Hansel! Give me more space under the umbrella," a high pitched voice whined.
"Sorry Marie. Tell me when you're wet earlier, okay?"
The young girl blushed, and hugged her companion from behind. The two were on the same bike, and sharing one umbrella.
"I always wonder, Hansel, if during the rain, little trolls come out in the forest. They have mushroom caps for hats, and chubby white bodies. Cute!"
Hans chuckled. "Sounds like you've already seen one."
"I swear I haven't!"
"I know, I know."
Marie beamed. "It's so nice that we got to visit your Mother. Even though we got caught in the rain...my my, she'll be such a sweet Grandmother!"
"Marie!" Hans mumbled, "we're not there yet!"
"Yeah, yeah. But you have to admit it."
Hans nodded, a bright smile on his face.
Marie hummed to herself, focusing on the mucky road ahead of them.
It's raining so hard! Maybe we should stop at the nearby convenience shop. "Hansel! Can we stop somewhere?"
The young man looked around. "Yeah, sure. We'll stop at the next shop."
"Yay."
The couple rode up to a shop. Hans jumped off the bike, and helped Marie off, holding the umbrella above her head. They entered the warm shop, and the middle aged shopkeeper at the counter smiled at them.
"Waiting out the rain, I suppose?"
The young people nodded.
"Can I get you something warm to drink?"
"Oh yes, that's so kind of you!" Marie gushed.
The woman smiled, and went to the back of the shop.
Hans and Marie sat at a small coffee table in the corner of the shop, giggling and whispering to each other.
Muichirō had managed to walk out of the woods, and made his way onto the local road. It wasn't any better than the previous, and his feet splashed in the mud.
The rain was deafening, he could hardly breathe anymore.
He saw a dim light in the distance. As he got closer, he noticed it was a small shop. Quite conveniently placed.
Maybe someone there can help me.
But the closer he got to the shop, the less he wanted to go in.
Who knows, they could throw me out. I'm filthy. I probably stink and I'm sick. Whoever's there could hold me and give me to someone bad as well. Either way, I don't know.
Muichirō rested on the door handle before pulling the door open. He was immediately enveloped in warmth, so overwhelming that his legs wobbled, and he collapsed on his knees, shivering and panting from exhaustion.
The couple sitting at the table turned at the sudden noise. Marie's eyes widened. "Oh God! Is that the kid...that man was searching for?" She half whispered to Hans.
"Whether he is or not, we have to make sure everything's alright," the young man answered, getting up from his chair.
"Hallo laddie, is everything okay?"
Muichirō jumped at the voice, backing away towards the door. It surprised him more than he'd anticipated. He opened his mouth, but no words came out, just wheezes.
YOU ARE READING
The monster under my bed
FanfictionEvery young child has a monster living in their closet or under their bed at some point. But they all grow out of it at some point. Muichirō is known to have a hyperactive imagination. So when he thinks there's a monster under his bed that also live...
