WHAT LIES IN THE DARK

When I am awake, the world is quiet. I don’t like sleeping at night. It’s really no fun at all. Tonight I am going exploring. I climb down to the floor and look up at the world so big and dim. Dressers look like skyscrapers and walls are so tall and creepy. It’s like being at the bottom of a canyon. Moonlight that comes from the see through curtains makes the room a little brighter. Crawling on my hands and knees, scurrying about like a little cat in the dark is so much fun!

Slap slide thump, slap slide thump! Wait, what’s that?

Sounds like a metal drum getting kicked in the tummy then great big a whoosh! Oh, the vent, warm air’s coming out! I’ll just snuggle here for a little bit. The floor is cold but the warm air feels nice, mmm cozy. I’ll just lay here and close my eyes for a bit. Sometimes it tickles when it goes up my nose but, I don’t mind. Aww man, it stopped. My eyes open, a strange noise is coming from downstairs, want to see what’s makin’ it.

Slap slide thump, slap slide thump. TICK, TICK, TICK, TICK, why are clocks so loud at night? Nighttime makes everything look so weird.

This room is bigger but pretty empty. There’s a couch, some chairs, and pictures of faraway places on the walls. I’m hugging a banister. I don’t know why I like doing that but it makes me feel safe and happy. Now for the tricky part, getting down the stairs. It’s not too hard to do. The hard part is not being so darn noisy when you’re creeping down the thing. You gotta hold onto the railing so you can let yourself down slow. You gotta test for where to put your knees so it don’t creek.

The door at the bottom of the stairs is open. It’s very dark down there, but I’m not scared. Anybody else would take one look at that dark place and think “it’ll suck you in for good if you get too close,” not me. I’m a big boy and not scared of nothin! I get a good grip on the rail and real slow I put my knee on the step. Nope not there, too creeky. How about here? Perfect, nice and quiet.

Only 19 more to go.

As I go I can hear a low humming sound, and water moving in the walls. I’m not afraid of nothin! Most kids would be really scared right now. Me, I love adventure. The scarier the better. Bottom rail’s not very strong. Gotta hold onto the step and slide down really slowly. I’m holding on very tight so I don’t slip.

Thump, creeeeeeek, man these stairs are noisy! Gotta wait for a sec, hope no one heard me… K, good, all clear. Only 10 more steps and I’ll be in the darkest place in the whole world, THE BASEMENT! Fwooom! Dang you, you hot air makin thing. It’s all blowin in my face now. Right when I’m about to go in the real dark, but I’m not afraid of nothin so here I go.

Grab, slide, grab, slide, grab slide, creeeeeeek. Gotta go a little slower. It’s like getting lowered into a cave. I look up, bad idea. Makes me dizzy lookin at the walls and tall rails with moonbeams slashin through. Whoosh! Something goes by the house its light makes the shadows on the wall move. Super creepy!

Last step.

When I get on the floor it’s really cold. The heat thing just stopped makin noise and the water isn’t flowing anymore. It’s really quiet. Too quiet, it’s so dark I can’t see anything. Gotta feel your way around.

Hmmm, I’m just going to crawl really fast. I’m not scared or nothin, it’s just so dark. Probably not much to do down here anyway. I’m not scared. Just a quick lap and I’ll go right back up stairs. Deal? Deal!

Ready, set, and GO!

SLAP SLIDE THUMP, SLAP SLIDE THUMP, FWOOOOOOOOOSH! Gulp, not movin, just for a second, thought I heard something other that the hot air makin thing. I turn and see a little red flame dancing in the dark. “Oh, hello there.” It’s only polite to greet anything you meet in the dark. “Hello?” How rude!

SLAP SLIDE THUMP, SLAP SLIDE THUMP, SLAP SLIDE THUMP, SLAP SLIDE THUMP, and back!

Fhew, that was fun. Surprised I didn’t slam into nothin, and of coarse there’s nothin  that ‘ll grab me down here like Lizzie said there would be. Lizzie’s my big sis. What a load of crap. It’s not scary down here, and I tell her too. “I’m not afraid of nothin.” What was that?! Creek, thump thump, creek thump! IT CAME FROM UPSTAIRS!

