I slammed the door shut with a triumphant *WHAM* and stood in the entry way panting heavily. Water dripped off my coat, face, hair, and fingers onto the rug and tile floor. I turned around to survey my home, my eyes searching everywhere for the thing I felt earlier.
"Jeez glad that's over. Now we....hey you ok there man?" They obviously felt my uneasiness as I scanned the apartment.
"Yeah I'm fine. I just swear I felt something brush by me and into here when I was forcing the door close. It felt like some kind of animal or something."
I could feel the disbelief coming from them and I imagined them all looking at each other with skeptic looks.
"We didn't see anything. Sure it wasn't the wind?"
"I'm sure John."
"Well then you better make a sweep of the house and keep your eyes peeled."
I agreed but first I took my boots and coat off and left them by the door to not get anything dirty as well as my socks which were soaked. I made my way slowly through the small apartment coming into the living room and noticing nothing out of place. The couch, coffee table, shelves, and TV were all still there. I turned to my left to look into the kitchen and dining area, nothing there either. Then I looked ahead to the door that led into the bedroom. I suddenly felt an uneasy feeling as I looked into the dark interior.
Slowly, I approached the room being careful to not make any noise. I stopped right in the doorway and listened for anything out of the ordinary. At first I heard nothing but then....
"You guys hear that?"
I could have sworn someone was crying in here, like a child who had gotten lost. Slowly I reached out to where I knew the light switch was and after feeling the shape I took a deep breath and readied myself before I quickly flipped it on.....
And saw that my bed was occupied by something. Whatever it was, it was hiding under my sheets and seemed to be cowering in fear. The whole bed was shaking from its shivers of either terror or cold or both. I had no idea what to do and the guys were just as surprised.
"Holy crap something DID run into here. What do you think it is?"
"An animal that's what and it’s under our sheets. We need to try and catch it and through it out quickly."
I, however, felt differently about this "animal". For one thing, it didn't seem to look like or act like any animal I know of. It was just hiding under there and acting like it was trying to get away from something. Another thing was....I kept feeling like this wasn't an animal at all.
Slowly I crept forward to the bed, one arm out in front of me and the other behind my back held in a fist ready in case I was attacked. The guys protested a little but fell silent as I stopped right at the side of my bed. I began to wonder what my next move was when I heard something from the thing in my bed and it sounded like...
"A whimper for help....and it sounded like a girl!"
"Can't be....it just can't be."
"Jacob say something; try talking to it."
I began to try and find my voice and I croaked out, "Um....hello?"
Instantly the shivering stopped and the thing lay motionless in the sheets. I pressed on, my deep voice not really the best sounding but I tried to sound as gentle as possible, "Hey, can you understand me?"
What kind of question was that? I was kicking myself for saying such a stupid thing right at the start when it made a noise, it sounded like a very small "yes."
So it wasn't an animal I was right again. From what it sounded like it was most certainly a young child, possibly a girl. I unclenched my fist and got down on one knee next to the bed. I felt bad for the little thing, lost out there in that storm and so scared it just ran into the first sign of shelter which was my apartment and had no idea I was also here. My hand reached out and I began to try and calm it down again, "Hey, it's alright. I promise I won't hurt you. You're safe from that storm now and nothing's gonna get you."
I kept my voice as calm and soothing as I could in order to try and convince it that everything was ok. This was someone who needed my help and I wasn't going to just stand there and do nothing. It was my job to help people that was one of the reasons I do what I do now. Sure a part of me was saying no to the fact that I had to take care of something like this but I just shoved it away. I was certain this was a kid that needed my help.......
Boy was I in for a surprise....
I could hear more whimpering coming from the lump in my bed but it looked like it was relaxing a little. I continued to talk to it, "Don't worry. There's nothing to be scared of here. I promise I'm not going to hurt you. How about you come out of there and let me take a look at you? You must be filthy from the storm."
At that moment my hand rested where I thought the kids head was but instead.....
"Whoa hold the phone.....t-that doesn't feel like a human kid man."
"He's.....he's right! What is it?"
There was no denying that wasn't a kid, the shape just felt off. It sounded like a child and yet I swear it felt like something else entirely. I became so confused I abandon all hopes of trying to coax it out and grabbed the edge of the sheets and lifted them up.......and.....
Yeah.....
It wasn't a "human" kid....