The Monster

The Monster watched her sleep. He came in through the window, as he did most nights, and watched her sleep.

The Monster wasn't scary; he was lean and had a hard face.

But her face was soft.

Soft with the essence of beauty and youth. The Monster thought she was beautiful. He had never seen anything so beautiful before. She looked so peaceful. A child without a care.

She flinched.

The Monster thought she was having a nightmare, but he dared not wake her for fear of her nightmares becoming real. The Monster only sat and watched her sleep.

This was the only time The Monster got to see her. She never saw The Monster.

The Monster was not bad. He had only made a bad mistake. But her mother had filled her head with stories and had thought her to fear and hate The Monster. She had filled her head with lies.

A noise came from outside her room and her door was opened. Her mother had come to see  she was alright.

Her mother saw The Monster. She did nothing. The Monster saw her mother. The Monster did nothing.

"I told you to leave and never come back," said her mother.

The Monster said nothing.

"You had your chance, now leave us alone."

The Monster said nothing.

"I mean it. You've done awful things. Get out of her life."

The Monster said nothing. The Monster was not bad. He had only made a bad mistake.

"Get out. She doesn't need a father like you. You're a monster." There were tears in her mother's eyes.

"Leave."

The Monster said nothing. The Monster was not bad. He had only made a bad mistake.

The Monster looked at her mother and went out the window, the way he had come in, while all her dreams turns to star shine and buttercups.

There were no more monsters to haunt her dreams that night.