Under The Bed

• Jessica Paterson, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2018

UNDER THE BED
I slipped into bed, not daring to make a sound; otherwise, he will come for me! The shadow that lurks in my room, in the closet and under my bed. It’s a monster,” I tell my parents they say “it’s just your imagination” but I know it’s not. It has warned me about trying to tell someone. It’s voice it terrifies me in my dreams, I’ll dream about meadows and out of nowhere the shadow, it comes out shakes me and then I wake up. Not once have I seen it’s face, I’ve tried and almost succeeded but it’s always one step ahead. It’s like it can read my mind, I wonder what would happen if I did see it’s face. Would it kill me? Would it be someone I knew? So many questions and no answers, so I crept out of bed the next night, hoped it wouldn’t know and I could finally see it’s face. As my foot hit the ground, a cold hand grabbed it. Then I realised something was dripping down my leg, it was cold so I thought maybe it was water or something. The thought hit me “what if it’s blood,”it replied “it is”It’s other hand grabbed my right foot and this time it was tighter than ever. it was as though it was trying to pull itself out from under the bed. Scrambling everywhere, things being pushed aside my big book from all of kindergarten slides out and across my floor. A big scratch mark across the front realising what was happening, I shut my eyes as tight as I would and wished it would go away, I heard it ask, “Why do you want me gone? Aren’t we having fun?” It knew what my reply was going to be so it dug it’s long fingernails into my skin, knowing it would make me scream, I scream as hard as I can hoping my mummy and daddy would hear. I don’t think they did, no movement, no sound. Where did it go? What are you doing I thought as I dragged my feet down the hallway to investigate. When I was half way down the narrow corridor, a warm fluid oozed down my dry scalp. Was it raining? I looked up. Writing, it’s hard to make out what it says something like “Don’t go any further or you will uncover the mystery you always dreamed of solving. The mystery of why my parents disappeared. As we creep down the hallway and the floorboards start to creak. We quietly ease the door open and look around its not there. It’s not here. Or here or here it’s nowhere, it’s gone…

But for how long?