to the back door and did his best to open it quietly. Once out back, he got far enough away from the house to be safe and pulled out a cigarette. He lit it and took a long, slow drag. The feeling was euphoric. John had officially quit smoking three months ago. Since then, he’d kept the habit down to breaks at work and the occasional late night slip in the backyard. Angela hated smoking and threatened to leave him if he didn’t give it up. He figured under the circumstances, he could smoke all he wanted.
He stood looking out across the back of the property. Moonlight illuminated the tree line in the distance. Angela said she’d found Alex back there covered in the black ooze. John considered walking out there, but decided against it. If he was going to have a look, he thought it best to wait until sunrise. He took another long drag and held the smoke in his lungs. There was a silence all around him as the wind died away. It was then that he heard a light clicking sound from behind him. He turned and looked at the back door expecting to see it slowly moving, but found it shut.
He approached the door tentatively, noticing the sound had stopped. John was a foot from the rear of the house when it started again, and then stopped. He was sure it was coming from the edge of the house and he kept close to the wall as he walked. The sound started again, this time at a slow rhythmic pace. The closer John came to the edge of the house, the more he recognized the sound. At the mid-way point, he stopped, peering further down the rear of the house at the lone window on the corner.
The light from the end of his cigarette lit up a small portion of his face a s he took a drag. He leaned out from the back of the house to sneak a look at the widow. Shadows kept the moonlight away, swallowing the area in darkness. The tapping continued.
John took one last puff of his cigarette and then flicked it out in the grass. His eyes stayed locked on the edge of the window but he didn’t move any closer. The tapping grew louder as he took a step forward. There was a new sound joining in with the first. Low, but constant, there was a rising hum. Another step and John was close enough to touch the windowsill. He steadied himself and then moved out in front of the glass. He saw a hand first, the blackened fingers tapping along the glass in search of freedom. He leaned in and Alex’s face slammed against the window, a moan erupted from his mouth as he tried to get a hold of his father.
John felt his heart stop a s he leapt back. He came down awkward on his foot, twisting his ankle. He landed on his back with a painful thud, his elbows sinking in the mud. All the while, Alex’s dark figure pounded on the glass trying to get out. Terrified, John rolled on to his hands and knees. He sloshed through the grass, working his way toward the backdoor. He was sure the glass would give way and Alex would get out into the yard. John gasped for breath as he reached the back door. A sudden awareness of silence held him still. The pounding and deathly moan stopped. Alex was out of sight and all that remained, was a light tapping of a child’s fingers against the window.
#
Angela shot up in bed as the pounding started. The sunlight from the bedroom window caused her eyes to slam shut. It took her a few seconds to wake herself up. She squinted as her eyes adjusted, and then she realized the pounding stopped. She tried to get her bearings. It was obvious John was already up. She slid on her slippers and looked out the window. She smiled as she stretched, interested in figuring out what her husband was up to.
A sudden jolt ran up her back as the pounding returned. She spun around and focused on Alex’s door. From her position at the window, she could only see the doorknob. She watched the door as the pounding continued. The noise stopped and she realized she was holding her breath. Fear raced through her mind when she considered what John might have done. Her
He stood looking out across the back of the property. Moonlight illuminated the tree line in the distance. Angela said she’d found Alex back there covered in the black ooze. John considered walking out there, but decided against it. If he was going to have a look, he thought it best to wait until sunrise. He took another long drag and held the smoke in his lungs. There was a silence all around him as the wind died away. It was then that he heard a light clicking sound from behind him. He turned and looked at the back door expecting to see it slowly moving, but found it shut.
He approached the door tentatively, noticing the sound had stopped. John was a foot from the rear of the house when it started again, and then stopped. He was sure it was coming from the edge of the house and he kept close to the wall as he walked. The sound started again, this time at a slow rhythmic pace. The closer John came to the edge of the house, the more he recognized the sound. At the mid-way point, he stopped, peering further down the rear of the house at the lone window on the corner.
The light from the end of his cigarette lit up a small portion of his face a s he took a drag. He leaned out from the back of the house to sneak a look at the widow. Shadows kept the moonlight away, swallowing the area in darkness. The tapping continued.
John took one last puff of his cigarette and then flicked it out in the grass. His eyes stayed locked on the edge of the window but he didn’t move any closer. The tapping grew louder as he took a step forward. There was a new sound joining in with the first. Low, but constant, there was a rising hum. Another step and John was close enough to touch the windowsill. He steadied himself and then moved out in front of the glass. He saw a hand first, the blackened fingers tapping along the glass in search of freedom. He leaned in and Alex’s face slammed against the window, a moan erupted from his mouth as he tried to get a hold of his father.
John felt his heart stop a s he leapt back. He came down awkward on his foot, twisting his ankle. He landed on his back with a painful thud, his elbows sinking in the mud. All the while, Alex’s dark figure pounded on the glass trying to get out. Terrified, John rolled on to his hands and knees. He sloshed through the grass, working his way toward the backdoor. He was sure the glass would give way and Alex would get out into the yard. John gasped for breath as he reached the back door. A sudden awareness of silence held him still. The pounding and deathly moan stopped. Alex was out of sight and all that remained, was a light tapping of a child’s fingers against the window.
#
Angela shot up in bed as the pounding started. The sunlight from the bedroom window caused her eyes to slam shut. It took her a few seconds to wake herself up. She squinted as her eyes adjusted, and then she realized the pounding stopped. She tried to get her bearings. It was obvious John was already up. She slid on her slippers and looked out the window. She smiled as she stretched, interested in figuring out what her husband was up to.
A sudden jolt ran up her back as the pounding returned. She spun around and focused on Alex’s door. From her position at the window, she could only see the doorknob. She watched the door as the pounding continued. The noise stopped and she realized she was holding her breath. Fear raced through her mind when she considered what John might have done. Her
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