The Dark

Ruby hated staying at her daughter’s house. Usually, normal people allow their mother’s to stay in a comfortable bed, especially if they’re mother was 75 years old. Her bones ached from sleeping on the hard couch and she was developing a migraine. The house was quiet, but she doubted if sleep would come anytime soon. Church started at 9:00 the next morning and she hadn’t missed a service in 31 years.

She was used to going to bed at 9:00, but it was already midnight and she wasn’t tired. It had been a long day. She drove five hours to get to her daughter’s house, just to find no one at home. She waited another hour for someone to show up. It felt good to be loved.

She was irritated by her inability to sleep. She took sleeping pills earlier and was waiting for the magic to kick in. As soon as she closed her eyes, she heard the cabinet door creak. She knew the house was old and there were several things that her lazy son-in-law needed to fix. She heard a series of two thuds, followed by a clicking sound across the kitchen’s wooden floor.

She hadn’t remembered seeing a pet earlier. Perhaps it was one of those cats that stayed hidden during the day and was active at night. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she had a creepy feeling that she was being watched. She opened her eyes and saw something sitting on the back of the couch. She couldn’t make out exactly what it was, but she realized that it was no cat. The eyes burned with an eerie ember glow and held her gaze, she couldn’t look away. The house itself was dark, but the cat-sized creature was pitch. She nearly gagged at the sulfurous smell.

She forced her eyes shut. It was the hardest task she had ever performed. She felt her chest tighten and her breathing quicken. She could feel the creature’s gape upon her. Never before had she felt such hatred and evil. Her mind raced and she nearly panicked, but she thought of the one thing that comforted her.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.”

Her eyes remained closed and she silently repeated the prayer. She heard a soft thud on the carpet, followed by the clicking across the kitchen floor. Something landed onto the countertop, and the cabinet door creaked and slammed shut.

She didn’t sleep the rest of the night. She still held her crucifix in her hand when the alarm sounded for her to prepare for church. She was at church an hour early. She sat in the pew and thought that it would be awhile before she stayed at her daughter’s house again.

Story ID:	3515
Written by:	matt w bridgeforth (bio, contact, other stories)
Organization:	none
Story type:	Fiction
Location:	country setting usa
Year:	2007
Person:	Ruby