A crash in the night.
Eyes fling open.
Hands shaking.
Heart pounds.
Deep breath.
Just a noise.
Head rests.
Eyes close.
Drifting.
⬛
Another sound.
A dull shuffling.
Footsteps creep.
Down the hall?
Sit up.
Listen carefully.
Silence.
Just your imagination.
Lie back down.
Eyes squeezed shut.
Tossing.
Turning.
⬛
Finally, a restless slumber.
Frenzied images lurk
in your head.
Lucid dreams invaded by...
grinding.
Scraping along a wall.
Awake with a hypnic jerk!
⬛
Screeching, scraping,
shiny steel on crumbling plaster.
Getting closer.
Sweat beads.
Search the nightstand,
no phone,
forgotten in another room.
⬛
Frozen in an icy grip.
Panic!
What to do?
⬛
Metallic grating,
this time a doorknob.
You watch it,
turn,
slowly.
⬛
The door opens to
a dark void.
Blackness.
⬛
But then,
the darkness shifts.
⬛
A shadowy figure
looms towards you.
Knife blade,
razor-sharp,
gleams by moonlight
through the window.
Piercing eyes —
glassy, emotionless pools.
⬛
Eyes dart frantically
around the room,
searching for a weapon...
anything.
⬛
There’s nothing.
⬛
Shielding your face
with your arms,
all you can do is wait
as you brace for
imp...
About the Creator
Sandy Gillman
I’m a mum to a toddler, just trying to get through the day. I like to write about the ups and downs of parenting. I’m not afraid to tell it like it is. I hope you’ll find something here to laugh, relate to, and maybe even learn from.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
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Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
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Comments (19)
LOVE IT. HORROR rules
This was such a spooky read. You did a great job building up the tension with those short lines and the way the sounds got closer and closer. It really kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.
Wow! I’m seriously unsettled now! I was like Rachel… hoping for an innocuous outcome. Loved: “ Awake with a hypnic jerk!” I never knew the actual term.
I really wanted this to be just your toddler in search of a cuddle. But boy, it packed a punch.
Sandy, this piece does an incredible job of making the reader question what's real and what's imagined. The creeping sounds and darkness play perfectly into the fear of the unknown. So well done,
Intense… the pressure was building & I felt that eery fear as if I was watching a scary film.
💖This felt like a perfect movie scene! Everything happens in such close succession that I felt I had no choice but to be swept along. Your use of Isocolon in the beginning, 'Eyes fling open. Hands shaking. Heart pounds.' perfectly mimics the rapid heartbeat of panic.
One of my worst nightmares came to life in your poem... and it scared the shit out of me. Well done, I have to admit.
Wow! This had my heart racing!
Well-wrought! The abrupt ending caps the piece well!
Very creepy Sandy. Loved it @Sandy Gillman
nice and spooky
Scary! I loved it. ❤️
Wow... scary! Good job!😢😣😧
Oh wow! This is written so well. The way you built up the tension is too good! Love it.
Oh the suspensssssssse. Dark, delicious, AND expertly written. Your poetry is improving out of sight each time I read a new piece ^_^.
Wow, Sandy, this was brilliant! I felt like watching a horror movie! The tension grew with each line, I realized I was holding my breath. I wasn't sure if it was real or a nightmare and I'd wake up any second now… Amazing work!
Oooooh wow. This was fantastic. Loved the tension build and it felt a million miles away from your other stuff in the best possible way. Stunning bit of nightmare fuel, Sandy
Oh shit, that was so nerve wracking and so dark! Loved it!