Dating : Cries From Under the Bed

Fiction

Anna knew about the monster under her bed since she was five and a half.

Today, the day she turned six, she decided she was too big to be afraid of a little monster under the little bed.

“I will sleep in my room tonight.” She declared to her mommy, in the most matter-of-factly way she could, trying and failing to imitate her dad’s serious tone.

To say her mother was surprised, would be an understatement. After all, for the last couple of months, Anna would refuse to sleep in her room due to the threat, protesting, and lying on the floor in her parents’ bedroom until they let her sleep next to them. They thought she might had seen something scary on TV and just needed time.

Of course, they hadn’t seen the monster. That was scary.

But the six-year-old Anna was so much braver than the five-and-a-half-year-old Anna. So she thought it’s time to face the monster.

Pieces of ice cream cake were eaten, and games with mom and dad were played so it was time for monsters to be defeated.

Both mom and dad put Anna to bed and stayed with her for a couple of minutes, believing she would soon be asleep, but when they left, the little girl opened her eyes, determined and maybe a little scared, and turn on the light on her bedstand.

Her heart was beating faster and faster with every second as she got off the bed nervously and stayed as far from it as she could.

And then she heard cries. From under the bed.

She opened her mouth to scream for her parents but at the last moment, she remembered she was a big girl now. Everyone knew six-year-olds don’t ask for help while fighting with monsters, Anna was sure.

“This is my room, you can’t be here,” she whispered with the intent to sound sure and brave, which honestly she didn’t.

“I’m sorry.”

This was the first time she had heard the monster speak and… she was a bit confused.

The scary monster didn’t sound that scary. Of course, she’d never seen all of it, she had only heard soft cries and moans, sometimes she would see a shadow. And that was proof enough for her that the monster was scary.

But when the cute little toy-like yellow monster came out from under the bed crying and starting at its cute little toy-like yellow paws, Anna did not feel fear.

“I’m sorry I came uninvited.” Its voice was so cute and sad that Anna took a step forward with the intention to comfort it, which surprised even her. “I promise I didn’t mean to scare you. But… I had no friends in my world so I came to look for friends here”.

Its cries got a little louder as it said it would leave, but it felt bad for scaring the girl, so it wanted to apologize beforehand.

Anna’s eyes were tearing up. She knew what it felt like to not have friends. There was a reason she spent her birthday only with her parents, but at least she had them. And this poor baby bear with horns… or whatever it resembled… did not have anybody.

“You don’t have to leave,” Anna whispered as the monster was heading to wherever it came from under the bed.

“No?”

Anna smiled and came closer. She held out her arm.

“My name is Anna. What is yours?”

“Neo.” The monster smiled and grabbed Anna’s hand with excitement that kids usually reserve for Christmas.

“Would you like to be my friend, Neo?” There was no fear in the little girl whatsoever, she had found no monster, but a friend.

Neo had barely stopped crying, but her words caused a new wave of streams on its furry face. This time happy tears.

“Anna, I would love to be your friend.”