"Ready to Charge?"

You know that faint *click* sound? The one your phone makes when you unplug it from the charger?

Last night, deep in the absolute dark, I heard it. Clear as a bell.

My phone, however, was dead on my nightstand. Hadn’t been plugged in for hours.

I froze, every muscle tight. The sound came again, a softer, wet *click*.

It was coming from *under* my bed. My breath caught. My heart hammered against my ribs.

Then, a series of quick, rhythmic clicks, like tiny, sharp teeth chattering.

Moving closer. Right beside my ear, a whisper like dry leaves.

"Ready to charge?" And then the loudest *click* of all. From the back of my own throat.