Tap... Tap... Tap...

• Samara Rooke, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2019

The street was quiet but the wind was blowing against Tia's window profusely. The minimal amount of light that creeps through her closed blinds is from the lamppost outside of the house which allowed her to see the figures of objects in her room. She lays in her bed with her eyes closed, not far from falling into sleep. It has taken her a long time to even get close to sleeping because the thought of being home alone all night kept her awake and it's only when sleep had just reached her, she heard footsteps outside her window on the gravel of the long driveway that led down to her house. Tia freezes, waiting for any further indication that someone is outside her window but she only hears silence.No longer than 1-minute passes and she convinces herself that it was all in her head and that she's just paranoid.

Like before Tia closes her eyes, falling into her almost sleep when she heard the so-called "footsteps" again, she freezes when she hears a light tapping on her window, this time Tia knows for sure that it isn't in her head. She sits up in bed and the tapping continues on her window. With every second the tapping starts to become harsher as if it knows she is in there, trying to get her attention. Tia picks up her phone to check the time *2:47 AM*. The light taps have now turned aggressive and then there is a sudden bang on the glass then silence. Tia feels the colour drain from her face as a deep "Hellooooooo?" comes from outside her window in a playful almost mocking tone, "Let me in little girl" the voice calls after a couple of silent seconds. "Let me in, or ill let myself in," the low voice is closely accompanied by an evil chuckle and with that the sound of the footsteps against the gravel start again, retreating from the window.

Tia lets out a deep breath that she didn't realise she was holding. Moments later light screeching noises from one of the kitchen windows catch Tia's attention and the loud thud that came shortly after it was enough to get her to move from her bed and hide. She runs into her ensuite and locks the door behind her. She moves her hand into the pocket of her pyjama shorts in an attempt to grab her phone but she quickly realises she left it on her bedside table. Before she can gather enough courage to grab it she hears approaching footsteps and her bedroom door being forcefully swung open. The silence that fills the room is one of the scariest things she has ever heard. The silence was broken when the person slammed up against the bathroom door bursting through it making Tia scream at the horrific sight of what she once thought was human...