Footsteps in the Night

      The young girl awoke abruptly, eyes wide with energy, she was completly awake. She glanced quickly over at the clock, it was still the middle of the night. She listened closely, wondering what it was that had awoke her so suddenly from a pleasent dream. Finally footsteps clicked lightly on the pale kitchen tiles of the floor above. Her body stiffened in fear and she worked to keep her breathing as small as possible, while the footsteps clicked aimlessly above, moving from th pale tile to the thick carpet and back again. She started to relax her body after the shock of fear froze her.

      Leaning over slowly she shook the boy and girl next to her awake. They sat up sleepily staring at their friend questioningly. She motioned for them to stay quiet and silently pointed up at the top floor of the house. "Is anyone alse here?" she asked them in the barest of whispers.

      The girl answered in a small voice, mimicking her whisper, "No. We are the only ones here." They sat silently, wondering what to do. A shiver ran up all three spines when, once again, the soft padding footsteps on the carpet moved to the clicking on the tile.

      She slowly, soundlessly untucked herself from the warm protecting covers, and placed her small bare feet on the thick pale carpet below. Leaving the safety of the bed behind, she stood hugging herself to hold in the last vestiges of warmth. Her heart thudded with longing as she glanced back at the bed with her two friends still tucked safely under the covers. All she wanted to do was crawl back in and hide, hoping nothing came through the door for them. She pushed back the urge, and filled her heart with strength as she spun and strode out of the little room, her two friends trailing behind, huddling together.

      At the bottom of the stairs she held up a hand, directing them to wait there, even though they were all around the same age, and it was the brother and sister's home, not hers. Slowly, pulse pounding in her head, she tiptoed up the carpeted stairs, carefull not to make a sound. She paused at the doorway to the floor above, and peaked her head out, eyes searching for anything. She sat tensed and searching for along while, until finally she crept through the doorway and searched the whole floor. Nothing.

      Finally she stepped back down the stairs to her two friends who waited anxious for her return. She spoke softly to them, "Nobody."

      They padded back up the stairs and down, searching the entire house. They all silently agreed to check and lock all the doors and windows. At last they crawled back into the now cold bed.

      She listened to the soft breaths of her to companions, as she tried to persuade her body back to sleep, then the footsteps sounded again. She glanced anxiously at her friends. The girl had already fallen asleep, dirtly blonde hair splayed across the pillow, but the boy met her gaze with a scared questioning look.

      Again she climbed quietly out of the once again warm bed, the boy followed climbing over his younger sister, careful not to wake her. The two of them repeated the procedure again, but still found nothing, so finally they climbed back into bed, careful not to wake the girl.

      The boy looked at her, eyes full of fear, and the usual mischievous grin gone.

     She gave him what she hoped was a reasuring smile, and whispered, "Don't worry I'll keep watch, so you can go to sleep." He relaxed and lay down, soon falling asleep.

      At last she lay, silent, keeping watch in the warm bed next to her two friends soft breaths, staring at the blank off-white ceiling above, and listening to the soft footsteps padding aimlessly above.