To Be Proud: A Story about Gay Pride

Anxiety

~Thwok~

I have never felt true fear until that very moment. Bona was always by my side from the day he landed on Wublin Island, and now he's nowhere to be seen. He could've hid away or left the island in a whole. His presence delighted me so, and without him I felt so small, so defenseless, so...afraid.

Every monster was looking around in a panic for the two. Under rocks, in the wooden building, behind bone structures, even around the island's edges. None of the monsters had any luck in finding the two and presumed they ran off. The monsters then got together after the attempt to talk about the strange noises.

As the monsters talked and talked, I started growing a lack of energy and enthusiasm I usually had. The fact that Bona was nowhere to be found really 'bummed me out', as he would put it. All I did during the meeting was watch as each monster tried to find out what happened and why it happened.

Instead of joining the chitter chatter, I just silently watched as the Denchuh twins and Banjaw discussing possible chains of events that could make sense. They kept thinking that something up above made the noises, but Kayna disproved that possibility. After a while, I walked off. I heard something moving behind me, but I didn't bother turn around.

      "Thwok, are you okay?" Petite asked me. I just sighed and shook my head. "Want to talk about it?"

      "I juhst...I feel smahll and empty without him."

      "You don't look small, though."

      "Feel, not look, Puhtite." I watched as Stogg and Noggin musically argued in the distance over where Bona could be.

      "Listen, Thwok. I miss big bro too, but he told me once that if something or some monster is lost then they can be found again. All we have to do is believe."

      "Ahre you shure?"

      "That's what big bro told me," she responded with a smile.

      "Guys," I heard Kayna say, "has that large ladder always been there?" I looked over and stared up at the long ladder.

The ladder was entirely made of bone plates, magenta crystals, and green scales. I could tell it was made recently since the ladder wasn't sturdy. Looking up, I saw that the ladder went up into the darkness and threatened to knock over any monster that stepped on it the wrong way. Some feeling in my gut told me that something bad was about to happen.