Monsters

“What do you mean you quit? Callaria is only seven!!” I rasp out. I’m not sick or anything. That’s just my voice.

Technically I’m a low-class monster. But my mother was a half-demon. So I’m more powerful and crafty and managed to crawl my way to the position of Monster Assignment.

Callaria Morguené. What a beautiful name to say. Cal- air-ah More-gue- nay. She is only a seven years old but she wasn’t scared of even our best monsters. Marl, the one who’s just quit, was our best infield scarer. The one before had come back crying.

“Yes! That girl isn’t scared of us!” Marl’s voice was always growling. That is part of why he is so scary. “No one is going to take her. Skies above, she gave me a nickname!! Give me another assignment and take Callaria yourself.”

With that, he stomped off. He was right. No one else would take her, and that left me.

Sighing, I went into the Transportation Room. This room was a very long hall. To one side were our Secretaries. Each with their monster. The role of Secretaries was to fill out who scared who. Who is no longer scary and who could no longer be scared. That range was usually sixteen. But a seven-year-old? Never. All paperwork and ‘care’ of monsters were done by the Secretaries.

On the other side of that room, were circular port-holes where we stepped through to get into children’s room.

I myself didn’t have a Secretary. So I was flying solo. Not a problem. That’s how I got into this position anyhow. Growling under my breath, I swiped the card through the Reader that would open a sort of door into the shadows of Callaria’s room.

A faint ding sounded. I stepped through. I stood still as I waited for a stressed Mrs. Morguené to tuck her child in bed. Callaria was average height for her age. However, she was quite beautiful. Sleek brown-red hair braided to one side. Her piercing blue-green eyes were fixed on her mother as she rose to leave.

After her mother closed the door I slithered into place under her bed. Soon after I heard yelling. It sounded as if Callaria's parents were arguing.

Above, Callaria's bed creaked as she got up. "Marlie?? Scoot over! You got bigger! You said not to touch you..." She was talking to me!

Her door creaked as it was opened. A strong alcohol smell wafted in. "Oh, Callie~ Where are you? Under the bed again?" He grunted as he folded himself down to the floor to peer under the bed. "You know Daddy doesn't like it when you hide from me~" Then it dawned on me. Callaria wasn't scared of us because the one who was supposed to "scare" us away was the one hurting her. Her father's temper rose. "Maybe I will take you over to Mark's house for this. Hurry up and come out!"

By now Callaria was whimpering. I soothed her, "Shh, Callaria. I'm Savitar. Calm down now and watch while I have some fun."

I slithered out the same way I slithered in. Only this time I let my demon scarlet red eyes glow brightly. As I rose to my towering eight and a half feet, my demonic raspy voice became guttural. "Oh, and who might Mark be?" I asked then bent down to his eye level, clicking my enlongated nails together, "You're no longer allowed to touch her. I will bite. Hard. She is mine. And I do NOT like it when others touch what is mine." By now he was quaking. But he still had his hand grasping for Callaria as she cowered in the dark of her bed. I wrapped my leathery skinned hand with elongated nails around his outstretched arm. "What part of no touching don't you understand? She isn't your toy!"

With a final sharp tooth smile, I succeed in scaring away the human monster. On his way out I swear he wet himself.

"It's alright, Callaria. Your father is gone. I will come and live here with you. Protect you. I am Savitar."

"Sav- ah - tar." She giggled. "Thank you! But are you going back? To where all the others went?"

"For a while. But I will come back each night until I can stay permanently."