Visitors

by Chris Canning

I remember the crying.

It was faint at first but bit by bit it started getting louder. It eventually reached the point where I had to squeeze my fists tightly against my ears in a futile attempt to try and block it out. Didn't make any difference though. The sobs seemed to come from everywhere and I'm not usually the type of guy that gets frightened easily but I'm not ashamed to admit that the crying terrified me.

I think the thing that frightened me the most was just how utterly helpless I felt. Whoever was doing the crying was in pain and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I tried looking around to get a feel for my surroundings but it was a wasted effort. It wasn't that I couldn't see anything, just that what I could see was distorted, like looking at the world with a goldfish bowl on your head. I could see shapes but it was impossible to make out what they were. I wasn't at home back in my apartment, that much was obvious.

Without warning the crying reached a fever pitch and the sheer agony it caused brought me to my knees. I could feel moisture between my fingers and knew without

having to look at my hands that my ears were bleeding. I begged for whoever was crying to stop, to please, please stop the crying before my head exploded... and then suddenly, it did.

It took a few seconds for the ringing in my ears to stop. Slowly, I opened my eyes. Everything was dark save for a few flashing lights peeping in from an open window. No longer was the world the distorted mass of misshapen objects as seen through a fishbowl. Now everything seemed back to normal, except for the fact that I was still not at home and had no idea where exactly I was. I looked around and realized that even though I was not at home, wherever I was looked awfully familiar.

A quick examination of my surroundings informed me that I was in some kind of nursery. There was a crib off in the corner, a changing table and other things one would expect to find in a child's nursery. I could tell that I must have been in someone's apartment because from the open window I could see the tops of buildings across the street. Wherever I was, it was a tall building. Then it hit me. The reason the place looked so familiar was because the room looked exactly like my own bedroom back in my own apartment. Sure, my bedroom lacked the baby furniture and the view out my window was different but I was certain I was still somewhere inside my own building

The crying was now replaced with a soft, barely audible mummer and I realized that it, and most certainly the crying as well, was coming from inside the crib. I rose

shakily to my feet and reluctantly made my way towards the crib and whatever horror awaited me inside of it. There was a veil covering the crib and every fiber of my being was yelling at me to not open it but I just had to know what was going on. I had to know where I was and who was responsible for bringing me here and I knew my answers were inside the crib. I pulled back the veil.

There, sitting in the middle of the crib was a little boy, no more than two years old. He was wearing a pair of Winnie the Pooh footy pajamas and clutching tightly to a ratty stuffed Pooh bear. He jumped as I pulled back the veil of the crib and looked up at me, his eyes red and stained with tears.

Hey little guy. I whispered, trying to talk as softly as possible so as to not scare the poor kid. Is that you doing all that crying?

He looked up at me silently and nodded, using his Pooh bear to wipe away a tear from his cheek.

What were you crying about? Must have been something pretty upsetting to bring on those kinds of waterworks.

Still he said nothing.

Did something frighten you? I asked, concerned.

He simply nodded, clutching tighter to his bear.

Can you tell me what it was?

Still silent, he slowly raised his hand and pointed to the open window.

I reluctantly turned towards the window, afraid of what I might see. At first I could see nothing out of the ordinary and was about turn back towards the kid when I saw it. It was subtle at first, if I wasn't looking for it I wouldn't have even noticed it was there.

I could see a shape hovering just outside the open window. By the glow of the lights coming from the streets below it looked like a small head. Then a small hand clutched onto the window sill and a small body, not much bigger than the kid in the crib, pulled itself up and into the nursery.

I was stunned. I stood there dumbfounded as three more figures made their way through the window and into the nursery. They were human shaped, human shaped as in they each had two arms, two legs and a head attached to their little bodies but I could tell, even in the dark, that there was no way these creatures could be human.

The first thing I noticed about the creatures, aside from their size, was the fact

that their eyes had a dark red tint to them and light gleamed from sharp pointed fangs inside their mouths. They were naked from head to foot and covered with what looked like a soft gray coloured down. Their hands and feet were far too large and spindly for their bodies but somehow they still managed to move in a way that seemed almost graceful.

Once inside the nursery the creatures began to make their way towards the crib, sauntering past me as if I wasn't even there. They chuckled and salivated as they walked towards the crib and I could feel churning in the pit of my stomach. Somehow I knew what those monsters had intended to do and it was all I could do to keep myself from vomiting.

Oh god no, please no. I gasped in horror.

One of the creatures glanced towards me and grunted, dismissing me as nothing more than a mere annoyance and turned back towards the crib. I tried to reach out, to either fight them off or grab the kid and run but I couldn't move. My mind screamed at me, GO GO GO! but I could do nothing but stand there, frozen in place.

I watched in terrified silence as the creatures climbed the legs of the crib and crawled inside. Immediately the room was filled with the poor kid's screams, blood wrenching and horrible... ...they were soon followed by my own.

I fell to my knees, sobbing. God no, please no. was all I could say. Over and over again. Oh god please no. Oh god please no.

It seemed like forever before the screaming stopped. I watched helpless as the crib shook and blood spilled from the opening of the now tattered veil. I cursed myself for my helplessness and wondered how I could ever live with myself knowing I couldn't raise a hand to save one small boy. I squeezed my eyes shut in a futile attempt to save my sanity.

