The room was dark when Ella woke up, breathing hard. She had a terrible feeling she was no longer alone, but she saw nothing as she scanned the room. Her mind was foggy from sleep and blamed her unease on a forgotten nightmare. Deciding to get a drink, she threw off her blanket, hesitating before putting her feet on the floor. How many horror movies played out that way? A monstrous hand thrust out and grabbing some poor victim's ankle, pulling her under the bed into whatever abyss waited there.
She shook it off and firmly placed her feet on the carpet, although she quickly got up and nearly ran to the wall to flip the light switch. Fully lit, she could clearly see the room was delightfully free of monsters and murderers, and she sighed with relief. She silently scolded her silliness as she walked down the hall to her kitchen. It wasn't cold, but little chill bumps erupted on her arms and legs as she walked. She wore a pink tank top and a pair of blue cotton panties to bed. She thought about getting the robe from the end of her bed, but she was already in front of the fridge.
She took a glass from the cabinet, and filled it with cold water from the fridge door. Yawning widely, she became impatient for the slow trickle to fill the glass. A few seconds later, she sipped the water, still calming herself. There was a noise behind her, small, like fabric rustling. She froze with the cup at her lips. A shadow moved in the corner of her eye, and her heart thudded wildly in her chest. Placing the glass on the counter, she turned around to find the kitchen empty. She cursed herself for being so jumpy and paranoid as she went back to bed.
She knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep, even if it was just her imagination. She would pull up something funny on her phone to put her at ease. She climbed back under her covers, pulling them close around her, and took her phone from the bedside table. She turned on a sitcom, humming along with the familiar theme song.
