The Whisper

In keeping with the Halloween spirit... enjoy!

The Whisper


I closed my eyes, then opened them quickly but was unable to discern a noticeable difference in the window.  The tiny bit of light coming through the edges traced the outline of the blinds, but not much more.  Personally at this very moment I wished I had chosen drapes made of chiffon.  For that matter no blinds at all would been preferable to this inky blackness.

I heard the whisper again.  "Susaaan"  it said so softly I guessed at my own sanity.   My ears strained and my eyes darted to and fro trying to decide if I was imagining this or not.   For the past five nights it had been the same and tonight did not appear to be any different.  I pushed the supposed relevance of the number 6 to the background of my mind and tried to ignore it.  "Susaaan" the voice whispered again, tickling my ears as I buried my face deep in the pillows and pulled the covers over my head.  My childhood collection of porcelain dolls were safe on their collective self and though their eyes had no trouble filtering through this darkness they sat silently, staring on. If they saw, they were not telling.

[i]"This is silly." [/i] I thought to myself, but nonetheless waited for a few moments before creeping out from under the heavy comforter, hoping beyond hope that I was just imagining this and nothing more.   Deep in my heart however, I feared this was something far more sinister.  Parapsychology seemed like such a good idea for college but the last thing I wanted to think about right now was ghosts.   Mocking me, images seemed to float around my room on the barest traces of light, just out of my line of vision so that if I moved my eyes to intercept them they disappeared, like so much smoke.

I could hear the trees outside the house, scraping branches against the outside of the window with the wind like skeletal bones on the bars of a cage, pushing to get out.  Or perhaps, pushing to get in.  The old fashioned alarm clock sat next to the bed kept up it's silent march, it's face glowing dully in the darkness, weak against the onslaught of black.  It's light reflected in the glass of the dolls eyes as they kept their thoughts to themselves, maintaining their quiet vigil.

"Susaaan" the voice whispered again and with this I leapt from my bed.   "That's it!  I've had enough!" I shouted.  "Who are you and what do you want with me?"  I asked, my voice going lower with each syllable and I began to tremble as I realized how complete the darkness of the room was.   Cracking my shin on the nightstand, I yelped as I knocked the clock and it's watery light on the floor, and then kicked it under the bed as I hopped around holding my damaged pride.   Stepping to what I believed was the direction of the window, I tore the blinds from their rod and stood looking out into the dark at the skeletal face peering back at me.  The branches of the old tree intertwined until they formed a the shape of a jaw that mocked me with it's simplicity.   Now as I stood at the window I heard the music, though faint from the neighbors back yard, a popular rock song with an emphasis apparently on a girl whose name I shared.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped back from the window and shook my head at my own foolishness.  For five entire nights now I'd lain awake, scared and worried at something as silly as a neighbors obsession with a singular song played over, and over again.  Reaching for the clock to rescue it from it's fall, I set it on the bedside table.  Then turning to the dolls I decided tomorrow might be a good time to get rid of them once and for all.  They were really beginning to creep me out.

Crawling back into bed, I dove under the covers and pulled them up under my chin.  I fluffed my pillow and looked once more at the dolls with a silent promise of their upcoming demise.  With my mind at peace finally, drifted off to catch up with the sleep I'd missed the last several nights. 

Had I stayed awake a bit longer I would have heard a change in the whisper, which were not the lyrics I believed to be my tormentor. "Susaaaan.... we are coming for you." Perhaps I would have noticed the wind blowing the curtains on a window that was not open a few seconds prior.   Maybe I would have seen the reflection of something else cutting through the darkness, reflected as the dolls watched the glowing eyes creeping closer to the bed.   It is even possible I would have felt the fetid breath as it caressed my cheek.    It is not without reason that had I not been so exhausted, I could have escaped before I woke screaming as the ragged nails dug in my side, dragging me from the bed towards a portal of hell. 

Through all of this, the dolls watched on.