The Monster Under My Bed

Word Count: 1178
Prompt 1 and 2 combined. The monster that lives under your bed and Monster Mash

Sleep! The only thing I wanted to do was sleep. That's why I decided to visit Aunt Pearl for Halloween. I didn't want to go to a masquerade party. I didn't want to take my nieces and nephews trick or treating. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy my siblings children, especially when I can get them high on sugar and sent them back to their parents at 10:30 pm on a Sunday or Monday night. But this year I was tired, I felt like a dish rag that was used to scrub white wall tires. That's why I decided to skip the Halloween festivities and visit Aunt Pearl Munster.

I knew that Aunt Pearl's house would be quiet on Halloween. Even though she didn't believe in celebrating this holiday, she always had something for any trick or treater who came to the door. My wonderful Aunt gave out religious pamphlets telling everyone that Halloween was a Satanic holiday. Some people who give out religious pamphlets on Halloween put candy suckers in the pamphlet, but not Aunt Pearl. She doesn't believe in sugar coating anything. Since everyone in and around the neighborhood knew about Aunties Halloween treats few of them would allow their little monsters to come to her door. This meant I could sleep all night on Halloween without being disturbed.

I arrived at Aunt Pearl's house about 1:30 PM on Sunday, October 30. I knew that Auntie wouldn't be home because every Sunday, after church services, she and the other ladies of the congregation always serve hot lunches at the homeless shelter on Main Street. I parked my Harley in the backyard and let myself into the house through the unlocked patio door. I had long ago given up telling Auntie that leaving that door unlocked was dangerous. Every time I said something about it she always poo-pooed me and then said I should learn to have a little faith.

I put my saddle bag in the back bedroom and then took a nice long bubble bath. By the time I'd finished and dressed, it was past sunset and Aunt Pearl was home. I walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen where I found her brewing a fresh carafe of coffee. "Evening, Auntie," I kissed her on her right cheek, noticing that her skin seemed cold, and then sat down at the kitchen table. "How are things going here in Muster Junction?"

"Not good, Rosa, not good." She cut a large slice of chocolate cake, put a scoop of chocolate black walnut ice cream on it, and then filled a large mug of coffee. She placed these items in front of me, then took a glass of blood red tomato juice out of the refrigerator, and sat down beside me.

"Aren't you going to have some cake and ice cream too?"

"No," she sighed. "Doctor Parker has put me on a strict diet. I'm not allowed to eat any of the food I used to enjoy. I'm not even allowed coffee. The only nourishment I can have is his special blend of tomato juice."

"Is that why things aren't going good, Auntie?"

"Only partially, but it's nothing for you to worry about right now, Rosa." When she touched my right hand her fingers were icy as the snow on Mount Everest. "Look, Sweetie, why don't you go to bed. I can tell just by the look of you you're worn out. Reverend Jefferson and his father are coming to dinner tomorrow night to discuss the weird events that have been happening in town. They might be able to answer any questions you have better then I can."

"All right," I finished my ice cream and cake before pouring myself some more coffee. I paused at the kitchen door, glanced back at my Aunt who was sitting at the table sipping her tomato juice like she would a glass of wine. I yawned and then continued to the bedroom.

In the bedroom, I placed the full coffee mug on the side stand, turned off the bedside light, and got into bed. As soon as my head touched the pillow I fell asleep. I don't know how long I slept before I felt the bed move. I sat up. I looked around the dark room, but couldn't see anything. "A dream," I mumbled switching on the light and reaching for my coffee mug. I raised the mug to my lips and took a sip of air. I stared into the empty mug. "I must be tired. Not only am I talking to myself, but I forgot I drink the coffee."

Placing the coffee cup back on the bedside stand, I laid back down and closed my eyes. Before I could go back to sleep music echoed from under my bed. I lay there listening to the music and vocals. "Shit," I sat up dangling my feet over the side of the bed. "Who's in the basement... Wait a minute! Aunt Pearl doesn't have a basement. I'm dreaming." I laid back down and stared at the ceiling trying to place the voice and the words. Then the bed started moving again. It felt like it was hopping across the floor in time with the music.

"Boris Karlof," I shouted. "He's singing the Monster Mash under my bed." I knew I had to be hallucinating as I lay there listing to the song. I had been on call twenty-four/seven for the past three months. I was so tired I could no longer tell the difference between a dream and reality. I sighed. Then I begin singing along, in my normal off key out of the shower voice, with the voice coming out from under my dancing bed.

"They did the mash
They did the monster mash
The monster mash
It was a graveyard smash
They did the mash
It caught on in a flash
They did the mash
They did the monster mash"

"Shut up!" Came a gravelly voice from under the bed. "Just be quiet until I finish this recording and then you can mess up the song all you want to."

"Who... Who are you?" I tried to sat up, but the bed rose up and dumped me onto the floor. As I sat there staring at my overturned bed, a creature the size of a North Pacific right whale rose up from the floor.

"Hi, Rosa," it extended its huge hand to me. "I'm Seymour."

"Seymour... that's the name I gave the monster under my bed when I was a child."

"The one and the same," he gave me a crooked toothy smile. "Since you grew up and stopped believing in me, I've had to find another way to support myself. I now record holiday songs."

"What are you doing in my Aunt Pearl's house?"

"Well," his brow furrowed. "I'm not really sure just yet, but I think I came here to protect you from supernatural creatures or the undead."

"Undead!?"

"Yes," he frowned. "You do know that this town is infested with vampires and zombies."