words Michael Bell
The man shaped thing stood in the corner. Cory tried not to see it, but it was persistent. Twitching and flickering as he tried to ignore it.
He had gone to bed, eyes sore from playing video games so late. This was the seventh time in seven days. He longed for sleep, but it constantly evaded him. Not one light was left on in the house. He stared through the dark in the direction of the ceiling.
There was constant noise. Traffic, the hum of electricity, odd barks of neighbourhood dogs. Quiet ticking of his clock. He rolled over, looked through the window. The soft blue glow of the moonlight barely penetrated his curtains. It blurred edges and stretched shadows.
The thoughts rolled through his head on a windmill of misery. Every little thing he had done of said wrong, replayed in his mind over and over like a cd stuck.
Every night it was like this. Eyes stuck open, sleep a breath away and yet tantalisingly out of reach.
The clothes on the chair in the corner look like a figure slumped over, arms hanging down and head limp. Cory’s brain filled in gaps with imagined details. Then it moved.
He looked away quickly, heart beating in his ears. It was in his head. For sure.
He stared back at the ceiling. The pile twitched, and slowly started to rise from the slump. The clock ticked.
Cory stopped breathing for a second. His eyes remained trained on the wardrobe.
Up the figure went, long limbs remaining limp as first the head rose, a shape on the head like a top hat appeared, under which the head turned to watch him.
The torso rose, arms hanging by its sides as it now stood to its full height. It towered over his prone form. Cory lay, hoping that it was still his imagination.
The man shaped thing stood in the corner. Cory tried not to see it, but it was persistent. Twitching and flickering as he tried to ignore it.
The head tilted and slumped, the action moving the head to look at him.
The top hat man flickered again as it reached a long arm out towards him. And then it was gone.
Cory sat up, panting as his heart tried to settle. It was all in his head. For sure.
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