Bed-Side Manners

I'm not sure what to believe anymore. I'm sure that I didn't imagine this, and I'm sure that what I heard, and felt, really happened. So, just a little backstory. My husband and I moved into a new place a few months ago in May. I'll refer to him as Mark. Ended up getting a great job opportunity, so we packed up our things and headed west. Things were going great actually. Everything was normal.

We didn't move into some ancient house with a dark past. We moved into a small, single-family home with a freaking cul-de-sac. Mark went to work. He had a good 9 to 5 schedule and I was able to do some work from home. He'd get home a little after 5.30, we'd have dinner, then we'd relax until we had to sleep. Once it's 10 pm, I'm already extremely sleepy, so I usually lie in bed and flip through my phone for an hour.

sleep. My husband is a night owl. He has issues with sleeping, so he usually stays up late. I'm a pretty light sleeper, so whenever he finally decides to go to sleep, I usually wake up a moment and hear him go to bed. Mark always follows a routine before going to bed. He clicks off the TV in the living room, shakes the locks, turns off the lights, goes into a bathroom to brush his teeth, slips into bed, then kisses me before finally drifting to

We live a pretty mundane lifestyle. A month ago, something happened to me. It was an average day. All I did was clean and go to the store to get groceries. Later on, I prepared dinner. Mark came home and we talked about our day. Everything was normal. The only off thing was that Mark complained that the juice I brought for him had tasted funny.

when I started to feel exhausted, so I did my usual and fell asleep. I wasn't sure what time it was when I was suddenly awoken by the noise of heavy footsteps coming from the living room. Usually, Mark is a bit quieter when coming to bed, but I brushed it off. The heavy thuds approached the bedroom door and I heard it slowly creak open. I was feeling a bit frustrated as he knew I was a light sleeper, but I tried my best to ignore it

back asleep. I heard the click from the light switch of a bathroom and the faucet squeak, followed by a light trickle of water.

I don't know why, I started to feel so damn uneasy. Usually, Mark would wake me a bit during the night and I'd fall right back to sleep, but something felt off. The way our room is set up from the entrance to our bedroom is a straight shot to a window. Our bed is on that wall and then on the left is the door to the bathroom. My back was facing the bathroom, so with a light on I saw the wall Mark's shadow cast onto it.

Perhaps it was lack of sleep or my eyes playing tricks on me But it didn't look like Mark Now my husband is average height and a bit wide he fits the dad bod category The shadow I saw was tall and slender with the arms seemingly longer like they would have touched the ground. I Didn't hear the sound of him brushing his teeth Just the slow trickle of water and a deep gurgling breath echoing from the bathroom

I finally froze and thought to myself, maybe this wasn't my husband. The faucet slowly squeaked to a halt, the gurgled breathing still emanated from behind me, the light switch clicked off, then I heard the heavy thuds of its feet go towards our bed, towards me. I froze still and tried to keep my breath from shaking. I kept thinking to myself that I was just tired and maybe I'm overthinking things.

and going to bed. I felt the comforter rise a bit as a body slumped into the bed. Its weight of it caused the frame to creak and groan. Something much larger than my husband was creeping into bed with me. I could feel my body shift as whatever it was but what I assumed was this whole body onto the bed. I get my eyes tight shut as I get my breath slow and shallow trying not to scream, trying

This thing's Couture and gurgle breath were right behind my skull. I heard the sound of something breaking and cracking from above, then suddenly felt something drop in front of me. I cracked my eyes open to see an extremely long, thin limb with large, rake-like fingers in front of me that bent and stretched over from behind me. It was red and glistened in the moonlight that peered through my window.

was. Had no skin. My vision began to blur as tears formed in my eyes. Don't cry, don't cry, don't scream, I thought to myself over and over. Where was my husband? Where the hell was Mark? Did this thing? I didn't want to finish that thought. I felt his weight begin to shift again, shifting towards me. Again, I heard that disgusting

Nausea started to overtake me, but I held my vomit in my stomach. The deep and wet, gurgled breath inched this way closer to my face. I could feel a hot mist hit my skin. I heard it. I heard the sound of it opening its mouth wider and wider as drops of its saliva descended over my head. Something hot and wet began to slither onto my cheek.

stop. I slowly slid my eyes to the corner of my socket and looked at it. It was red and fleshy. It had no eyes, just dark sockets. Its mouth was a black abyss that stretched open with rows of sharp teeth and a wiggling tongue. I stared at it for a moment and fully, finally letting out an ear-shattering scream that echoed throughout my home. I shouted at the

But there was no answer. I wanted to get up. I wanted so desperately to run out of that damn room. But I was frozen in absolute fear. I fully realized how immense this thing was, with its limbs stretched over me like some kind of giant skinless spider. My screams were cut short when I heard its breathing, which turned into a deep and low laugh. It reveled in my despair, in my helplessness.

I didn't know what else to do. I had nothing else to do but accept whatever it had in store for me.

looked at me.

and it smiled. A wide, razor-tooth smile. My heart was beating like crazy, like it was trying to burst out of my chest and... I fell unconscious. I don't know what else happened, but I passed out.

I woke up the next morning. I was completely drenched in sweat and I'm embarrassed to say that my bed was completely soaked in urine. I slowly got out of bed. I felt so sick, so horrible. I crept over to my living room. Each of my footsteps echoed like thunder in my skull. I turned the corner and on the couch, sleeping so peacefully, was my husband, Mark.

gave out and I collapsed onto the floor. Mark shot right up and looked over to see the state I was in. Mark insisted that I go to the hospital. I was so pale and in a cold sweat, but I didn't want anything else but for him to just hold me, reassure me that I was safe and that this was real. A few hours later I told him about my dream, and he was completely disturbed, to say the least. He was

So, he took me to the doctor's office. After a short wait, I was finally let in to see my doctor. I avoided telling him about my dream, but I did tell him how sick I was feeling. The doctor ran a few tests. I was so anxious, but Mark held my hand the entire time. The results came back and I was in complete shock. I was listening to the doctor talk.

And Mark. I looked at him and he was smiling from ear to ear. Everything sounded like muffled white noise, but the one thing the doctor said hit me...pregnant.

Mark carefully lifted me and embraced me as the doctor patted his shoulder in congratulations. The whole car ride, Mark went on and on about baby stuff and I just didn't know what to say. So, here's the thing, I never told Mark, I never told him because I was afraid that he would be disappointed and leave me.

I... can't have children. I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I know I cannot have children.

Now, a month later, and I'm so afraid to go to sleep, I stay up with Mark until he finally goes to bed no matter what. He's so excited about the baby, but I don't even know what the hell it is inside of me. A few days ago, while Mark was at work, I went to the doctor to get an ultrasound. Needless to say, I was shocked when the doctor said everything was normal, but when he turned

I looked at the down screen and saw whatever this thing inside of me is. For a split second, I saw its limbs stretch and grow.