The Blanket Thief [HHWC]

The following is based on a recurring dream I've had for years.


The Blanket Thief

There is a sense of security that blankets give once the lights go out, a thin layer of protection against that infinite void carried in by the darkness and the unnamed things that lurk within it. Blankets set a personal boundary through which the unknown cannot penetrate.

For Jimmy, curled up in bed with the blankets over his head, this was the only thing keeping him safe from his own imagination. It was hot in his makeshift cocoon, made worse by his breathing which left the air under the blankets hot and stale. He lay there, his senses primed, both hiding and listening for any sounds that would alert him of an impending attack from dark forces.

Time passed and he heard nothing, until he eventually worked up the courage to crack a small hole through his protective barrier, just enough to poke his face out, allowing him to breath a little easier. His gaze was drawn to the dark void housed within his closet, carelessly left open, where anything could be hiding. He watched it carefully until his senses began to dull and sleep gradually began to overtake him. Without his focused attention fueling his fears, they became less real, in turn demanding less of his attention. Before long, he was sound asleep.

Jimmy awoke sometime later, his ghosts and demons all but forgotten. What demanded his attention now was the cool night air on his bare skin. It had gotten cooler, and his blankets were down below his chest. He pulled them up to his neck, not as armor this time, but for warmth. He could still feel the wispy remnants of pleasant dreams, and being half asleep, he let them wash over him and was back asleep in a matter of moments.

Once again, Jimmy was awakened by the cool night air on his bare skin, and he instinctively pulled the covers up towards his neck. But this time there was a momentary resistance to his pull which quickly gave way to his insistent tug. It was just enough to fully rouse him from his half awakened state. He didn't give it much thought, and figured the blankets just got caught on the corner of his bed. Once again snug and warm, he surrendered himself to the lure of sleep.

It took him longer to fall asleep this time, but he eventually began to descend through the twilight stages between waking and dreaming. Before he could fully complete the transition, he was dragged back to reality by the sensation of his blankets slowly being pulled towards the foot of his bed! Jimmy instinctively yanked back before he was even fully aware of what had transpired, and lay there in a state of full blown panic gripping his blankets tightly.

The next few moments were an eternity while his young mind raced desperately to come up with a logical
explanation to what had just transpired, all the while waiting for the next assault to begin. He didn't have long to wait. An strong pull from the foot of his bed was trying to lay claim to the only thing protecting him from the night. Once again Jimmy pulled back, and the unknown force responded with strong tug of it's own. Desperate not to lose this contest, Jimmy yanked back again, and the opposing pull answered back in kind, stronger than before.

Poor Jimmy was now locked into a frantic tug of war, back and forth, back and forth, each pull stronger than the last, escalating the response from both sides. But Jimmy's efforts proved no match for his unseen assailant,
who quickly overpowered young Jimmy and began to pull the terrified boy towards the foot of the bed along with the blankets. Still, Jimmy would not relinquish his hold blankets. Just as he about to be pulled over the edge of his bed into the clutches of some ungodly monstrosity, he jumped up, bracing himself with his legs and gave one mighty heave. It was enough to break the grip of whatever was lusting greedily after his blankets. Victorious, he piled the remainder of his blankets in the center of his bed so that nothing could grab a hold of them from underneath his bed.

This minor victory was no comfort, just as Sleep was no longer an option, and morning seemed so far away as to be nothing but a fairy tale. At this point his bed seemed a tiny island in a sea of blackness, and he dared not set foot into it's murky depths for fear of the creatures that inhabited the deep dark. Faced with limited options, Jimmy eventually worked up the courage to peek over the side of his bed, revealing nothing. Obviously his assailant was underneath his bed, hiding, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

Curiosity and fear were now the two major players in Jimmy's mind, fear being the stronger, but curiosity gaining strength. Jimmy had very few options left, huddled over his little pile of blankets, and it was more desperation than bravery that dictated his next course of action. He wanted to see his unknown assailant, if only to know what he was up against.

He grabbed his comforter and peeked over the end of his bed to find nothing there. He then dangled his blanket down to the floor like an angler fishing off a boat, about a foot away from the end of his bed so he could see the thing reach out. He waited and nothing happened. He moved the blanket closer to his bed, closer and closer still, expecting a sudden strike that never came. He draped his blanket right against the foot of his bed, and still nothing took a hold of it.

