Bedtime Visitor

Night Four

"Mommy, please I don't want to sleep in there! There's something in there, I promise!" Tears stream from my bulging eyes as my parents swap worried glances between one another.

"We've looked... there's nothing in there." My father's huge hand is on my shoulder, he thinks he's being comforting but he's not. They don't believe me. What's wrong with me? "Do you want me to check again?" This time he smiles a bit. I nod.

His hand envelopes mine as he leads me to my room. Creak. The sound so ominous as my door opens slowly. Light fills each crevice, erasing all of the monsters that would appear in the dark if I were alone.

Nothing. He's normally in there by now. He's normally in the corner, but he isn't.

"From now on, I don't think you should be reading comics before bed, Charles." I nod, wiping the snot that's dribbled from my nose.

"I won't." I mumble meekly as I crawl under my Superman blankets and bury myself beneath the blankets. "Daddy." I call before he leaves. "Please check under the bed."

Sympathetic smile. Getting on his knees he looks under the bed and is frozen. Slowly he gets up and walks out of the room. "Goodnight, Charles." The door shuts. I am bathed in darkness and my heart trembles. I hurriedly flick on my nightlight.

"Hello, Charles." My bedtime visitor says a few steps to my left. "Missed me?"