Awake

Laura Lovegrove

00:00 A.M

Wake up. Hearing that weird noise again. Scratch scratch scratch. Something is in the closet. Every night like clockwork it emerges. It sounds like it’s headed under my bed. The irrational part of my brain thinks it is a ghost or demon. The rational part of my brain is being very quiet. I am lying in bed with a strange sense of fear. After over analysing this feeling for a few minutes I realise it's not fear. It's paranoia.

00:10 A.M

I look at the digital clock. It’s after midnight. I need my sleep but that scratching noise will not desist. I am staring at the slightly open closet. In my sleepy paranoia, I imagine a large man with an axe coming out of it. I have to stop thinking about scary stuff and get some rest.

00:15 A.M

I close my eyes for a few minutes and all I can see are monsters, demons and murderers. That’s it. I’m going crazy. I have to wake myself up completely and then try to sleep again. I open my eyes wide and rub them until I feel awake. It doesn’t take long. This is going to be a long night.

00:30 A.M

The second I start to fall asleep I hear it. Scratch Scratch Scratch .It is right under the chair now. I dare not look down for fear of catching a glimpse of the thing which haunts me. I lie staring at the ceiling just waiting for the axe to swing down. Thoughts are madly rushing around my head on how I would escape, should I need to.

00:45 A.M

There is a packet of Easter eggs on the chair by the bed. I know this because I can hear the plastic rustling. Whatever that thing is must be hungry. I lie, frozen. My body tenses when I hear one of the little eggs hit the floor and begin to roll skittishly back into the closet. Then I hear nothing.

01:25 A.M

Lying here in the dark I wait. I wait for what feels like the inevitable. I listen for another scratching sound. But the silence persists and my tense paranoia begins to calm. I tell myself that it is ok. I tell myself it is time to sleep. I close my eyes and force myself to physically relax my body so that I might be able to get some rest. But now there is something else keeping me awake. It is something which is out of my control and more pressing than paranoia. It’s unfortunate because I was just starting to drift off. Sigh. I have to pee.