Fear

• Arsheen Duggal, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2015

BOOM! Awoken by the deafening roar of the threatening thunder in the sky, I gradually made my way to the kitchen for a glass of water. As I gulped down the refreshing liquid, my eyes started to get used to the cover of darkness around me. I made my way back to the bedroom, feet clomping on the loose floorboards, making an immensely irritating sound. Swinging the creaky door of my bedroom open, I flounced into my cozy, comfortable bed and twisted and turned until I finally drifted into a world of dreams-sleep.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The sound of my alarm clock caused me to wake up again. After fumbling for my alarm clock, I glanced at the time and realised that it was twelve o’ clock sharp. This was weird. I was sure that I had set the alarm for six o’ clock. Suddenly, a chilling breeze brushed across my face, and a few seconds later the door began creaking continuously. From under my bed, the sound of something scraping across the carpet echoed in my ears, and two grimy, grubby hands slithered like serpents from underneath my bed. I was frozen with terror, clinging to the edge of my bed for dear life, as the hands lifted up and descended towards me, spine-tingling sharp nails scratching the frame of the bed. The hands came forward and clutched me, the uncomfortable slimy texture of them sending chills down my back as my heart pounded in my mouth, and no matter however much I shrieked, no sound would come out.

Tears of fear poured down my face in gallons, my throat completely dry as I felt like curling into a ball and dying. Being lowered into a trapdoor, I frantically tried to call for help, but no matter what, no sound would come out. Now lowered into a room of black nothingness, hopelessly began searching for a way out of this place. After what seemed like forever, my fingers touched what I thought was a switch. As soon as I pressed it, what felt like a handrail came into existence and I desperately clambered down the squeaky stares, but this time I was awaited with more danger-tentacles. The tentacles wrapped tightly around me as I struggled to get free. Stomping on them one by one, finally managing to get free, I wasn’t expecting more danger when it happened. I stumbled over my foot, tumbling down the ragged staircase into the vast nothingness of the place.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”