My name is Tommy, a ten-year-old boy with a secret – there is a monster residing under my bed. Each night, I am plagued by horrifying screams and my parents insist that no such monster exists. Nonetheless, I am certain of its presence as it continuously torments me. This creature emerges from beneath the bed, inflicting scratches and bruises upon my defenseless body. Unfortunately, when I display these injuries to my parents, they dismiss it as mere accidents from falling off the bed. The terror commences as soon as the lights turn off and the door shuts, producing a distinct clicking sound. Before long, I hear a tapping noise originating from beneath my bed.
I can envision the enormous, shimmering claws rapping against the smooth hardwood floor – tap, tap, tap. This tapping grows more persistent, and that is when I detect it. The beast emits a deep growl, commanding, “Close your eyes, Tommy.” I am aware of the consequences if I were to comply – the monster would emerge and subject me to the same torment he has inflicted upon me since we relocated here last month. The reason for his cruel actions and his presence remain unknown to me. Once again, the low growl reverberates, urging, “Close your eyes, Tommy. Do it now!” His anger is escalating; I can perceive it in his tone. I am certain that if I were to shut my eyes at this moment, the torture would intensify significantly.
I must not close my eyes tonight. “SHUT YOUR EYES NOW, TOMMY! DO IT NOW!” roars the monster. The roar scares me, and I accidentally close my eyes.
I shut them so tight I begin to see purple spots and that’s when I realize what I’ve done. I try to scream, but no sound comes out. The monster has taken my voice.
Then, I feel a thumping from beneath my bed. Thump. Thump. Thump. The monster is trying to get out. Thump. Thump. Thump.
I close my eyes again and pray that it won’t be too bad tonight. “Thank you for listening to me, Tommy. But you did not obey me the first time.”
According to the monster, tonight’s torture will be much worse, as he speaks in his low, rumbling voice. This frightens me greatly, and in my fear, I try to yell but remain voiceless. I desperately long for the presence of my parents as I open my eyes and witness the monster slowly approaching me. This monstrous being is an enormous and hairy beast, possessing gleaming claws and a voice with a deep rumble. It possesses a full set of razor-sharp teeth that it uses to bite me. This tormentor resides beneath my bed and emerges every night to inflict terror upon me. We recently moved into this house one month ago, opting for it due to its lower cost compared to the surrounding residences. I discovered afterward that a young boy used to inhabit this place.
He was just like me, and then one day, he was found dead in his room, barely recognizable. His head was completely gone. His blood was all over the room, and there were chunks of white matter around the room, later identified as his brains. My parents try to tell me this isn’t a true story, and it’s just told to scare me. But I know the truth. The little boy was real, and the same thing that happened to him will happen to me. “You have been a very bad boy, Tommy, and now it’s time for your punishment,” the monster says as he sharpens his already-sharp claws.
He swipes his giant claw across my face, creating a deep gash on my cheek. The burning sensation spreads as the blood starts flowing, its sharp metallic taste filling my mouth. Tears mix with the blood, streaming down my face. The monster’s voice rumbles, scolding me for my wrongdoing. He grows angrier, his face turning red and his eyes becoming empty and cold. I try to stop crying, but I cannot. I wonder why this is happening to me. Suddenly, he forcefully slaps me across the face.
My cheek burns, and the gouge ooze blood. My eyes begin to water, but I will not let the fresh tears fall. I try to wipe at my eyes, but before I can, the monster yells. “NO! YOU STUPID BOY! YOU MUST OBEY ME!” bellows the monster. He grabs me and slams me into the wall, sending pain throughout my entire body. I see spots flash behind my lids before everything fades to black. I wake up, only to find the monster still there. I try to move towards the door, but he sees me attempting to escape. He throws me on the bed and ties my hands and feet together. I struggle to break free, but the ropes are too tight and cut into my skin.
My entire body is in pain, and I simply desire for all of this to come to an end. He notices my struggle and advises me to halt, yet I adamantly refuse. This should not be occurring to me. I attempt to scream, but no utterance escapes my lips. The monster grows increasingly furious. I can perceive the seething rage within him, eagerly awaiting release. Abruptly, he seizes a match and ignites it. He proceeds to scorch me with it. He sears the tips of my fingers before ceasing. I strive to emit a cry, but it is futile. No one can hear me. “If you disregard my instruction, I will persist in subjecting you to burns,” proclaims the monster. I momentarily cease my struggle, endeavoring to contemplate.
Despite my attempts to find an escape, the ropes restraining me are too tightly secured. Time feels distorted as I remain immobile, although I am fully aware that only a few minutes have passed. To my surprise, the monstrous being announces its intention to remove the ropes, noting my improved behavior. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. Once free, I can take advantage of the opportunity to strike and flee towards the nearest exit. With a massive claw, the monster proceeds to sever the ropes, inadvertently injuring me in the process. Regardless of the pain inflicted upon me, my determination to escape remains unwavering. Prepared to deliver a forceful kick, I raise my leg, but the monster anticipates my action and shatters my limb mercilessly. The agony that ensues is indescribable.
