I awoke with a start. Something in the air just didn’t feel…right. Looking around the bedroom, I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. I got out of bed and slowly made my way out of the room into the hallway. I flipped the light switch, but nothing happened. I tried again. No light. I crept down the hall, looking into each room as I passed it, trying the lights to see if they worked. Nothing. The hair on the back of my neck was standing up, as if trying to warn me of some unknown malevolence. Nobody else in the house was up. Was anyone else even home? I suddenly felt very alone in the oppressing darkness.

Then I heard it. It was a familiar but almost unwelcome sound to me. The music was faint and had an eerie quality to it. I’d heard this song before, but where? I went to the front door and opened it. It didn’t even occur to me at the time that it was unlocked. Opening the door, I felt like I was stepping out into some other dimension. All around was fog. I couldn’t see anything, but I could hear it, louder and louder as it got closer to the house. My heart started to race. I knew what that sound was now. They were coming. The music was their announcement to all that they were out, searching for any unfortunate soul that happened to be outside. The music sent chills through my body. It was one of those old children’s songs that you hear in the horror movies. Or that kids sing when jumping rope. I couldn’t make out the words, but I didn’t need to. It was the melody that had me terrified.

The music got louder and I could almost feel the change in the air as they reached the end of the block near my house. Would they know the door was open? Would they try and come for me? I quickly and quietly shut the door, praying that they wouldn’t notice and would keep going down the block. I’ve never seen their faces but I didn’t need to. I knew they were made of pure evil. They hunted for people at night, taking them away and doing God knows what with them. If they saw you, there was no hope. I’d always feared them. The music got louder and louder, as if they were approaching the house. I tried locking the door, but it wouldn’t lock. I locked it again, but the door kept opening. I latched the chain and turned to run. They were at the door, trying to get in. I tried to run, but it felt like I was in quicksand. I was moving as fast as I could, but getting nowhere. I screamed for help but no sound came out of me. I screamed again. Nothing. I tried to run faster, this time making some progress down the pitch black hallway. Fog was starting to fill the hall. That meant they had made it into the house. They were coming for me. I could feel them, their evilness filling the house, wiping out all hope of escape. I ran faster. I screamed louder. They were right behind me. The music was deafening now. I was almost to the end of the hall, but it didn’t matter. I tripped and fell. I could sense them standing over me, waiting for me to turn around. Shaking, I turned my head, unprepared to see the faces of evil looking down at me, laughing, sneering. One of them reached for me…

I awoke with a start.