Tap, Tap, Tap

• Imogen Mathesonclark, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2022

Big, black, boots walk into the room. I peer out from underneath my bed. A bloodstained bat swings down below their ankles. Time held its breathe. Everything was still. Something's hand yanked me out. I was forcefully crashed into the floor. I stared up in pure fear for my life.

"A new serial killer, "The Tapper" has people wondering, wondering when will they be caught. Police say they only attacks people in small groups and those who live in secluded areas." The man droned on, as I fell into a void of thought. "I'm too far out of town to be a target, right? That new killer won't find me. They just can't, right?" "The Tapper has killed over 100 men, women and children. This person shows no mercy. If you are hearing tapping or have been hearing tapping, run and hide."

Tap, tap, tap. My eyelids slid open. My alarm clock read 3:44am. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. Suddenly all my attention was on the window. No one. "I swear I saw something though. It was probably just a bird," my thoughts whispered. I laid back down, a wave of an uncomfortable peace washed over, multiple times.. Someone was definitely watching me. Very closely.

SMASH! My upper body flew up. I flung my legs over the bed and cautiously walked over to the hallway. Glass shards covered the kitchen floor. I could only hear my heart. I could hear footsteps, wandering around my house, as if they were searching for something. The footsteps suddenly stopped. The person whispered my name, creepily.

I peer out from the doorway. I saw a masked person. They were staring right back at me. I ran to my room, sliding under my bed. My heart beat was pounding in my ears. I hoped this would be good enough. My eyes were attracted towards the person. Knee-high, jet-black boots walked into the room slowly. A large, bloodstained, bat swung down at their ankles. The bat was wooden, with nails sticking out at the top. Time held it's breathe. Everything was quiet, too quiet. I was suddenly wrenched out from beneath my bed, then slammed down onto the floor. I stared up in pure terror. They lifted the bat high in the air and swung down, aimed right at my head. Blood spurted out. Darkness shot across my eyes.