I creeped down the long hallway holding my teddy bear and my breath. All the lights were off, yet dark shadows swirled and morphed on the walls and high ceiling. I automatically shut my eyes and prayed that the shadows would leave me be. Something whistled. “Has to be the storm,” I thought to myself. I trembled with bleary eyes and a quivering lip as I forced my feet to move. When I was almost at my destination, I tripped.

Convinced it was one of the shadows grabbing my foot, I thrashed while screaming and crying. “Nooooo! I don’t wanna die! Let go of meeee!”

Right next to me a door opened.

“Oh, dear. My poor baby.” Called a soothing voice I recognized. My mother picked me up and bounced me in her arms. “Shh. It’ll all be okay.”

I sobbed into her nightgown and then noticed that it was not a monster that had grabbed me, but an extension cord that I tripped over.

My mom carried me to my room, tucked me and my bear into bed, and sang a calming lullaby while petting my hair. Right before drifting off to sleep, my closet door opened just a crack and a shadow peered out from it…