The Monster Above The Bed

He climbed into his bed that night, his warm brown eyes filled with happiness and light as his father tucks him into bed. He asks for a story, but no story appears. Its too late and the boy needs some sleep. With a kiss on the cheek, the father leaves the room, and with a flourish, the door is shut.

The boy's breath holds as he listens for his father's footsteps to fall away before he asks the question that came every night.

"God, may you please protect me?"

Under his bed, an audible whisper escapes my lips. "Thomas?"

"Yes, God?" The little boy asks, hope filling his voice.

"Have you been a good boy lately?" I question, my snakelike voice filling the little boy's ears.

"Yes God, I've been a very good boy lately" he answers, his voice filled with eagerness.

"How so?" I ask, waiting in the silence as the boy conjures up an answer.

"I cleaned my room when mommy and daddy asked me too." He says.

"Really?" I say, then add "Anything else?"

"Well," he said, speaking rapidly with fear "I helped mommy make dinner and I said hello to the neighbors that smell bad today. I also asked daddy to teach me how to fix my toys that way he doesn't have to do It anymore."

"And did he teach you?" My voice raises at the last syllable. The boy gulps. "He said that I wasn't responsible enough yet but I think that I am! I wanna learn and I wanna help him and I've been a good boy I really have." At this point, the boy was sobbing "Please protect me, God, please! I'm a good boy I am! I'm a really really good boy! I try to be good! Please protect me!"

I contemplate my answer, pushing the boy's sobs into the back of my mind. "You would never lie to me, right Thomas?"

"No, no. I would never lie to you, God." The little boy squeaks.

"Ok," I say, then add "I'll protect you tonight, just be a better boy tomorrow."

The boy sighs a sigh of relief, "Thank you, God." He then rolls onto his side and slowly falls asleep.

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"God?" The little boy questioned. He was put to bed hours ago but can't seem to fall asleep. He's continued to be a good boy, just the way I like him. Obedient.

"Yes, Thomas" I reply.

"Would you like a snack?" He says, his innocence adoring.

"No Thomas, I'm fine" I respond "I have all the snacks I need in heaven."

Fifteen minutes of silence pass before he spoke again.

"God?"

"Yes, Thomas?"

"Is heaven pretty"

"Very pretty" I respond.

"How pretty?" He asks, curiosity accumulating in his voice.

I stop to think "Imagine the most beautiful thing on earth, and then imagine that times thirty."

Amazement and wonder filled his voice "How do I get there"

"Be a very good boy," I say.

"Will my parents go to heaven?" He asks, a foolish and childish question to me.

"Of course" I respond, my voice reassuring.

"Does dying hurt?"

"Of course not."

"Will you let my parents into heaven?"

"Of course, Thomas."

This answer seemed to satisfy him and he drifted off to sleep.

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"God, may you please protect me?"

"Of course, Thomas." My snakelike voice whispered.

Thomas smiled before sighing, "Mommy and Daddy have been fighting more lately."

My voice is sympathetic as I say "What happened?"

"It's something about Daddy's job." He responded. "Daddy hasn't been making a lot of money, and that makes mommy angry. She was throwing things and I think that daddy got hurt." His sad eyes look up to the ceiling as he speaks. "It makes me angry God, there always worried about themselves and never have enough time for me. It's so shellfish."

"I believe you mean selfish." I correct.

He sighs and then continues "I'm very little and they don't care about me."

I smile at the boy's sadness.

"Would they be happy in heaven?" He asks me.

"Everybody's happy in heaven," I say matter of factly "Your parents would be happier in heaven."

"Maybe.." The boy says. His breath deepens and slows as he is succumbed to sleep.

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The next night I'm in his bed again, I hear him climb into it, by himself now and wrestle with stuffed animals and blankets.

"God, may you please protect me?"

"Thomas?" I say, my tone imposing.

"Yes, God?" His voice is that of a high pitched squeal.

"Where are your parents?"

"Fighting, God." Sobs escaped his lips "They're fighting again"

I slowly emerge from under the bed "Thomas," I asked again "Where are your parents?"

His sobs progressively get louder.

"You said you wouldn't lie to me, Thomas."

"I'm-sorry." He choked out. "They're fighting about me now. I tried to tell them about you and now they think I should see a doctor."

His parent's yells could be heard from outside the doorway. It came from somewhere down the stairs.

I fully emerged from under the bed. My flesh laid in ribbons at my feet and my skin was oozing a steady flow of blood. My horns were as sharp as daggers and my eyes like flames. I slowly inched my head closer to the little boys, my blood literally boiling and making my body break out in a fit of fire. I had hooves and two heads, each one more foul than imaginable and both succumbed to rotting flesh. My grey tongues slowly emerged from my mouthes to caress the boy's face. It was tempting to shove them down his throat and watch him die, but I had a better use for him.

I slapped him across the face and listened to the comforting singe of flesh as his head jerked away and he whimpered in pain.

"Do what I say", my voice boomed "Or I won't protect you."

Thomas nodded, his hand caressing where I slapped him.

"Do you want your parents to be happy?"

He nodded again.

"Do you want to be happy?"

Another series of nods.

"Then I need you to be a good boy and do exactly as I say, I'll be right next to you the entire time, alright?"

The boy nodded gleefully.

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The boy walked into his room, a triumphant look on his face. I stood there waiting for him.

"I did it, God, I did it!" he screamed, oblivious to the blood running down his forearms and seeping deep into his clothes.

"Yes, you did," I respond, equally triumphant.

He continued to dance wildly, swinging his arms about and splattering blood on the walls.

I smiled at him "They're in heaven now child."

He looked at me beaming "Yes, oh yes! They're going to be so happy! We're going to be a real family now!"

He continued to dance for a while before turning to face me.

"Will I see you in heaven, God?"

I nodded. "Of course, Thomas! You've been such a good boy! I'll bring you to heaven personally!"

"Do they have candy in heaven?" The boy asked, still smiling.

"So much candy!" I respond, smiling gleefully.

I peek at the clock and then speak. "Now, we don't want to waste time now Thomas! Your new and improved family is waiting for you!"

I nodded enthusiastically as he brought the knife up to his eye and slowly gouged it out. It rolled to the floor with a thud.

We both started laughing as he chocked on his own blood and slowly suffocated. I poisoned this truly innocent boy's mind. Transformed him even.

See you in hell, Thomas.