Fiction Challenge #3:
The Shadows Under the Bed
by Glitch Girl

I wrote this in the waiting room a few days ago. I wasn't going to post it, but since there are so few responses, I figured it couldn't hurt.
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Midnight, Halloween...

A dark shape oozed from the shadows, creeping almost soundlessly across the smooth tiled floor save the occasional "click click click" of its claws against the linoleum.

This shadowy creature was ageless and ancient, the most primal fears made flesh. It was a monster of shade and skin, mist and monstrousness and matted fur folded together into the beast it was now. Its eyes were blood red fires shimmering in the dark, and its mouth a set of glistening pointed fangs designed for rending meat, though it did not live on flesh, but on the fear of its victims. Halloween was prime hunting time for it, as the borders between worlds became thin and thoughts of monsters were heavy in the air.

It ran its forked tongue across its lips as it sniffed the air, looking for its next meal. Somewhere nearby, it could scent the sweet smell of Halloween candy and the dull scent of plush and other things that reeked of childhood innocence.

A child nearby, a girl it judged from the pinkish overtones of the many scents.

The thing licked its lips again; girl children had the sweetest tasting fear.

Unseen, the monster slipped along the darkened corridors until it reached the lair of its prey; a small sanctuary of staffed animals, pink posters, and ruffled lines.

This shall be a fine feed indeed, it thought greedily to itself. It could hear the gentle breathing of its quarry in blissful slumber and knew it wouldn't be long now.

Quickly, it slipped beneath the bed frame into its traditional hiding place. Hunger burned on its insides as it longed to savor the taste of the small girl's fright, but there was a ritual to observe first: a low growl from beneath the mattress, the flicker of claws from the edge of the bed, and then... then it would be time to strike.

He heard the small girl stir at the first growl and smiled to itself in anticipation of things to come. It could feel her stirring just above its hiding place. Timing was important in order to catch the prey at the exact moment when the fear could be heightened. Hundreds of hears of stalking had taught it well, and any second now...

The monster flowed out from beneath the mattress, rising up to its full hideous height with a bestial snarl, claws extended, fangs bared, eyes blazing and...

...suddenly found itself looking down the barrel of a small silvery gun.

"It's not nice to sneak into people's rooms at night," said the little pink haired girl, who's name happened to be Sea Urchin.

The sounds of a scuffle and Sea Urchin's pistol going off as well as what could have been a very large dog yelping in pain could be heard several rooms away.

Moments later, there was a knock at her door.

"Come in." said Sea Urchin.

The door opened revealing the large, blue, and slightly annoyed form of Man-O'War.

"Lass," he asked, "Wha' do you think you're doin' at this hour?"

"Nothing," Sea Urchin said innocently.

The old sailor raised an eyebrow. "Tha' certainly was a lot of noise for there to be 'nothin'," he said, his one good eye noticing the overturned lamp and the spilled bag of Halloween candy and the shelf of stuffed animals now in complete disarray.

"Well... I did beat up the boogey man," the girl replied.

"I see," said Man 'O War. "What did I tell you about eatin' too much candy before bed, lass?"

"I'm sorry. Man O' War."

"Tha's all right lass. Now, Back to bed with ye."

With that, he turned tucked her in, turned off the light, and closed the door behind him as he left.

In the darkness, Sea Urchin sat up and leaned over the side of her bed and address the area underneath.

"We'll finish this later," she said.

In the darkness beneath the bed frame, something whimpered pitifully.