We've all been scared of the monster under our beds or in our closets. I, to this day, get very uncomfortable sleeping with my closet door open. It usually has to be closed. But this is also coming from a young woman who will still sleep with the light on if she's too terrified, but I digress. This is a cool concept and the way I wrote it was kind of like a combination of "Rise of the Guardians" and "Some Quiet Place" by Kelsey Sutton. If you haven't seen "Rise of the Guardians" or read "Some Quiet Place" [which I recommend you do] then ignore that last statement.
I might want to further pursue this idea. I kind of like the vibe I have going on. But Bjarke and Iona take on precedence. Please enjoy!
The first time I saw him, I was around 6. I had just insisted to my parents that I was a big girl and wasn't afraid of the monster under my bed or in my closet or otherwise. After all, I had my trusty stuffed bear to protect me and I could always hide under my covers. If I can't see it, it must not exist.
That night, I was woken up in, what felt like the middle of the night, by a scratching sound coming from under my bed. In my sleep hazed vision, I saw something appear before me and bend towards me. I screamed loudly and the black shape disappeared into the shadows underneath my bed. I didn't stop shrieking until my parents came rushing into my room, throwing on the light and comforting me.
From that day forward, I knew I would catch and confront the monster underneath my bed. But I never saw the fuzzy shape again. Until now.
I had moved out of my parent's house just this past week into my first apartment. I didn't mind living by myself, but I was sad at the thought that my monster had been left behind. My family and friends had all made fun of me, still believing at 23 there was still a monster under my bed. But I knew otherwise. I would hear the faint scratching on the wood floors, his sign to let me know he was still there, waiting.
At the end of another day, I collapsed onto my bed, dressed in my most comfortable pair of summer pajamas and snuggling deep into my comforter. It had been a long week with the move and my new job and I was eager for the weekend. As I started to fade into sleep, I heard the quiet 'skritch skritch' that had become so familiar to me. I froze in my spot, eyes wide. Had my monster come to my apartment with me or were the sounds of an unfamiliar place playing tricks on my mind? I lay awake, hoping that I would finally be able to meet him.
Several minutes later, a dark shape slid from underneath the bed and formed the shape of a young man. His bright gold eyes widened as he noticed I was still awake. His edges looked fuzzy, as if he were made of grains of sand and he was more handsome than scary. He grimaced and like he was about to flee back under the bed before I called out.
"Please, don't!" I cried softly, sitting up. "I've been waiting ages to meet the monster under my bed."
He continued to stare at me warily as if I were trying to trick him. I patted the space next to me, enthralled with the creature before me. He looked more like a stock broker than a monster under the bed with dark, curly black hair and a cloak that looked like the whirling night sky.
"Please don't go," I said. "I wish to talk with you."
"Why?" he asked in a deep voice that reminded me of a thundering waterfall. He still looked like he would disappear in an instant if I moved to fast, like a feral cat.
I paused. I didn't know why but I knew I had to.
"I've believed you were real my entire life," I offered. "I've always wanted to meet you. I was never scared, only curious."
"If I recall correctly, you didn't believe in me at six until you saw me and then you screamed your head off."
My cheeks reddened.
"Well, I was a young child," I argued. "You can't expect me to not be startled when the thing your older brother had tormented you with your entire life all of a sudden shows up in your bedroom."
The monster chuckled.
"You are strange for a human," he said, still not taking the offered seat. Instead, he glided over to my computer desk and sat down in my office chair.
"And you are strange for a monster under the bed," I retorted in reflex. "You are not what I was expecting."
He didn't seem fazed by my confession.
"What were you expecting?" he asked.
"I don't know. Something hairier, bigger, more drool and some fangs. Isn't that what the monster under the bed is supposed to look like?"
"I suppose," he said. "But then again, humans see what they wish. I could appear to you like that but I've never had a liking for it. I like the way I am."
"Then you are strange for a monster under the bed," I told him bluntly. He let out a wry laugh before focusing in on my face again.
I blushed. Was there toothpaste at the corner of my mouth? I self-consciously dragged the back of my hand across my mouth to check. The monster noticed and looked embarrassed that I had caught him staring.
"So, is there a reason you came to with me to my new apartment rather than stay at my parent's house?"
He rubbed that back of his neck, looking uncomfortable at my question.
"That is just how it is," he said finally. "There are rules in my world that are mostly likely too difficult for you to understand."
I shot him an annoyed look.
"I've been waiting years to finally talk to you and learn about you and that's the answer you're going to give me," I huffed. "That I'm too stupid to understand the rules and regulations of the monster under the bed world."
He gave an exasperated sigh.
"I didn't say that," he countered. "I have known you for years. I have seen and heard your accomplishments and heartbreaks. I have seen and heard every song you've ever sang into your hair brush and every sigh and whispered promise to everyone."
I flushed at his words. While slightly awkward and strange, it was almost comforting to not have any secrets from someone. The monster's pale skin also seemed to have a bit of a rosy tint after confessing what he knew.
"You are not too stupid to understand our rules," he said again. "They are just complicated to explain."
"Well, seeing as I can't call you 'Monster Under The Bed' forever, is there something I can call you?"
"I am called Asra," he said, with a slight bow of his head.
"Asra," I repeated, rolling his name on my tongue like a sweet. "It's nice to finally meet you, Asra. And even though you already know me, I'm Liora."
Asra let a brilliant smile rise to his lips and his eyes crinkled in what seemed like happiness.
"How fitting," he said. "You light and I dark."
He stood and made is way over to the bed. Reaching out, he touched my forehead gently, his fingers feeling like the brush of silk.
"Sleep," he said in his waterfall voice. "I will be here again tomorrow and we can talk more then."
"You promise?" I asked with a jaw cracking yawn. I didn't want to sleep and find that he had disappeared for good by tomorrow night.
"I promise."
I laid down, my eyes suddenly became heavy and Asra began to fade from my sight as I drifted off to sleep. That night, my dreams were filled with roaring waterfalls and swirling diamond skies.
Research Notes: I feel like I should always put research notes down at the bottom of these prompts because I do actually do some research into what I write. Maybe I'm crazy. Anywayyyyy. Asra means 'travels at night' in Arabic and I thought that was quite appropriate for a monster under the bed. Who cares if it's a female name. You don't know me and I'll live my life how I please dammit!! Ahem. Liora is Hebrew for "light for me" and is the strictly feminine form of Lior. So that is the meaning behind Asra's comment about dark and light. Ohohohoho, I'm so clever.
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