(I hope you enjoy reading this short story I wrote based on the prompt: Ignore every instinct to flee. Remember: You’re a monster too.)

The bed creaked as Noah snuggled deeper into the covers. The rain pitter-pattered against the windowpanes outside. The cloud-shaped night light by the door glowed and cast a dim blue glow across the room.

The monster in his closet was back.

Noah squeezed his eyes shut and prayed that it would go away.

After what felt like an eternity, he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

The monster had begun visiting him a few months ago. Noah still remembered the day it had first shown up. He’d had a terrible day at school. It was one of those days when everything seemed to go wrong. He’d forgotten to do an important assignment and had been pulled up by his teacher in front of the entire class. The humiliation had made his cheeks burn bright red and his classmates had sniggered and teased him about it. To make matters worse, during the next class, they’d had a pop quiz. Noah just couldn’t concentrate. His mind felt all jumbled up, and he couldn’t remember anything he’d read or heard in class.

And that very night, he’d heard the monster for the first time, and had felt its menacing presence.

He lay huddled up in his bed now, staring at the dark ceiling. How could he go to sleep with the monster just a few feet away from him while his mind kept conjuring up all sorts of horrors lurking inside the closet?

A heavy, suffocating feeling started to gnaw in the pit of his stomach. A prickling sensation crept over him. The glow of the night light seemed to grow more dim, and the shadows began to spread across the walls.

His breaths came shallow and quick now, and he could hear himself gasping for air. His chest felt as though it would burst.

How could he sleep here in this room, with the monster just a few feet away from him?!

What was that? Had he heard something? Or had he just imagined it?

He sat bolt upright in bed. Gathering up all his courage, he squinted one eye at the closet door.

Blackness engulfed the room now. The closet door seemed to be disappearing into the abyss.

It was all too much to bear.

Suddenly the lights in his room flickered on, and after his eyes had adjusted to the bright light, he saw his mother standing in the doorway.

She walked over to him and sat down on the edge of his bed.

“I heard you tossing and turning,” she said gently. “Is everything okay?”

Noah didn’t meet her gaze. He looked down and his voice trembled as he managed to get the words out, “There…there’s a monster in my closet.”

There was a brief moment of silence, and then he lifted his eyes up to see his mother looking at him kindly.

“Noah,” she finally said, “I’ve got to tell you a secret. You’re a monster too.”

Noah looked at her, bewildered. “What do you mean?” he stuttered.

“Well,” his mother explained, “everyone has a little bit of a monster inside them. Sometimes it can be scary, but it’s also what makes us strong and brave.”

“Noah,” his mother continued gently, “Do you remember last summer when we were on holiday, and you shouted at the top of your lungs to protect your little sister from that big dog? You were scared, but you stood your ground and picked up a stick and kept yelling at the dog till it put its tail between its legs and ran away. And do you remember the time you were five, and punched that boy on the playground because he kept pulling your friend’s pigtails even though she kept telling him to stop?”

“But that was wrong,” muttered Noah.

“Well, yes,” his mother replied. “It’s not nice to punch people, but I’m proud of you for standing up to that bully. Deep inside, we’re all capable of anything, good or evil. Sometimes there are traits that seem monstrous. We’re always taught to be gentle and mild mannered, but there are times when we must reach deep down and find just the right amount of anger and madness to confront situations that demand it.”

“And I think I know what’s going on here,” she continued. “The monster’s not in your closet. It’s in your head. When you feel anxious and overwhelmed, don’t run away. Stand and fight. Like the situation with the dog last summer, pick up your stick and tame the monster. Scare it away.”

Noah’s eyes widened as he began to understand what his mother was trying to tell him. “So, you’re saying that even though I’m afraid of the monster, I can still be brave?”

His mother smiled warmly. “Yes, exactly. Being brave doesn’t mean you’re never afraid. It just means that even though you’re afraid, you gather the strength to stand tall and face your fears. You always have the power to stand up for what’s right, even when it’s hard.”

Noah stared at her, taking in every word. He nodded slowly. The monster in his closet was just a manifestation of his fears and anxieties. He’d always had the power to fight it, just as he’d had the power to stand up to the dog and the bully.

He felt a sudden sense of empowerment wash over him. He didn’t have to let his fear control him – he had the power to control his fear. And with that realization, he knew that he could face the monster in his closet and any other challenges that came his way.

He looked towards the closet door. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so scared anymore. He took a deep breath, swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and got up and walked over to the closet. With shaking hands, he opened the door.

He half expected a monster claw to make a sudden swipe at him. But then he looked into the closet and saw that there was nothing in there but his clothes and books. He breathed a sigh of relief.

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As he lay in bed later that night after his conversation with his mother, he thought about what she had said. He didn’t have to be scared of the monster in his closet or any other monsters he might encounter. After all, he was a monster too. And sometimes, being a monster could be a good thing.

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