Scary Stories - Twist in the Tale Series

A Good Night's Sleep

I never would havethought one person could make so much noise. It's enough to bringthe walls down. Listen to him: he sounds like a pig. A styful ofpigs. A whole farmyard of pigs. A vast, seething, milling herd ofpigs.
Do pigs herd? I don't know. I don't care, that's what he soundslike. The biggest herd of pigs ever assembled.

All I want is a good night's sleep, just one glorious night'ssleep. Is it too much to ask for? Answer me that. Is just onegood, peaceful night's sleep too much to ask for?

What time is it? Only half-past twelve: hours to go beforemorning. Every night it's the same: watching the clock tick over;counting the minutes away; listening to his terrible snoring.

Oh God, listen to that row. I've nudged him and kicked him,shouted and cursed at him but it makes no difference: he justgrunts and groans, pauses for a while, then the concert startsagain.

One o'clock: only a half hour since I last looked. I just knew itwas going to be a long night as soon as he said, "Justpopping out for a couple of pints, love, won't be long."Course it was hours before he returned, it always is. He's alwaysworse when he's been drinking. He had more than a couple of pintstoo, that's for sure. The way he staggered in it was more like acouple of gallons. Drunken sod!

Twenty-past one. I daren't talk to him about it. If I try to heswears blind he doesn't snore. He's getting very touchy lately.He was really nasty the last time I mentioned it - I'm almostsure he was going to hit me.

Five to two. Oh no! He's rolled over onto his back - the decibellevel will really go up now. There it goes! It's a wonder hedoesn't bring the ceiling crashing down on our heads - I'm sure Ican hear the plaster cracking.

Twenty-past two. All I want is a little sleep, just a littleblessed sleep. I just cannot stand this much longer. Please letme sleep.

Twenty-five to three. This is horrible. My body's crying out forrest: my head is throbbing; my nerves are all jangling; I can'tthink straight any more.

Three o'clock. Doesn't he realise I've had a hard day too; that Ineed my sleep as well? Got to do something, I'm getting desperate.No, no, please no more. That's it - I've had enough. The pillow...Put it over his face: his big, fat, snoring face. There, hold itdown, press tight. He's so hard asleep, he doesn't even know whatI'm doing. Press harder, harder. Harder than that, I've just gotto make him stop snoring. Harder. Not long now.

There, that's stopped him.

Oh the peace! The quiet, the tranquillity. This is beautiful,delicious, wonderful. It's so quiet. Listen... Not a sound,nothing but silence. Beautiful silence. Now I can close my eyesand sleep. Sleep, sleep, sleep.

Twenty to four. It's so quiet - too quiet. Is it always like thisat this hour? There's not a sound anywhere: it's like the wholeworld has stopped. It's so eerie. I don't like it: I never knewthere was so much silence. How can anybody get to sleep in thisawful quietness?