Growing frustrated by the tension and lack of results, Jimmy swung his comforter until the end flopped underneath his bed, fully expecting to feel the pull, but still nothing happened. He waited what seemed an eternity, the darkness around him no longer an obstruction for his heightened senses, and still nothing took his bait. He gave up on trying to lure the lurking creature out and began to reel in his blankets, but they would not come!

In response to his tugging, the unknown force beneath his bed once again began it's relentless assault, and a struggle ensued. The stronger Jimmy pulled, the stronger it pulled back. Jimmy fought with all his might, but a sudden pull yanked him right off his bed, and he hit the floor with a thud. There was no time to acknowledge the pain in his shoulder where he landed, because he still gripped his blanket tightly and was slowly being pulled underneath his bed! Not wanting to be pulled into the realm of the unknown from which he would never
return, he released his grip and jumped desperately back onto his bed.

He had lost the thickest of his blankets and was left with only the thinnest of sheets that offered no protection at all. Bereft of defenses, his instinct to flee took over, and Jimmy leaped from his bed with a prowess fueled by fear that carried him halfway across the room. He dashed to the doorway where he slapped at the light switch, flooding the room with harsh light. The light severely limited the number of hiding places monsters could lurk, leaving only beneath his bed, and Jimmy dropped to his stomach on the floor to try and catch a glimpse of his tormentor from across the room. He saw his comforter half pulled under his bed, but no sign of anything else.

He carefully crawled closer and snatched back his blanket, hurling it behind him and exposing the underside of his bed. He saw nothing. A dirty sock, a couple of stray Lego blocks, and some dust bunnies, but no sign of his assailant. Jimmy took one final scan from top to bottom. As he finished, almost disappointed, something caught his eye near the top end of his bed where he'd already carefully checked. A small ball of shadow, but before he could lock his eyes onto it, it tore across his room with a single high pitched bark and was gone.

Jimmy looked around bewildered, but the strange creature was gone, perhaps boiled away by the light radiating from his ceiling. It was then that his mother entered his room, perhaps alerted by the commotion or the light underneath his door. He desperately tried to relate what had happened, but his mother dismissed it all as a dream and coaxed him back into bed. She tucked him in and kissed his forehead, reassuring him everything was all right. And then she turned out the light and left.

Jimmy was almost convinced by his mother's soothing tone, maybe it was just a dream, but he tucked
his head underneath his blankets anyways, without even the luxury or a breathing hole for fresh air. He didn't have long to wait before he felt a gently tugging on the blankets from the foot of his bed...

reply to post by The Cusp

Twas a good read Cusp, I like the "fishing" with the blanket bit. So there is more, no? Gotta find out what happens the next night. Maybe the boy should have an extra blanket so he can give one to the shadow ball.

spec

No, sorry, that's how it ends. The Blanket Stealer can't be defeated, believe me, I've tried. It's an eternal struggle.

I did figure out what causes me to have those dreams though. In the spring and fall when the temperature is changing a lot, I'll cast off my excess blankets because it's too hot. Then later in the night when it cools down I'll reach down beside my bed to retrieve them. There is a bit of resistance as I pull them back up and they catch the side of my bed. Falling back asleep after that is enough to incubate the blanket thief dream.

reply to post by The Cusp


Wow... this is the one story to give me goosebumps so far! Your story scared me, because an extremely similar event happened to me before. Everything happened the same, minus the tug-of-war and shadow ball. I was definitely awake. The first time, exactly like the story... woke up cold, put the blanket back on. Just as I nodded off, the blanket was off again. I felt suspicious because I was just dozing off, but I hadn't moved. So I closed my eyes, but stayed awake to see what would happen. Within a few short seconds, I felt the blanket slowly pull halfway off my body. I quickly pulled it back on and sought safety in sleep. I was sleeping on the floor this night because friends were sleeping over, so you can rule out gravity.

Also, you hit the nail right on the head with your description of blanket protection. That thin barrier sure does make me feel safe on the darkest of nights!

Thanks again for the story. I'm going to be thinking about this old experience now when I go to sleep tonight, I hate you!

I really enjoyed this and look forward to more from you. S&F