Hush

By Ilina Udani

I looked out of the window and ran in fear to close the door. The storm raged in a swirling mass of black clouds that seemed to have sucked in all the light from the air, completely blotting out the sun. The wind howled like a furious beast, rattling the shutters and lashing at the edges of the roof. I threw my weight against the ancient door, managing to force it shut and slide the heavy iron bolt into place- all while the old wood creaked and groaned. 

The dim light of the sputtering candles illuminated the rest of the house as I sat down at the table. It was an old, lofty place- full of hidden nooks and crannies and passages; filled with the ghosts of my childhood. My grandmother had lived here her whole life, and her mother before her; and now it was my turn to keep the old house standing. Tonight however, it seemed as though the fierce storm was trying to tear it apart, rafter by rafter.

I heard a sudden crash from upstairs, a sound like a window shattering; and my heart leapt into my throat. The old house had always been full of strange noises- but this one was different. Something- or somebody- was breaking in. I grabbed the heavy iron poker propped beside the fireplace and padded up the stairs; the candle flickering in a crazed frenzy in my trembling hand.

The hallway was shrouded in darkness; shadows dancing on the walls as the pale flames flickered. I crept towards the source of the noise, my palms cold and clammy with fear. At the end of the hall, the door to the old nursery was ajar, a sliver of darkness visible through the crack. I pushed it open with the tip of the poker, holding my breath. The room was empty, save for the old rocking chair that stood in the corner; creaking back and forth as though moved by an invisible hand. The window was shattered, glass littering the floor; and the heavy damask curtains flapped wildly in the gale. I stepped inside, chills running down my spine and my heart pounding loudly against my ribcage.

Outside, the storm continued to rage on; but through the window I saw something moving amongst the darkness- a shape that seemed to fade in and out of existence. I squinted, trying to make sense of what I was seeing; and then it was there, clear as day- an eerie figure standing beyond the garden wall. It was impossibly tall and gaunt; with fiery eyes like two flaming garnets that glowed in the darkness.

I stumbled back with a strangled scream. The candle had long since dimmed; and the only light came from a gas lamp in the outer hallway. Fear choked me; bile rising into my throat, dread churning in my stomach. I looked out of the window again, and what I saw nearly made me slump into a dead faint right then and there. 

The entity was walking- no, it couldn’t be called that- that smooth, effortless glide as though it were skating on ice. It drew closer and closer; a terrifying crimson light emanating from it and illuminating no less than three pale women with fair curls and identical sinister grins on their faces behind it.

“I’m dreaming,” I thought, feeling dizzy. “It’s a hallucination. A fever dream. A nightmare.” But what I did know was that I needed to get out of that room, stat. Terror gave my feet wings and I almost flew down the stairs, shuddering so violently I was forced to grip the banisters.

The door was locked. Nothing else was visible from the windows, and I heaved a sigh of relief as I sank into a chair, murmuring verses from the Holy Bible in a hoarse whisper. 

Then there were skeletal hands around my throat. A grey murky fog entering my nostrils and cutting off my respiration. A woman’s laughter, high and sweet, ringing in my ears. And then, darkness. Silence. Hush. You mustn’t scream.

By Ilina Udani