As with some of my previous works, reality's horrors can influence my stories, and this was no different as the inspiration came from creepy tales of older people grooming children for sinister reasons.
After some research, I tried to portray the realism of grooming, where the disturbing truth is hidden behind friendship, compliments, relatability, and subtle hints that gradually draw the child in while also erecting a division between their parents/caretakers.
To highlight Mick's methods and show how he targeted vulnerabilities, I had my protagonist (gender undefined) be an only child with busy parents. Grooming can take months and even years, so to keep my story from being too long, I had the child also have a pride streak as well as a strong fascination with cats to propel the plot forward.
I've enjoyed some stories written not only from the perspective of children, but "by" children, so I thought I'd give that style a shot. I decided against spelling and grammar errors and instead wrote as a child would talk, with plenty of useless details and run-on sentences. I don't know if this turned readers off, so I'd appreciate feedback!
As for the setting, I'd always wanted to write a story based on my experiences visiting relatives in a third-world country, and I thought such a setting would be perfect for the theme I had in mind. I drew a lot from my childhood vacations when describing everything in the first half of the story up until the introduction of Mick.
As for the titular monster, it's up to the reader to decide whether it referred to a real creature, or whether Mick was the only monster in the elevator.
As for the ending, the unexpected moment where the protagonist realizes they don't like cats after all, when the entire plot was driven by their obsession with them, was meant to touch upon just how difficult it is to know the consequences of one's choices.
If you've read the story, let me know what you think. I’m always open to feedback, suggestions, and critique!
✨You can also find a revamped version of this story in my collection "The Joke's on Me: and six other twisted stories of absurdity and regret", available on Amazon! If you do purchase it, I'd greatly appreciate an honest review! ✨