Page 75 of Spooks & Specters

The mirror on his dresser caught his attention, and he glanced at it. As the blue light from his phone illuminated his face in the dim room, Austin felt an overwhelming sense of isolation. He was surrounded by people yet completely alone.

Even this brief interaction felt superficial and hollow. Where was his monster? He needed him. Austin’s eyes drifted from the phone to the shadowy corners of his room, looking for his monster. He normally only appeared under the bed, but Austin couldn’t help checking the shadows.

Just then a low growl emanated from beneath his bed. It was faint but distinct—a visceral reminder he wasn’t truly alone. The sound, rather than sparking fear, brought a sense of grim companionship. Austin dropped his phone and lay back on the bed, his heart skipping a beat.

“Are you there?” Austin asked, his voice barely louder than a breath.

For a moment, there was no answer but the soft whisper of his own pulse in his ears. Then, almost inaudibly, a voice murmured back, gravelly and deep. “Always.”

Chapter Two

A SHIVER ran through Austin, but it wasn’t fear. Not entirely, at least. He’d be stupid if there wasn’tsomefear. After all, there was somethingunder his bed.

Something unnatural.

But there was also comfort too, in knowing he wasn’t alone—even if his companion was something others would deem nightmarish. Whatever the thing was, it made him feel safe, even if he was only safe there in his room.

“What should I do?” Austin asked. “I can’t live up to what they want me to be.”

Huh. He hadn’t expected that to pop out of his mouth. Funny how he’d been fretting about the bullying, yet this was the thing—his grandparents—that he felt the need to talk about.

The voice from under the bed was slow and thoughtful. “You must carve your path, not follow the trails laid before you by others.”

“But how? They control everything around me.” Austin asked, speaking into the darkness like he was confiding in an old friend. In a way, the monster under his bed was an old friend. They had been together for the last five years.

“Sometimes it is not about breaking out but subtly changing from within. Start small. Changes are often undetectable until they are irreversible.”

Austin pondered this advice. It felt right—subtle resistance instead of outright defiance. Maybe he could start finding little ways to assert his independence without drawing too much attention.

“Thank you,” he whispered into the darkness.

“Just remember that you are never as alone as you think.”

With those words hanging in the air, an unusual peace settled over Austin. He didn’t have everything figured out—notby a long shot—but for now, it was enough that the situation was to acknowledged and he’d found some semblance of support.

He lay back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling that was barely visible in the dimness enveloping his room. Small strategies began to form in his mind—little rebellions and minor assertions of self that might just begin to shift the balance ever so slightly in his favor. The exchange with the monster had given him something precious—hope and a sense of agency. Now it was up to him to use them wisely.

Austin moved the conversation to the latest drama happening on social media. It was odd how the monster knew not only the movies, but also the social media platforms Austin spoke of. As he talked, the atmosphere in the room shifted slightly. His monster seemed to find amusement in the surface-level dramas, its laughter a low rumbling that vibrated through the floorboards.

Austin chuckled, imagining his monster scrolling through a timeline under the bed. “Do you think it’s weird that I talk to you about all this? The few friends I have would probably think I’m as nuts as my father.”

“It is not for them to understand,” the creature replied. Its voice was deep, echoing slightly as if coming from a well. “Each person has their own truths, their own monsters to confide in or fear.”

“Yeah,” Austin muttered, feeling a renewed sense of connection to his hidden companion. “You help me make sense of things.”

“As you do for me” came the reply, almost hesitantly. It was easy to forget sometimes that this exchange wasn’t one-sided—that whatever resided beneath his bed needed him just as much.

They talked for a while longer—about movies Austin wanted to see, games he wished he could play if he had moretime. Each word seemed to strengthen him, weaving threads of normalcy into his strained existence.

Finally, feeling a wave of fatigue wash over him, Austin decided it was time to try and sleep.

“Good night,” he murmured, not entirely sure if his friend under the bed cared for such human formalities.

“Good night, Austin” came the gravelly reply, a hint of warmth in its tone now.

Austin turned off his bedside lamp and settled into his blankets. The darkness seemed less oppressive with his monster’s presence underneath him. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, finding comfort in knowing that he wasn’t alone in his struggles or in the night.

As sleep crept upon him, his last conscious thought was of gratitude for having someone—or something—that understood him without judgment.

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