“But, I thought I saw something…a face!” He looked up at his mom with a heartfelt look, trying to make her believe him. “No ghosts in the closet,” he chuckled at his little stab at humour. “I don’t see anything, son.” He turned giving Tony a lop-sided grin. His father peeked out the window into the backyard. “You were dreaming, honey,” his mother cooed, smoothing his hair back repeatedly with her firm hand.

“I saw something…thought I saw something…I know I saw something−” he rambled, gulping hard, feeling like a tiny baby once again. His dad stood in the doorway with his black hair in disarray, slowly rubbing his eyes. “What is it? What is it?” his mother asked breathlessly, checking him over thoroughly for any signs of trouble. Within seconds it seemed, his parents came flying into the room, flipping on the light. “AHHHHH!” Tony screamed loud and long as he shot up in bed, staring right into the garishly painted face of a doll man! Oh no! Now he could see the dark top of a head…the eyes! The huge, frightful, staring, black-ringed clown eyes! Five stubby fingers were scraping on the glass pane, creating a sound he’d never forget. Tony couldn’t scream…he could only watch and wonder in frozen horror if he was indeed fully awake. What was that? Movement…a hand? A small hand? Scratching at his window! Suddenly, his eyes froze at the corner of the window sill. He saw a tree’s branches in the distance blowing crazily back and forth. He looked towards his window lit by the moonlight. Definitely not the wind! It was a very small noise, but chilled him nonetheless. What was that? He was sure he’d heard a noise which sounded a lot like a thump.

Relax! Scenes like a video of the circus replayed through his mind making sleep almost an impossibility. Tony lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. Debbi McClatchey stopped by the Dragons Lair to share her books with us.

Evil In Disguise by Deborah McClatchey