It's the devil's hour, and my alarm goes off as it has for weeks now. Knowing the kind of exams I was to sit for, I got out of bed immediately and moved to my reading table. Before flipping the book open, I sat in awe of how quiet the world was. No honks from cars, no murmurs, or annoying sounds that come with daytime. All I could hear were the blissful whispers of crickets and the accurate crowing of cockerels in the neighborhood. These creature whistles, if I listened long enough, were sure to take me back to bed.
At that moment, I was enveloped with the urge to open my window, push my head out, and seep in the freshness of the day. To satisfy the urge, I shuffled to the window, and just when I was about to unclasp the lock that held the windows together, a strange hoot from outside startled me.
My skin was blanketed with goosebumps. I didn't blink as I was scared that s blink could sell me out.My mind, now a sea of thoughts, I dissected each one and weighed them.
Now scared for my poor life, I contemplated how to walk back to my reading table, but I also wanted to look through the window to catch a glimpse of what could have made such an eerie sound.
Still contemplating, the hoot came again, but this time, there was a response to it—cries like that of cats. Extremely terrifying. The weather was cold, but beads of sweat covered my forehead. Were the animals having a meeting, or was something more spiritual going on, and I was just a victim of the hour?
My legs trembled as I strode back to bed. I turned off the reading LED and crouched under the sheets for warmth and a little bit of security. The eerie cries got louder and scarier. My eyes stayed wide open, and I regretted leaving my table to go to the window. I wanted to read so badly, but strange things happened that made me get back in bed, sulking like a child.