Monster
My parents say it’s not there, but I know it is. I can hear it breathing under my bed. I see its shadow across my dresser. And I know that if I get out of bed, it will grab my ankle in its clawed, scaly hands, drag me under, and eat me. But tonight, I won’t let it get me. I’ll be ready for it. After Mommy and Daddy are asleep, I sneak out of bed. I jump into the middle of the room and run out, so that it doesn’t have time to grab me. I tiptoe down to the kitchen and grab the butcher knife that Daddy left in the sink. Now, it can’t hurt me. Back in my bed, I sit up straight, watching and waiting in the darkness. Finally, I hear a noise from under the bed. There’s a rush of air as something jumps out of the darkness. I see eyes, and sharp teeth shining in the moonlight. I stab it with the knife as hard as I can, and it makes a noise as the knife goes in. But monsters are supposed to growl, and this monster doesn’t growl. It makes a noise that sounds more like a surprised bark, and then a gurgling whimper. And the bloody shape on my bed is much smaller than I thought monsters were supposed to be.