A Safe Place

I lifted the sheets from my body as the intense cold overtook my every nerve. I shivered as I rose from the bed looking across the dark room for the lamp. When I finally found it, I desperately turned the latch as a feeling of intensity overcame me. Light filled the room for a second. Then, just as quickly, the bulb shattered and I was engulfed in darkness once again. I felt trapped, but not alone. Then the words, "You will die..." bypassed my ears and penetrated deep into the darkest recesses of my soul.

I jumped out of my bed and wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. It was a dream I had many times before. So I shrugged it off and looked out the window. I hated falling asleep during daylight and waking up to darkness, as I had done during this afternoon nap. I was always left with an aching, empty feeling. But not necessarily of being alone.

I hated that old military house. Dozens of families make their homes within those same walls, depositing energies of all kinds. And as I walked through the empty corridors toward the stairs, it seemed all of them were making themselves known.

I turned on the television and laughed as "Alf" appeared on the screen. I forgot my own fears as the house remained quiet for the next couple of hours. Then, right on cue, it all started again.

The house never let you get too comfortable. The noises at first started behind me in the kitchen and in a moment seemed to be surrounding me. I looked around in desperation as lights started flickering on and off. Then doors started slamming while the television started changing channels on its own. There was no place to run within the house. So, in a second I found myself staring into the house from the relative safety of our driveway.

Everything stopped all at once. The noises and the lights and the slamming. But I waited a few more minutes before I reentered. The house loved to play games. I flew through the front door and escaped up the stairs like an olympic athelete in a 100 meter dash. In a second, and never looking behind me, I slammed my door and sat on my bed.

I swore I could hear the sounds right outside my door. But like my heartbeat and erratic breathing, they soon died down. I decided to relax for bed, but before hand, I remebered something. From my closet, I placed an unused lightbulb next to my lamp.

Sleep overcame me as the black and white images from my old television played on. Then, in a second it shut itself off. I awoke to my cold and dark room, shivering almost to the point of pain. I arose and let my feet touch the freezing floor. I found the lamp. Just like always, however, light was around for a couple of seconds before once again leaving me in darkness.

I calmly took the bulb from it's box and slowly unscrewed the broken bulb. I could hear low voices whispering toward me, mocking me, trying to get me to stop. But I wasn't frightened by them anymore. A minute later, light filled the room. And the sounds receeded. Every shadow and cold spot had retreated, and I was covered in bright, warm light.

I still heard many noises and saw many strange occurances in that house. But, from then on, I always felt like I had a safe place to go to.