The Monster in the Closet

Amy was happily playing house with her old dolls when the needle like claws yanked her into the closet. Mr and Mrs Thomas Doll fell with a clatter knocking over their cups of tea as Amy stifled a scream.

"Hey!" She exclaimed indignantly into the darkness, "I didn't know you was there! Why'd you grab me?"

The sharp claws loosened their grasp and she felt his scaly hands rest comfortingly on her shoulders.

"I just got here and I heard him coming." He whispered.

On cue, Amy heard heavy footsteps just beyond her door. She was usually in high alert for movement but had been so enthralled discussing the dolls latest holiday with them that she hadn't heard the creaking stairs. She flung herself into the monsters furry chest and clung to him.

"It'll be okay Amy." He said holding her just as tight, "He thinks this closet is broken remember."

It was true. The first time she'd seen Mox the Monster had been two months ago. She had been sat just in front of her closet with her dolls just as she had been today but unlike today she had been weeping. Her father and mother had been arguing for what felt like hours and she knew he was getting drunker and drunker. They wouldn't hurt her, they never did, but she hated them coming into her room when they were like this. Her father would find fault in anything she did and tower over her screaming until he was purple in the face whereas her mother would cry so hard while putting her to bed that Amy worried she wouldn't be around in the morning. She had wept; bitterly afraid of which it would be this time. She was cradling her knees to her chest, wishing for someone to hold her, when Mox had jumped out of the closet. A yelp of fear escaped her and her eyes immediately darted to the door, what if someone had heard? Sure enough, her father's heavy footsteps came marching up the stairs and her legs began to shake violently. She looked at the Monster wondering if he would eat her before her father got to her. Or should she try to run? She remained still, frozen between two monsters. Her father was at the top of the stairs, four seconds away from her room when suddenly, she felt herself being dragged into the closet.The furry monster had got her first. To her surprise though, there was no pain. She felt the monster lean over her and grab the door handle and heard her bedroom door swing open.

"Where is that noisy brat?" Her father bellowed. She heard him flinging her duvet from her bed and dropping to his knees to look underneath it. "I am NOT in the mood for this you little cow." He spat.

The monster in her closet gently placed his free scaly hand over her mouth.

Seconds later, the closet began shaking as her father began pulling violently on the door handle. The monster held it shut, seemingly not even straining.

After a few minutes she heard, "Dam thing is stuck!" And unable to find her, her father had left the room.

Mox the Monster visited her nearly every night after that and protected her from the real monsters.

Nevertheless, the fear never went away and today as always she cried silently as her father ransacked her room and Mox hugged her. Today however, unbeknownst to her was to be different.

Mox gently unattached himself from her and lifted her so she was hidden behind him.

"I've had enough of this." He growled and released the door handle just as her father tried yanking it open. Her father fell forwards, not really expecting the door to open and landed on Mox, who lifted him easily back to his feet and mere inches away roared into her rather face.

"How do you like it you coward!" He bellowed shaking him by the shoulders roughly. "How do you like monsters haunting you?"

All the colour drained from her father's face as he fell in a slump on the floor.

"What have you done?" She whimpered.

"He's just fainted, I didn't expect that." Mox laughed, "Come here." He lifted her into a tight hug and wiped her eyes. "Bed time".

Mox laid her gently on the bed and passed her Tiny Tony the one eyed bear to cuddle. Then he picked up Mr and Mrs Thomas doll and sat them neatly on her bedside table.

"Story?" He asked.

"Yes please," Amy mumbled, a heavy tiredness already taking ahold of her as her fears and anxiety lifted.

Mox sat next to her and began to stroke her hair, "Once upon a time there was a brave young girl who fought monsters every night. She was too little to defeat them but always managed to stop them stealing her beautiful heart. One day another monster came to spook her but when he saw that beautiful heart the only thing he wanted was to protect her. Together they showed the other monster what it was like to be scared and he never bothered her again."

"So did the kind monster leave?" Amy whispered her voice thick with sleep.

"No. The kind monster will never leave you." Mox whispered and planted a soft kiss on her head.

He stood, picked up the father and stepped into the closet. He would drop the father off in his own closet, and then he thought, he deserved a good sleep himself before he continued fighting the monsters.