15 Minutes With No Edits - Quickies Can Help Build Skills

Something just wasn't right. Even in my state of semi-consciousness I could tell. Maybe that's what woke me. As my eyes attempted to focus, all I could make out was the tiny red glow from the alarm clock, the rest of the room pitch black. Blinking, the clock read:

2:17 A.M.

I have always enjoyed earth tones as does my partner, so she and I had repainted the entire house in colors ranging from a dark chocolate to beige. The medium brown walls in the bedroom were wonderful for quick afternoon naps. In the middle of the night however, it was dark. Really dark.

2:18 A.M.

Having slept in this room for nearly fifteen years, I am quite familiar with it. By now, finding my way from the bed to the bathroom in the middle of the night is more of a memory thing than a sight thing, so navigating a bedroom as dark as this one could be has never been a problem, even on a night like tonight when the cloud cover hid nearly all of the moon's illumination.

And I have to admit, my television watching isn't much to speak of. Mostly paranormal stuff like "Ghosthunters", cryptozoology type shows, etc. There is enough stress in my job during the day so other than a bit of "Grey's Anatomy" I don't need any more drama in my life. "Finding Bigfoot" on Animal Planet is a hoot. In fact, just last night's episode had the creature hunters... yawn.

No more noises... My mind is still active but I'm starting to drift...

2:21 A.M.

Huh!? What was that? My ears catch a rustling sound in the left corner of the room near the small pile of clothes that I had stripped off and thrown in a corner to take to the laundry room in the morning. Surely no Bigfoot had entered the room unnoticed. Besides, why would Bigfoot be rumbling through my clothes in the middle of the night? Squinting my eyes to see better, as if that was going to help, I look in the direction of the sound. There it was again. Let me grab the flashlight... Damn, it's by the backdoor so I can use it to let the dog out. Where is that dog anyway? Nothing like having a protection trained rottweiler in the house who doesn't do his job. Then again, old fella is nearly twelve years old now and his senses aren't what they used to be. He has however increased his skills in the snoring department.

Swish! What the...? A shadow just bolted from the corner to the other side of the room. Ok, definitely not Bigfoot. This is starting to creep me out now.

What's that?!!!

Click, click, click. Tiny footsteps are making their way towards the bed. Like a kid I pull up the sheets around me, pulling my knees to my chest. Can't see a thing. Crap. "Whatever it is" has stopped at the foot of the bed. Keeping an eye on the footboard, I slowly turn to reach for the lamp on the bedside table. ACK! Two tiny yellow-green eyes rise above the edge to peer at me just as my fingers touch the on-off button and turn on the light. A squeek of pain comes from it as light fills the room and flashes off it's short razor sharp teeth, exposing it's form to me.