The Attic

It was up there, Cassy knew it was. When her grandmother went down the attic steps it would get her. It would swoop down from the rafters. It would slam her down to the ground and slowly eat her body.
That was what the thing in the rafters would do to her. And it wouldn't hesitate once Grandma went down the steps.
Whenever Cassy told her grandmother about the creature in the rafters she would assure Cassy that there was nothing in the rafters. Grandma would even shine the bright flashlight up to the rafters. Of course there was never a creature in the beam of light. The creature was smart, Cassy knew, smarter than Grandma and waiting for Cassy to be all alone in the attic.
The first time Cassy knew of the creature was when she went up the attic steps with her grandmother years ago. Cassy was not afraid of the attic as she went up the steps. She was with her grandmother, nothing could hurt her.
Grandma quickly fould what she had come to get and began decending the stairs. Cassy lingered and the smell of old things held her transfixed just long enough for the creature to take his chance. Cassy didn't hear him comming. She felt a rush of wind againist her cheek. She felt the pull of hair and ducked just in time. The creature swooped over her head with only a clump of hair in his long talons.
But it would take another pass, Cassy knew.
She didn't give it time to come back. Cassy ran down the steps as fast as she could and never looked back.
Ever since then Cassy knew the creature wanted her and was just waiting for the right opportunity.
Now, Grandma has told Cassy to wait in the attic for her to come back. They were cleaning the attic. Cassy almost made an excuse to go down with Grandma. But that was silly.
Wasn't it?
Casy was big now. She shouldn't be afraid if things that her grandmother insisted were not real.
So Cassy stayed as her grandmother approached the steps, and then down the steps.
Clunck... clunck... clunck... clunck.
With each clunck the fear in Cassy's stomach rose a little higher. And each time Cassy tried a little harder to supress it.
All too soon Grandma's head was the only thing she could see.
Clunck.
Then Grandma was out of sight.
Cassy looked around. Streams of light can in through an attic vent. Cassy had no trouble seeing the piles of boxes surrounding her. But Cassy noticed the darker shadows in the rafters.
They were so dark.
But Grandma was gone and no creature had gotten her yet. Was she safe? Cassy relaxed. There was nothing to be afraid of. It was probably just a bird stuck in the attic. There was nothing to fear!
There was a fluttering of wings in the attic!
Cassy turned just in time to see the creature...
...bat wings, sharp, yellow beak, large red eyes, and long talons,
before it tore off her head!
Seconds later it came back for the body!
Cassy's grandmother returned to the attic to find Cassy was no longer there. Cassy's grandmother looked all over the attic and then the rest of the house. Cassy was not to be found. She was reported missing. No search was able to recover Cassy or her body. Nothing was ever found.
No one ever saw Cassy again.