Mandi Fraser was wise enough at the age of almost-eleven to know that there really were no such things as a monsters under the bed. But, that didn’t stop her from making a wild leap across the floor and onto her bed the second she flipped the light switch off. You know, just in case.
Mandi wasn’t old enough to understand the concept of hedging her bets, but that’s exactly what she was doing nonetheless. Kids who took risks got into trouble. Everybody knew that.
Most nights, Mandi was left to her own devices. Her Momma was usually too exhausted from working her two jobs to oversee the bedtime ritual, so, as a rule, Mandi would brush her teeth on her own, get into her pajamas, and tuck herself into bed. No big deal. Even if one were to overlook her ritual of arranging her bedclothes just so before the “lights-out leap” in order that she could dive completely under the covers, head and all, it was still no big deal. And her heart thundering at breakneck speed for at least five minutes after she’d landed safely on the bed, that wasn’t particularly worrisome either. What was worrisome were those rare occasions when she’d mistime her takeoff or flub her landing. Those were moments of pure terror, and although she knew it was silly and childish, she couldn’t help how she felt.
Mandi had always been taught to face her fears, but sometimes this was easier said than done. She supposed that if she were to take her time and get down on her hands and knees and peer underneath her bed, she’d see for herself that there was nothing but a couple of dust bunnies and maybe a stray sock under there. The problem was that doing that could place her in mortal danger should there actually be a monster lurking. So, as much as she would have liked to be certain that nothing was there, she felt equally sure she didn’t want to know for certain if something was. It was a troublesome situation.
One night, just a week or so before her much-anticipated eleventh birthday, Mandi was preoccupied with thoughts of parties and cake as she was performing her bedtime ritual. Because she wasn’t entirely focused, her foot caught the corner of her bedside rug just as she’d flipped off the light switch. Her trajectory on “the leap” went horribly awry, as you might expect, and she landed in a heap, half on and half off of her bed. Her eyes had not had time to adjust to the sudden darkness in her room so her panic was magnified tenfold. Maybe even twentyfold. She scrambled up onto her bed so quickly that it almost seemed as though the flubbed landing had never occurred, but she became entangled in the blankets instead of enfolded in and protected by them. That’s when she first heard the thumping.
It was coming from under her bed. Thump thump thump thump thump. She managed to yank the tangled blanket free and pull it up over her head, but she could still hear the horrible thumping. It seemed to be getting louder. And faster. Mandi’s mind raced back over her stumble. Hadn’t she felt something odd with her right foot? Something which shouldn’t have been there? Yes, she was sure now that she had. She was sure that she’d kicked something just under the edge of her bed and wakened it.
Thump thump thump thump thump.
She knew now that all of her nights of careful planning, her practiced leaps, and her skillful dives beneath the blankets and all been for naught. She’d botched it up big time and now It was awake. She did the only thing she could think of to do. She opened her mouth and tried to scream.
As is the case with most truly essential screams, especially those we attempt during nightmares or when our very lives depend on them, Mandi’s scream came out sounding like a thin warbly wheeze. She’d put everything she had behind that scream, but the breathy sound was barely audible even to her own ears. She knew her Momma couldn’t possibly have heard it. She was done for.
It was becoming very warm under her blankets and she knew that there was not enough air under there to last very long. Already her labouring lungs were trying to persuade her to peek out just for a second for a big gulp of air.
Thump thump thump thump thump!
She had no choice. She needed air to scream. She lifted just the corner of her blanket and sucked in a great ragged gasp. And then she screamed for all she was worth, “MOMMA!!”
Momma came flying into her room. The glorious light from the hallway spilled in with her. Mandi threw herself into her Momma’s arms and sobbed, “Uh-uh-under the buh-buh-bed!” Momma hugged her very tightly but she could still hear it.
Thump thump thump thump thump!!
Momma stroked Mandi’s hair and told her that everything would be all right. She tucked her back into bed and kissed her forehead. Never even once did Momma say that Mandi was just being silly. Mandi loved her more than ever for that. Then Momma bent down and looked under the bed to show Mandi that there was nothing under there.
There was one more thump! as Momma vanished beneath the bed. And one more sad little wheeze that should have been a scream.
Happy Hallowe'en :)
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