This was an exercise I did, partially for a class, but also because I wanted to see how well I could translate a concept or idea into the various "languages" or dialects of the Internet. I thought I did a pretty good job.

 

The Original Story

 

It was dark, and it was late. And I, of course, was still up. The house lay still. I didn’t have a clock in my room, but my gut told me it was probably close to 2 or 3 in the morning, and my gut is usually right about these kinds of things.

 

I was finally starting to drift off when a startling noise rang through the house: a long and boisterous CRRRREEEAAAA. I was lying still in my bed, but I froze nonetheless.

 

What. Was. That.

 

It came again. This time louder and longer. And suddenly I, who had never been able to sleep with my door shut, felt incredibly vulnerable. I could get up and close it. Except I couldn’t move.

 

The next half hour or more was much of the same. I was paralyzed with fear, my heart rate ticking up, up, up with each new screech of...whatever it was making that sound. Finally I couldn’t take anymore. I had to get up to use the toilet or I was going to pee myself.

 

I gathered my courage and bolted out of my room and down the hall to the bathroom. Being the only one up, still, I left that door open, too. My gut told me I should probably close it. My gut is usually right about these kinds of things. It wasn’t long before I realized my mistake. The noise repeated.

    And then I heard a thump. Thump. Thump. Slow and steady, coming up the stairs.

 

Aw hell no!

 

I finished my business and made for my room like the world was ending and my bed was the only bunker secure enough to survive it. As I looked over the banister into the stairwell and entryway on my way past, I saw there was nothing. No one. The stairs were empty. But I still heard the thumping. There had to be someone there! My gut told me so! And my gut is usually right about these kinds of things.

 

It wasn’t until I was lying in bed, door shut and locked, that I saw the shadow standing over me.

 

Blog Version (608 words)

 

The other day, I felt like I had an impromptu date with Death. Or if it wasn’t Death, it was some close cousin. Whoever it was, they weren’t very considerate.

 

I’ve always been one to sleep with my door wide open. If I don’t, I feel cut off from the rest of the world. Or at least I did until this night. From now on, I have a feeling I won’t be able to sleep very well if I leave my door open…

 

It all started around 2 in the morning, maybe. The rest of the house was asleep, and had been for several hours, and I – insomniac that I am – was not. I was laying in bed, listening to music and thinking about all the things I needed to do the next day. It was the moment I finally started feeling tired enough to try going to sleep that I started to hear it.

 

A long, loud, startling CREEEEEEAAA!

 

It scared the heck out of me! I’d never heard anything quite like it before. The closest I can come to describing it is the sound a really heavy door makes when it’s swinging on unoiled, groaning hinges that are too tight. I lay in bed for a good several minutes, frozen under my sheets, waiting to see if it would happen again.

 

And it did.

 

And I started to get just a little sweaty.

 

It went on like this for probably another hour. Longest hour of my life, guys. By far. Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. No matter that the sounds echoing through the house were enough to make me want to wet my pants; I had to pee!

 

When I finally gathered enough courage to move, I cautiously got up and made my way to the bathroom. All was quiet and empty in the hall. As it should be, of course. Except that it didn’t really make me feel any better. It’s like when you see a spider in your room, and before you can kill it or take it outside, it disappears. Anyway, I do my business, relishing the bright light of the vanity, and just beginning to think that maybe I can just stay there where it’s light and safe and quiet, when I start to hear it.

 

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

 

Coming slowly up the stairs from the sound of it.

 

Now, don’t worry, I had enough sense to flush and pull up my pants and all the other important things, but I wasted no time in fleeing from the bathroom back to my bedroom. And here’s where it really gets bone-chilling: when I looked down the stairs, there was no one there.

I hightailed it into my room, even more frightened than before, closed and locked my door and jumped back in bed to hide under the covers like a little kid. I didn’t hear a single sound from outside my door anymore, and I counted my lucky stars.

 

The problem was, once I was finally calm enough to go to sleep for real this time, I suddenly noticed a dark shadow of a figure standing over me. I couldn’t see its face, but it seemed like it was staring straight through me. It didn’t move or breathe or speak – neither did I.

 

I’m really grateful that I’m still here to share this with you guys today. I don’t remember what happened after that. I only remember waking up in my bed, wondering what the heck had happened last night. I’ll probably never figure out just who or what that thing was…

 

…Frankly I’m not sure I care all that much.

 

Facebook Version (197 words)

 

Hey, does anyone know where I can find a good exorcist in the Provo area? I had a run-in with what I’m pretty sure was a ghost the other night, and I gotta say, those things are nasty! Don’t feel much like running into anymore of those in my house! It’s a pretty funny story, actually- well, okay it wasn’t, really, at the time. I was laying in bed, wide awake, as per usual, and out of nowhere I started hearing this awful screeching sound, like a really heavy door swinging on unoiled hinges or something. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really want to go check it out. It sounded pretty freaky. But I finally did when I started hearing thudding footsteps coming up the stairs toward my door. Of course, there was no one there. Until I was back in bed. Then the thing was practically right on top of me. I don’t really remember what happened after I saw it standing over me in bed, so I’m just hoping and praying that it didn’t take anything like my soul or my car keys or my wallet. Has anyone else dealt with something like this before?

 

Twitter Version (147 characters)

 

Nothing like turning to see a shadowy figure staring at you to convince you it’s time to sleep with the door closed from now on… #iwantmynightlight