Monsters

I am frightened of the monsters. They are much, much, bigger than me, and they are loud, and they scare me. They appear all over the house, and they startle me. They are all different colours too.

They keep me locked up in a prison most days, and they make me eat things that I don’t enjoy, I don’t like, and those things make me sick sometimes. Even when I am ill, or feeling upset because of the disgusting foods, they still make me eat them, and they roar at me when I try to refuse.

Usually there is one monster roaming around, but when I really don’t want to do the things that they make me do, they summon another, larger, ‘growlier’ monster, and I start to tremble, because the smaller monster is bad enough, but the larger one is so much bigger, and that scares me even more.

I never know when the bigger monster is going to be here either, which makes it more frightening. It disappears for days and days at a time, and then is suddenly NEAR me, making strange deep noises and picking me up and swinging me around. When this happens, the smaller monster will also join in, making high-pitched squealing sounds that make my ears feel funny. I’ll sometimes cry and cry until they put me down again, and I can run away to safety.

I can never get far though. When I run away too fast, I get scooped up by hands unseen, and placed back in one of many prisons. With bars. Voices come through big screens, making me laugh, or soothing me, and I’ll sit and enjoy the different sounds of safety and the different faces and colours. I like the variety.

Are they trying to manipulate me, to control me? Don’t I deserve to run free, as far as I want, and be where I want?

I want to go to where my friends are, because I know I have friends, and I want to make even more friends; it’s been such a long time since I saw them. I hate being isolated. I don't know where my friends are. Sometimes they come over to see me, but it is never for long enough, and then they vanish and I don't see them in forever.

A long, long time ago, I woke up to thunderous sounds whilst being shaken about, and I was strapped into something that I think was moving very fast. I could hear voices and beeps and loud sounds all around me; in front and behind and to the sides, but I couldn’t see anything as a screen was covering me, and I could see water running down the outside. I was so scared and angry, I slapped my hands against the plastic, but nothing happened. I thought I could hear the smaller monster laughing at me, but I couldn’t be sure.

Sometimes, I fall asleep and I wake in a completely different place, back in prison, with blankets and sheets over me. At least I am kept warm and dry I suppose.

Another time recently, I woke up, and was being carried by the smaller monster, and I was taken into a white room with toys sitting around and funny pictures on the walls, and I was stabbed - STABBED with a sharp thing that made me scream and scream. I hate them all so much! Every monster, whether they are a parent or a doctor - I hate them all so much.

Afterwards, the extra monster in the white coat gave me a plaster to put over the injection, which he told me was called a V-A-C-C-I-N-A-T-I-O-N and he also gave me a lollypop which tasted of cola and was actually very nice.

Later that evening, after my dinner, I was read my favourite stories by R-O-A-L-D D-A-H-L and J-U-L-I-A D-O-N-A-L-D-S-O-N, and tucked into my little bed. I get sleepy very fast after my busy day.

"Sleep tight, little one," the smaller monster says to me softly.

I guess over time I could get used to these monsters.