The Robot in the Dark

Spotlight eyes, peering

around the corner at the top of the stairs–

its movements jerky, rigid,

on my neck are goosebumps, prickly hairs.

I can't breathe, I can't speak,

it watches, frozen in place.

I take another step but stop cold

as it emerges completely, advancing towards my space.

It makes weird noises,

strained groans, shuffling steps, beeps–

it looks like a hungry monster made of metal

and I struggle not to make a peep.

I don't want to provoke it,

but it keeps staggering towards me.

My mother and father are nowhere to be found,

my siblings I can only guess are fast asleep.

Accepting my fate, I brace myself,

but then a miracle occurs–

the robot topples over,

its eyes grow dark, and I hear no more beeps or whirs.

My father rounds the corner,

an electric plug held tightly in his hand–

the robot had been plugged into the wall by an electric chord

and my brave father disconnected it, taking a stand.