Sunday, January 30, 2005

Visitors in the Night

It's quiet here in the early morning hours. The only sound is the ping that water makes as it drips from the tap onto the porcelain of the tub. I took a shower at 4 am to warm me up. I'm cold again and my hair isn't even dry. I'm tired but I can't sleep. I'm lonely with only the glow of my computer screen to keep me company.

It's too quiet here this morning. It's quiet enough for me to hear the noises of the house. The groans and howls and pops that I rationalize away as "the wind outside" or "the house is shifting" but am irrationally afraid of anyway. I consider bolting from the desk and waking Jason up, but something keeps me here. Someone is watching me. Someone is here. I clear my throat just to prove to myself that I still have some control over the situation. It doesn't help.

"Jason?", I enquire, hopefully.

No response.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight. I try to steady my breathing but I'm shaking a little. I wish I wasn't sitting in the dark.

I look around the desk for a weapon, for anything that will make me feel braver. All I find is a pen, which I purposely drop on the floor. I edge the chair away from the desk, bend over and pick up the pen. I catch movement out of the corner of my eye.

I jerk myself back up, heart racing. What have I seen? A mouse? A shadow? A burglar?

I am trying not to cry. I am trying not to have a panic attack. I am trying just to reclaim my thoughts and not let my imagination go crazy. I'm doing a poor job of all three. And then, I feel a hand on my shoulder. It gives me a squeeze, hard, and I know I must obey it. I must turn around to face my fears...

He is tall, and solid, and dressed in black. Only his eyes are not covered, and they meet mine with such a piercing, menacing look that I have to look away. I realize that he and I are not alone in the room. There are other men just like him: tall, dark, and threatening.

I fear that my heart will pound right out of my chest. I wonder if I should scream, or if I even could. The men begin to move around. I don't know what their intentions are, and at the moment I don't care. I know the best way to help myself is to calm down, so I close my eyes and take some deep breaths. The alarm bells in my head stop going off long enough for me to realize there is music in the room.

I open my eyes, slowly, painfully, saying my prayers, and....

Oh-oh-oh-oh


Everybody was kung-fu fighting
those jerks were fast as lightning
In fact it was a little bit frightening,
but they fought with expert timing...

13 comments:

JeN said...

Uh-oh...
Did you read the scary stories I posted the other day? Or was this just a product of your drunkenness?
I find that, after reading something scary, my mind is overactive and I'm jumpy.
At least you got to hear a catchy 80s song. Imagine the horror if it had been a bad one!

Unknown said...

That would be a 70's song. But I have a few questions, enquiring collies want to know:
1. Was it a dream?
2. Were these just people left over from a party at your house and you forgot they were there?
3. Was David Carradine among them? Or maybe Jackie Chan?
4. Was it the 'fast as lightning' moves that were a little bit frightening to you during all of this?
5. Did their expert timing make it all better?

I could go on, but wait, I think I hear someone behind me in the dark, looking at me in the glow of my laptop's dim light. In the shadows there are, no, I can't say. Oh my dog - the smell coming from . .. I have get this out before they come to get . . .just to leave some last words to the world before they, they, they . . . .

It's fun to stay at the YMCA
It's fun to stay at the YMCA
You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal,
You can do whatever you feel ...

{illyria} said...

well, that was some suspense. if it was the liquor, then this would be another reason why i shouldn't be drinking.

Jay said...

Jason Says:

This is what happens when I let Jamie get up in the middle of the night. I generally wake up to some sort of 70's dance party and on occasion a toga party of one. I ask her where all the good bedsheets have gone, she claims to have no idea. Dancing around in a white sheet with a tall glass of berry punch is Madame La Dropsky, a.k.a Spilly McSpillington. She's a darling though, and whats a few juice stains if it means 4am fun?

Word To Big Bird,

Jason

Shane said...

That was a good story - so many different possible endings/unendings.

I'll not be able to listen to the kung-fu song in the same way ever again.

Vics said...

LMAO - oh yessirreee! That Karl Douglas had it right. never heard of that tune causing nightmares before though...
unexpected dance offs sure - but not nightmares.

Dawn said...

Things that go bump in the night. That is why I try to sleep, so I don't get freeked out by unknown noises and shit.

Harry said...

V. tasty, as always.

Chick said...

Oh, girlie, you are too funny!

I am going to think of this story the next time I get scared late at night & try to rationalize away all of my demons.

JeN said...

Hmm... the sad thing is, I did know that song was a 70s song. *makes note to read over comment before hitting 'post'*

I'm all for toga parties, especially if the bedsheets used are fun ones. I've got Ninja Turtle sheets that I have used as a toga in the past : )

Tara said...

Very interesting piece. Good job Jay!

Jay said...

Yes, I have been known to have a little party all on my own. And those little parties tend to turn into great big, swinging events that have small apartments just bursting at the seams. It's all good.

No Cal, it was not a dream. I'd have to sleep in order for that to happen, and we are not all so lucky as Dawn. I can't sleep. Which often means that I am up alone in the dark, with scary noises. So I decided that the best way to rid myself of fears is to turn scary noises into something that will make me laugh, exactly as Chick said. And if I can get through tonight without laughing about Kung-fu then I haven't done my job, and I will try, try again. Especially if trying means more tequilla shots.

As for you JeN, awesome on the sheets. Jason has clip-on Ninja Turtles on the shoelaces of his Vans. Leonardo was my favourite, but being a girl, I always had to be April. Phooey.

- litol figgy - said...

oh jay, sweetie. you are sooo crazy that i don't know if i should be scared or amused. :)