summary: Monsters don't just live in fairytales and bad dreams; they are everywhere, watching, waiting for someone to slip up...
disclaimer: don't own AnE
note: written for 500themes on lj
Terror in the night
Yukio stared wide eyed into the darkness. On the other side of the window, a dozen wide-toothed little creatures flashed their sharp teeth as the storm raged in the background.
It always happened like this: a wild storm would suddenly spring up on the entire city, strong winds buffeting the buildings, warning flashes of lightning chasing everyone into the comfort and safety of their own homes before the inevitable power out that would follow with a strong dash of thunder.
Bundled up under his blankets in the safety of his own room, the darkness was strangely comforting. It was only when lightning lit up his room that-
Flash. One, two, BOOM.
Little creatures grinned on the other side of the window pane, rattling the frames, taunting him. They were terrifying things, round bodies decorated with strange rune-like patterns, large muscular forearms that didn't look like they belonged to such small creatures, sharp sharp fingernails scratching against his window, small beady eyes, and a large mouth with equally large teeth bared in something resembling a grin.
Nights like these, it was best to just stay under the blankets until the storm passed, taking comfort in the warmth and darkness.
A shrill yell pierced the air. Yukio jumped, throwing back the covers in a knee-jerk reaction. The things outside laughed maniacally, howling again and again, little eyes flashing red in glee as Yukio flinched. Their mocking laughter followed him as he raced out of his room to escape their constant presence. Away from the safety of his room, the shadows seem more pronounced, less comforting and more sinister. As another scream rang out, his feet immediately propelled him forward to the only safe place left.
Reaching the door at the end of the hallway, Yukio took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "R-Rin?" He called out into the silence, mentally berating himself for the slight stutter. No one answered.
Yukio tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. Hesitantly, Yukio pushed open the door, padding quietly across the familiar but unfamiliar room in a couple of small steps to reach the bed. The layout of the room was exactly the same as his own, though much more messy and cluttered, and really, the only similarities to his own room other than the placement of the furniture was the size of the space - small.
"Rin n-nii-san... I-I'm s-scared of the l-lightning," he mumbled softly, shivering despite himself. He stood awkwardly beside the bed, fidgeting and biting his lip nervously at his twin's continued silence. "C-Can I sleep here t-tonight?
"GRR..." Yukio bit back a scream and ducked as two blobs hurled out from underneath the tangled blankets, screaming and giggling as their dangerous hands narrowly missed his head.
"Nii-san, nii-san, nii-san," Yukio whimpered, pupils blown wide with fright, his traitorous eyes drawn towards the bed. The empty bed. The empty bed on which Yukio could vaguely make out a very dark stain which he tried very hard to ignore.
Yukio couldn't breath, could barely hear his own heartbeat over the gasping sobs tearing out of his throat. He knew that one day those monsters will finally break through and into the house - the windows weren't that much of a deterrent, anyways - but in all of his nightmares, he was always the one that was hurt, always the one who fell first. Gruesome - well, as gruesome as a nine-year-old child could dream up after sneaking a peek at several horror movies - though they were, his imagination in no way prepared Yukio for the terror that invaded his mind, burned his heart, and ripped his life to pieces.
Holding his hand tightly against his mouth lest any sound alert the monsters to his location, Yukio crawled stealthily to the closet and shut himself up in the tiny space. Salty hot tears poured steadily from his eyes, reappearing as soon as he wiped them away. He strained his ears, trying to catch sounds of their approach, but it seemed that they were too busy trashing the house, flipping furniture, smashing windows, laughing their terrible laughs.
Where was everyone else? Couldn't they hear the mess those monsters were making? When are they coming to save him? Are they even able to fight against those violent beasts, or will they tear even more people to shreds like they did to his nii-san? It took all of Yukio's willpower not to puke his guts out at the image. He pressed himself tightly up against the wall of the closet opposite the door, surrounded by the smell of his brother.
Seconds, minutes, maybe hours passed with Yukio suspended in much the same state of constant fright and apprehension. Straining ears caught the faint sound of footsteps, or what sounded like footsteps, growing increasingly louder as they neared his hiding place. Yukio had never hated the dark as much as he did then, torn between desperate hope of safety and the paralyzing fear of discovery by the monsters.
Taking a deep breath, Yukio opened the door.
a/n: i'm sorry everything i write these days seem either very trivial or dark. I WILL TRY HARDER /serious-face
(plus, this might have a couple more chapters.)