Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Monsters Under the Bed


      When I was little, there were always monsters under the bed.  I could hear them; at least I thought I could.  I could hear them moving about, and if I listened close enough I could hear them breathing.  As soon as the light went out, something began rummaging around beneath.


        I wasn’t afraid of the dark.  I was afraid of the sounds, whether imagined or otherwise.  The terror was real.  I was sure each time the light went out, something was going to get me, eat me alive, and spit me out.  I had no idea what was under the bed, but I had little doubt something lurked there.


        During the day, I often would fearfully look under the bed and find absolutely nothing to be frightened of.  I could see a dust bunny or two, stray cards from a game, a forgotten book, and perhaps some dirty socks.  I never saw anything that would or could make those G0d awful sounds whenever night came and only the moonlight lit my room.




         Having to pee in the night was the worst.  I would wake up having to go so bad and knowing if I did, that monster might just get me before I made it to the toilet.  The soft orange glow of the night light in the corner did little to dispel my fears.  I didn’t have a lamp beside the bed in those days.  The only way I could catch the monster in the act was to leap out of the bed, race for the switch plate on the wall near my bedroom door and flip the switch instantly illuminating the room with light.  The only problem with that idea was that if I wasn’t quick enough the monster might reach its big hairy arms out from the dark recesses from underneath my bed and grab my ankles.  If it did, I would be lost.  Not only that, I would soak my panties in the bargain.   I could feel my heart race as I tentatively placed a foot to the floor.   The air in the room was cooler as it hit my bare leg than it had been under my toasty warm covers.  I could have sworn I felt something swish past my leg and dart under the bed and I hiked my foot back under the covers.  


          “Lord, please help me get to the toilet!!  I have to go!  I am afraid!!”  I prayed to myself.  I really had to go now.  I surely didn’t want to wake the whole house and have everyone know what a scaredy cat I was.  I had to get a hold of myself.  With determination I dropped both feet to the floor and raced hell bent for election to the light switch near the door, flipping on the light as I slammed into the wall.  The room was instantly illuminated, and except for me completely empty.  I breathed a shaky sigh of relief and raced for the bathroom to relieve myself once and for all.


          The rest of the house was dark, but the bathroom was lit by the soft glow of the night light.  I settled on the potty and steeled my resolve.  “There is no such thing as monsters!!  There are no such things as monsters!!”  I chanted trying to convince myself.  I washed my hands, splashed water on my face, and drank a small drink of water.  I couldn’t prolong the inevitable any longer.  


       I silently went back down the hall to my room.  I counted to three, switched off the light, and made a mad dash for my bed.  I jumped in the bed, threw the covers over my head, and laid back down willing myself back to sleep.  I had escaped the monster this time.  I said the time honored prayer I uttered every night before I slept “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take and please keep me safe from whatever is under my bed!!”   Relieved, I settled deep into my covers drifted off to sleep once more.


     To a little kid like I was in those days monsters under the bed are very real.  When I became a mother I read somewhere that being scared of the dark or of monsters under the bed was a rite of passage for childhood.  Most everyone goes through it.  At that tender age, the imagination is a wild and untamed beast.  As I aged, I learned to tame my imagination and keep it at bay.  Monsters no longer join the dust bunnies and stray socks that live under my bed.  I am no longer afraid until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.


13 comments:

  1. What a great moment! I'm astounded at how you can whip up a post in such little time. Anyway, good first person point of view. Now you can make it "closer:" Where the character of the child really emerges is with the paragraph, "Lord, please let me get to the toilet!" You make a shift here from the conditional first person –– "I would" "I could" – which is more remembering, than actually being that character, that little girl, in the moment. So for a "close" first person point of view, if you wanted to push this further and really develop this little girl as a character, rather than you looking back on her, write it as it actually happening; you're waking up and you have to pee, and describe what you are sure is under the bed... Does that make sense? Let me know if it doesn't!

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    1. Sandra, it makes perfect sense. I understand what you mean now about making the first person perspective closer and becoming the little girl instead of making it a memory in parts. Write it as if it is actually happening in that moment. I get it, and thanks to you I have really learned something about this close first person business. I think next time I will know exactly how to write close first person and become the character and live in the moment with her. I am glad I jumped off the edge and tried my hand at your writer's workshop because in the process I have learned and came up with a fairly decent story in the process. Thank you for allowing me to participate so I could learn, and stopping by to read and for your comments!

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  2. Your fright at the monsters is so palpable in this post!! I was never scared of monsters under the bed or in the closets. I thought monsters were kind of cute, since all the ones I saw (the Bumbles on Rudolph, Gossamer from Bugs Bunny) were so adorable. I was way more in tune to the ghost in the house.

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    1. JoJo, those particular monsters were pretty cute and I have to admit I wasn't afraid of those either. It was more the noises of something possible down there that gave me the willies than anything else. Glad I grew out of it. :D No ghosts in the house while I was growing up but certainly some after my parents died. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments!

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  3. The whole monsters under the bed (or in the closet) thing are pretty universal - wonder where it started. Did the first cavechild think there was a monster under his/her bedding?

    And we all had the The Rules - once you turned the light on, they couldn't get you; if you jumped into the bed from far enough away, they couldn't get you. Hilarious and fun.

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    1. Beverly, I don't remember how old I was before I quit taking a flying leap into bed in hopes of avoiding what lie underneath! LOL I remember those rules, and they were set in stone. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments! I am so pleased you enjoyed it!!! ♥

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  4. No monsters under the bed for me when I was little. But, I swear, if I leave my closet door open, Randall comes out and steals my socks!

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    1. Susan, LOL somebody steals my socks too! I just haven't pinpointed who yet!! Randall!! That is funny! I like that big eyeball guy Mike. He was my favorite. ♥ Thank you for stopping by to read and for your fun comments!

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  5. A riveting read Kathy. I had my dog Snoopy that kept all the monsters at bay.

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    1. Suzy, you were lucky to have a faithful companion to keep you safe! Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! I am so pleased you enjoyed my post. ♥

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  6. Great story, Kathy. I always asked my parents to leave the hall light on at night. I don't think it was monsters under the bed as just a general kind of fear (translated into my later life anxiety disorder). Actually I was more afraid of something being in the closet, so I had to leave my closet door open all night! You really made me feel this. I like Sandra's idea, though, about writing this as you really live it. I think that would make it even stronger.

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    1. ElaineLK, I am so pleased you enjoyed my story. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  7. As I read your post, I can now understand how my girls feel. I am one of those kids who was quite adventurous ... I was not afraid of monsters ... sometimes I went and searched for them.

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