Childish Fears

Childish Fears

I dip beneath the blankets,
Pull them taught to my chin, and stare
With wide eyes across the empty room.
Toys scattered carelessly, lovingly on the floor.
The nightlight is the safe point.
Don’t let your eyes stray from that glow.

I glance at the clock, waiting for the hour.
Thin hands tick closer towards the moment.
Too soon the door will cautiously creak open,
Stuttering as it catches on rusty hinges,
And my demon will creep through the opening,
Approaching my bed with terrifying calm. 

A silhouette against the flowered wallpaper,
Blacker even than the surrounding darkness.
Its eyes appear as nothing more than empty
Caverns in a sinister face, yet their gaze burns.
Icy fingers brush against my thigh.
Hateful fingers choke a cry in my throat.

He remains only as long as necessary,
Leaving me tattered and sobbing in his wake.
My mother does not believe about my
Demon who haunts me late at night.
I wonder if it’s because he looks so different
As she leans in to kiss him in the mornings.