Fear

There is silence

There is darkness

A single floorboard creeks

There is silence

There is darkness.

The moon peaks out between the clouds

Soon to be obscured again

The wind whistles in the trees

Another floorboard creeks

And another

And another

The house is empty, and yet

Someone is walking upstairs

Another floorboard creeks

There is silence

There is darkness

An hour passes

Nothing happens

The darkness seems to close in

The house getting colder

The cold crawling up your skin

Making the hairs on the back of your neck rise slowly

A gust of wind blows through the trees

A soft thud comes from upstairs

Then there is silence

Then there is darkness

Silence is overbearing

Crushing

The steps creek and moan as you ascend them

Your pulse beats quicker with each sound

Slowly crescendoing out of control

Something is up ahead

Almost like a person

You stop, your heart pounding in your chest

But there is no person in the house

Only a bannister

You walk a few more steps

The floor creeks and groans

The hair on the back of your neck starts to tingle

As if there is an electric current in the air

As if someone is there

But there is only the bannister

And floorboards beneath

A cold hand upon your shoulder

Nearby a neighbor awakens

But what could've awoken them?

There is no wind in the trees

Or feeling in the air

There is only silence

And darkness