Screams in the Street

Have you ever thought about the voices and shadows you see outside your window at night? Take a moment to look at those silhouettes flickering in the darkness. Take a closer look. Are they even people?

It was a typical night. I went out onto the balcony for a smoke and heard screams, typical for my neighborhood (for those interested, the Kuibyshevsky and Azotny districts are in Donetsk). So, I decided to check out what was going on. The screams were coming from the road. But despite the screams, appropriate for at least five people, there was only one person there. I peered through the window and realized he was also looking at me. All the noise seemed to be coming from this one silhouette.

No... it wasn't a person. It was making those sounds to lure curious people out onto the balcony. It was very small. And, as I said, it was looking straight at me. In the darkness, I saw its eyes, gleaming in the dim light of the lantern, and the baring of its teeth—or rather, fangs. They were real fangs—like a Rottweiler ready to devour its prey.

I felt sick. I immediately crouched down, hiding behind the balcony wall. But I could feel it still staring in my direction. After waiting a bit, I peeked out again to make sure it was all nonsense, that I'd imagined it.

Yes! That's it. It was my imagination. No one was there. Relieved, I finished my cigarette and went to bed.

As soon as I stepped off the balcony, the doorbell rang. Incessantly. My doorbell keeps ringing until you let go of it.

I knew it was the thing that had been staring at me from the street. And it wouldn't let go of that damn button.

 For five minutes, maybe more, I sat huddled in the corner of the living room. Then it stopped ringing.

I slowly came to my senses. Maybe it was another false alarm? Maybe one of the neighbors had just come over, or was I just imagining it because I was so nervous?

I crept to the door on my knees, so I couldn't be heard. I looked through the peephole.

It was behind the door. It was looking at me through the peephole, its head thrown back.

I slid down the hallway wall and sat there, crying like a little child.

And then it started ringing again. I heard a nasty, squeaky laugh. I don't know how it, so small, could reach my doorbell.

Then it started tugging at the doorknob.

I ran into the room and locked the door. And only ten or fifteen minutes later, hearing footsteps in the living room, did I remember I hadn't closed the balcony door. After smoking, I forgot to lock the damn door!

It's in the apartment. I can hear its footsteps. It's looking for me. It knows I'm here. It's in my room.

And I, like a child, crawled into the closet and held my breath...