My Short Short for the Day

Sidney collapsed to the ground. She could feel the warmth of heat surrounding her. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around. She was home. The darkness was gone. She was lying on the couch and the sun was peeking through the curtains and shining on her face. She sat up rubbing her neck. On the table she saw a little blue mouse Ginny had just got yesterday. It was her treasure. Sidney smiled. Oh, what a horrible night. Her dreams had faded but left behind a feeling of despair in the pit of her stomach. She stood and stretched her arms high over her head. With a big yawn she rubbed her lower back to work out a kink and then walked into the kitchen. She filled a glass with water and took a long drink. The coolness soothed her throat. Carrying the glass she walked down the hall to Ginny's room.

“Time to get up Sleepyhead.” She said walking into the room.

She saw the empty bed and smiled. “Ok, silly goose. Where are you hiding?”

Sidney searched the closet and under the desk. Then she got on the floor and looked under the bed. Nothing.

“Where are you?” Sidney laughed walking into the hallway. “I'm going to find you.”

Sidney walked down the hall and into her bedroom. “Are you in here Sweetie?”

There were no sounds. Sidney's joy started to fade. And where was Ed? She searched under the bed, in the closet, in the bathrooms and every possible place a child could fit, but nothing. Ed was no where either. They must have gone to the store or something. Sidney breathed a sigh. That had to be it. She was being foolish because of those dreams. She shook her head. Just being foolish.

The phone rang and Sidney picked it up. “Hello?” There was no sound from the earpiece. The ringing continued but it was coming from Ginny's room.

Sidney frowned and walked into her daughter's room. She looked through the toy bin following the ringing sound. Then she found the toy phone. How could it be ringing. Sidney looked it over. No batteries, no mechanical parts. How is it possible? The ringing continued.

“Hello?” Sidney said holding it up to her ear.

“Mommy, is that you?” Ginny's voice was soft. “Where are you?”

My Short Short for the Day

“Mommy? Where are you? I can't see you.” Ginny's voice came from the creature but the body didn't move.

“Ginny?” Sidney knelt beside the limp body cradling the head.

Ginny's eyes popped open and her mouth twisted into a smile. “Oh, there you are. Where are we?”

“It's ok Sweetie. I'm right here.” Sidney lifted her little body into her arms. “I'll get you out of here.”

Sidney turned away from the skeleton and began to run back the way they had come. It was pitch dark again. The light was behind her. She ran anyways, desperate to get home. She ran faster trying to outrun the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She crashed into a wall and fell backwards. She had smashed her face against it but she was too numb to feel the pain yet. She picked up Ginny and inched forward slowly this time.

Then she heard the scraping sound again. It was behind her. Getting closer. She moved quicker. There was a small patch of light ahead. She moved faster toward it holding out a hand to give her a few seconds warning of anymore walls. Ginny didn't move or speak. She felt light, too light.

They got closer until finally the light surrounded them. Sidney stopped to look down at Ginny and screamed. The little girl's face was covered in blood. She wasn't breathing. The wall, she had gotten crushed when Sidney had run into the wall. “No!” She screamed.

My Short Short for the Day

Suddenly the creature stopped. Sidney nearly ran into it but caught herself just short of making contact. She sucked in her breath and demanded her heart to stop thundering in her chest. The flashing lights stopped moving and dimmed to almost a pitch black. There was only silence surrounding them. Almost silence, there was a noise, faint and distant...or was it? It sounded like a scraping of something sharp along a rock. Sidney strained to hear better. A shiver raced up her spine as the hair on her arm stood on end. The sound had stopped and the darkness was complete. She couldn't see her own hand less than an inch from her face.

The sound started again but it was right behind her. She wanted to jump but fear froze her in place.

“Don't worry Mommy.” The creature whispered. “He's here now.”

The cold, icy fingers of the creature grasped Sidney's hand. It was all she could do not to yank it away. As they walked a light spread before them, leading them forward. Sidney looked around but it was a thick blanket of darkness around them. Only the narrow strip in front of them was lit. They walked for several minutes then the creature dropped Sidney's hand and collapsed to its knees. It lay on the ground like a rag doll, limp and lifeless and looking exactly like Ginny.

Sidney clasped her hands over her mouth. She wanted to scream, rage against who ever was doing this, but terrified to make a sound. Another sound and she looked up. She stared willing her eyes to focus in on the being sitting high up on a throne a few feet away. Slowly the image cleared and it was a skeleton. Not creepy at first but the longer she stared the more it morphed into something from a nightmare. This was a nightmare. It had to be. Why couldn't she wake up though. Sidney cried silently.

