MicroHorror

“And don’t forget to put Jeremy to bed at half past eight on the dot! He’s had a big day and I don’t…”

Leanne rolled her eyes. At sixteen she considered herself more than capable of babysitting.

“Mum, just go. I can take care of the little brat.” She pulled a face at her seven-year-old brother. “You and Dad have a great night. We’ll be fine. Don’t worry about us.”

Ann Johnson looked at her children standing in the doorway and smiled. Of course they would be okay but it was her job as a mother to worry. If she didn’t do it who would? The story of her life.

At eight thirty Leanne dispatched Jeremy to bed.

“Clean your teeth, matey,” she said, relishing her role as “mother.” “Then hop into bed. I’ll come and turn the light off.”

Jeremy had always been a good boy. He twisted himself off the couch and headed to the bathroom, dragging his feet as he went. Leanne smiled to herself. She could remember doing the same thing when she was his age, though she had never gone so willingly.

She gave him five minutes and then went down the short hallway to his bedroom.

“What are you doing, matey?” she asked.

Her brother was on his knees, his backside facing the door.

“Checking for monsters,” he replied innocently. “You never know.”

Leanne smiled then laughed. “You’re a bit too old for that, don’t you think? Have you ever, ever found any monsters under your bed?”

Jeremy hung his head. “No,” he replied softly.

“Well, there you go. You’ve never seen any monsters under your bed.”

“Only because they know I check every night,” he said climbing under the covers.

Leanne shook her head. Boys, she thought. So immature.

“Do you want your night light on?”

“Yes, please,” said Jeremy as he curled into the mattress.

Leanne switched the dinosaur-shaped night light on, switched the bedroom light off and wished her brother a good night.

Around midnight a chill had started to creep into the house. Outside the world was still. And silent. When Leanne turned the television off only the creaks and groans of the old house could be heard. After cleaning her teeth she changed into her nightie. She was about to turn her light off when something made her glance down at the ruffle which hid the space beneath her bed. A frown played upon her brow before she shook it off and plunged the room into darkness.

Once in bed her brother’s words swam lazily around in her mind. “…only because they know I check every night.” She turned over and tried to think of other, more pleasant things but something pulled her from her thoughts. A noise. It sounded like something being dragged across the carpet. She rolled onto her back and stared wide-eyed at the shadowy ceiling. There it was again. And was that a growl?

Leanne switched on the small lamp by her bedside. The room was empty. “…only because they know I check every night.” She leaned over her bed and lifted up the peach-pink ruffle.

The creature’s head spun around, its teeth already bared, a thread of thick saliva spilling over its black bottom lip. Cruel yellow eyes held her stare. Its breath held the remnants of something rotting. A second creature poked its head out from under the ruffle, snarled at Leanne and then with the claws of its scaled arm, pulled her into the darkness.

There was one scream before her throat was torn out, before the flesh was stripped from her body by two, three, four ravenous mouths. A red stain spread out across the carpet, peppered with shreds of bloody flesh. And soon that was all that remained of Leanne.

In his bedroom, Jeremy pulled the covers over his head. His eyes were wide and his body was trembling. He knew very well the reason for his sister’s scream.