Despite my desperate screams, I find myself trapped in absolute silence, unable to be heard by anyone. My leg, motionless and unresponsive, fills me with a sense of dread as darkness engulfs me once more. Upon regaining consciousness, the agonizing pain in my leg instantly captures my attention. To my astonishment, my leg appears discolored and swollen, signaling imminent danger. The monstrous figure who notices my awakening approaches me, threatening to end my life that very night due to the anger I’ve ignited within him. As he binds me and reveals a glimmering silver knife, my heart sinks. Slowly and intentionally, he peels away layers of skin from my arm, instilling an excruciating torment that is beyond comprehension.
I attempt to scream, but no sound escapes my lips. Tears flow down my face, but I am beyond caring. The tormentor ceases their assault after completing the first arm, and I witness crimson blood spurting from what was once my limb. “SHUT UP! Cease your crying immediately!” they roar at me. Desperate to halt my tears, I clench my teeth so tightly that I inadvertently pierce through my own tongue. The warmth of blood trickles down the back of my throat, as I taste the metallic tang of scarlet liquid. Choking ensues as my own blood becomes an obstruction. The cruel entity seizes me and forcibly turns me over, potentially attempting to alleviate my choking or perhaps prolonging their torment.
I begin coughing and vomiting, with the sight of blood covering my bed and splattered on the walls. I question why my parents have not entered to investigate the commotion. Just then, it seems as though the monster can read my thoughts as he declares, “I have incapacitated your parents so they cannot hear you, and I have also stolen your voice to prevent your screams of fear. MUAHAHA!” I realize that there is no hope for me; tonight will be my demise. I regret not expressing my love to my mom and dad. Suddenly, I am forcefully seized and thrown onto the floor, spotting a glimmering hammer in the monster’s grasp.
He forcefully hits my foot with a hammer, causing me to cry out in agony. He repeats this action multiple times, intensifying the pain each time. Eventually, he ceases and leaves me alone momentarily. Soon after, he returns holding the knife he previously used to remove skin from my arm. I recoil in fear, but he seizes me and slices off a piece of skin from my face. I scream and attempt to retaliate by kicking or hitting him, but my efforts prove futile. My limbs seem immobilized, rendering me helpless. I lie there motionless and soundless until he reappears wielding a tool resembling an ice cream scoop. I am uncertain of its purpose and desperately hope not to find out. He approaches me and seizes my face.
He forcibly holds my eye open, revealing his sinister plan to blind me. With one hand immobilizing me, he severs the nerves surrounding my eye while stifling any cries with his large, hairy palm. Employing an ice cream scoop, he removes my eye, leaving me with limited vision. Survival seems highly unlikely tonight. As he departs, taking my eye with him, I ponder his intentions. Astonishingly, he returns and commands me to consume my own eye. The thought of eating my eye fills me with revulsion. Desperately, I attempt to clamp my mouth shut as he menacingly approaches.
He forcefully grabs my face once more and attempts to forcefully open my mouth. I struggle to keep my mouth shut, but it proves futile. He succeeds in prying open my mouth, and as he tries to insert the eye into it, I instinctively bite down on his hand. The taste that fills my mouth is a repulsive combination of blood, a fragment of an eye, and flesh. The disgusting sensation triggers a gag reflex, causing me to vomit. The contents of tonight’s meal resurface in a liquefied state, accompanied by blood, fragments of skin, and remnants of what used to be my own eye. The monster seizes the repulsive mixture and endeavors to force it back into my mouth. I forcefully expel the horrific amalgamation and the monster utters something unintelligible, instilling a sense of dread in me.
I become aware of the snakes in my room, instilling an intense fear within me. Helpless, I cower as they approach, their slithering enveloping my being. Among them, one snake constricts tightly around my neck, suffocating me. Oxygen becomes scarce until suddenly, they vanish, almost as if it were a figment of my imagination. Although I know it to be real, I wish it were a mere dream. The monstrous entity bellows in fury, forcefully hurling me across the room. Advancing towards me with a knife in hand, he ruthlessly thrusts it into my leg.
He forcefully removes it from my leg and forcefully inserts it into my chest. I can sense warm, thick blood emerging from my mouth. The world gradually darkens, and I am aware that I have ceased to exist. I awaken once more, but this time, there is no agony. I find myself in my room, yet able to perceive my lifeless body. My body is drenched in vivid crimson blood. I observe that portions of my skin are absent, and I have been beheaded. My head is nowhere in sight. I am now deceased. My parents enter the room. Upon witnessing the horrific scene, my mother screams and loses consciousness, while my father’s mouth hangs open in shock. I believe he contacts the authorities because shortly after, my room is filled with a swarm of police officers.
The remains of my body are removed from my room. However, my head is yet to be found by the police. I ponder if the monster devoured it or concealed it. Subsequently, my parents are escorted out of the house and do not return. My room is thoroughly cleaned and subsequently repainted in order to conceal any evidence of my murder. As I slide beneath the bed, I stumble upon a stack of heads, including my own. I gleefully retrieve my head and proceed to place it in my mouth, chewing on it briefly before swallowing it. An eerie laughter escapes me as I await the arrival of the next occupant of this room. With my newfound voice, I assert: “Now it is my turn to be the tormentor.”
