The Spark Of A Story

The Monster

In a tiny, two-roomed house tucked in a forgotten forest, lived a small girl and her parents.

It was night, and the lights were off. The girl's parents had long since tucked her into bed, but sleep didn't come. Her thick cotton blankets, which were much too heavy for the 5-year old to move under, were pulled up to her ears. She could feel the piercing stare of something against the back of her head. A tingling sensation came over her and she felt that something was going to happen.

After much of a struggle, the girl managed to slip out of her bed. Her feet touched the ground and she tiptoed over to her closet, jumping at each creak of the old floorboards. After a deep breath -and after being able to reach the doorknob -the girl managed to bravely fling open her closet door. Shadows loomed out, but nothing was inside.

"Hello?" Her tiny voice echoed through the dark space, which was cramped with various dresses and dolls.

Of course, there was no reply, but the girl yet again felt the stare on the back of her neck. She flung around, her eyes searching every nook and cranny of her room. She got on her hands and knees and peered under the bed. Red eyes flashed in the dark under the bed, and the girl gasped, not out of fear, but of awe.

A smile spread across her face as she studied the red eyes. The girl had never known a stranger; everyone was her friend. "Hello! I'm Nia."

A monstrous growl came from under the bed, no doubt to Nia that it belonged to the red eyes. The creature was in fact used to children being afraid of it, so it came as quite a shock when the girl slowly climbed underneath the bed with it.

Nia hugged her knees as she examined the creature as her eyes got used to the dark. A huge furry face with large, red eyes and gleaming sharp teeth took fold before her. "Mommy told me that monsters don't exist. Are you a monster?" Nia spoke with such confidence and accuracy, she had no trouble making friends.

The Monster, confused by the girl's outgoing kindness, tried once again to scare her. It opened its massive jaws and emitted a fierce roar, a special one that only children could hear. The girl ignored its roar.

"I've never met an actual real monster before. Are there more of you? Do you have a family? A mommy and daddy like I do?" All at once, tiredness overcame Nia. Perhaps it was the comfort that she had found a friend under her bed. Without meaning too, she fell asleep, leaning her small head against the monster's side.

The monster, not at all knowing what was happening, stared down at the girl's frenzy of brown curls. The monster was completely terrified of the girl because, for the first time in its entire life, it felt something.

Morning came fast for Nia. She got yanked out from under her bed, a very concerned mother staring down at her.

"What were you doing, sleeping under your bed Nia?" The mother frowned.

Nia did not answer, instead, she crouched down and looked under her bed, but the monster was gone. Before she could protest, her mother took her hand and pulled her out of her room, heading to the kitchen.

"Today is a very special day. You're daddy got his job! We are going to go have lunch out, so you need to get cleaned up." The mother patted Nia's curls before turning to the food cooking on the stove.

"We need to leave in twenty minutes, so get ready fast, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy. But there was someone in my room!"

Nia fixed her big, blue eyes on her mother, excited to share the knowledge of her friend.

"Really? Was it big, with huge teeth and red eyes?"