A Short Story Collection #Wattys2018

Monster Under the Bed

A child is home alone when their house is broken into. Alone, except for the monster under the bed.

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I was keeping guard over Caroline's bed when it happened. Us monsters under the bed are meant to torment our assigned kids, but we are allowed to do one good dead for them. No child ever knew about that rule because they were terrified of us, but Caroline was different. She saw me as a friend instead of her nightmare and knew of the rule. She also knew that I would go away if it was called in.

"Richie, she whimpered calling out to me, "did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" I ask her with my body waking from its stiff slumber.

"I heard some glass breaking downstairs. Do you think someone's inside?" Her voice was quivering, and I could picture her lip trembling.

"I'm sure it was just nothing," I tell her hoping it would calm her down. It didn't. The sound of pictues falling from the walls echoed up to us along with the sound of heavy footsteps.

"What do I do Richie? It's just you and me here," she whispers poking her head under the bed to look for me. "I'm scared Richie."

"You'll be fine; I promise," I tell her reaching out my tentacle arm to brush the top of her head. But the sound of a person approaching only continued to become louder.

"Let me hide with you," she pleaded sliding off her bed and trying to push herself into the space under her bed.

"There's not enough room for you," I reply as the movement becomes louder. If she wanted to hide, she didn't have that much time. "Go hide in the closet."

"No! I want to be with you! You'll keep me safe!"

"Caroline, listen to me: go hide in the closet before that person comes in here." I push her gently towards the closet with my tail. "They won't see you in there." She wipes the tears from her eyes and goes towards the closet as I said.

But the door creaked open.

"Look what we have here," came a leering voice. "We've got ourselves a nice little girlie." I watch as the move closer to her, and the fur on my back stands up. A low growl comes out of my throat. "You've got yourself a dog in here girlie?"

"Only Richie," she tells them. "It's always been just Richie."

"Is he your imaginary friend pumpkin?" the other person asks her. With my enhanced senses, I could smell the alcohol on him oozing out. It was like a river to me.

"No, he's my monster under my bed." I feel myself swell with pride at her words.

"Too bad those monsters aren't real, and you're here by youself. You've got nobody to protect you, and we're not some very nice men you see."

"Of course he's real!" she cries out turning to me. "And he'll keep me safe, won't you Richie?"

"Caroline,do yo understand what you're doing?" I ask her.

"Of course I do, I need your help Richie.' The tears that came along with her plea were enough to send me into action knowing that this would be the last thing I do fo her.

"Are you talking to yourself now girlie?" one of the men asks going up to her and snatching one of her curls in his fingers.

"Step away from my human," I growl out slithering from underneath the bed and standing to my full height. "She's my human, and those who harm my human are dead men."

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