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Monsters (C) Laurie Arrick
She crouched in the darkness, hiding. She wasn’t afraid of the darkness; it would keep her safe from the monsters. She
heard a sound off to her right; a subtle slithering sound. Peering into the darkness, she tried to see what was approaching,
but the darkness defeated her. Hardly daring to breathe, she slipped silently deeper into the safety of the welcoming darkness.
Away from the monsters. Behind her, a pair of yellow eyes gleamed in the darkness.
She didn’t really remember when the monsters first appeared. They were just there, a constant, steady reminder that
the world was a shitty, unsafe place. Some of them didn’t even look like monsters, at least not until you saw the eyes.
A monsters eyes were cold, flat, and dead. Monsters like hurting people. Pain made their eyes gleam, death made them laugh.
They were ugly and cruel, and to be avoided at all costs. She’d seen the things they did to those who were unfortunate
to get caught. The pain and torment were unending, at least until they finally died. One particularly vicious monster had
caught her mother. She could still hear the screams echoing through her memories.
She learned that it was better to hide during the day and hunt during the safety of the night. Monsters couldn’t see
in the dark. And when they couldn’t see, they didn’t hunt. Slowly she made her way back to the safety of her haven,
clutching the results of her hunt to her chest. She was safe for another day. Crouched in the small space away, from prying
eyes, she began to eat. Once her stomach was satisfied, she settled in to sleep. In her dreams, her mother came to comfort
her, rock her to sleep, sing her lullabies. In her dreams there were no monsters.
She wasn’t sure what woke her that night. She lay still, listening. Nothing. Her instincts told her not to move. She
scented danger. Somehow, she sensed that a monster was nearby, waiting.
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She lay utterly still, afraid even to breathe. Then she heard it. The same slithering sound she’d heard the night before.
It was coming closer. She managed to catch her whimper in the back of her throat, keeping silent with an effort. The monster
was close now. Close enough to smell. Every monster had a different smell. This one smelled like stale cigarettes, beer and
cheap perfume. She’d smelled this monster before. This was the monster that had taken her mother. She felt tears slide
down her face, but she didn’t make a sound. Maybe she still had a chance. It was dark, after all. The monster wouldn’t
be able to see that well. If she was very, very quiet, she should be safe. The slithering sound drew nearer. She held her
breath, too afraid to even breathe. Finally, after an eternity, the sound stopped. She could hear the monster breathing. It
was very close. She could probably touch it if she stretched out her hand. She bit back a whimper. Her safety depended on
absolute silence. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and she could make out the hulking shape of the monster, and see
the yellow, gleaming eyes. It was right outside her safe haven. In horror, she watched a clawed, misshapen hand stretch toward
her, feeling the floor. The grotesque fingers crawled closer. They were almost to her shoe. The hand found her ankle, and
clamped down in a hard, punishing grasp. She was caught. The monster roared its satisfaction and pulled her forward. She kicked
out with her uncaptured foot, trying to break free. She connected with the monsters stomach, and it bellowed in pain, tightening
its grip on her ankle. Soon it had her by the arms and started shaking her like a rag doll. Cursing at her, its fetid breath
stirring her hair. Contemptuously, the monster flung her body over its shoulder and lumbered off toward its lair. She was
beyond tears now, fighting like a wild thing. Fighting for survival. She would not be taken like her mother. The monster threw
her on the bed, and lumbered over to the door, starting to push it closed. The instant the monster turned its back, she was
off the bed. Like lightening, she slipped under the monsters arm and through the closing door. It slammed shut behind her.
She heard the monster roar in anger, and the door banged open. She never turned to look. All her efforts were focused on getting
away from the monster. Sobbing, she ran blindly, her only thought to get away, far away. As she disappeared into the darkness,
she heard the frustrated roar of the monster behind her. Daylight found her in the wooded area of the neighborhood park. Exhausted,
she huddled under the thick cover of the bushes. For a time she slept, but fear woke her in the late afternoon. Shifting her
position slightly, she peered through the bushes. There were two monsters standing on the path next to the bushes. One was
the monster that had grabbed her last night. She could hear them talking. "Where do you think she got to?" the first one muttered.
Her monster replied, "I have no idea, but when I find her, I am going to skin her alive. She should know better than to run
off. Her mother’s worried sick. The little bitch doesn’t care about anyone but herself." As the monsters moved
away, she closed her eyes. On the breeze, a few last comments from her monster drifted back to her. "I’m glad the little
whore isn’t my real daughter. C’mon, Fred, let’s go get a beer." Closing her eyes, she blocked out the sight
of the monster the world called her father heading to the local bar for another night of drinking.
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This is a shortened version of the ezine. I hope to add more pages later. If you would like to send writings or art, please
send them to: renee_rain@earthlink.net
(C) Renee Rain/Sol-Soul Visions
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