I woke up to the sound of a blood curdling scream. It came from the other end of my house. I got up, tiptoed to the door, and peeked out. The hallway was empty. Thinking it must have been my imagination, or a dream, I went back to bed. I was having a hard time going to sleep, because something didn’t feel right. And then I heard it. The sound of shuffling feet and grunts outside my door. My heart stopped. I held my breath and burrowed deeper in my covers. In the dead silence, I heard my doorknob slowly turn. The door creaked open, and I heard it stumble in, dragging something behind it. I couldn’t take it. I peeked out from under the blankets, but all I saw were shapes and silhouettes. One of the shapes was standing up. It looked like a person, but it was shorter and had a hunchback. Breathing hard, I shut my eyes tight. All I could hear were thumps and groans. The thing dragged its hands across my wall. “Why is it rubbing my wall?” I thought, “What is it trying to do?” Suddenly, silence filled the room. I relaxed. I thought it was over. The monster had left. But then, the raspy breathing started up again. And it was coming closer and closer. I was panicking, but there was nothing I could do. I could only lay there as the thing breathed on me. I could smell the blood in its breath. Its hairy fingers caressed my face. I forced myself to stay calm. I had to make the monster believe I was asleep. But I wanted to scream. Then, to my relief, the thing slithered away. I heard it drag itself under my bed. An hour passed without any sign of life. It seemed to have disappeared. I hesitated to take a look, but I had to make sure it was gone. So I looked, and I saw them. Sitting there, staring at me, lifeless.....my own parents with blood trickling down their necks. Their last screams were still etched onto their faces. Just then, something caught my eye. Something dark, and dripping down my white walls. Blood. The monster had written me a message in my own parent’s blood. It said... i know you're awake