Goodnight, Sweetheart

I ran through the alley, trying desperately to stay in the light.

I never should have made the deal.

I paused under a streetlight to catch my breath.

“I’m coming for you,” whispered the shadow.

I jumped and ran. His laughter echoed all around me.

I have to get home. Home is safe. He can’t get me there.

“Yes, run, run. You can’t escape me,” he said, his voice coming from the dark.

I ran around a corner and tripped. I hit the ground hard. I scrambled to get up as his hand reached for me.

“I take it back,” I screamed as I ran through the night. “I don’t want this.”

“You should have thought that over before you made the deal,” he laughed.

“Please, I’ll do anything,” I pleaded, darting across the dark street. “I’ll give you anything.”

“What I want is you,” he growled, his eyes flashing in the night.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. The deal was to keep me safe.

“Your running will not help you,” he said as I fell against a lamppost.

“Please, please, stop this,” I cried, picking myself up and stumbling on.

“You broke your end of the deal,” he said, strolling calmly through the night. “I demand payment.”

“I-I will pay you back, I promise, I just need more time.”

“No, this is your last warning,” he said as he fell back into the night.

I just need a few more days, and then I’d have the payment. I need to get home. Maybe what I have there will be enough to make him give me just a couple more days.

I ran across the road and up to the gate. My shaking hands couldn’t open it fast enough.

I just need to get inside.

I darted through the gate and up to the door. I could feel him coming as I fumbled with my keys, trying to find the right one.

“Please,” I yelled as the lights along the street started going out. “I have most of what you asked for inside.”

I got no answer.

“Please, please open,” I whispered as I shakily put the key in the lock.

The door opened and I busted inside. I slammed it shut behind me and leaned against it, panting.

I locked the door and stood there in the dark.

I’m safe now, he can’t get me in here.

I walked over to the light switch, my breath coming in ragged spurts, and flipped on the lights.

“Welcome home,” said the skeletal, bloody, shadow man sitting on the counter, a knife in his hand.

*************

I sat up in my bed, shaking and breathing hard.

Thank goodness it was just a dream.

I reached over and pulled the chain on the lamp. Its light lit up the bed around me.

It was just a dream. Nothing can get me in here.

I heard the creak of the mattress springs, and the end of my bed began to sag.

My heart stopped as I turned to look at the end of my bed.

It can’t be. My house is supposed to be safe.

I looked around to see the shadow man standing on the end of my bed, bloody knife in hand.

“Goodnight, sweetheart,” he whispers.

The End.