After getting home, Jacob fell asleep quickly. He slept through Daddy's music, but a loud thump against the door downstairs awoke him in the middle of the night. People were shouting, but Jacob didn't recognize any of the voices as Daddy's friends. The was the sound of metal door hinges snapping pierced the music, followed by several heavy footsteps. Daddy was yelling something, but Jacob couldn't make it out. Then he heard the monsters' popcorn canons. Mama screamed.
Jacob grabbed the rope and tied it around one of the legs on his bed. He threw the rest of the rope out the window. As Jacob climbed on the window sill and eased down the side of the house, the monsters swept through the first floor, spraying popcorn everywhere.
When he reached the bottom, the flashing beacons from the front of the house gave Jacob enough light to find his way out of the yard. He slid under the backyard fence and bolted across the property to the sidewalk.
He ran without looking back. His lungs started burning, but he was too scared to slow down. As he turned the street corner, he saw the yellow porch light of Grandma's house. Jacob flew up the steps and knocked rapidly on the door. Grandma swung it open and snatched him inside. She locked the deadbolt and turned off the light.
Grandma rocked back and forth in her chair, cradling Jacob in her arms. His rapid breaths slowed in the somber silence. As a police siren roared past the house, Jacob trembled and buried his head in her bosom.
"You're safe here, baby," she whispered. "No more monsters."
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Jacob's Running Shoes
Cerita PendekSix year-old Jacob does something weird: He wears his shoes to sleep. He says he wears them, "in case the monsters come." Most people think this is ridiculous, but Jacob knows these monsters are real... and could come at any moment.
