Monsters Are Real

• Claire Thompson, Grade 4, Hunter Valley Grammar School
• Short Story
• 2017

Excellence Award in the 'Spread The Word 2017' competition

"Grrr!” "Oh No!! Please don't bite me" said Sally to the monster under the bed.
"Nevers I will, I will always haunt youss," said Gobble, spluttering and hissing as he said so.
"Mum! It's him again, it's Gobble!" screamed Sally in a frightened voice.
"You must stop this nonsense, there's no such things as monsters," said Mary her mum, in a firm voice.
"But I can see him," exclaimed Sally, her eyes welling with tears.
"Woulds youss likes tos sees my friends?" hissed Gobble after Mary had left.
"Um ... No thanks," whispered Sally in a frightened voice.
"Sorrys I did not hears you!" yelled Gobble.
"No thanks," said Sally loud enough for Gobble to hear.
"Oh nos darlings, I do nots thinks you understands, I heard you the first times I justs don'ts thinks you saids the right things," exclaimed Gobble ignorantly.
"Well I think I did!” Sally said.
"Sally, who are you talking to?" cried out her Mum from the kitchen.
"Gobble!" screamed back Sally. As Mary walked in, Gobble hid.
"OK, that's enough, whoever this Gobble is, LEAVE Sally Alone!" shouted Mary.
Gobble didn't like that so he thought of a plan to make Mary angry...
One day when Sally was at school and Mary wasn't there, Gobble snuck out into the house and got up to some mischief.
Sally was getting a new room and Mary had just bought paint for the walls, so Gobble opened the paint, took it into the living room and poured it all over the brand new $1000 rug.
Six hours later the family came home. Whilst Sally was still outside, she heard her mother let out a shrill shriek so Sally dropped her bag and ran inside.
"Oh my, the stupid cat must have done it," said Mary in a shaken voice.
"Oh I don't think so Mum, it was Gobble."
On Saturday, Mary went to the local shop without Sally to get sprinkles for the cupcakes she had just made.
How Gobble loved icing, so he decided to get some icing. He went out into the kitchen whilst Sally was in the TV room and licked all the icing off all the cupcakes.
Soon Mary came home, she got angry. "Sally did you do this?” screamed Mary.
"No Mum, I swear, but I know who did!" said Sally.
"Let me guess ... GOBBLE," said Mary sounding annoyed.
Sally just nodded and went to her room, she knew it was Gobble just no one believed her.
That night as Sally was in bed she asked Gobble something, "Why are you doing all these awful things? asked Sally.
"Awful? These things I's thought that the rugs needs to be a different colour and that's how much I loves icings," said Gobble in reply.
"You are annoying me sooo much, GO LIVE UNDER SOMEONE ELSE'S BED!" screamed Sally so loud she could of lost her voice (she didn't).
Later that night Gobble decided to do exactly that, he snuck out and tried to find another bed to go under and he found one. It was Mary's bed!
In the morning at breakfast, Mary came to talk to Sally, she looked really tired.
"What's wrong?" asked Sally. "Sally it’s Gobble, he's under my bed," groaned Mary.
"Don't be silly mum, there's no such thing as monsters.”