into the darkness.