Down The Lane

By Dakota Kirkpatrick

A collection of bite sized terrors and tales that weave you in and out of all the things that go bump in the night, bringing you face to face with what may be hiding just out of sight.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Feb 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781678031121

Book preview

Dakota Kirkpatrick

A Tap on The Wall

It’s time for bed, Maryanne, she heard her mothers’ voice shout from downstairs.

Okay, mom, she replied with a huff as she flipped off the lamp on her bedside table, yanking her blanket over her head to keep the glow of her cell phone from giving her away as she drug her finger along the screen.

She held her breath as her mothers’ footsteps walked along the hall outside her door, pausing for a moment before continuing. Mary let out a muffled sigh, turning her attention back to her phone.

Thump. Mary twisted under her covers towards the sound, holding her breath once more as she listened for her mothers’ footsteps to return. She shrugged, glancing back at the phone.

Thump, thump, thump. The noise tapped along the wall with a gentle rhythm. Mary threw the blanket off her head, listening as the noise tapped closer, thumping along the wall. She stared into the dark corners of her room, careful not to make a sound as she listened.

She raised her cellphone, flipping on its flashlight, its dim glow shot out, unable to reach the other side of the room. The tapping stopped. She held the light up, scanning the room for a moment longer before cautiously lying back down.

She let out a shuttered breath, hesitantly looking back and forth at her phone and the dark spaces around her.

Thump, thump, thump. She leapt from her bed, holding her phone high, the flashlight beaming out. Hello? She whispered.

Is someone there? She croaked, tiptoeing slowly across the room. She raised the light higher, shining it brightly at the dark space ahead, her closet door shining into focus. Is someone in there, she shook, taking a step closer.

Slowly, she reached out her hand, grasping the closet door. She held her breath, yanking the door open as fast as she could. All the hanging clothes swayed as the closet door opened, but nothing was there.

The door to her room swung open. Mary jumped backward, stumbling over her bed as she let out a shriek, looking up to see her mother taking a step inside.

Maryanne, what are you doing? I told you to get to bed, now put that phone away and get to sleep, her mother demanded, narrowing her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips.

Sorry, mom. I thought I heard something. Mary spoke quietly, slowly getting back into the bed, pulling the blankets over her.

Mary’s mothers’ face softened, it’s an old house honey, it makes all sorts of creaks and thumps. She lifted her hands up teasingly, maybe it’s a ghost, she laughed.