Christopher Moore and the Monster in the Floor

Submitted into Contest #169 in response to: Write about someone finding a monster under their bed.... view prompt

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African American Fiction Fantasy

There once was a boy 

Named Christopher Moore

He never really liked

To clean his floor.

Despite his mother’s every wish. 

It seemed when his room was dirty, 

He moved like a fish.

He swam through the rivers of dirt and dust

And would be called “dusty” by his mother

Sister, and his dog named Trust. 

One day Christopher was in his room gaming

And then he heard his mother moving through the house

His sister, she was shaming

She hadn’t done her weekly chores. 

It was only a matter of time.

Before she came for his floor. 

He tried to get in bed and lay under the covers. 

He thought, she’ll never find out, how could she

She’s only my mother. 

So Christopher sat in his bed and played like he was sick

But his mother was smarter and she had too much wit. 

“Christopher Moore”, she said bursting through the door, 

“You need to clean this terrible, nasty, and dirty floor!” 

“But cleaning is boring”, Christopher said.

“I don’t care if cleaning is terrible or boring.”

She seemed serious about this flooring. 

“I’m going out today, I have errands to run. 

When I return, this floor better be sparkling’.”

And Christopher groaned and moaned and rose out of his bed

And then his mother told him to first fix his nappy head. 

After a shower and lotion, he was ready to “clean”. 

Though to be honest, he didn’t know what that would mean. 

Then he heard a sound, from something he couldn’t see. 

*crunch* *crunch* *crunch* 

What is that loud crunching? 

Christopher was confused

He was for sure not munching. 

He looked around for a moment and searched under his bed

Then he let out a shriek, fell back, and hit his head. 

It was a set of eyes, sitting and staring at him. 

“Oh hello there”, they said “My name is Tim.” 

“What are you Tim”, he asked while in fear. 

He couldn’t tell what Tim’s eyes were 

Either like a bat or deer. 

Tim’s mouth was sharp, with so many teeth

Tim couldn’t have brushed them 

They weren’t together

Nor neat. 

“Why I am your friend”,

He said with a snaggle tooth grin 

Christopher noticed

Tim didn’t have a chin. 

“I don’t know you! We aren’t friends!” 

Said Christopher in his fright. 

“You must get out of my room

You being here is not right!”

“But we are friends, 

because you feed me.”

He was still giving that 

Devilish grin. 

“Every day 

When you eat or leave crumbs

You make me stronger.

You make me feel fun. 

“I eat your snacks, your dirt, and all of your dust.

I eat the old toys, the candy, the tech with rust. 

I eat the crumbs and mice that live in the house

That’s why you’ve never seen a rat. Never a mouse.” 

“Wow, that’s pretty helpful I guess.” 

Christopher thought what he said sounded true. 

“But how can I know

You won’t eat me too?” 

“Why would I do that little Mr. Moore?

Afterall, I get fed so well, off of your nice floor.” 

“Okay then I guess I’ll feed you for now.

But soon you’ll have to leave.” 

Tim’s mouth and eyes looked like a frown. 

“I cannot leave”, The monster had pled. 

“But you must; I insist” Christopher said. 

“I will not” he said, 

a bit baser in his voice. 

Christopher looked discouraged

The monster was about to rejoice.

“I think that’s still a no”, 

Christopher said.

The monster let out a guttural roar

It shook his room and tossed his bed.

The monster stood up, its body forming slowly

Collecting dirt, dust, and mites.

It had all the balls in the room rolling

It was like a dirt of crumbs and things living under his bed.

The monster grabbed at Christopher

He thought he was dead. 

The monster took Christopher by his leg.

He hung him upside down

The blood rushing to his head

“You gave me so many crumbs

You gave me so much trash

You think that I won’t be afraid

To be a bit crasser?”

“I’ll destroy your home.

Your mother and sister too. 

I’ll have all the dust and dirt in this house.

And it’s all thanks to you.”

Christopher hearing that 

Knew he had to find a way 

To get rid of this monster

He had to save the day. 

He was trying to think fast.

The blood rushing to his head. 

*Think* *Think* *Think*

“I know what to do”, he said. 

He grabbed in his pocket and pulled out a napkin

He wiped at the monster’s hand

Christopher fell to the ground

The monster didn’t know what was happening. 

Holding his hand, the monster screamed

“What are you doing you little dirty child!

You think you’re free? Only in your dreams!”

“If dirt and dust is what gives your life!

Then cleaning up will make you fall”

Christopher said to the big dusty ball. 

He ran into the closet and looked and searched.

And inside he took out something that had the monster shook

He whipped out his weapon, long and with a flashing light. 

A vacuum cleaner and a dust killer called “Cleaner’s Delight”

“Get back you monster!”

Said brave hearted Christopher Moore

He ran past the beast

And closed the door

Turning on the vacuum he began to suck

The monster going “down”. 

Or maybe up. 

Up and up and Up. 

“No Christopher Moore”, the monster screamed.

His body was becoming no more than a stream

Of dust and dirt that couldn’t survive. 

He was about to cry, he knew he was about to die. 

“I can’t hear you”, Christopher replied. 

I can’t think of letting you stay. 

You’re too dirty to survive.”

After the monster was good and bested. 

Christopher jumped in his bed. 

He rested. 

The next morning, Christopher looked under his bed. 

He wanted to be sure that the monster was dead. 

He searched and he swept 

All the space under the bed. 

To make sure the monster wasn’t fed. 

He looked in the closet where his vacuum was kept. 

He cleaned it quite properly with its open mouth and 

He looked in his dresser and wiped it clean

making sure to get rid of some dirt that could be mean. 

He checked his computer for any mites or with spite. 

He cleaned out the fan, to his computer’s delight. 

He checked in the window for stuff to destroy. 

He saw that there was dirt on there 

so he cleared it 

like a good boy. 

“Christopher DeMarcus Moore! You’ve really cleaned this floor”

Screamed his mother from behind the door. 

“Yeah, I’m gonna keep a cleaner space, 

I promise.” 

He said with a voice 

That was honest. 

“I can’t let the dirt and dust get too big

They might just eat me, and I’m only a kid.”

October 29, 2022 01:30

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