The rain fell against the windowpane. The thunder roared and I woke up to a scream, so sharp it could break thousands of wine glasses of the best quality. My other window was open and I felt a cold creepy chill down my back. I had to close my window, so I turned on the light…or at least I tried to. Of coarse, the power had shut down.

Now I could feel my heart beat faster and faster, but I had no choice. I had to close the window either I wanted or not. When I put my feet on the floor, it felt like I was walking on a million, ice-cold knives. The room was so dark and extremely quiet, that if you had listened very hard, I’m sure you would hear me chattering my teeth. I sneaked quietly across the room to the open window. The wind almost grabbed me through the window, but I was stronger.

Finally my work had been done. I ran back to my big, warm bed, and hid under my blanket, terrified and horribly scared. Afraid of my dark room. I just lay under my blanket listening to the rain, which was loud. It was like a hammer hammering on my window. Under my blanket I could see my room light up like a match, by the lightening bolts, followed by thunder.

The rain and thunder kept on going through the night. The next morning the sun was shining bright, and my room was back to be a child’s room again. My mother had made a list of things for me to do that day. But after the previous night, I was so tired that my eyes were almost glued together. My mother wondered where the tiredness came from, with a sharp, mad voice. She was a little mad since she hade planned this day pretty well.

My mother wasn’t so happy about it, but told me that I could go back to my room and sleep more, if wanted to. My mother couldn’t say “ABRACADABRA” before I was upstairs, well placed in my bed with my eyes closed. It didn’t take long before I was in a deep sleep.

I woke up 11.58 am. My room was again dark and cold, but this time my locker was half open. I imagined a monster living inside that locker. It ate up all my socks. They were his favourite meal. I could also hear some monster sounds under my bed. I packed myself better under my blanket, and pressed my hands against my ears. “Why does all of this happen to me”? I thought.

The monster under my bed was now scratching its claws against my floor. Now I couldn’t move, neither my foot nor arm. I was paralysed. Now I could hear my locker door, slowly open by itself. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t. I really tried all I could. I just lay in my bed not making a sound. I didn’t dear to breathe. I heard footsteps coming towards my bed, not knowing which side of the bed, I screamed as loud as I could, and even more.

I heard a voice, talking calmly tome. I screamed again, and again, and again…”Harold wake up, wake up, you’re just dreaming…Harold, Harold”? I opened my eyes and realized that it was just a dream. “Thank God”! I thought, and gave my mum a big hug.

From now on I always sleep with the lights on.