Writing Prompt

Most monsters were merely inconveniences.

A few displaced socks or a pair of missing tennis shoes hardly ruined entire days. But that didn’t apply to the loss of souls on any regular night.

If there was one thing all monsters liked, it was sweets. Typically cookies or some odd mixture of caramel, honey, and tree nuts. _That _was the best way to draw in every soul sucker within ten miles. They ...

The little boy was curled up under his covers in fear. He could hear his father’s shouting and cursing as he beat his mother. Tears began to flow down his cheeks. He wished it would stop, wished it would end, but he was too weak to protect his mother.

Suddenly, he felt a slight tug on his left sock. He wriggled around and turned on the light to find a very confused green creature holding hood soc...

My bed owner has been very kind. For you see they leave their clothes everywhere!

I need what is on the floor for you see, this is a new bed. A new owner.

By the way, if you’re wondering at this point if I did the deed?

I did not. For I have plenty of souls to sate me. At least for the year.

Night comes, the creaking of someone entering the bed brought me to full attention.

The socks fall ...

Have you ever wondered where socks go? How you can put two away and only find one a while later? I have this vague memory from my childhood of someone telling me of a monster. A monster that steals socks. I know there was more too it but I can’t remember now. I’m not even sure if the memory was real or just a childhood fantasy. Either way I don’t believe in monsters. At least not the ones describe...

A messy room is the best place to hide. One where you can pick them up without them realizing it. One where you can stay a secret for a long while. Waiting for the moment. Waiting for the cue.

As soon as thoses curious, wide-eyes lean over the bedframe is when you snap. When you pull.

You refuel.

It gives you something you can’t keep.

So you do it again.

And again.

A mere legend, a fear that’s ne...

Two glowing red eyes peered out from beneath the bed. They watched as two kids ran around the small bedroom, toys in hand, pretending they were airplane pilots. Narrowing, the red eyes glowered until a voice called for the kids from outside the room.

Dropping their toys, both children giggled and ran out of the room. They seemed blissfully unaware of the eyes watching their every move. The instan...

In the quiet town of Windhollow, children whispered about the Bedfolk, the monsters who lived beneath their beds. No adult ever believed them, of course, but every child in town knew that once the lights went out, the Bedfolk stirred, shifting shadows beneath creaking springs and dark bedskirts.

The Bedfolk were clever in their mischief. Some nights, they would pluck single socks from pairs, leav...

Stories tale of a beast with a thousand mouths. Each greedier and hungrier than the next. At least that's how the tale's used to go. Nowadays, they're called the under-folk. In the early 90's scientists discovered that under the right conditions a wormhole would temporarily breach the surface of reality under children's beds. The exact conditions are still under investigation, but generally, they ...

I curl up in that little space, trying to keep my breathing quiet. My heart is going so fast I shake with it. Surely everyone can hear it? I watch the feet shuffling around my room. She walks away.

There is a monster under my bed, I think. One that makes me invisible even in the brightest colours and silent even if I scream my loudest.

It muffles the outside world to me and blinds it too. I thin...

Don’t check under the bed

It’s there. It’s there.

It’s watching you sleep

Don’t dare. Don’t dare.

Then morning comes

It’s fine. It’s fine

Just missing laundry

It dines. It dines.

Just thread remains

How sad. How sad.

I loved those socks

Made mad. Made mad.

So today I vowed

It’ll pay. It’ll pay.

Tonight’s the night

Post-day. Post-day.

The clock struck twelve

I’ll check. I’ll check.

With flashli...