The Monster Waited
written by: Zach Zajac
@zakzakzajac
Bedtime was more of a suggestion than a rule in the summer. A boy needed extra time to chase fireflies and ride his bike through the streets of his sleepy neighborhood. Besides, nightmares tasted best when marinated in joy.
The Monster waited anxiously beneath Philip’s bed. He tapped his claws lightly against the hardwood floor to mark the slow passage of time. Soon, he thought as he ran his purple tongue across his jagged yellow teeth. I shall feed soon.
The boy never took this long. Even in the relaxed hours of July, his mother was always sure to tuck him in before ten. It was well past midnight, and the hours spent in that cramped space were beginning to take a toll on the creature’s body. His spine-covered back screamed with pain, his taloned feet were icy and numb, and his scaly stomach growled a deep and evil groan.
That inconsiderate little shit, thought The Monster. Doesn’t he know I’m waiting for him?
The Monster finally got up from his hiding spot and stretched out his leathery wings. Then he cautiously lumbered through the tiny bedroom, dodging the action figures of laser-eyed robots and green tentacled space aliens that littered the floor. During a previous visit, he stepped on a plastic gargoyle and never forgot the pain the toy inflicted.
When he reached the door, The Monster cracked it open and stuck a bat-like ear through the portal. He expected to hear Philip inconsiderately carrying on. He expected to hear the ten-year-old laughing and playing. He expected to hear joy, but the only sound that echoed through the dark little house was the sound of crying. The breathless noise wasn’t the kind of infantile sobbing he was used to. The whimpers were older and deeper than the tears he inspired. The wailing sounded like a soul being rung out after being soaked in inconceivable pain. It sounded like a mother weeping.
The Monster looked back at the bed where he had inspired countless nightmares and knew he would wait for Philip no more.
- The Monster Waited - October 26, 2024
- Picky - September 9, 2024
- Puppy on Cermak Road - May 2, 2024
