My Monster

I am The Monster Under The Bed

Case: #197102

Status: Catastrophic

I stare at the file and realise I have only one option, over the last 2 years every monster assigned to Anastasia Thomas has quit, or come back crying. Every last one. Her first monster, a dark mass of teeth and blood red eyes named smitty, had been with her for 5 years, but then gradually he got less scary. Thinking she was used to him I assigned multiple common, uncommon and rare monsters. Monsters who reported they couldn't deal with "that sort of trauma". I even assigned one of the toughest I had, a monster that inhabited any small, dark place he wished, just to sneak up on the child. He came back crying. looking at my tablet I realise there is only one appropriate assignable monster left, myself.

Field work isn't my cup of tea, unfortunately I had no choice. Desperate times call for desperate measures. So at 8:00pm when Mrs Thomas put Anastasia to sleep, I slither into the space beneath her bed. It seems that she has created a small barrier of junk to shield herself from her monster. Little did I know it was not for me. I find a gap between a dusty teddy bear and a box filled with books on abusive households, what a strange reading topic for a seven-year-old. I turn my attention to the bed above me, Anastasia is awake but barely. I reach my long, bony, ice like fingers over the soft features of her face. I'm greeted with silence. I try again and this time I'm welcomed with a reaction " I'm not scarred of you monster" she breathed heavily, voice wavering slightly. Looking from my small gap I can see a clock on the wall 8:10pm, a door somewhere in the house slams and there is an audible hitch of breath above me.

A few minutes go by I can hear Mr. Thomas Yelling at his wife, and her pleading sobs to not go in there. Heavy, sloppy footfalls on creaking steps followed by heavy strangled breaths. Anastasia struggled in a hasty manor and... She. CRAWLS. Under. The. Bed. With. Me " Move Over!" Anastasia Hisses directing her attention to the door, shaking thoroughly now. The door to the Bedroom slams open and the smell of human intoxicants mixed with the stench of cigarettes greets me. I know why Anastasia isn't afraid of any of my monsters; she's afraid of her own. Mr Thomas reaches his fat hand under the bed and I thrust my wrist into his palm. He starts to pull, I slither out. "what the..." I cut his next words off by unfolding to my full 12-foot height. looming over the drunken man I caress my cold bony fingers down his face to hold his chin, my palm over his putrid, split lips. "If you ever touch, scare, or harm my child again, I will find you, and do the same to you, for all eternity", leaving my deathly promise in thick air. As Mr Thomas runs from the room he soils himself. I pull Anastasia from under the bed, tuck her back under the covers and kiss her forehead goodnight. 'I'll be back tomorrow night, sleep well munchkin".

Anastasia Thomas is my child; I am the monster under her bed.