The Basement Below

Leon rolled over to his side to check the clock on his bedside cabinet. 2:24 am. Another sleepless night, he thought. And I have school tomorrow. Frustrated, he chucked one of his pillows on the floor and buried his face deep in the other pillow.

After a few minutes, Leon launched himself to his feet to open the window and let in some fresh air. Four paces took him from his bed to the middle of the room, when a sound so loud, so soul-piercing, so... demonic, came leaking in from the gap around his door frame.

Leon was frozen into such a heart-pounding mess that he could not move. Standing in the middle of the room, in the utter darkness, all he could make out was the dim light coming from around his curtain frame and the light from his alarm clock. Then, a second noise poured into the room, this time much louder, and much more disturbing.

Have you ever been so annoyed that you instantly forget you’re afraid? Leon certainly was, that’s what lack of sleep can do to you. Taking large, certain, strides to the other side of the room, he flipped the light switch and placed his hand over the door knob. Before proceeding, he glanced around the room to reassure himself there was nothing behind him. Then, he begun turning the knob.

The instant he caught sight of the dark corridor, he ran to the light switch near the staircase and flipped that also, taking another glance about the corridor. He peered down the stairs, each one darker and further from him than the other. For the third time, the excruciatingly formidable noise sent shivers down Leon’s spine, reminding him of his fear. It definitely came from the basement, but he knew he couldn’t give up now. He had to find the source of this sound.

Taking each step one by one, he started to descend the staircase, the light ahead of him becoming dimmer and dimmer. Finally, he reached the floor. Tracing his hands around the wall, he searched for the next light switch, but he could not find it in the overwhelming darkness. Again, the sound could be heard from the basement underneath him, and this time it was closer and louder. He felt vulnerable. As he prepared himself to run up the stairs and back to bed, his hand caught the light switch and he flicked it.

Behind him was the door that would lead to the basement. He could hear the heavy, irregular beat of his heart in his ears. The blood vessels in his head thickened with each beat. Then, with his hand on the door knob, he turned it, opened the door, and peered down the steps. As he began descending the stairs to the basement, two large figures flew past him, over his shoulders, feathers scraping his cheeks on their way. Barn owls, Leon thought, as he opened the door to let them out.