Whispers

Chapter Four

4

My eyes snapped open and I rubbed at them sleepily as the red numbers on my little clock swam into focus. It was just past two thirty in the morning. Casting my haze-filled eyes around my barren dorm room I briefly wondered what could have woken me up so late.

Then I felt it, a soft chill against my skin as the breeze picked up outside. Branches scraped violently against the side of the dorm as the wind howled relentlessly. It must just be the air conditioning, I thought. Groggily, I reached for my covers and pulled them closer around myself, but quickly froze as they crinkled and cracked in response to my movements. I stared at the handful of dried leaves scattered across my bed. They had to have blown in from outside. But that couldn't be possible. Officer Damieon told me my windows couldn't be opened. There was just no way.

I was getting ready to shift around in my sheets to take a look before a noise sounded directly above my head, stopping me in my tracks. The sound was soft and deep, like the breathing of a monster in a horror movie.

A beam of moonlight stretched across the walls and with it the monster's shadowy figure loomed above me. Its body was shaped like that of a man but whatever it was didn't sound like anything -animal or human- I was familiar with. As though in agreement with my thoughts a deep throated growl filled the silent room.

Shifting slightly, I chanced a look back over my shoulder. The monster was cloaked by darkness. He was crouching, just inside the open window, barely a few feet away from where I was laying. Through the dark gloom I was able to make out a pair of luminescent pale blue eyes and long dark hair.

Slowly, he climbed down from the window and onto my bed. His foot touched the pillow-y mattress first, and as he sunk down into it the weight of his body forced me closer to him despite my struggles to stay away. He knelt down beside me and all I could see were those glowing blue eyes against the inky black. I openly stared at him, trying to find my voice to speak, to say anything at all but found absolutely nothing. I couldn't say a word. I couldn't move. All I could do was stare at him as he knelt down closer, his soft hair brushing across my face.

What the hell was going on?

The man sniffed at my body and I fought to keep as still as I could. The memory of Morgan's poodle Trixie flitted briefly though my mind and I knew exactly what he was doing. She had done the exact same thing when I first slept over. He was taking in my scent. A small rush of warm air blew at the hair resting against my neck and my body tensed up in response. There was a soft sound, a mixture between a low predatory growl and a thoughtful hum.

If he touches me, I thought to myself, I'll scream.

I shut my eyes tightly refusing to look at the man -beast -thing any longer and hoped that when I opened them again he would be gone. But before I could do so the windows behind me slammed open loudly and a cold burst of wind rushed though the room, scattering papers across my desk and knocking my texts books to the floor. With a small cry I whirled around terrified as to what I might find but aside from myself the room was completely empty.

Not wasting time I jumped up and rushed to the window, pulling at the small handles. It refused to open. I looked down at the ground far below. Man or beast he couldn't have survived a four story drop like that.

At least, that's what I had thought.

I watched in absolute amazement as the man walked calmly across the yard, down the crooked cobblestone pathway and was swallowed up by the darkness and surrounding shadows. I was left staring after him, my heart pounding hard against my ribcage like a tribal drum.

Logic told me that this was just a dream and that I would soon wake up, that this was all just another nightmare. But no matter how much I wanted to believe it was all just in my head or how hard I struggled to fall asleep afterwards I could still feel his hair tickling my face, his breath against my skin. I could still see those bright blue eyes as clear as day every time I shut my own. There was no way that was just a dream. But then... What else could it be?

When I woke up the next morning the leaves were still there.

Dear Readers,

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Thank you! ^^ -Charlie