That Night -A SHORT STORY-

That Night PART 5

"Makenzie" She heard her mom approach her, "I know me and your father have been hard on you lately we just don't want you to get hurt" Makenzie looked up at her mom and proceeded to nod. "Say, how about we go out for ice cream? Wouldn't you like that?" Makenzies dad spoke. Makenzie squealed out "Yes yes yes!!" They all heads outside and got into the car, driving to the ice cream parlor.
Around an hour or so later the family got back, with ice cream in their hands as they laughed and giggled to the dads funny stories he always makes up. It was getting late so Makenzie bluntly asked her parents , "Can I sleep in my room tonight?" Her parents both looked at each other with worry. "Please! I miss my bed" she spoke trying to convince her parents. They both sighed, "Okay come on let's get ready for bedtime". Makenzie hurried into her room and practically jumped into her soft cushioned pet and snuggled up against her covers. They tucked little Makenzie in her bed and gave her a goodnight kiss on her forehead and walked out of the room slowly, glancing over their shoulder wondering if this was a good idea. They left her door wide open just in case and left to go to their own room and sleep.
She wrapped into her covers tightly before turning to the edge of the bed. She just lay there, waiting for the monster to show up. Seconds turn into minutes, minutes fade into an hour, and Makenzie lie awake still. Though, now, her eyes grew heavier by the second. She rested them, and slowly started drifting off to sleep. That's when a cold hand caressed her cheek. She blinked awake and stared as the monster began stroking her head once again.
"Hello, monster." She whispered to him, using a kind tone of voice. Again, she heard a soft chuckle in response.
"Hello, Makenzie. I see that your parents have loosened their grip on you, huh?" He teased a bit, his low voice very soothing to Makenzie. It was a soft hum, and mixed with the stroking, she was rather calm. Though, the six year old didn't quite understand what he meant by that, so, instead, she proceeded to excitedly tell him of the kind of day she's had. He would occasionally chuckle in acknowledgment to her story, sometimes reminding her to be quieter.
Makenzie talked all night to the monster until sunrise, she didn't notice this until it was too late. She knew that she would regret staying up all night later but she didn't care, she made a new best friend and that's all that mattered.
Makenzie stayed in her room almost all day wanting to keep talking to the monster and play dolls with him. Her parents noticed this and began to worry why she'd been in there for so long, they knocked on the door of Makenzie's room and slowly opened the door making a cream. Makenzie jumped and looked back at her parents as they clearly startled her. "Makenzie honey you can't stay in your room all day.", Makenzie stood up "But I wanna stay with the monster!! He's my best friend!" Makenzies parents sighed and walked over to her bed and sitting down. "Makenzie your monster isn't real you have to know that." Makenzie stared at her parents with sadness and anger in her eyes "But I-" she began to say but shortly interrupted by her mom "No buts, come on let's go watch a movie together". Her parents got up grabbing Makenzies hand gently and led her outside the room. She looked back to see the monster there smiling at her and nodding her to go. Before she could smile or wave back her parents closed the door.
The small family did as was promised, they watched movies, ate snacks, and basically settled the mood between each member. Makenzie was able to full heartedly focus on each activity, the monster not crossing her mind once. Though, this was because her curiosity for him was fading. She was starting to understand him a bit more with each time they spoke to one another.
This summer day seemed to go by much faster than normal, and soon enough, Makenzie was back in her room, completely exhausted due to her lack of sleep the night before. The monster didn't appear that night, though, Makenzie was too tired to notice. She slipped off into her dreams...
She was walking around her dark basement, not having very much light. She noticed many broken antiques and shards of glass everywhere. She recognized the criminal's menacing chuckle as it echoed throughout the room. Makenzie tried to run, only getting so far before something dragged her by the ankles. She screamed and woke up with a start. She was swaddled in her covers, but, underneath her bed. She looked around oddly, expecting to see the monster, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Makenzie turned on her beside lamp to get a better look around her and again nothing, she got out of bed and kneeled down to look under her bed but yet nothing was there. There was absolutely no sight of the monster. She wondered where the monster had gone but part of her didn't mind that the monster was gone. They had done everything together, talked for hours on end, played with toys, told each other stories, there was nothing left to do. She simply got back into bed to rest some more but sat there for a good while until she finally fell back asleep.
Thank Makenzie awoke the next morning and jumped out of bed as she smelt her favorite breakfast, pancakes. She had pancakes quite often but that didn't matter, she loved pancakes so much that every time she ate one it felt like it was the first time she tried one. She ran out the room but stopped and looked behind her seeing beneath her bed and again saw nothing. She shrugged and continued to run to the kitchen where she had an amazing breakfast.