Laughter

My headache was excruciating. Laying on my bed in the pitch black was the only thing that helped. But, even that night, I was still in intense pain. Hours had passed since I first laid down. I thought I heard mumbles of my roommates going out for the night, but I had no idea if they were back yet. 

My question was answered when I heard someone laughing. It came from the living room of our apartment. I groaned. Even though it was faint, my migraines required me to sit in absolute silence. My roommates, Terry and Anna, knew this. They always did the best that they could to keep quiet, but tonight was the exception, I suppose. I wanted to yell at my roommates to shut up, but I knew that it would only make my migraine worse. I shut my eyes tight in hopes that the laughter would soon vanish. 

It did not.

In fact, it seemed to grow louder. From my closed bedroom door, I couldn't tell who was laughing. But it was obnoxious. I sluggishly pulled myself out of bed and made my way over to my bedroom door. The laughter only grew. 

My movements slowed as I pulled open the door. I was greeted with a vacant and darkened hallway. With the door open, the giggling became thunderous. I covered my ears as I glanced towards the living room, expecting to see Terry slouched on the couch watching The Office. The lights were off, though, and from my current position, I could not see the TV. 

Whatever they were laughing at, it must be flipping hilarious. 

"Anna?" I called. Nothing but laughter. 

"Terry?" I called. Again, nothing but laughter. 

The noise rang in my brain despite my covered ears. My migraine started pulsing, shooting me with sharp pains as I walked towards the living room. 

"Can you please keep it down? I told you that I have a headache." The laughter answered me once again. It was annoying, but I was unnerved greatly. My stomach knotted as I took a few steps closer. The ear-splitting laughter was mocking me, it sounded like, and it grew much more sinister. 

I reached the living room and stopped. The laughter had reached maximum volume. I reached out and touched the light switch. Before I could flip the lights on, the laughter stopped, causing a sudden and earth-shattering silence to ring into the air. It didn't last long. As I was preparing to flip the switch, a voice whispered into my right ear, stopping my actions cold. 

"Please leave the lights off, Steven. It is much more funny in the dark." 

The breath was freezing as it caressed my cheek. As if nothing had happened, the thing kept on laughing with a menacing tone. My head exploded from pain. Everything was too loud. In a swift movement, I turned on the living room lights. The laughter died as I did so. 

My eyes flickered around the room. I thought I would see a creature of some sort, something evil and gross. I thought I'd see a beast standing next to me, the thing that whispered to me, it only made sense that it was a beast. Or perhaps I'd see my roommates at my side, giggling about their silly prank. 

But it wasn't any of that. What it was made my blood turn to ice in my veins. No, what I saw was much more terrifying. Or rather, what I didn't see. 

I was face-to-face with absolutely nothing at all.