Things That Go Bump in the Night

My eyes snapped open. There it was again. Scrape, scrape, scrape. My body was rigid under my tightly clutched blankets, like a tightrope strung between two high-rises. In my imagination I fantasized that I was a calm, cool, collected woman, unruffled by strange noises that go bump in the night. But I knew the source of this noise and I was terrified. It was my nemesis. We’d glimpsed each other earlier in the night – sized each other up – but now our face-off was inevitable. Was my courage sufficient?

Finally, I awoke the David in me and decided to face my Goliath. I clicked on the light and padded cautiously on bare feet to the door of my room. The hall was dark and the noises emanating from the kitchen grew louder. The belly of the beast I thought to myself. I crept down the hallway in fearful pursuit of my quarry. Scrape, SCRAPE!

 I froze. In the twilight I could see my enemy. I snapped on the light and we gaped at each other in abject horror. This was a fight to the death and neither of us could escape. It was do or die in the attempt. I reached for my trusty weapons – a bucket and a broom and advanced. My enemy frothed and foamed and bared his teeth but he could not turn me back. Hands quaking and knees weak I held my ground. He would not win -- not tonight. Like Beowulf facing Grendel from the tale of old I engaged the fight.

Back and forth we went, the battle swaying in his favor and then mine. We wrestled in the dark of night until, at last, I stood in trembling triumph over my vanquished foe. I had won! I cleared away the debris of our battle and returned my weapons to their resting places –ready for another day. I strode back down the hall, leaving the empty dark behind me. Warmth filled me as I climbed into my bed and turned off the light. I could rest easy now that I had bested the beast and won the fight – I had vanquished the rat!