War from Under the Bed

Trouble Stirs

The voices wouldn't let her sleep, they never did. She lay in her bed as they filled her head, sounding like a soft breeze. She trembled in fear, clutching the blankets that protected her from the darkness outside. Unseen hands raked along her bed posts and snagged her blankets. She could feel the gaze of eyes fixated her her small, shaking body. She pressed her hands against her ears, trying to block the menacing voices.

"Sadie...." a particularly loud one said and she froze at the mention of her name. Something shifted in the darkness outside, something much bigger than normal. Her young mind began to panic as it hissed softly and laughed softly, it's voice magnifying and warping. The faint whispers started up a distorted chant, calling out her name and giggling at different levels. Sadie whimpered and squeezed her bright blue eyes shut, curling her knees up to her head. She felt tears trailing down her cheeks and she pressed her small hands against them. Hands suddenly pressed against her back and she jumped, scrambling away from them. Someone tore the blanket off of her head and she saw Henry, her 15 year old brother standing there.

"Hey...you okay?" He asked gently, his blue, grey eyes looking at her with concern. Sadie's lip quivered as she looked down at the floor, scared that the shadows under her bed would try to grab her. Henry knelt down and tore her gaze away from the floor, "Sadie?"

His hands rested on her shoulders and she sniffed loudly, "They won't leave me alone..." She shuddered at the memory of the voice that stood out above all the others, the one that sounded so close and deadly.

He sighed softly, "The monsters in the shadows?" He shook his head and chuckled. He ruffled her brown, choppy hair, and kissed her gently, "Those monster under your bed aren't going to hurt you as long as I am here." Sadie was not very comforted by his words, clutching her chin length hair. Henry leaned his head against his hand on her bed and clutched his own blonde, short hair, "They're not going to hurt you, I promise..." Sadie looked at her brother in the eyes, fear still gurgling in her stomach. His smile and confidence had the fear fading away and she relaxed a bit.

"Do you promise?" She asked softly, her voice still quivering.

Henry nodded, "I promise." His smile had her smiling a bit, feeling a bit better that he was sleeping nearby, his bed just across the room.

"Thanks..." She said softly and Henry stood, kissing her gently on the forehead.

"Good night. If you're ever scared again, don't be afraid to rush over and join me on my bed." He tucked her in snugly and went back to his own bed. Sadie fell asleep easily with the knowledge of her brother there to protect her.

The next morning, she woke abruptly with distant memories of black creatures trying to take her in the night. She could remember gaping mouths and laughing voices, but she didn't know if it was a dream or not. She looked up to see her brother's bed empty. She looked around uncertainly and frowned slightly. She usually heard them in the morning, taunting and threatening her, but the voices were not present today. She slowly slid off her bed, scurrying away from the space under her bed, and quickly left her room. She rushed into the hallway, closing the door, and heard movement in the kitchen. She brushed her light purple pajamas nervously and headed to the lighted room. "Henry?" She called out as she turned the corner.

"Not exactly honey." A soft, gentle, and familiar voice said and Sadie gasped softly at the sight of her parents in the kitchen. Her mother smiled at her with bright green eyes, her brown hair as shiny as she remembered, "Good morning Sadie."

She rushed forward and was swept up in a hug from her father, "You're home! I thought you weren't coming home today!" She exclaimed, clinging to him.

He smiled, his dark blue eyes matching his mood, with his choppy, nearly white hair as impossible as her own, "We weren't, but the business trip was abruptly canceled to an incident. Kids are going missing and the board didn't want to have us worrying throughout the whole week."