The Wraith Witnesses Anthology

BEDSIDE WRAITH

SHORT STORY

In The Spirit of Halloween...

By: Rachel Kramer

10/08/09

I lay awake watching Real World. It's way past my bedtime, but I don't care. My parents are gone for the weekend and just like that old saying goes, what they don't know won't hurt them. So I carried on watching my Real World re-runs late into the evening. In case my older sister Kristen decided to play Mom, I kept my volume low. From what I could tell, the rest of the house was silent. Since I didn't hear Kristen's voice chatting away on her cell with her-way-too-old-boyfriend I had reason to believe she was either passed out already or had run off to some party. Either way, I was free to do as I pleased.

I was relishing in my independence when I heard footsteps just outside my door. Shit, I thought, Kristen's coming to check on me. I switched off my television with the remote and immediately curled into the fetal position, pretending to be asleep. My ears perked up, listening as the footsteps had come to a stop right outside my door. The door to my room creaked open and a strange cool chill swept by me. Strange. Even for the fall, it was warm where we lived.

It was then I noticed that there were no more footsteps. The room was silent. Too silent. A strange and uncomfortable emptiness filled the atmosphere that bordered on suffocating. Furthermore, I felt the distinctive sensation of being watched. Against my better judgment, I lifted my eyelids ever so slightly to catch a glimpse of the person who entered my room. I had expected to see Kristen standing before me. As much as I would have hated to have been lectured at by my self-righteous sister, it would have been bearable. My mind couldn't even wrap itself around what my eyes observed.

A cold shiver shot down my spine. There on the floor, only a foot or two away from where I lay was a little girl. She was on her hands and knees watching me intently with eerie grey eyes. The moon light that shone through my blinds danced on her pale skin, washing it out further. The little girl's complexion looked almost as grey as eyes. Her body resembled an animated corpse, but surely the dead didn't walk...or crawl for that matter.

Again, I shivered. Not because of the cold but at the uneasiness I felt. This wasn't real. It couldn't be happening. I must have just fallen asleep while watching my shows. Yes. I was dreaming and the dead little girl was a figment of my imagination.

Her colorless eyes narrowed as if challenging me to say she wasn't real. When I continued to remain silent, the corners of her mouth turned up to form a very small, spine-chilling smile. I could have wet my bed then. Instigating this ghastly situation further, she moved one of her arms forward coming a few inches closer. Her mouth parted slightly and her tongue snaked out to lick her lips. Ah, fuck this shit!

"Kristen!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, thankful that sound actually escaped me. Like a scared little baby, I threw my sheets over me, as if they had some sort of protective quality.

My voice was raspy and shaky, but it didn't stop me from shouting for my life, "KRISTEN!!!"

The next instant, my light switch flipped on and I heard my sister's voice next to me, "What happened? Are you okay? Kira, talk to me!"

Slowly, I pulled down my sheets peering out at the space where I'd seen the dead girl mere seconds ago. Kristen followed my gaze to empty space below my window, "What? What's wrong?"

I shook, "There- just- I..."

"Shh..." Kristen cooed, wrapping me in her arms. Her hands stroked my hair and she rocked me back and forth like a child. Usually, I was very stubborn and proud, but with what had just happened, I allowed my older sister to baby me. Nothing - I repeat: NOTHING - like this has ever happened to me. It was ...unfathomable. The dead stayed dead. Of course I'd grown up with ghost stories, but seeing the real thing creeping in my room gave such myths a whole new meaning. They weren't just legends to me anymore.

"God, Kira, you look like you've just seen a ghost."

I pulled away from Kristen's embrace to stare her dead in the eye. I didn't even bother to mask the terror that had embedded itself in my features, "Please. Don't ever say that word again."

THE END

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hey everyone!!

hope you liked this lil' ghost story

i posted in celebration of October

[one of my fav. months :D]

don't forget to vote & comment to let me know what you think<3