Scared of the Dark

He’s just a little boy. What does he know? Six years old. Scared of the dark like the classic child. He’s been watching too many horror movies. He wears glasses, too. He’s probably just seeing things. He comes to your room every night, calmly explaining his fears and emotionlessly describing the monstrosities that creep from his closet, the crooked voices that cackle in his ear, and the ghastly ghouls that haunt his hamper. Usually, you’d only laugh and tell him to go back to bed, but, something is different about tonight. You see his lip quiver and a tear struggling to stay within his eyelid. This time, you let him climb into bed with you because you know he’s been traumatized. An abused autistic child. Why on earth did you accept the responsibility to take custody of him? It's because you’re soft, that's why. You had no idea what you were getting into, though, because these first two weeks have felt like forever. As he slips under the covers, he closes his eyes, but his face doesn’t change. You can’t help but stare as you try to imagine his horrible past. He needs love. He needs care. He’s imagining too much. As you attempt to push your worries aside and go to sleep, you hear a rapping from within your closet door.