When we were kids, we’d always spin in circles.
The more we spun around, the more dizzy we’d get.
Sometimes it was a challenge to see who would fall over or who could stay up right.
When I was young, seven or eight, I remember this would be all I’d do with my time, spinning, spinning, spinning.

One particular day, me and my mom were home. She was cooking and told me to go off and play, obediently I obeyed. I walked into the living room and began spinning around. I was trying to focus my eyes on my surrounding, which of course was hard. I could make out certain things like the couch, or the television, but as I kept spinning I noticed something out of place. I tried to focus my eyes as I spun, all I could make out was a tall dark figure. I kept spinning, each time it got closer. It started at the far end of the room but now it was only a few feet away. I stopped spinning and looked in its direction, the world was still spinning but I was sitting still. The creature was moving back and forth with my vision. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, it was gone.

“Mommy, mommy! Someones in the living room!”
“Oh honey, don’t be silly, no one’s here but you and I.”
“But mom, I saw it, it was tall and dark”
“Sweetie, go play, I’m busy.”

I walked away, upset my mother wouldn’t listen to me. I steered away from the living room and went to my bedroom instead. I turned on the light and closed the door behind me. Tossing all my toys into my closet, I made room for me to spin around. I began spinning and after a few rounds I saw it again. I tried pushing it from my mind, of course nothing is there. I closed my eyes and kept spinning. Spinning until I felt breath on my face. My eyes opened and right in front of me was this creature. My eyes still trying to reset caught a few details. Thin grey face, sunken in eyes that looked like black holes, and a wide grin containing razor sharp teeth. I looked closer before screaming, I swear there was blood on its teeth. “MOM! MOM!” and within a blink of an eye it was gone.

My mother came rushing in “What! What is it?” I was so angry and scared that it was gone that I couldn’t find words to say. “That’s enough! I’m not coming up here again.” She walked out and I tried calling to her, my arm outstretched but the words were caught in my throat. She left, my only safety. At this point I was so scared I was frozen in place. I was scared to blink, scared to move, scared to speak. Eventually I had the courage to run out of my room and into the kitchen. I sat in the corner and watched my mom. Too scared to do anything I waited until bed time.

Mom brought me to my room and tucked me in “I’ll get you a glass of water” she exited the room and I got settled into my bed. She came back “Here you go cupcake” she had her arm out trying to give me the water but I didn’t move. “Baby?” I still didn’t respond. I heard her set it on the table beside me. “Goodnight honey. Sweet dreams.” The door closed and my only salvation was gone. I hadn’t said a word because when she left it appeared in the corner of my room. When she came back it followed her over to my bed. When she left again it closed the door behind her. I remember the look it gave me when it turned around. It walked over to the end of my bed and watched me. All night. I was scared to fall asleep. “Spin” it said. Its voice was so foreign, but I had understood and I didn’t want to disobey. I slowly crawled out of bed. I began spinning around. It got closer and closer. The next thing I remember I awoke. I was laying on the floor and sunlight was coming through the windows. I sat up and looked around, the creature wasn’t here. I felt a horrible pain on my head. I touched the spot where it hurt and dried blood feel into my hand. I must have hit my head on the table next to my bed. I stood but fell down again. I looked on the floor and saw a large puddle of blood where I was laying. I was so light headed and dizzy. I crawled out of my room in search of my mother. I looked in her bedroom but she was gone. I slid down the stairs. I searched around but couldn’t find her. Everything got blurry, and there it was again. “It’s okay.” it whispered. I fell onto my face and the last thing I felt was a heavy weight on my back and breath on my neck.

My world went blurry and faded to blackness. Who knows how long I was out. I lost a lot of blood when my mom came out of the bathroom finding me on the floor. I heard a scream and felt my body move. She must have been shaking me but I couldn’t see. My face hurt. It felt like tears were going down my face. I reached up to feel but instead I felt empty holes where my eyes should be.