Sometimes there is something in the closet

all of us had fears as a child, and for some that fear passes into adulthood. A shadow that seems to move on its own. or something barely seen out of the corner of the eye.   For some its a monster under bed or the face that forms on the ceiling that stares at you all night.

for others its the closet, that door during the day conceals all the things you love and some things you dont. but at night, cloaked in shadows and bands of darkness. it draws your eye, till you see that it stands slighlty open as if something is peering at you from the stygian night it conceals. and you know if you watch it, it will swing slowly open revealing something out of nightmare.

parents tell you that its all in your mind. and you want to believe it. and as you grow up you do. but sometimes, sometimes there is something waiting in the closet.

it was a typical Texas summer day, crystal clear blue skys and a rare gentle breeze. made even better by the absence of the Parents. who had chosen this day to go visit the annoying Aunt. and would be gone for the night  so double bonus.   luckily only my brother was taken along. so I was not to be subjected to the cheek pinching or other humiliations she heaped on us kids during each visit.

our house, outside of town, sat surrounded by pine forest. afternoon sunlight fell thru the windows in bands lighting each room. after spending most of the morning working on my dirt bike, and doing a bit of horse riding I had come inside and decided to call Jimmy. my best friend, namely to see if we could get together and cause a rucus.

So there I sat on the phone discussing our plans, that involved a girl I liked, some roman candles and a Trip down to the river. I was on a good mood, but it wasnt going to last.

as we talked I heard suddenly the sound of my parents closet door open. now You wonder how could I tell. namely because it had a very distinctive creaking noise. I sat there in the kitchen feeling my blood to turn to ice, then quickly ran around the counter and opened the knife drawer, seeing the large butcher knife there, I was relieved and snatched it up. ready to run thru the back door if any one entered the kitchen.

a second later, I heard a click as if some one had picked up the extension in my parents room. trying to stay calm, and really really not wanting to believe any of this I asked jimmy who was at his house. " no one man, My folks went to dallas" he said then laughed. " well some one picked up another line " I said, feeling my skin prickle so tightly it hurt. " well its got to be on your end " he relplied. and that was not what I wanted to hear not by a long shot.

after a moments thought, I decided to go check it out. I wasnt going to be called a chicken. so I told Jimmy that I was going to go look and to hang on for a moment. as I said this I heard a click as if some one hung up the phone, then a second later the closet door creaked again.

well I almost bolted. you can say what you want, yes most kids. heck most adults would have ran out of there. but not me. stupid I know. So I sat down that phone and started down the hall.

now then the hall once you pass thru the living room, runs down and then turns to the right. my room was at the end, my parents room was at the bend in the L. with my brothers room across from my parents. The Hall was wrapped in shadows, and I can still see it in my mind. I got to about my brothers room clutching that butcher knife. and could see into my parents room.

If you entered my parents room the door to the closet is on the same wall as the hall door, and to your left is the master bathoom door. well I stood there in the hallway, and couldnt work up the nerve to enter the room. finally I ran back to the kitchen and picked up the phone. more than half convinced that I had imagined the whole thing.

well after a few minutes I had relaxed.. no way I heard what I thought I had heard. no way any one could have gotten into the house since my parents had left. well I talked to Jimmy trying to calm myself and it was working. when suddenly I hear that damn Creaking, and the soft click as some one picks up the line. Jimmy hearing the click. " goes man thats on your end" panicing I insisted it couldnt be.

so I know at this point, any sane reasonable person would have ran like hell. but I just couldnt do it. plus I was staring to get pissed. I was almost calm and then again I was being yanked around and that ticked me off. I was as brave as any 14 year old could be. so I told jimmy I was gonna go check it out and again I heard the click and a moment later the closet door. this time I only got to the hallway. I just couldnt go down there. I stared down that shadow shrouded hallway for a long time then went back and scooped up the phone and thanked god I had a long cord as I stepped out the back door.

it took a bit to calm down, but calm down I did, standing there in the bright texas sunshine. talking to jimmy. he was like my life line. as long as I was on the phone with him I was okay I wasnt really alone. so finally I head back into the kitchen too fix some sandwiches to take with me. sure by now I had imagined the whole thing. at the least wanting to believe it.. Suddenly I hear the closet door and again the click on the line. And I went cold, then suddenly was angry. really angry. I told jimmy to hang on I was tired of this. and again I heard the click of hte line being hung up. and I was already out of the kitchen before I realized I hadnt heard the closet door creak.

well I reached my parents bedroom, and thru the door way I could see the edge of the closet door were it stood open. and I froze. becuase now it was real. to terribly real. that door had been shut, I know it. but not now.

I knew that if I stormed into that room and looked into the closet that a few things could happen. one. I would find some one or something in that closet and I didnt like that idea. or I would find nothing and turn to find that who ever or it was had been standing in the bathroom waiting for me to head to the closet. and if I looked in the bathroom first..... well you get the idea. or even worse it was waiting down the hall in my own bedroom and now creeping up behind me. so I did what any really brave kid would do. I ran like hell back down the hall. scooped up the phone only long enough to shout Im coming over and slam the phone back on the cradle.

then it was dash out the door, slid the big knife in my belt, leap on my dirt bike and make bo and luke duke look slow as I sprayed dirt across the back yard and shot off around the house.

I must have looked like a lunatic as I ran that bike flat out with a big old knife stuck in my belt. but I really didnt care. and to be really honest I wasnt going to go back to the house till my folks got back the next day. and I didnt. me and jimmy camped down by the river then headed back to his house the next morning.

by late afternoon my mom called, and was pretty angry. why not, I wasnt home, I had left the house unlocked, I was at jimmys and I wasnt going to explain what had happened. So knowing I was going to get reamed royally I rode back to the house.

once there My step dad sends me to their room where my mom is waiting. now I can say I hesitated at the bedroom door. and she is really steamed. as i stand there she askes. " I want you to explaiin to me why you did this" gesturing at the Closet.. I stepped into the room and later she told me I turned white as a sheet..

every bit of clothing had been pulled down and thrown on the floor, the books and other things on the shelves had been dumped on top of that. it looked like a hurricane had torn thru the closet. also the phone in the bedroom had been tossed on the floor.

I told her that I didnt do it, and she seemed to believe me. of course I had no idea that she believed me becuase of the look on my face.

anyway.. to this day I have no answer for what happened. though I think just possibly that some sicko might have slipped in after they had left. what ever it was, Im glad I didnt look into that closet that day becuase id rather wonder about it, than to have faced what ever the reality had been. who knows I might not be here today if I had. becuase sometimes, there really is something in the closet.