Single mom Selina Sardi would do anything for her 6-year-old son. Eager to turn their new house into a real home for him, she's devastated when she discovers that the monster under his bed is not a figment of his imagination but the real deal.
Elia...
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The enormous creature that had successfully towered over her only minutes earlier, was now a sad, hunched puddle at her foot end, but somehow that didn't make Selina more comfortable. What did he mean, he couldn't leave?
"Sure you can." Her voice was still pathetically meek. "I'll open the door for you."
The monster snorted.
That hollow, bitter laugh again.
Selina suppressed a shudder as an icy chill took possession of her. In response, the monster inhaled deeply. "Your fear. Delicious."
"Don't flatter yourself," she managed barely, "I'm not afraid of you."
The hunched figure sat up straighter, a wicked glint returning to his eyes. "Sure? In that case, I'm going to have to find the kid. The kid's scared shitless."
Terror squeezed her lungs at the thought of him going after Lowie. "Leave my son alone!"
"Well see, lady, the thing is this, I'm hungry."
Her temples throbbed. What was he implying? "Are you planning to eat my son?"
"His fear."
"This is not real. You're not ... you can't be. You better get out or I'll call the police."
"Hm." He picked up a snow globe from Lowie's nightstand and shook it. The snow dwindling on Bruges' bell tower seemed to intrigue him. "Maybe you should. While you go out to get your phone, I'll go find your son."
"No!"
He put the globe back, his interest in Selina piqued again. "No? Are you going to stop me? How exciting."
"You can't have my son."
"I don't need to have him. All I'll do is scare him. He'll live. I'm a bogeyman, not a monster."
"Isn't that one and the same thing?" she asked, "Anyway, I won't allow you to scare him." How she would prevent him, she wasn't sure yet, but she would do anything in her power. That was a fact.
"The thought alone makes you nauseous, doesn't it? I like that. The air around you is thick with adrenaline. It's a lovely appetizer. It makes me curious. It makes me wanna play. I haven't played in a long time." The bogeyman moved closer to her, too close.
His claw―or was it a paw?―drew near. The hand was furry and soft, the talons sharp and menacing. The softest part brushed along her bare arm, causing an eruption of goosebumps and an instant desire to have been sensible enough to wear something less revealing than these flimsy summer PJs. But it was her house, her house. She could wear whatever the hell she wanted in her house. He had no business making her feel vulnerable in her own house. Anger weaved with her fear and she jerked her arm away from his paw.
