Tap, Tap, Tap

My mother-in-law's dinner was talking back to me. I grabbed the milk carton from the fridge and poured a large glass. I gulped down the silky goodness of the whole milk. None of that ridiculous skim would find a place in my refrigerator.

I heard a noise from down the hall. Maybe June was up struggling to digest that casserole as well. I washed the glass and then headed back to bed.

As I entered the bedroom, I heard the sound again, but June was fast asleep. Hmmm.

Tap, tap, tap.

I passed the bathroom on the way back toward the kitchen.

Tap, tap, tap.

It was louder and quicker this time. And it was coming from the bathroom.

I stopped midstride, stared at the wall just past the bathroom door and did that crazy hold your breath so you can hear better routine. Tapping on glass? A mouse was all I could imagine.

I entered the bathroom carefully, despite trying to convince myself it was a mouse. I flipped on the lights and saw nothing out of the ordinary. It had sounded like tapping on glass. Maybe it was coming from the window in the shower. The shower curtain was drawn and I swore at Hitchcock under my breath as I stepped forward and grabbed it. I ripped back the curtain to reveal more nothingness and a darkened, silent window.

Geez. I'm 56, not 6, for goodness sake.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

I jerked myself upright from peering into the empty shower and spun around to the sound of the quick tapping. I nearly jerked the shower curtain and rod down trying to keep my balance as I bunched up the rug aside the tub. I kicked at the rug and listened for the sound again as I tried to steady my breathing and my pounding heart.

A quick flash of something reflected off the bathroom mirror. I looked opposite the mirror, back to the mirror and then through the open bathroom door. I was the only one in the rather small room. Now I was hearing and seeing things. What was in that casserole?

I stood before the sink and looked at my disheveled hair and blood shot eyes. I turned on the cold water and let it run over my cupped hands. I leaned in and splashed the cool water on my face. I rubbed my tender eyes and then opened them to find a woman staring back at me in the mirror.

I staggered a few steps back and came to rest against the wall behind me. I watched her mouth open and close as she silently screamed. She stared right at me. She raised her hands, balled in fists and pounded on the mirror.

Tap, tap, tap.

Her fists pounded out the sound.

Tap, tap, tap.

She looked over her right shoulder and resumed pounding.

Tap, tap, tap.

I stood against the wall, confused by what I was seeing and hearing. I couldn't take my eyes off the terrified woman. Powerless, I stood and watched as a large man took her in his arms. She struggled. He turned and looked directly at me from over his shoulder as the woman continued to resist. He swung his large fist into the mirror and it shattered, throwing glass all around me.

I looked away and covered my face. When I looked back, there was only a few small pieces of the mirror stuck to vanity door.

They were gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Screams Prompt: You (or your character) wake up in the middle of the night to hear a light knocking on glass. You think it's coming from the window, but after a quick investigation you suddenly realize the sound is coming from the mirror! Kind of creepy, huh?

Word count: 582