Stranger Things

Little feet went
Pitter, patter on
Hardwood floors.

I awoke with
A start. The house
Ought to be empty
Save for me and Luke.

Luke being my dog,
Sleeping at the foot
Of my bed.

I kept still,
Listening keenly to see
If what I heard was
Real or but a dream.

Then I heard them
As clear as day
In the dark of nigh,
Two set of feet
Coming my way.

They stopped just beyond
My closed bedroom door.

I held my breath
As the reptile within
Gauged the situation
To decide if I should
Fight or take flight.

I waited,
They waited and
Luke farted.

Then I felt someone
Get in the bed
To my right, I turned
But no one was there.

Then I felt someone
Get in the bed
To my left, I turned
But no one was there.

A shiver ran through me
And I slipped under
The covers, pulling them
Over my head.

Through the comforter,
I heard a little voice
Ask politely,
"Do you mind sharing
That with us."

I bolted up
And ran to the
Bedroom door which was
Now open.

Luke looked up,
Responding to the commotion,
Then said, "Oh behave,
You are overreacting.
They are but babes,
They won't do you no harm."

Then he went back to sleep
As though nothing had happened
But my jaw became unhinged.

A little girl appeared
At my side and took
My hand pulling me
Back to bed.

On the bed, appeared
A little boy who
Pulled back the comforter.

I followed along and
Laid in the bed with
Ghost children at my sides.

Once settled in,
They tucked themselves
Around me. "Tell us a story,
Please," they said in unison.

I spent the rest of
The night telling stories
To ghost children
While a talking dog
Slept at the foot
Of my bed.

Stranger things
Have happened.