Monster

Part 1

 There's a monster under my bed. I'm not afraid of him, though. My monster is huge, at least as big as my room (but he folds up), and he is mostly black but some rainbow colors, like blue and red and green, and he has so many horns, all over his body. My mom says that monsters aren't real, but I know she's wrong. She just hasn't seen my monster. She would probably be afraid of my monster, so I don't show her him. My friends say that they have monsters, too, but they are afraid of their monsters. I've told them that they shouldn't be afraid of their monsters: My monster is nice, after all. But they don't believe me.

Tonight Rob is over. I don't like Rob. I think I'm afraid of him. But my mom likes him, and tells me that I have to like him, so I try. But I still don't. He is loud, and he smells bad. Sometimes he yells. Most of the time he just sits there. I try to stay away from him, but it's kind of hard. Rob isn't over all the time, though, so it's okay. I like it better when he's not here.

Sometimes Rob comes into my room at night. I don't like it very much: Usually I hide under my covers, or in my closet. Sometimes he finds me. Sometimes he doesn't.

Tonight I am in bed, mom already tucked me in. I hope Rob doesn't come in tonight. I don't like Rob. I am almost asleep but then I hear Rob coming. He sounds angry. I am afraid. I want to hide in my closet but my closet is all full—way too full. Maybe I should go under my bed. My monster sleeps under there, but maybe there will be room.

I climb out of bed—hurry, hurry—and look under my bed. My monster is asleep. I crawl under, next to my monster. Hopefully he won't mind. Rob opens my door. He says something to me, but my heart is beating so loudly I can't hear him—thump thump thump. He walks closer, and I hear him pull back my covers on my bed. My monster next to me opens his eyes. He looks at me, and then looks at Rob's feet, which are big and smell bad, like the rest of Rob.

I am almost crying because I am afraid of Rob, but I am not quite crying because I am not a baby. Rob says something else but I don't want to hear him, so I don't. Maybe he will go away. I don't like Rob.

My monster looks at me, and then at Rob again. He looks angry. Maybe that's how he looks anyways. He starts moving, and I jump. If he moves, Rob will look under my bed and find me! I shut my eyes.

My monster starts crawling out from under my bed. He unfolds himself so he is big, very very big, almost as big as my room. I hear Rob yell something, but I cover my ears. He's going to find me very soon.

I hear a different noise and I open my eyes and take my hands off my ears. Was that my monster speaking? I peak out from under my bed, and I see my monster, all big and super tall, standing in front of Rob and I think he's hissing.

My monster says something: he says that I am his child, not Rob's, and that he is my monster, not Rob. He says that Rob can never never never come into my room ever again and that if he does, my monster said he will know and Rob will not like what my monster will do.

I think Rob is afraid of my monster. He yells very loud and I cover my ears. But then he leaves! He ran out of my room and down the stairs and I heard the front door open and shut. I go to my window and I see Rob running down the street. Rob is gone? Rob is gone! I look at my monster and he pats my head with one of his claws and says that I don't need to be afraid of Rob anymore, and that I should go back to bed.

I crawl back into bed, and he crawls back under my bed. I am not afraid anymore.

I like my monster.