BUT WAS IT A DREAM?

        I try to be helpful around the house and late last night, I decided to help my girl out and do the laundry. I gathered up our basket of clothes and headed for the basement. As I reached the kitchen door that led down the stairs, I stopped momentarily to grasp the knob and it occurred to me she never washes clothes except in the daytime. Oh well maybe she just has more time then, and I dismissed the thought instantly. I stepped through the door frame down on to the first step, flipped the light on for the stairs, and closed the door behind me. Three more steps and I'm standing on the landing facing the back door. I reached over, flipped on the basement light, switched off the stairwell light, then turned to my right to start down the steps. 10 to go. Just as I reached the second one, all the lights in the basement went out. Standing there in the darkness, I started to reach for the light switch, when the air around me began to grow cold, very cold. About then I could sense something coming closer in the dark. Damn, what a freaking helpless feeling, I couldn't see my hand in front of my face right now. My skin began to crawl and the hair on my arms stood up. Right then I knew whatever it was, was right on steps with me. I could feel the air moving. Not like a breeze, but like someone or something breathing on me, within mere inches of me. I froze with fear, dropping the basket down the steps, only to hear the thing shuffle and grunt. Again I felt its breath, but this time it was much, much closer to my face, warm and moist like a panting animal, sniffing me like I was gonna be its next meal. I'm not even sure at this point I want the lights to come on. It stopped panting and sniffing. I closed my eyes. Dead silence ensued for what seemed forever, on that step. Then, without warning, it let out a vile, creature of Hell half scream, half growl, right in my face as its warm breath took my own breath away. The last thing I remember is my body crumpling under me. 

         When I awoke, I was in bed, my girl sitting on the edge next to me smiling. I asked her how I got there. She looked at me funny and said "You were in bed when I got home, but you must have been having a bad dream. You were rolling around and swatting at something, that's what you get for eating pizza, Doritos, and beer, and then going right to sleep." 

          The next day, I walked down into the basement with my girl. At the bottom of the steps, she turned to me and said "If you don't want to wash the clothes, that's ok, but you don't have to toss the basket down the steps". She turned back around, and went over and gathered them up. That's when I knew it wasn't a dream. By the way, I no longer go in the basement after dark either!