The Monster Under My Bed

• Jayme-Lee Chapman, Grade 4, Scottville State School
• Short Story
• 2016

Finalist in the 'Word Zone 2016' competition

As she looked through her white curtains to the blurring street light, she felt the monsters hands wrap around her shoulders. She screamed for her parents, but no sounds came out. Chills went down Elizabeth’s spine; she got up out of bed and started to run for her bedroom door, she could hear the, monsters crawls scraping up the wall chasing her. She slammed the door behind her, waking her parents up, but the monster had already opened the door after her, Her parents come running out of their bedroom “What is going on!?" her Dad yelled, flicking on the light. The monster had already got Elizabeth on the ground, she stared directly into its eyes then the lights brightened up the room and the monster vanished. Her parents rushed over to her and hugged her, “What’s wrong?” her Mum whispered into her ear. “T-the monster that is u-under my bed attacked me,” Elizabeth replied trying to catch her breath.
The next day, her parents dropped her at school. She went to see her friends, “Hey, there's my group of friends,” she said in her head. She was looking around when she saw the monster that attacked her last night. “O-o-oh m-my g-g-g-god!” Elizabeth dropped her book and screamed. Her friend came running over to see what was happening and there was nothing there.
They were walking into school when one of her friends Lilly said “What did you see?” and she replied with “Oh... It was nothing.” “Well it didn’t seem like nothing,” she said softly.
After school, her mum picked her up. “So how was school?” her Mum said cheerfully “Good...I guess,” Elizabeth sighed. “What happened?” her Mum said quickly. “I saw the monster again!” she screamed, breaking down in tears. Her Mum hugged her and said, “Sweetie, when you see it again, don’t get scared, it seems like it feeds on fears, so think positive and maybe it’ll go away,” as she smiled.
That night Elizabeth heard the monster scratching the bottom of her bed, she started to get scared. “No, no, no... please,” she whispered to herself, while cuddling her teddy bear. Their eyes met and she shut her eyes and said go away while thinking of how much fun she had with her parents on their last vacation together, she started to smile. The monster was very confused and started to roar, she stopped smiling and it smiled, but she wasn’t done yet. She yelled “Go away!!!” and filled her head with happy thoughts, she started to laugh and the monster was getting weaker and weaker. Then suddenly it was silent, Elizabeth opened one eye to find a stuffed toy on her bed. It was a cute version of the monster, she smiled and said, “Another one to my collection.” The end