Afraid of the Dark

Katie woke up to find the world had gone dark. The inky blackness hugged the floors, the walls, and smothered the windows. Darkness, like motor oil, filled the room to where Katie huddled at the head of her bed. It was as if all the light had fallen into a hole. Katie didn’t dare move. She was afraid she would fall into that hole too. Little Jimmy Smith had told her all about the hole that sucked in all the light.

“Of course,” she said, “the light by my bed. All I have to do is turn it on.”

Katie smiled. She was proud of herself that she found an answer to her problem. Now all she had to do was find the lamp’s switch. Katie inched and wiggled her way to the edge of the bed.

“Not too close,” she commanded herself. “That hole is really close.”

She dared to lean a little farther over the edge of the bed and listened for the hole. At first nothing came to her, then a whirring, whirling, sucking, roaring sound came crashing against Katie’s ears and she jumped away.

Katie sat against her headboard and trembled.

“Oh, that was close,” she whispered, “gotta be more careful.”

Katie once again inched her way to the edge of her bed. Once again, the whirring, whirling, sucking, roaring sound came crashing against Katie’s ears and she panicked.

“No,” she commanded, “I’m not afraid. Just a little farther.”

Katie edged closer to the side of her bed, wiggling like a snake. Reaching out, she searched for her night table. When she felt the smooth surface of her night table, she screamed. She giggled as she snatched her hand back. She was being silly. Afraid of the night table? She edged just a little closer to the table and reached out for the lamp.

She grasped the lamp in her hand and pressed the switch when she started falling. Using both hands to search for the lamp, she had no way to catch herself. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard the **snick** of the lamp. She fell whirling, diving, rolling onto the floor.

Katie hit the floor with an **ummpff** and lay there dazed. She couldn’t hear the whirring, whirling, sucking, roaring sound anymore. She felt around and found the pillow that broke her fall. Looking around, there was nothing but the oily, slimy, oozing, inky darkness all around her. Then she heard it. The whirring, whirling, sucking, roaring sound came crashing into her ears. Then she knew where she was. She had fallen into the light-sucking hole.

Katie started crying. Despite her best efforts, she had fallen into the hole. Now no one would ever find her. She picked up her head at a new sound, a low growl coming from under her bed. Katie stared wide-eyed toward the newest sound.

“Oh, no,” she thought, “not this.” It was probably one of those slimy, green faced, smelly, drooling, six-armed, darkness monsters Little Jimmy Smith told her lived in the hole. Now she wished she had just listened.

She decided it was better if she stood up to face the monster. When Katie stood up, lightning flashed in through her window.

“Hey, I can get out of the hole.” Katie exclaimed.

Just as she said spoke, another flash of lightning streaked past her window. She now saw the object of her fears. It was standing right in front of her. She grabbed her pillow and flung it at the monster. The monster didn’t move, and Katie couldn’t see her pillow anymore.

Katie stood there trembling. “It ate my pillow.” She gulped. Another flash of lightning streaked past the window. She saw her pile of sneakers, sandals, slippers, and dress shoes and began a most epic shoe bombardment.

Suddenly, a voice calls out to her.

“Katie,” the voice says, “stop that.”

“Mommy.” Katie calls out.

“Yes, baby, it’s Mommy. Stop throwing shoes.”

Katie began telling her mother how she defeated the monster in the black hole that stole all the light by throwing her shoes at him.

“That’s good Katie. I’m real proud of you for being so brave. Let’s go to bed. It’s going to be awhile before the lights come back on.”

“That’s okay Mommy, I’m not afraid of the dark anymore. I beat that monster. Even though he ate my pillow. Where’s Daddy?”

“I’m right here, baby.” her father groans.

“What’s wrong with Daddy, Mommy?”

“He kicked your bed, honey. Let’s go to sleep.”

Katie’s father lay on the floor until his wife and daughter left the room. Then he slowly picked himself up from the pile of shoes he was lying in. Reaching for the wall, he limped his way back to bed, making a mental note to buy Katie a flashlight.