A Bad Dream

A Bad Dream

By Sharon Brunner

A loud knock at my bedroom door awoke me from a deep slumber. I cracked the door slightly to peak out into the hallway. A purple and white hue emanated from the front door and then there was another loud knock.  I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin as the hair stood up on the back of my neck.  I looked out the window and nobody was at my front door.  There were no foot prints in the snow. My heart was pounding against my chest.  The bins of mittens started falling from the cabinet by the door.  I walked quietly as to not goad the spirits that were visiting me during these wee hours of the morning.  I wish I was zeeing and this was only a dream.  My neck crooned around the living room doorway as I tried to see if the coast was clear. My nerves were raw . I started chewing mint flavored gum like a cow chews on her cud to release some of my tension. 

I nervously picked the lint off my bathrobe.  Milt, my dog, was glued to my side.  He was so well behaved since he graduated from dog obedience school. His tail was not wagging. I am so glad I found him when I was visiting that slum.  He was eating coleslaw out a Styrofoam container.  You could see Milt’s bones as they protruded from his ribcage. 

I turned all the lights on in the living room.  I knew I was going to be up for the evening.  I thumbed through a mag nervously.  I couldn’t call Barry because he was in California surfing.  Who could I call? I don’t want to stay alone, I am so scared.  Studying the paranormal for as long I have has brought this into my life.  I know it.  Barry tried to talk me out of doing this type of work.  I wouldn’t listen.  I found the scary creatures of the night to be very interesting.  I tried to turn the doorknob to the basement a tod.  It wouldn’t turn.  I backed up and the door opened by itself. The basement steps creaked as I walked down into the basement.

A large dark bird was staring at me through the basement window. A glim radiated from the far wall. A bint’s face appeared.  The face appeared sad and it looked like the face of my long departed grandmother.  She was glum and her lips began moving.  The words that came out of her mouth were “Leave the ghosts alone.” Sounds of rends were heard from the window.  The bird was running his beak across the pane of glass.  Startled I ran up the stairs, tripping over the umbrella that was left strewn on the rug.  Dazed, I felt as if a stint was placed over me.   What a quag I was in, I stumbled over to the sofa.  Before I collapsed on the sofa, I noticed my reflection in the big mirror.  I noticed that the Greek letters xi were written on my forehead in blood. 

I was awoken by Milt licking my face.  He was sitting on my chest staring down at me.  He was a small dog, a Yorkshire terrier.

“Oh good, it was only a dream,” were the first words that came out of my mouth.

I felt weak as I stood up.  The door to the basement was left opened.   I slammed it shut.

I saw that all the lights were left on in all the rooms in my home.  I entered the bathroom and looked in the mirror.  The letters xi were written on my forehead. 

Note:  this short story was developed by using words developed during an Up Words game.  I challenge you to play a game of scrabble or Up Words and write a poem or a short story by using the words you came up with.