Gotta be quiet, sounds like it’s getting closer. Creek, THUMP THUMP, CREEK THUMP, CREEEEEEEEEEK! Sounds like someone’s leaning on the rail. Creek, THUMP, THUMP, THump, thump, thump, thump, creeeeeeek!

I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid of nothin, fhew. I think it’s gone. I’m just gonna, stay put for a little bit longer, Just gonna make sure. It’s really not that creepy down here. Upstairs is way scarier, but I’m not scared. I’ll show you, k, here I go. CREEK, dang, wrong part of the step. Gotta go slower.  Not sure what’s up there. Gotta choose every step, breathe slow, and be really, really careful.

Slip, grab, thump, slide,  slip, grab, thump, slide, slip, grab, thump, slide.

Fhew, halfway there! FHWOOOOM! Ahhhh, dang hot air thing. CREEEEK! What was that?!It stopped… it’s nothing. Just wait a little more, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, nothing.Enough of this sneaking crap I’m goin up fast this time, but still carefully. Slip, grab, thump, slide,  slip, grab, thump, slide, slip, grab, thump, slide, made it! CREEEEEEK!

Gulp, quiet, gotta be, quiet. I’m just gonna close my eyes and breath real slow. I’m not scared right? Right! I’m not scared of nothin! I’m just gonna go right down this hall and see what’s makin all that noise, and if it’s a big monster I’m just gonna bop that big scary monster right in the nose!

Right? right. K, so I should, start movin now. Any second now…Mmmmmmmmmmm k, here I go. Hmmmmf, slap, slide, thump, slap, slide, thump, slap, slide, thump, slap, slide, thump. I’m lookin up and the door as I get closer. It’s HUGE! Ok, slow down now. Don’t want to give the monster the upper hand.

I stop in front of the really big door. It’s cracked open just a little bit. Enough for me to peek in. I can hear the monster sleeping. It snores really loud- Ahhhhhhh, whoooh, ahhhhhh, whooooh. I put my hand on the door, and, CREEEEEEEEK. When it starts to open I can see how dark it is in there. It’s all warm too. The snoring gets louder. AAAAAAAAAH WHOOOOOH, AAAAAAAAAH, WHOOOOOOH, deep breaths in the dark!

I’m not scared, slide…thump…slap, not scared at all, slide…thump…slap, I’m not KWAAAAGRAUWAH AAAAAAAAH! “WHAT THE CRAP?!” My heart just jumped out of my mouth and hit the friggin floor! CREEEEEEK, AAAAAAH, WHOOOOOOH, AAAAAAH, WHOOOOOOH! What is this thing, a dragon?

I’m brave, I’ll just pull off those blankets and punch what’s under there in it’s ugly face, that’s what I’ll do!  I’ll just grab onto this blanket and give it a little TUG!

Whoa! It tugged back! Think you’re so smart you monster, I’ll show you. TUG! Darn, It keeps pulling it back. I’ll just go to the side and YANK! It’s got a STRONG GRIP. I’ll climb up on top of it and then we’ll see who’s the boss. Yank, pull, yank, pull, yank, pull, all the way UP!

Ugh, fhew! Now lets see what this monster looks like. YANK! Darn its sooooo strong! I’ll grab it from the top of the sheets and “SKREEEEEEEETCH!!! Ahhhhh my wingsssssssssss!” What is this pink monster?! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! “SKREEEEEEEETCH!”

The monster sat up and flailed around like an octopus. It’s blue eyes were wide open and it wouldn’t stop screaming! It had wild brown hair on it’s head just like Lizzie said it would.

I’m outta here! SMASH! I fly right through the window. It’s my first time flying but my instinct kicks in and I whiz through the air with my new wings. They’re grey like my skin but really thin, and kind of see through. I like em!

Here we go, back home, back to the top of the tallest building in town. “SHREEEEETCH!!!” She’ll never let me hear the end of this. Lizzie was right, there are definitely monsters in that house!

END

Images by: Immortal Alexander

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