Bang

Bang

By: Cody Malmberg

Word Count: 1442

         After a long day Conner sat in his bed contemplating the day’s events, and thinking about what tomorrow would bring. His eyes began to fall close giving in to the night and his head bobbed as he tried to stay awake long enough to lay down. He laid his head back into his pillow as sleep slowly began to overcome him.

         BANG

         Conner shot up in bed. Any tiredness that was in his body was gone replaced by a dose of adrenaline sending his mind and body into full alert. His head shot around the room searching for the source of the noise when he heard a hissing and scratching sound coming from his closet. He jumped out of bed and slowly moved to the closet and grabbed the handle to investigate the noise.

         BANG BANG BANG          

         The hissing was replaced by a loud growl and Screech  that sounded like it was coming through a hollow concrete hallway. Conner stumbled backwards and grabbed his bat from behind his nightstand. The closet began to shake upon its frame as the scratching got more violent and almost desperate sounding. Conner took a defensive stance.

         “What are you?” He yelled. There was no answer just more scratching. “Get the fuck out of here!” He yelled as his adrenaline began to spill from his body being replaced by a deathly fear.

         This is obviously not of this world he thought. He slowly began to break. The fear in his body began to overwhelm him. He stood holding his bat sobbing at the thought that he was going to die.  In one final attempt to save himself he ran at the closet and slammed the bat into it. The noises stopped as he dropped the bat and ran from the room.

         He stopped in the living room and listened. He heard nothing. Still pumping with fear he reached for his phone and dialed the first number that came to mind. Gail answered after three rings.

         “H-hello?” She said as she yawned. “Conner? Hello? Are you there?” Conner remained silent.  He took the phone from his ear and hung up.

         This couldn’t have just happened. It was impossible. He searched for a reason in his head.

         Was it a dream? No, no I know I’m awake… Maybe I’m just hearing things? No… that was real… I have no doubt… Wait! It was a night terror! Yea that HAS to be it. They last after you wake up I’m pretty sure. Yea, Yea they do It was just a night terror. You should be ashamed of yourself. Having that much fear.

         Conner looked back at his room. Even if it was a night terror he didn’t want to go back in there just yet. He knew he would never fall back asleep. At the same time he wasn’t entirely convinced in his reasons. He sat down in his chair and reclined back turning on the TV for background noise to distract his mind.



***



         The next morning he wasted no time leaving his house. He grabbed clothes out of the laundry room and left.  He showed up to his dealership a couple hours early. Gail saw him pull up and ran out to greet him.

         “Hey! What are you doing here so early?” She asked running up to see him.

         Eh. I just hoped to catch a buyer early… I could use the money right now.” Conner lied. Being a salesman convincing Einstein the sky was actually yellow would be a challenge he would accept so this went off without Gail taking a second thought.

         “Well bad news, No one has been here all morning. You can still come hang around if you want though. I’m here after all” Gail winked. She knew Conner was in to her and she was REALLY in to him. She liked the flirting he did daily and longed for the day he would finally ask her out.

         “Heh, Yea I think I could do that." He smiled at her.

         "Oh Yea!" Gail said, "Why did you call me last night?"

         "Oh. I did? Maybe I rolled over on my phone or something."

          "You sleep with your home phone often?" She smiled detecting the cover up.

         "Maybe I fell asleep talking to my hot date from last night!" He shot back with a smirk, Gail rolled her eyes, "Anyways, I haven’t eaten yet I’m going to run to the break room do you want anything?” Conner asked as they walked inside.

         “Hot date sure! Grab me a coke will ya? Thanks”

         Conner walked to the back giving a polite smile and nod to his other coworkers as he passed. He walked into the break room and opened the refrigerator.

         Tap Tap Scrrrratch

         Conner froze. His hairs were standing on end as he turned around to see the Storage door closed behind him.

         Tap Tap Scrrrratch

         The noise repeated. He shut the refrigerator door and sat down against it.

         Tap Tap Scrrrratch

         No, he thought,not here, too… I’m awake… No this can’t be.

         Tap Tap Scrrrratch

         Conner began to sob as the loud Hollow screech sounded again.

         “NOOOOO!” He yelled causing several employees to come running including his boss and Gail. They all saw him there screaming clutching his head on the floor. Gail called 911 and dropped by his side and hugged him. He began to calm down as the EMTs showed up. Still he agreed to go to the ER to be checked out, Gail came with.



***



         After two hours in the ER he was released. The doctor was unconvinced of his story. Conner said he hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night and was just tired. He saw something that reminded him of a nightmare and fell apart momentarily. The doctor requested continuously that he at least stay overnight for observation at least but Conner refused continuously. Gail quickly volunteered he stay with her, both the doctor and Conner agreed to this.

         On the way home Gail tried to understand the events.

         “So… What did you hear?” She asked

         "Nothing... Just like I said. It was just my mind playing tricks on me." Conner said seeming to try to convince himself just as much as Gail.

         "Conner..." Gail said looking at him

         “Just… sounds… scratching…screeching…” Conner said as he hung his head in the passengers seat. He went on to explain the previous nights events as well as the break room encounter. Gail silently listened until he finished.

         “Hun… That’s an awful thing to have to live with, but I assure you it’s not real and you can stay with me until you feel safe again.” She said as they pulled into the driveway. She leaned over and pulled him into a tight embrace. “Let’s go inside.” She suggested as she mustered up a smile.

         “Thank you…”

         They went inside and she set up the sleeper sofa in the living room. She ‘joked’ that he could sleep in her room, but he smiled and declined the offer. She still sat with him until he fell asleep. She leaned over and kissed his head. Finally she got up and went to her room.



***



         He had no idea how long he was asleep, all he knew was that this time he woke up to a scream. A scream from Gail. He got up and ran to her room grabbing the handgun he knew she had in the kitchen cabinet. He opened the door to her room and saw the doors to her closet laying splintered on the floor and a horrible thing on top of Gail ripping at her with its long talons.

         He yelped and took two shots at it. The beast turned around and looked at him with it’s clouded face and eyeless sockets. Conner turned and ran the beast close behind. As he came to the door he felt a piercing pain in his leg and fell to the ground. He turned to see the beast withing breathing distance and it’s talon through his leg. He fired two more shots at it, but they just passed through the cloud that is the monster.          

         Seeing that this was a hopeless attempt and that Gail was gone, He turned the gun to his chin.

         BANG

***



         Gail awoke during his frantic episode. She opened her eyes to see him fire two shots into her wall then turn and run. She chased him into the living room where he tripped and fell clutching his leg. He looked right at her then fired again.

         She lay on the ground vision going blurry. The last thing she saw was Conner put the gun to his chin.

         BANG