Monster Under My Bed
I’ve been up for so long since that nightmare woke me up. I can’t remember what it was about, only that there was a monster. Or was it a person? I can’t remember very well.
The night is dark, the moonlight comes in through my curtains, giving the room a blueish hue. It helps me relax, but there’s something bothering me. Every few minutes or so I hear scratching noises. I know there’s something there. But where is it coming from? Or better yet, what is it?
“Hello?” I wait for a response. “Is someone there?”
Silence.
I can’t fall back asleep, I’m too scared. I don’t want to get out of bed to check my room. I’m covered with my blankets up to my head, if I have my blankets over me, the monster will ignore me. Every time I hear something, I peek to try and find the monster that’s making those noises. I start to get sleepy.
THUMP.
My eyes open wide. My bed was pushed. “Who’s there?! I know someone’s in here!”
Beds don’t move on their own. There’s someone underneath it! Ooh please let it be my imagination, mom says it can run wild. Maybe this is one of those times. Please, oh please! Nobody answers me, should I check underneath the bed? That’s probably a bad idea. In scary movies, there are always monsters under the bed. Yes. Monsters who eat kids like me. I don’t want to be eaten. Who will explain to mom and dad what happened? Or worse, what if it eats mom and dad?!
This is bad, this is really bad. I’m going to have to face the monster to protect my family.
I slowly sit up without hanging my feet out. If I hang them, the monster could yank them and kill me. I face the floor and lower my body to get a look without actually leaving the bed. The bed gives me safety. I get lower and lower until I can finally see what’s underneath my bed.
Hmm. There’s nothing there. Thank goodness, I don’t know what I would’ve done if–
Something moved.
I focus my eyes on the place and find a pair of eyes looking back at me.
“AAAHHHHHHHHH” my body falls and rolls to the floor. I scramble up to the bed as fast as I can.
“I SAW YOU. I SAW YOU.”
In a low voice, the monster says, “Shhh. Please, don’t be scared.”
“Don’t hurt me, please! I didn’t do anything!”
“Keep it down! I’m not going to eat you, I promise… Just please keep your voice down!”
I covered myself with all the blankets again, that monster won’t reach me this way. “Who are you?” I asked, lowering my voice. “Why are you under my bed?”
“I’m-I’m a monster–but not like the scary ones you see in movies! I’m more like the E.T. type, friendly.”
Still scared I peek my head out. The monster came out of under my bed. He’s a very short fellow, not as tall as me, I’m 3’9”. His skin is blue with patches of fur here and there. He has two stout legs and two long arms and what seems to be one antenna on the top of his head, the tip glowing brightly. His two eyes are entirely blue. “Why were you underneath my bed, monster?”
His antenna glows even brighter. “My name’s Uoleck actually. I’ve got nowhere else to go. I’ve been sleeping in this room for a couple of days because at night it looks completely blue. That’s my favorite color.”
Same as me… “Is it because you’re also blue?”
Uoleck scratches his antenna. “Yes. I really like it.”
Pointing to his antenna, “And what’s that?”
He looks between his eyes at it, “It’s my antenna. It lights up when I’m nervous or uncomfortable. It also helps me to see in the dark.”
He paces in the same place. He doesn’t look or sound dangerous. “What do you want, Uoleck? I haven’t been able to sleep because of you under my bed.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that the floor is very hard and if I stay still for too long, it hurts. I just want a space to sleep. I’m sorry I woke you, I didn’t mean to.” Uoleck’s starts to cry. “I’ve tried to ask people to sleep in their homes, but everyone thinks I’m weird-looking and tell me to go away.” He wipes his eyes, gasps for air and continues. “Because of that, I’ve had to sneak into people’s homes and sleep under their beds until they find me.”
He looks so sad; his light becomes dimmer and bluer.
I feel sad now too. It’s not his fault he looks a bit different, he should have somewhere to sleep as well.
“You can sleep in my room,” I get out of the bed. “If you still want to. Some kids at my school also say I look weird.”
Uoleck looks up to me. “But there’s nothing weird about you.”
“Maybe, I think they just say it to be mean. That’s what mom says anyway.”
We both sit down on the floor facing each other. “You can stay and sleep here. I know what might help with the floor!”
I run downstairs to the living room and take the pillows to my room. I lay them down neatly under my bed. “Now it won’t hurt. Do you want them under the bed or somewhere else?”
Uoleck stares dumbfoundedly and begins to cry all over again. “No one’s ever treated me so nicely!!!”
“Shh, Uoleck. You’ll wake up my parents.”
He covers his mouth. “Oh, no. I don’t want you to get in trouble. I’m sorry… I don’t deserve… this,” he cries once more. I go to him and pat his head without touching his antenna.
“No, no. There’s no trouble. It’s just that they might not be like me. They would probably want to get rid of you.”
“Ah, okay. I understand.” I nudge Uoleck beneath the bed, where I organized the pillows nicely for him.
“Just lay here and sleep. You don’t have to worry about finding another place to sleep again. Okay?”
“Yes, thank you, what if your parents find out?” he asks.
“I will protect you.”
After some time, he mumbles, “What’s your name?”
I smile. “Liam.”
“Liam, my first friend.”
“Uoleck, my first friend.”
Written and Published by Govinda Chaddha
