Greatest Fear

by
Sara Mercuro

In the dark of the night Ellie walked back to her room. She was scared there she admitted it, To herself, never aloud. It was OK to be scared in this situation she thought. Walking back from the kitchen feeling as if one step closer to her room is one step safer. Her room was as far from the basement as it could get. Although she would never tell she was scared to death of the basement. That was normal. It made strange sounds, queer shadows that made you feel uncomfortable. Climbing the stairs backward to make sure none of the shadows wind their way back up the curving stairs. Then Ellie froze she heard footsteps behind her. It's just my imagination, it's just my imagination. That is what Ellie repeated again and again. It's what her father said. He said that Ellie had a very active imagination. The kind that imagined ghosts and robbers around each corner. The kind that thought that pondered if this breath of air would be her last. Is there a robber there? She'd ask herself. No that's silly she reasoned in her mind. No matter how hard she tried to get the thought out of her head, it lingered. It lingered until she fell below into the land of sleep. Her dreams were always tortured. Like figments of a horror movie replaying it's self over and over in her head. In her dream the sanctuary she called her room shifted into a dark place. With gloomy shadows and a shock around every corner. Ghouls and ghosts hiding in her closet. Ellie never felt safe. Waking up to the same dark cozy room but there was something different. She turned her head. Ellie jumped a mile high. There it was, the horror that replayed over and over. Her greatest fear. She let out a scream that went all the way down to the bowels of the underworld. Footsteps raced towards her. She screamed louder. The lights came on, her greatest fear was the coat rack. Trembling she looked up at her parents she was all wet. She felt so embarrassed, she was so scared she had wet herself. Ellie stared at her parents damp and trembling.

"Ellie, dear are you all right? We heard you screaming" her mother questioned.

"I-m-m fine" Ellie managed.

"OK then" her mother said still looking worried "just let us know if you need anything."

As soon as her parents left she murmured "Help me, I'm afraid" inaudible under the footsteps of her parents walking down the stairs.