I saw a shadow on the stairs.

I was sleeping in the basement, and the light from the kitchen lit the staircase.

The shadow of a tall, bony figure emerged as a phantom along the wall, a spooky shade in the night.

My heart was caught in my throat, as I went to scream only silence came.

And I watched it descend the stairs.

It was slow, deliberate, and so frightening all I could do was gather the blankets around me.

It spoke no words, and made no sound, but I knew what it meant to do. It was coming for me.

And slower still, it descended the stairs.

I watched, and watched, and my horror grew.

I watched it come down the stairs. Watching death in slow motion.

I was so worried about the thing on the stairs that I finally did scream when something touched my shoulder.

And I learned that the thing descending the stairs wasn’t the only one.