Afterlife - Stephanie Hudson Page 0,27

the quilt that I'm sure if I could have seen my knuckles, they would have been deadly white.

I wanted to put the light on but knew that it wouldn't help me see outside and I would only get as far as seeing my own pale refection. I waited for the moon as the tapping continued, only this time it wasn't as erratic. It made me too curious, so I bravely got up and walked over to the window seat straining my eyes, desperate to see the creature once more but I was at a loss to understand why.

The moon was coming out now and it started to create shadows in my room. But both relief and disappointment washed over me, as there was nothing there. My eyes searched everywhere but still no bird and also no trace of anything that could have been making that noise. I was about to give up but decided to open the window. I didn't know why or what difference this would make but my hand still reached for the window latch. It was a bit tough but I didn't need to worry about waking anyone, you couldn't hear anything up in my attic room.

The paint flaked and the hinges squeaked as I pushed on its frame. The cold air hit me and went straight down my spine continuing all the way down my body. I held my arms around my ribs wishing I were back in my warm bed, feeling like an idiot, standing there freezing my butt off. I poked my head out and looked down at the yard but there was nothing that had changed, still just a shed with some car parts dotted here and there. But no bird…no nothing. What did I expect, my mystery dream man to be stood there with a handful of stones he had been throwing at the window?

I laughed at myself and pulled the window back to slam it shut. The noised startled me even though I was expecting it. What I wasn't expecting was the floorboards behind me to creak even though I hadn't yet set foot on them. I turned round too quickly and almost stumbled over the cushion from the window seat that had fallen to the floor.

“You have trouble staying on your feet, don't you?” That perfect voice, the one I had been trying so hard to remember. It was hypnotic. It was so smooth, like silk covering my cold skin but with an edge of something strong about it. I didn't know what to do or to say. I just wished that I could see him as well as I had heard him. The room was still black because the moon had gone in again behind the safety of its clouds. I could just make out the tall, dark silhouette standing at the bottom of my bed, no more than four feet away from me. My heart rate must have tripled in seconds yet I was still scared to breathe.

“I umm.....I mean... what are you doing here?” Was all I could ask and I didn't really think why I said it. What a moron I sounded! Forget that there's a strange man in my room, I was worrying about what I sounded like. Way to go Keira, get your priorities right.

I couldn't see but I was sure he had a smirk on his face. I could hear it in his voice when he said,

“Yes well I'm sorry about just coming here like this but I wanted to give you something. I think you lost this.” He held out his hand to give me something I couldn't see but I didn't move.

“It's alright, there's no need to fear me. I would never hurt you.” He emphasised the world 'never' as if it would cause him physical pain to go back on his words. His voice also did that hypnotic thing again and made my brain turn to mush.

I stepped forward cautiously and reached out as far as I could to take what it was he was holding. I was just about to get it when he moved so quickly, it was a blurry wave and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I realised how close he was to me. My hand had dropped to my side as I struggled to breathe again. He must have noticed my reaction because he whispered in a honey coated voice,

“Don't be afraid.”

I wish I could have found words