There Are Monsters In Your Mind
*Trigger Warning: Contains Child Kidnapping*
“There’s a monster under my bed,” young William shook in his Batman onesie.
“Yes, he watches over you and chases away your nightmares,” his mother told him, sitting on his bed.
William eyed his closet. “There’s a monster in my closet.”
“Yes,” his mother agreed. “She loves the laundry detergent I use, and she’s busy organizing your shoes.”
The relief was temporary. “There’s a monster under the stairs.”
After a pause. “Yes, she collects the spiders, and he makes sure you don’t trip while going to get water.” She waited by her son’s side to see what else his mind can conjure.
William shivered, pulling his Paw Patrol covers to his nose. “There’s a monster right outside my window.”
“Yes, he’s pulling weeds from the garden and protecting us from the burglars.” His mother waved towards the window. Just before she could get up, William had one more thought.
“There’s a monster behind the couch.”
“Yes,” she contemplated for a moment. She smiled as she said, “He’s eating the crumbs you left behind and hiding pennies in the cushions.” Then William’s mother kissed him on the forehead. “You have nothing to worry about. The monsters are friendly and will never hurt you. Good night William. I love you.”
William snuggled closer to his pillow. “I love you too Mommy.”
This was the conversation William, and his mother had one night when the boy was too frightened to go to sleep. William’s dad was in Iraq, so it was up to the mom to calm her son. If it weren’t for this piece of advice from one of her friends, William would stay up, hugging his knees to himself, crying a puddle of tears.
William is a boy with an active imagination. He draws from the world what he knows, even if that knowledge limits to his toys. William’s imagination paints the world in bright colors. When the firetrucks looped around the corner of his house, in its stead a Lego truck with a green ladder. To live in a world of gaiety colors and fantastical dreams!
One night, a man he had not seen before shook William. He jumped, but the man covered his mouth.
“Hey Sport.” he bared a row of yellow corned teeth. William froze, not saying a word.
The man continued, keeping his hand in place. “I’m your uncle. That means you can call me Uncle.”
The little boy stared. Uncle moved his hand off William’s mouth. He took the boy’s quietness as an incentive to keep talking. “I thought I’d drop by so I can take you to my barn. There are all sorts of animals-”
“Like cows?” Excitement replaced the shock and surprised state.
“Yes.”
“And chickens?”
“Yeah yeah.”
“And-”
“Look, kid, yes. I’ve got all sorts of animals over at my barn. No need to ask questions!” Uncle lowered his voice. “Mommy said it’s okay if you went with me. Besides, we won’t be gone long,” he coaxed young William. “Lemme get the lights so you can see your uncle.”
He flicked on the lamp. William blinked before looking at his uncle. Dark brown washed green eyes and a roughed complexion. A splitting image of William’s father.
Uncle noticed William’s surprise and chuckled, “Do I look familiar to you?”
“You look like Daddy,” William replies.
“That’s because I’m your Daddy’s brother.” They both heard the squeak of the siren. Uncle jerked his head towards the window. William looked too, even though the noise fleeted. Uncle took William’s arm. “Okay look Sport. We gotta go. Right now.”
“What about my shoes?”
They burrowed through the hallway; Uncle crept with haste. “Never mind your shoes. You don’t need’em.”
“Why are we walking so fast?”
“Sure kid.”
William asked Uncle one more question. Something told the boy he and Uncle need the protection they could get. Uncle seemed scared. Whatever is going to happen, William wanted to be sure they were prepared. “Uncle, can the monsters come with us?”
By now they were at the opened front door. Uncle and William went through.
Uncle stared. Right, William is only six. “Yes sure. Your monsters can come.”
He got in Uncle’s car. The boy observed quick movement underneath the car. William felt relieved. His monsters were here and following the pair on their journey.
But Uncle looked unhappy. He was gripping the steering wheel tight. Uncle sped up the car, and William slammed against the seat.
“Uncle, I didn’t buckle myself.”
Uncle kept looking behind him. He breathed hard as though he ran several times around the football field. William never ran around the field himself. But he imagined that it was like running around his house a hundred million times. That’s a lot.
Uncle kept talking too. Only much quieter. William tried to listen, but Uncle gave him a look and William decided to talk to the monsters. They always want to talk to William. They are his friends.
“Sorry guys, I don’t know where Uncle is taking us.” William turned to the backseat. “I hope it’s somewhere fun. Like a park.” His eyes brightened. “No wait, Six Flags!”
“Who’re you talking to?” Uncle spoke up.
“I’m talking to Sparky. He wants to go to Six Flags.”
William and Uncle arrived at the place. A down-turned barn, the color of the shade of maroon. The ears of wheat reminded him of Mrs. Brownskey’s hair, old weary and dried up. Yet much friendlier than that old teacher.
Uncle took the boy out of the car. He said, “This is my barn. This is where you’ll work hard labor.”
William stared at the emptied barn. The barn stretched upward, the old wood peeled to reveal a blue castle. Pristine and regal. Frou Frou, one of the monsters William’s mind conjured, will enjoy this place. This barn didn’t exist anymore. It was a castle, a new place awaiting William’s exploration.
Uncle grabbed William’s arm, pulling him out of his dream. “You’re gonna work there, and you’ll learn that life is not fun and games.”
But nothing prepared Uncle for what happened next. The boy ran away from him, disappearing inside of the barn. There were wails, quieted only when William disappeared into the barn. Uncle went off after the boy, called for him to come back here.
But then something flew out the barn.
Like a freed bird, it took to the skies, the small boy on top of it. What that it was Uncle could not identify. It was a giant bat, with extended wings clawing out. Uncle’s eyes widened, he collapsed to the ground. For on that thing, William bellowed out a cheer.
