Are you Scared?

Inspired by true events.
(dtmd)

Sharing a bedroom with your siblings can always have it's ups and downs. Having invisible substance ball fights or staying up all night chatting about absolutely anything was always good. Playing monopoly and never winning because your sister hates to lose. Yes, even the losing was fun.

Sometimes though, it would be a right pain. Having your sister rummage through all your private stuff and reading your diary and then poking fun at you every chance they got. Or having your sister keep her side of the room messy while you're trying to keep your cleaning OCD under control. Well, my sister thought so anyway.

"I can't stand living in the same room as you any longer" my sister cried. "You go through all my stuff and I have got no privacy."

In our three bedroom house, my parents had one room, my oldest sister (Sarah) had one room and all the other siblings had the last room. So, as you can imagine privacy was a massive issue. My sister (Rhubarb)was having it no more, after sharing a bedroom all her life she had just made a deal with Sarah that would relieve her from ever having to share with anyone.

"See you sucka" Rhubarb said gleefully, "I have given Sarah my new black dress for her bedroom, so I am out of here" she said while pulling down her posters carefully as not to rip them.

"Huh! Sarah swapped her bedroom for a dress? Thats not fair" I said in astonishment.

"Yes and she is packing her stuff to move, ha, see how you get my diary now."

I was shocked. I had always shared with Rhubarb and it would feel weird without her but I wasn't worried. "Don't pull all your posters off yet because you'll be back" I laughed.

There was one thing about Rhubarb you need to know. She gets spooked very easily. She was always the first to go to sleep not because she was tired but because she didn't want to be awake while everyone else was sleeping. On many an occasion did she wake me up if she woke in the night just to keep her company, so I was not worried.

The moving was complete and as I sat on her bed in the new room I sensed a chill down my spine with an immense feeling of anxiety. I told Rhubarb what I felt.

"Oh please, you are just saying that to scare me" she said "but I am not moving from this room."

That night everyone had taken positions in thier new habitats and lay down to sleep. The lights went off, with the exception of the hall light which was left on just to take the edge off the darkness for the children.

About half an hour into the sleep we heard screaming. "AAAHHHHH! Mum there is someone trying to get in!" Rhubarb was shouting from inside her locked room.

We all went running to her door, "Open the door!" mother yelled.

"I can't move off my bed" Rhubarb cried, "Someone was turning the knob."

"Open the door, It's me turning the knob!" again mum said.

"No, before you came" she cried.

"Who is in there?" my dad shouted. "What are you screaming for?"

Rhubarb was quiet. The children were standing on the landing watching the locked door fearfully. Dad was trying to turn the knob and pushing the door. Rhubarb was still quite. Dad was banging at the door and mum was shouting "Rhubarb open the door." The door opened.

"Uh, I'm ok, I thought there was someone turning the knob but I must have been wrong." Rhubarb said in a quite voice. "I'm ok go back to bed." So after reassuring and checking her room we all went back to bed. The next day everyone was laughing at Rhubarb but all she could say was there was someone there.

Come nightfall everyone got ready for bed. This time Rhubarb was prepared she took a kitchen knife with her and placed it under her pillow ready for any assailant in the dark.

Again when we all lay down about an hour or so into the sleep Rhubarb started screaming. "AAAHHHH! there is some one turning the knob, someone is trying to get into my room."

This time only mother and me ran to the door. "Open the door" mum shouted angrily but Rhubarb woudn't stop screaming. This made mum really angry and she started shouting louder "open this door, just get off your bed and open the door or even the light." Everything was quiet. Rhubarb again opened the door. This time mum was angry and wasn't listening to reason so she made Rhubarb go back to the old bedroom; waking Sarah to go back to hers.

"Tommorrow you can move your stuff back" I said laughing at Rhubarb, who was still recovering from the incident. We lay down to sleep saying good night to each other and Rhubarb seemed happier to be back.

I sighed in relief thinking everything is back to normal again, all is right in the world and I won't have to creep about in the dark anymore.....