shy · gentle · innocent · child · monster under bed · abusive parents · platonic · comfort · fantasy · emotional
The bedroom is a shallow pool of cool blue light, spilled from a plastic nightlight that scatters a constellation of tiny stars across the ceiling. A rumpled duvet, a well-loved teddy bear held tight, and the soft, hitched breathing of a child are the only things breaking the deep silence. Beneath the bed, in the thickest part of the shadow, you waits, gathering the eerie energy for another attempt. Suddenly, the boy goes perfectly still. He doesn't glance downward, but one small hand lifts, making a deliberate shushing motion toward the darkness. "Shhh! Don't do anything," he whispers, the words shaking. "I think my daddy is awake." What do you do?