One shot Inspired by the first scene of "Enfield haunting" a horror TV drama which a watched the other day. A 13 year old Caleb tells his 11 year old little brother Ethan a scary story before bed.

If you are scared easily by scary stories, it would be best to prepare yourselves. Personally I don't find the story Caleb tells necessarily scary because it's a story me and my friends would tell a lot as children, however, I don't want to be the reasoning to any sleepless nights for you lovely people so I thought it would be best to warn you now! Enjoy!

The Drip

"Caleb?" Young Ethan whispered to his older brother who lay in the bed adjacent.
"What?" Caleb replied with a sigh.
"Can you hear that?" Ethan continued.
"The tap dripping?" The older boy asked
"Yes" Ethan replied.
"Yes it's driving me insane" Caleb admitted.
"Me too" Ethan agreed.
"At least...I hope it's the tap dripping" Caleb spoke, seeking a major opportunity to scare his younger brother.
"What do you mean?" Ethan asked confused.
"Have you not heard the story about the drip?" Caleb asked turning to face his younger brother who shook his head in reply.
"Well...A girl is home alone with only her dog for company. She goes to bed, taking her dog to her room with her and letting it sleep under her bed. She wakes in the night and can hear a dripping sound coming from somewhere, drip, drip, drip. The dripping sound annoys her, so she goes to check the bathroom tap is off. She goes back to bed and puts her hand down under the bed and feels her dog licking on her hand. She wakes up later in the night to hear the drip again, drip, drip, drip, this times she goes down to the kitchen to check the tap is switched off there, it was...she gets back into bed and puts her hand under for the dog to lick again. Drip, drip, drip. It's then when she realises the drip is coming from her wardrobe. She gets up to look in it and finds her dog hanging, with blood dripping from it's slit throat. Behind the dog written in blood as clear as day says "HUMANS CAN LICK TOO". Caleb spoke slowly.

"That's scary" Ethan gulped
"Terrifying" Caleb agreed smiling mischievously to himself, his job was done.
"But that's not real though, right Caleb?" Ethan called.
"Who knows" Caleb replied smugly and turn to face the wall closing his eyes.
"Please say it's not real" Ethan continued, his brother didn't reply, how could he sleep after that story?! Ethan thought to himself... "Caleb?"
"What?!" His brother snapped angry at the fact he'd been woken up.
"It's not real, that story is it?" Ethan asked desperately.
"No Ethan, it was a joke, go to sleep" Caleb ordered.
The room fell silent for a moment before Ethan spoke out "...I can't sleep" he whispered.
Caleb sighed heavily.
"What if that's what the dripping is?" Ethan continued.
"We haven't got a dog Ethan" Caleb mumbled half asleep.
"I know but..."
The dripping sound suddenly got faster, which seeming to also it get louder. Ethan got out of his bed and into his brother's "what are you doing?!" Caleb snapped half asleep as he turned to find his brother in his bed, with the covers pulled up half way over his face.

"I can't sleep with the dripping Caleb make it stop." He whimpered.
"Why have I got to make it stop? Why don't you make it stop?" Caleb snapped.
"Because I'm too scared" Ethan replied
"Let's play for it" Caleb proposed with a smile "who ever loses goes and switches off the tap"
"No! I never win and I'm not going to switch the tap off" Ethan argued.
"Have some faith little brother" Caleb winked.
"Fine" Ethan huffed.
"Best of three"
"One two three go" both boys whispered
Caleb made a rock gesture with his hand, Ethan made scissors, rock beats scissors...Caleb won.
"Oh God I don't want to play anymore it's stupid!" Ethan snapped.
"Just because you're losing!" Caleb chuckled "don't give up"
"One two three go"
Ethan had his eyes closed he peeked through to find he held up paper and his brother held up rock. Ethan won.
"Okay, it's all down to this one" Caleb spoke excitedly.
"One two three go!"
Both boys were too afraid to look. Ethan held up rock whereas his brother held up paper...Caleb won.
"You're not going to go and switch the tap off are you?" Caleb sighed looking down at his younger brother who covered his face with the duvet. "Not a chance!" He spoke, his voice muffled.

"If I get up and switch it off will you go back to your own bed and go to sleep?!" Caleb
Ethan nodded frantically, still hiding his face with the covers.
"Fine" Caleb sighed and wondered out of their bedroom, "be careful" Ethan called after him. Moments passed, the dripping stopped and Ethan sighed with relief.
"Caleb?" Ethan whispered, he didn't reply. "Caleb?" He called a bit louder, again he got no reply. Starting to get worried, he stood up and slowly made his way to the door "are you there Caleb?" He whispered as he made his way to the bathroom. He was shocked to find it was empty "Caleb this isn't funny..." He whispered as he checked behind the shower curtain. "Where are you?" He asked as he stood back up. As he stood up he caught something in the corner of his eye, something stood behind him in the reflection from the bathroom mirror, he slowly turned his face to look into the mirror to find it it was a black figure stood just behind him. Suddenly he felt something grab hold of his shoulder...

"Roar!" Caleb yelled as he flashed a torch on his face. Ethan screamed with fright and ran to his mother's bedroom with tears streaming down his face.
"Ethan it's me" Caleb laughed as he chased after him.
"What's going on?" Their mother called switching on her bedside table lamp.
"The drip..Caleb disappeared and...the mirror..." Ethan explained, panted fighting for breath as he cried.
"What have you done to him? He's shaking!" She tutted at her oldest son who stood in the door way trying to hide his smile. "Here Ethan take these, calm down, it's just Caleb being silly" she reassured him and handing him his inhaler pumps. He took two puffs and soon began to breath normally again.
"Right get back to bed you two, and Caleb stop teasing your little brother!" She called as the two boys disappeared back to their room.
"I'm sorry" Caleb called over to his younger brother as they lay in their beds, breaking the silence that he could only put down to being the silent treatment from his brother, because of his latest idea of a joke going terribly wrong.
"I didn't mean to scare you that bad, it was meant to be a joke" he continued.
"Do you want to stay in my bed with me for tonight?" He proposed, getting no reply he figured his younger brother must have fallen asleep. He gave up, turned to face the wall and closed his eyes slowly beginning to drift off. It was just then went he felt his brother get into his bed and cuddle up behind him "drip drip drip" he whispered with a giggle "stop it!" Caleb chuckled in reply.

Quite random, I know. This is my first one shot and I'm pleased to say I'll be back publishing a lot more regularly soon, I have a few stories planned but I would love to hear any suggestions for stories or one shots, they really would help me out! I'd love to hear what you thought of "The Drip", hopefully it didn't scare you too much ;) thanks, Kayxxx