I hear his stomach growling so loudly it hurts my ears.

I run into my Mommy's and Daddy's room and tell them about the monster under my bed. "Go back to sleep, they mumble, "it was just a nightmare."

Now I am very mad. I look under my bed and see his glowing eyes.

"You sound very hungry," I say. "Go into Mommy's and Daddy's room and they will feed you.

So the monster does and they feed him.

"You were delicious," I hear him to say to my parents as he smacks his lips.

That's what they get for not believing me!

sounds.

screeches and groans and the echoing sound of skittering claws.

my stomach twists. the night is dark, so dark. my parent's room is just down the hall, yet it seems miles away. and i doesn't dare to leave the bed- the monster might get me.

i can't pinpoint exactly where the noises are coming from, they're too chaotic, too overwhelming. but my guess is that the monster is under my bed. right where it can get to me.

a roar, and the frame of my bed rattles, nearly tossing me off. i grip the sheets until my hands turn white. i look from side to side, watching the wall, my eyes tracing the floor.

all of my stuffed animals are on my bookshelf, they can't protect me from there. all i can do is wait and hope that the scary noises will go away, that the monster won't kill me.

i want to have tomorrow.

minutes tick by, the red of my clock burning into my eyes.

the sounds go quiet.

legs trembling, i crawl out of bed. the silence, it hangs like a heavy fog. i stand by my bed, not moving.

the tension inside of me snaps, and i get down and look under my bed. there's nothing there, only a gap that shows the bottom of my bookshelf on the other side.

peace fills me. things will be okay.

and then there's one last sound.

the creak of the closet door opening.

“I saw Wires again..?” Isaac murmured, mostly to himself.

“...What did you just say to me..?” replied his father, still drunk from the previous evening.

Isaac focused on his hands clasped tightly in his lap, knowing better than to look up as he tearfully whispered, “He was tasting again.. it hurts.”

“You listen to me now, boy. You hear? There IS no “Wires”. The only thing in that damned closet is your momma’s dress and I’ll burn the damned thing if you don’t stop your lies! Now, quit your crying and go comb your hair. It’s sticking up.”

“But there is! Wires is in there, I promise! He comes out to taste!”

“Shut up now, boy! I don’t want to hear it! You do as your daddy says and go comb down your damned hair!”

“... But it hurts.. my head..” Isaac cried.

Isaac’s father had reached his limit with these lies. He propelled himself across the expanse of the small kitchen table, one hand on each side of Isaac’s little head, “BOY! I’LL GIVE YOUR HEAD A REASON TO HURT! YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT PAIN IS, JUST YOU-” and stopped as goosebumps traveled up his arms and neck. He swallowed hard. The back of Isaac’s head, beneath the point at which his hair was disturbed, was warm and it.. it was wet. “What the…?” his father began to question as he pulled his hands swiftly away from Isaac. His right hand was glistening and he vaguely noticed a familiar smell. He stood up and slowly walked behind Isaac. What he saw had an entirely sobering effect and he was horrified. There was an injury to the back left side of his son’s head. The hair had been removed and where there should have been skin, there was an area of exposed skull. It was the edge of the wound that brought the vomit to his mouth.. It looked like someone had taken a large pencil eraser and had effectively erased away a section of Isaac’s scalp, leaving a wide hole with a red, raw edge. No.. No, it was something else.. It looked more like when a predator with a rough tongue just licks and licks its lifeless prey, clear down to the bone. His father went pale as he recalled what Isaac had said just moments earlier; “He was tasting again..” He walked shakily to his son’s room. The nightlight was still on and from inside the closet, he heard the distinct sound of wire hangers scraping along the bar as the door softly closed.

“Daddy..?” came Isaac’s tiny voice from the hall behind him. “Did he taste you, too?”

Ana pulls the covers over her eyes, squinting them shut. "Go away, go away," she mutters.

Her parents's bedroom is right down the hall. They would gladly let her sleep with them if she told them about the ghoul living under her bed.

Except, Ana is a determined child. She won't let the monster know she's afraid of it.

She hears scratching and rustling. The monster lets out a horrifying screech.

Ana opens her eyes, screaming, "Mommy!". She does not remove her head from under the covers.

She hears the door open and sees the light come on.

Gentle hands touch her shoulder, removing the safety blanket. "What's the matter, sweetie?," her mother asks, kindly.

"Monster," Ana informs her mother simply, pointing under her bed.

Her mother nods and gets on the floor to investigate.

"Let's see, clothes, toys, but where is the monster?," her mom ponders out loud.

A hissing sound shocks them both.

"I thing I know who the monster is." Her mom makes whispering noises until a furry black ball appears.

"You said you wanted a kitten, right?"

When I was two

my mother told me my dreams would come true

But what about the nightmares, too?

Until I grew

I hadn't a clue

that things could happen out of view.

For beneath the bed with little ado

something emerges to give bad children their due

Last night do you think the monster grew from eating my shoe?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I hear a sound

Hope it’s not a damn clown

I see a white face with tears and red nose

Pennywise is that you or Bozzo

Is it my imagination or a nightmare

I’m freaking out

If I close my eyes

Will it just go away

Oh mom oh mom please come here

It was over there in the corner

Gave me such a fright

Please check under the bed

It can‘t be just in my head

Oh dear it’s just a stormy night

I‘ll turn on the night light

Lay your head down

Whatever it was is gone now

In my nightmares

The Damn Clown