Bedtime Story
Remember those old stories your parents used to tell who's validity was somewhat questionable? The ones where there was always a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow or a tooth fairy to give you money for your teeth? Well, there were the other stories too. The ones not meant to comfort, but to scare the living hell out of your young body.
Yea, they thought it was funny, telling you about the monsters under your bed or the vampires lurking outside your window. These were stories they'd tell you around the campfire or right before bedtime. Yes, and you enjoyed it too. See, they weren't sadistic anti-parents, but fulfilling a sick request for a scary story every once in a while. When young, you don't care, you just tremble under your Star Wars comforter, waiting for sleep to overtake your brain and shut you down for the night. You don't care that the nightmare you're going to have will wake you up breathing hard and sweating. No big deal, it's entertainment.
Entertainment when it's not real, at least.
There was a time when you'd hear things outside your window; things tapping, scratching, screaming quietly through your bedroom window. Coal-black night stared at you from behind the bedroom curtain, broken open each time you heard a disturbance. "Please, please, let me fall asleep." You'd say to yourself, hoping it would go away. Did it ever? Did you fall asleep before it stopped, or did it continue to haunt your wicked dreams?
Yea, they thought it was funny, telling you about the monsters under your bed or the vampires lurking outside your window. These were stories they'd tell you around the campfire or right before bedtime. Yes, and you enjoyed it too. See, they weren't sadistic anti-parents, but fulfilling a sick request for a scary story every once in a while. When young, you don't care, you just tremble under your Star Wars comforter, waiting for sleep to overtake your brain and shut you down for the night. You don't care that the nightmare you're going to have will wake you up breathing hard and sweating. No big deal, it's entertainment.
Entertainment when it's not real, at least.
There was a time when you'd hear things outside your window; things tapping, scratching, screaming quietly through your bedroom window. Coal-black night stared at you from behind the bedroom curtain, broken open each time you heard a disturbance. "Please, please, let me fall asleep." You'd say to yourself, hoping it would go away. Did it ever? Did you fall asleep before it stopped, or did it continue to haunt your wicked dreams?
Temptations to peek outside were so strong. Just one look to know there was nothing out there saying your name. Peel back that deep grey sheet, strain your eyes through the ink and rest assured no misshapen demon was stalking the backyard back and forth, tapping its yellow nails across the panes protecting you. Was it there? You'll never know because you always fell asleep.
What about the stories I heard, the ones where a wailing wraith haunted young children looking for her babies? The one where a monstrous creature destroyed wolves and cattle for the taste of their flesh? I never believed them. Oh yes, there was a time I would hear that voice calling my name, it HAD to be nothing. Always, whenever heard, it had to be nothing, or I'd never drift off on my dream-laden cloud. This I believed to be true, this I believed would hide me from my nonsensical, outrageous imagination. At least...
until I looked outside...
What about the stories I heard, the ones where a wailing wraith haunted young children looking for her babies? The one where a monstrous creature destroyed wolves and cattle for the taste of their flesh? I never believed them. Oh yes, there was a time I would hear that voice calling my name, it HAD to be nothing. Always, whenever heard, it had to be nothing, or I'd never drift off on my dream-laden cloud. This I believed to be true, this I believed would hide me from my nonsensical, outrageous imagination. At least...
until I looked outside...
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