Finally the screaming stopped. At least the boy's screaming stopped. Mine continued for a few more minutes before I realized that the crib had stopped shaking. I forced myself to open my eyes and cursed myself again for being such a coward. I watched as the small creatures, now caked in the little boy's blood, crawled back out of the crib and made their way back towards the window. One of them, I assumed it must have been the one that had stopped to look at me earlier, stopped in front of me again. This time he stood there and leisurely licked blood from his fingers and made a gruesome noise in the back of his throat which almost resembled laughter. He then moved on, joining his elk as they slithered out of the window and off into the night.

The moment they disappeared I was finally able to move again. I collapsed into a ball on the floor and wept. Oh god please no. Oh god please no.

****

Oh god, please no. I murmur. Oh god please no.

I can hear a sharp buzzing sound off in the distance. Quiet at first and then much louder.

Oh please dear god, not again...

I open my eyes.

I wake up in bed, my sheets haphazardly draped across my body. I fling an arm out and hit the alarm clock, determined to put an end to it's ceaseless buzzing. I stretch, sit upright and wipe the sleep from my eyes.

Fuck, that was one hell of a dream. I groan, forcing myself out of bed and heading towards the bathroom. After a long hot shower and a breakfast of Cheerios and toast I head back to the bedroom and throw my clothes on.

It's my day off so I decide to pop in a DVD and vegetate in front of the television. I spend a few minutes browsing through my DVD library and am just about to pull out The Omen when a flash from the nightmare of the previous night runs through my head.

Better skip the horrors for a bit. I warn myself as I opt for a Star Wars marathon and pop the first one into the machine. Don't need a repeat performance from last night.

As five thirty rolls around I still can't seem to shake the uneasy feeling that has been gnawing at me all day and decide to head out and grab a case of beer. I grab my coat, head out the door and grab the elevator.

The elevator doors leading to the lobby slide open and I can hear a ruckus coming from the front of the building. I notice that a crowd has formed at the front doors. Everyone looks scared and confused and I can see that at least two of the people in the crowd are police.

Not being the curious type I don't pay much attention to the crowd and decide to slip out the back door as to not get caught up in all the hoopla. Making my way to the parking lot I notice yet another crowd huddled together all talking over each other and looking afraid. There are two more police officers among them.

Must have been a break in. I shrug, unlocking the driver's side door of my car and slipping behind the wheel. There have been a few break-ins this year. A few televisions stolen, some cash, a car or two. It is Toronto after all, the occasional robbery is to be expected.

After grabbing a two-four at the beer store and heading back home I notice that a camera crew has now arrived on the scene along with three more police cruisers.

Wow, maybe this is bigger than I thought. I whistle.

I decide to find out once and for all what's going on and make my way towards the crowd. Before I can reach them a hand grabs me from behind. Startled, I nearly jump out of my skin.

Sorry to frighten you sir.

I turn around and see that the hand on my shoulder belongs to a cop.

Oh, it's all right officer. I tell him, breathing a sigh of relief. You just startled me is all.

I was wondering if you would mind answering a few questions. He asks me.

Sure officer, anything to help. There's quite a commotion going on today. I've been wondering what's been going on.

You mean you haven't heard? He asks surprised.

No, it's my day off and up until a half hour ago I was just vegging in front of my TV all day.

You haven't seen the news reports?

No, just watching movies. Why, what's going on?

When the police officer tells me, I feel as if I've been kicked in the stomach.

A small child went missing sometime early last night. There was blood on the scene and we believe he may have been kidnapped, possibly worse.

Oh god. Is all I can manage.

Are you all right sir? The officer asks.

Fine, I'm fine. I lie. Just stunned is all. This is horrible.

It is. He agrees. We're going through the building asking the tenants if they've seen anything. Do you mind answering a few questions?

No, not at all. I'd like to help any way I can.

I spend the next fifteen minutes talking to the officer, telling him everything I've seen and done the night before. Everything except the fact that I had a nightmare about a kid in the building being eaten by monsters. The officer can tell I'm shaken and I worry that he might become suspicious. I answer his questions as best I can and grabbing my beer, I head upstairs. I think I'm going to have to get really, really drunk tonight.

What am I going to do?

What the hell can I do?

I spend almost the entire night pacing drunkenly across the living room floor. Should I go to the police, tell them what I know, what I saw? What if they think I killed the kid? Would they believe me if I tell them that I saw him being killed in a dream? No, that's nonsense. Of course they'll think I did it. I should just keep my mouth shut. Besides, even if I did dream about the kid being murdered, who's going to believe that a pack of monsters did it? Still...

By four in the morning my fear and confusion is replaced by exhaustion and intoxication. I make my way into my bedroom and crawl into bed. Part of me is terrified to fall asleep but it is quickly overpowered by the part of me that just can't stay awake any longer.

I sleep.

I wake with a start and bolt upright in bed. Confused, I wonder what woke me until I hear the scratching. A sickening sound that seems to come from nowhere and everywhere. It had started to rain while I was asleep and flashes of lightning streak across my darkened room. I wipe rain drops from my face and then wonder why my window is open. Suddenly another flash of lightning lights the room and I notice that there is something scrawled on the far wall of the bedroom. I gasp in horror as I read the words dripping crimson from the walls...

YOU'RE NEXT

fin