Afraid
"Mother!" Moritz cried. His little hand curled around the knob of his bedroom door. In vain, he tried to turn it, but it was locked fast. He reacted as a child would be expected to, however, and continued in vain to try to force open the door. "Mommy?"
The shadows crept up on Moritz and he shut his eyes. Tight. Growing tired, he slid to the floor as if finally realizing that he would get no answer. He spread his fingers across the wood panel, letting his hot palm press against it, where it splintered, poking him.
He could feel the panic in his chest. He couldn't get out. Couldn't get light. He just needed a candle. A lantern? Anything to make the darkness go away.
A glow from the crack under his door was disrupted by dark footsteps. Some one was quietly stepping past him. Moritz jumped up.
"Mommy!" He pounded the door. "Mother!" He seized the knob once again, a creature of habit, and began to pull. "Papa! Papa!" His fists, balled as tight as matter would allow, thumped against the abused door.
"Don't touch that door." Moritz could barely discern his father's voice from the silence. His stomach dropped.
Silence.
Moritz's heart beat erratically in his chest. His skin clammed up and his face grew sallow. In one last feeble attempt, he tapped a finger against the frame. But whoever was there- his only chance at rescue- had vanished.
For the first time since he had been forced to stay in the dark, Moritz let his fear encase him. Small for his age, he wedged under his bed, crowded by the boxes of summer linens his mother stowed there, and cried. The winter kept every room but the kitchen with the stove bitterly cold, which proved to be somewhat of a problem for the six year old. He braced himself as he wept, wrapping his arms around his knees.
"June brings the rain…" Moritz sung under his breath. "Then summer's back again."
Hearing a creak drift through the wind, Moritz shivered and pressed his face into his arm.
"Mmhh hmmm. Hmmm hmm." He hummed, his voice quivering. Tears stained the sleeve of his shirt. "Why don't you point out the…" His breath caught. "Sun?"
He couldn't remember any more of the tune. It was lost on him, driven from his mind by another creak; this one, though, was longer. And louder.
Moritz pushed himself, working up the nerve to poke his head out from under his bed to make sure there weren't any monsters. A piece of his hair fell over his eyes, making him jump.
He glanced around, trying to discern a shape amongst the pitch black night of the room. Not finding any reassurance, he whimpered and crawled back into his refuge.
How long he stayed under there, he didn't know. It could have been a few minutes or a few hours. Fear has a way of doing that to people, especially children.
After a while, heavy with misery and anguish, Moritz thought he heard a tap.
His first thought was of death. He was sure that the monsters of the dark Hanschen had told him about were coming to get him. Upon hearing it again, though, this time louder and more determined, Moritz decided to attempt to understand.
A third time, the tapping occurred. Moritz's fear paled in the thought of rescue. Of light. He worked himself into a sitting position out from under his hide-away and looked around at the darkness, pulse beating in his ears.
"Moritz!"
He jumped, his screech caught in his throat.
Silence.
Then, as Moritz sat motionless and frightened, there came another tapping.
"Moritz!"
That voice, thought Moritz, sounded familiar. He made himself listen, straining for a source. It sounded like it was coming through the window.
"Moritz, open your window! It is awful cold!"
Pale and shaking, Moritz stood, unlatching his bedroom window. It swung open silently. He could just make out a figure. Slightly taller than he and fumbling.
"Melchior?"
"Help me through." He instructed. Moritz grabbed for his arm and hoisted him through. He had never experienced such elation, such relief.
He flung his arms around his best friend, causing them to topple to the floor. Melchior grunted.
"Moritz, gerroff!" Melchior struggled to right himself, picking up what he had dropped. Moritz was immediately embarrassed and ashamed.
"I'm very sorry." He shook his head, struggling to see his friend in the darkness. "I just…" He felt the blood rush to his cheeks and shivered, looking around his dark room.
"Moritz?" His friend ventured.
Moritz braced himself. "Yes?"
"I brought a candle."
Moritz let out a breath with a small whimper, which, of course, embarassed him.
"It's going to be ok." Melchior struck a match and Moritz's heart leapt. Melchior's face, illuminated by the candle, held a smile.
"You're ok, now."
Moritz and Melchie friendship! I just hate how sad little Moritz is in his life…
Anyways, this is a oneshot. Please let me know if you like it!
Check out my other stories!
Happy reading,
Simplybofa