Monster?

She called her son down to breakfast, every morning he would come running down the stair jumping the last one, and climb up in his seat at the island to eat his favorite chocolaty cereal. Today was nothing like her usual happy child. She glanced at his sullen face over her coffee mug as he pushed the tasty pebbles around in his bowl.

She leaned forward onto the counter setting her mug down with a small clag of ceramic on granite. “What’s the matter, Evan? You’ve barely eaten.”

Evan nervously glanced at the stairs before turning away quickly and looking up at his mom through his eyelashes. He shook his head vigorously before motioning his mother to come closer.

Evan leaned in cupping his hands around his mother's ear. “There’s a monster in my room.” He whispered before whipping his head around to look at the stairs again.

“Oh.” His mother nodded turning the corner back to her spot across from him again. “I see. Has he hurt you?” She asks quietly.

He shook his head. “He just watches me from my closet. Sometimes he comes out. Last night he came out. He spoke to me.” Evan seemed to get slightly braver as his mom hadn’t just told him he was being silly.

“What did he say?”

“He told me his name was George.”

“He doesn’t sound like a monster. He sounds like he’s trying to make a friend.” His mother leaned on the counter again.

“But he is a monster. He has horns and sharp teeth. And he has red eyes that glow in the dark.”

She smiled softly down at her son and asked, “But why is that a monster? If you had red glowing eyes and sharp teeth with horns would you want me to be afraid of you? To be scared and not want to go near you?”

“But I don’t.”

“Pretend if you did.”

“No, but I’m not a monster.”

“Exactly you are just different. George is just different.” Evan didn’t understand at first but by that night when he climbed into his bed he realized that if he had horns and red eyes he wouldn’t want someone to be afraid to talk to him.

Later that night, a breeze floated softly through the open window fluttering the sheer green curtains. The closet door which Evan usually made sure was shut securely every night stood open almost halfway. His mother had gone off to bed a while ago which was the cue for George to come out. Evan was drifting off when he heard the first creek and sat up in bed. Red orbs showed first then the shadow of a tall form with horns was distinguishable from the darkness. Then he smiled showing off his impressive collection of sharp incisors.

The demon stalked out of the closet waiting for the fear of the child to waft his way with the intrusive breeze. He locked eyes with the boy. He could see the red reflected back at him in the small glassy orbs. The boy, however, did not yack his covers up over his head to hide; as he had been doing the past nights. He didn’t tremble, or turn away, he looked back and smiled. The Demon was taken aback no child had ever feared him so greatly then smiled at him the next night.

Evan spoke softly. “Hi, I’m Evan.”

George did not speak for a moment thinking the return of his gravelly voice would surely send a chill up the child’s spine. He spoke. “You know who I am.” The boy didn’t so much as flinch away from the noise that sent him trembling under his sheets the night before. Evan simply nodded.

“You are not afraid anymore?” The demon bared his teeth for good measure.

Evan shook his head. “You’re just different,” He smiled. “Like me. My mom taught me that you don’t look like me but that doesn’t mean your bad or a monster.”

The demon sunk back into the shadows, he had to get a look at this woman who so easily ruined his prey. Out of the shadows in the corner of her room he went right to the foot of her bed casting a new shadow over her from the moonlight piercing through her curtains. There, sleeping soundly, was a familiar face to him.

Familiar brown hair and tanned skin. She was much older now but he could never forget the one girl who thought his eyes were beautiful and his horns simply enchanting. He would never forget how she moved away and he lost her forever to only hold his memories. Yet here she lay sleeping peacefully curled in her bed blanket tucked securely under her chin.

He was tempted to wake her but there would be more nights to come now that he had a new friend to speak to that saw him not as a beast but as unique.