The ominous sound and heavy footsteps outside the door never seem to go away.
''Thud" "Thud" "Thud"
It only grows weaker or stronger depending on the distance. Depending on how close the 'Thing' outside was to the door.
The dead calmness of the village at midnight only seemed to further enhance the horror.
This sound and heavy footsteps were wreaking havoc on the mind of an 8-year-old girl.
She was hugging herself, trying to sleep, trying her best to ignore the ''Thing'' outside. But sleep didn't come to her, rather it won't come to her.
Her parents had left her in the room, all alone, leaving with her twin sister. She begged them to stay but they didn't. They said, not to come out till it's morning, not to open the door nor the windows and always keep some salt with you and pay attention to salt.
The girl didn't understand much but knew that she was in danger, in danger of something unknown to the masses.
So the girl did as they said, she kept some salt in her hand and around the windows and the door.
She stayed in the exact middle of the room and made a circle around her out of the salt she was given
She didn't leave the circle out of fear for her own life.
The night sky darkened, but the sound didn't go away, it stayed, sometimes knocks on the door, some subtle taps on the windows.
These gripped the young girl's small heart in primal fear, fear of the unknown, fear for her life.
Some time passed, the clock kept ticking and as the night went on the clock hit 5. It was 5 in the morning. The sound faded away into obscurity, the warm winter sun was going to come up, she will 'live.'
''Kimino! Open the door now, Dad's here.''
The girl's eyes, swollen from crying, lit up, it was her father's voice.
'Dad's here, he's going to take me away.'
Longing for safety and the warm embrace of her father, the little girl scrambled towards the door, happy that she will see her parents again, happy because she can play with her sister and friends again.
They opened all the locks with anticipation and excitement all 8 locks were open, and the last one was left.
As she opened the last lock and the door began to open, The girl felt a sudden chill, accompanied by the feeling of messing up gravely.
Then she remembered her father, who had never called her 'Kimino' but always used her nickname, 'Kino.'
As the door opened she noticed, the salt on the floor had turned black, she felt dread coming from the depth of her soul as she heard the sound again, ''PO'' "PO" "PO".