Time to dust off what terrifies us and open those shades to let in the maddening light of the full moon...
Fanny glanced up from her chemistry book as Kit enters the room. The slight smile formed by sudden understanding disappeared as her eyes rested on the worn, blue duster in her roommate's hand.
"I've told you not to do that while I'm home. It sets off my allergies."
"Are you planning to go out today?" Kit smiled and shook the duster encouragingly.
"I haven't decided yet." Fanny reached for the tissues with her eyes fixed intently on the dust dancing off the end of the duster.
"Alright." Kit sighed and disappeared back into her room.
Fanny returned her attention to her book. She didn't look up when Kit noisily made her exit a few minutes later. She continued to focus on her studies, slowly turning the pages as if nothing else existed by elements and molecules. As the shadows crawled across the floor, her eyes drooped. The battle ended, her eyes closed, and the book slid to the floor. The shadows continued to crawl across the ratty carpet as Fanny snored lightly.
Fanny jolted awake, staring wide-eyed into the darkness in search of the alarm that pulled her from dreamland. Only the red light on the television broke the darkness of the room. A soft glow seeped through the light curtains from outside. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, a movement under the couch caught her eye.
The chemistry book dug into her knee as she slid to the floor and leaned forward for a better look. As her palms touched the floor, the movement stopped. She leaned closer. Without the motion, she couldn't discern anything under the couch. Crawling on her hands and knees she warily approached until her forehead bumped against the rough, floral upholstery.
"There's nothing there." She said loudly to reassure herself.
The breath that chased her words disturbed something under the couch. She squinted as a dust bunny floated back to the dark carpet and came to rest. She stared at it for a moment before shaking her head. With one last glance under the couch, she slowly pushed herself back until she sat cross-legged on the floor. She waited.
She caught more movement out of the corner of her eye. This time, the bodies stayed in motion when her eyes rested on her. A swarm of dust bunnies rolled out from under the couch. As they drew closer, she noticed little legs and tiny arms. Those wispy arms seemed to wave in a formation until they all pointed at her. A wispy voice like an imagined whisper on the wind filled the air.
"You should have let her whisk us away."
Fanny's mouth dried out in an instant. Her tongue stuck to the top of her mouth. She pushed herself up from the floor. The dust bunnies continued to approach. The closer they got, the more detail caught her attention. Rows of tiny, sharp teeth sprouted at random on malformed bodies. Dark spots could be eyes or tumors. Fanny shuddered and looked away.
As her eyes turned toward the ceiling, she noticed more dust bunnies dancing along the blades of the ceiling fan. Encouraged by her attention, they began to leap from their high perch.
They floated gracefully to land on Fanny's face. She tried to scream but, as they landed, they swarmed over her mouth, effectively smothering her cries for help. She coughed. She sneezed. She swatted at the dust bunnies as more and more of them appeared from under every piece of furniture or leaped from on high. The pressure of her hands forced them together, creating larger dust bunnies that laughed and nibbled at her flesh. Soon, Fanny disappeared into a giant dust bunny that danced with every sneeze or cough that emanated from the remains of its human skeleton.
"Alright." Kit sighed and disappeared back into her room.
Fanny returned her attention to her book. She didn't look up when Kit noisily made her exit a few minutes later. She continued to focus on her studies, slowly turning the pages as if nothing else existed by elements and molecules. As the shadows crawled across the floor, her eyes drooped. The battle ended, her eyes closed, and the book slid to the floor. The shadows continued to crawl across the ratty carpet as Fanny snored lightly.
Fanny jolted awake, staring wide-eyed into the darkness in search of the alarm that pulled her from dreamland. Only the red light on the television broke the darkness of the room. A soft glow seeped through the light curtains from outside. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, a movement under the couch caught her eye.
The chemistry book dug into her knee as she slid to the floor and leaned forward for a better look. As her palms touched the floor, the movement stopped. She leaned closer. Without the motion, she couldn't discern anything under the couch. Crawling on her hands and knees she warily approached until her forehead bumped against the rough, floral upholstery.
"There's nothing there." She said loudly to reassure herself.
The breath that chased her words disturbed something under the couch. She squinted as a dust bunny floated back to the dark carpet and came to rest. She stared at it for a moment before shaking her head. With one last glance under the couch, she slowly pushed herself back until she sat cross-legged on the floor. She waited.
She caught more movement out of the corner of her eye. This time, the bodies stayed in motion when her eyes rested on her. A swarm of dust bunnies rolled out from under the couch. As they drew closer, she noticed little legs and tiny arms. Those wispy arms seemed to wave in a formation until they all pointed at her. A wispy voice like an imagined whisper on the wind filled the air.
"You should have let her whisk us away."
Fanny's mouth dried out in an instant. Her tongue stuck to the top of her mouth. She pushed herself up from the floor. The dust bunnies continued to approach. The closer they got, the more detail caught her attention. Rows of tiny, sharp teeth sprouted at random on malformed bodies. Dark spots could be eyes or tumors. Fanny shuddered and looked away.
As her eyes turned toward the ceiling, she noticed more dust bunnies dancing along the blades of the ceiling fan. Encouraged by her attention, they began to leap from their high perch.
They floated gracefully to land on Fanny's face. She tried to scream but, as they landed, they swarmed over her mouth, effectively smothering her cries for help. She coughed. She sneezed. She swatted at the dust bunnies as more and more of them appeared from under every piece of furniture or leaped from on high. The pressure of her hands forced them together, creating larger dust bunnies that laughed and nibbled at her flesh. Soon, Fanny disappeared into a giant dust bunny that danced with every sneeze or cough that emanated from the remains of its human skeleton.
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