My Short Short for the Day

Sidney opened her eyes but was too terrified to look around. She fixed her gaze on the striped socks of the creature that was following Ed. They were Ginny's socks, but it was definitely not Ginny wearing them. What was that creature and where was Ginny? Was she ok? Was she safe? Maybe she had run out of the house, escaped to the neighbors. She could only hope.

“Here we are Mommy.” The creature said with a smile.

Ed set Sidney down. She stood, looking up and felt an immediate lurch in her stomach. Swallowing hard, she forced the bile back down. What was this place? “Ed? Are you in there?”

Ed stared right through her.

“Daddy can't hear you anymore.” The creature said cheerfully skipping by. “Come on Mommy, I have so much to show you.”

Sidney walked carefully, shielding her eyes from the flashing lights that threatened to make her sick. She had to concentrate on finding a way out. How could she escape and where would she go? She looked behind her to pick out some object, some landmark to remember how to get home. Home. Why was this happening? How? No, enough of that. It didn't matter how or why or any of that. Escape. That's all that mattered. And not throwing up. Those lights were making it very hard to see and to forget her twisting stomach.

My Short Short for the Day

Ed sat up with a glassy stare. He was looking toward Sidney but he wasn't seeing anything. Sidney's scream stuck in her throat. She could only look in horror as Ed slowly rose to his feet and walked toward her. Sidney was paralyzed in fear.
Ed leaned over grabbing Sidney's arms and pulling her to her feet. His hands were icy cold s they dug into her flesh.

“Ed? What are you doing?” Sidney pleaded. “Stop. You're hurting me. Ed?!”

“Don't worry Mommy. Daddy is fine...now.” The little creature spoke with Ginny's voice but didn't resemble her in any other way. The creature looked up to Ed. “Bring her this way.”

Ed lifted Sidney off her feet and laid her over his shoulder. “Ed! Let me down! Ed! Wake up!”

“He's not sleeping Mommy. He can't hear you anymore.” The creature said with a smile before ducking under the bed and crawling to the farthest corner.

Sidney winced as Ed knelt down still carrying her. She closed her eyes and held her breath. Ed moved quickly. How they fit under the bed, Sidney didn't know but soon they were in a cold, dark tunnel. Where were they going and how could this be happening? Was it still a nightmare?

My Short Short for the Day

As Sidney rocked her daughter, Ed finally shook his head and turned to them. “I just don't know what to make of it. I mean, it's just not possible to vanish.”

“Well, they can do that in your comics Daddy.” Ginny said.

“Yeah but that's not real.” Ed said with a smile.

The family sat silent for several minutes. Sidney just couldn't wrap her mind around it. She'd read ghost stories before and watched plenty of movies but never believed in supernatural beings. How else could she explain what she saw. She yawned uncontrollably. Maybe it was a nightmare. Maybe she was still asleep. She closed her eyes for a moment.

“You're not dreaming Mommy.”

Sidney opened her eyes at the sound of her daughter's voice. She screamed and dropped the creature as if being burned. She scrabbled away as fast as possible but bumped into the bookshelf. She looked toward Ed but he was sound asleep on the floor next to the bed. He wasn't moving.

The creature stood and walked toward Sidney. The creature spoke with Ginny's voice. Sidney's eyes darted around the room. Where was Ginny?

“Ed!” Sidney screamed reaching around for anything solid to grab. “Ed!”

My Short Short for the Day

“I don't know.” Sidney said slowly getting to her feet.

There was a soft sound and Sidney bolted out of the room. She rushed into the other bedroom and threw herself on the floor.

“Are you ok Sweetie?” Sidney reached in to grab her daughter's hand.

“Yes, Mommy.” Ginny's voice was very soft and she was clutching her stuffed unicorn. “I'm scared.”

Sidney helped her daughter out and pull her into her arms. Ed sat on the bed still looking confused.

“What happened?” He finally said.

Sidney snuggled Ginny close in her arms. “I feel asleep on the couch. The click of the door closing woke me up. I was a little dazed at first but I saw two shadows go by. I grabbed the dumbbell. I didn't know what else to get. They went into our bedroom so I stopped at Ginny's and told her to hide under the bed. Then I went to our bedroom and they were whispering. I couldn't tell what they were saying. I just lunged at the closest one. I know I hit him but then...it's like the light came on and they disappeared.”

Ed tugged at his beard looking downward, staring at nothing in particular.