[Visit the new website - www.thehorrorgrove.com]
I’d been looking forward to this evening all day. I’d given
my new mattress time to expand and settle and my god was I ready for a great
night’s sleep.
The evening shift had been a nightmare, so walking through
my house I swear my bedroom was almost glowing, my new mattress sitting proudly
on the bedframe. All it needed was the new duvet set I’d bought as a payday
treat.
‘Bella!’ I call for my cat to join me, she loves biffing at
the sheets as I make the bed, diving inside the duvet and refusing to move when
I’m finished playing.
No response. Typical.
As I grab the new sheets from the hall, I can see that she’s
had a to-do with the old mattress. It’s leaning against the wall, only now it
has fallen victim to my mini predator, innards and safety tag laying on the
floor nearby.
Making a mental note to clean it up later, I move into the
bedroom to set up my paradise for the evening.
As I begin to unravel the bedsheet, I hear something moving
in the hallway.
‘Bella, leave it alone’ I sigh, assuming she’s gone back for
another fight with the mattress.
Turning my attention back to the bed, I lean across to pick
up the corner of the mattress, and I hear the door creak open - not unusual
when your cat has privacy issues.
The light flickers, and I turn, expecting to see Bella.
Instead, all I see is Him.
He has no name, yet he’s always there in my dreams. He has
an expressionless face, wears black overalls, and chases me each time through
the same old farmhouse. Yet this isn’t a farmhouse and I’m not asleep.
I’m just standing there, looking at him. I pinch the outside
of my thigh, to check I’m definitely awake, the pain snapping my brain back into
action.
Most adults would probably confront an intruder, not me. Like
a child, I dive onto my bed, and pull the duvet up to my face.
A few minutes go by, and I hear movement in the hallway
again.
I bring the duvet down to my neck, to see if I’m delirious
or if this is really happening. I slide off my new bed and take a step towards
the door, leaning to see into the hallway.
He’s ripping open my old mattress.