There Are Scarier Things Than the Monster Under Your Bed

           Siobahn lurched awake, pulling her hand away from the edge of the bed. It had been dangling over as it always had when she slept. This time, something touched her. It wasn’t a bug or a strand of hair. It was an unmistakable grip. The woman caught her breath, but adrenaline had pushed all remnants of sleep far away. Siobahn grabbed her phone and turned the flashlight on. Slowly, she made her way to the edge of the bed. She took a breath and before she could give herself time to think about what she was doing, Siobahn hung over the edge to peer underneath.

           Nothing.

           Well, that isn’t true. There was a dust bunny. That was all. There was nowhere for anyone to hide. The cracked bathroom door illuminated the bedroom enough to see. Siobahn wasn’t afraid of the dark. She simply didn’t like new places. She had only moved into her apartment two days ago. It was new enough to warrant a night light to walk around without smacking her shins into anything or accidentally kicking a box.

           Siobahn huffed a small laugh. It must have been a dream. Some neurons in her brain made an imagined sensation real. She pulled herself up and sat with her legs firmly on the ground. After shutting off the light of her phone, she took a quick trip to the bathroom to fill her glass of water. When she returned, Siobahn didn’t let her arm dangle. Instead, it rested on the edge of the bed until she was able to find sleep again.

           The following night, Siobahn hardly remembered the incident. It may as well have been a million miles away considering Siobahn’s workday at the movie theater had felt like an entire week. It was pure bliss when she could finally pull her fiery waves from the bun on her head. She scrubbed the smell of buttered popcorn off her skin, replacing it with the calming scent of lavender. She took her time getting dressed and drying her hair. When she finally fell into bed, she fell into old habits. Her hand dangled again as she searched for sleep.

           After a moment, warmth seeped into Siobahn’s palm as someone, or something, slid their hand into hers. She was not sleeping this time. This was no dream. She ripped her hand from the intruding warmth. She wasn’t a screamer, but a sharp gasp escaped her. Immediately she jumped from the bed to her light switch. The room was bathed in an unforgiving white glow. Siobahn dropped to her hands and knees, crawling along the edges of her bed.

           Once again, there was nothing. Nothing but the cold, wooden flooring and dust tickling Siobahn’s nose. She huffed and stood again. Unnerved, she moved her pillow and blanket to the sofa in her living room. While she was able to sleep, she was stiff in the morning. Work was a pain, but she muddled through.

           It was well past dark when Siobahn made it home again. Weekends meant late night showings of new releases, and the tiredness in the woman’s bones would not rest easily on the couch again. She stepped into her bedroom and looked around. The familiar scent of lavender and linen caused the tension in her shoulders to ease just a little.

           Siobahn got on her hands and knees to check under the bed once more. This time, she crawled under, inspecting every inch of the space. She saw nothing. She felt nothing, physically. Internally, she felt a little ridiculous. She was a grown woman, and she was searching for a monster under her bed. Siobahn crawled out from under the bed and went to her bathroom to shower. She was off the next day, or considering it was past midnight, she was off that day. So, she took her time bathing and dressing for sleep.

           Siobahn reclined on the couch for a while, watching a show while braiding her hair. She was procrastinating going to bed despite the heavy burden of exhaustion. When the urge to drift off became too much, Siobahn conceded to her body and walked to her bed. Of course, the motion of standing and walking was enough to draw some sleep out of her veins. When her head hit the pillow, the woman found herself awake.

           With a groan, Siobahn rolled over. She stared at the edge of the bed. It was the spot where she had been touched twice by some unseen force. Maybe she imagined it. Or maybe…

           She inched her hand to the edge then cast it over the side. Siobahn didn’t dare look. She didn’t want to see who or what would reach its hand out. She waited a moment, then two. Finally, she laughed at herself again. See? Nothing. She melted into her bed as her tension bled out. Then the warmth came again.

           It was gentle, but that didn’t stop Siobahn from yanking her hand away. It touched her again. She sat up, clutching her hand to her chest. Once the rush in her veins subsided, she returned to her position, laying with her hand over the edge.

           “It’s okay…” she spoke out loud, unsure if she was speaking to herself or whatever was under the bed.

           The warmth came slower this time. It was tentative, giving Siobahn room to pull back. Despite her instincts, she remained unwavering. Rather than simply take her hand in its, it entwined their fingers. The hold was firm but not aggressive. Siobahn stole herself to peek over the edge of the bed, but she was left with a sigh to see nothing.

           The bathroom light shining through the underside of her bed was unobstructed. Her hand looked empty. There was nothing, but she could feel something. Siobahn rested her head on her pillow. The hand holding was surprisingly comforting. Sleep overcame Siobahn, and for the first night since she moved in, she slept well.

           It was late in the morning when Siobahn stirred. Her hair had escaped its braid, leaving a wild mess framing her face. As consciousness met her, Siobahn noticed the lack of warmth against her hand. The imaginary friend under her bead had gone. She shrugged it off and lazily rolled out of bed to begin her day off. As much as she wanted to use the day to lounge, she needed to clean and buy groceries before she was exclusively living off the condiments in her fridge and leftovers from the theater concessions.

           Shopping, cleaning, reading, mindlessly scrolling through social media, and suddenly Siobahn’s day was nearing an end. She tried not to stay up too late that night, but due to work it was rare she even hit the pillow before midnight. When she retired to bed, Siobahn was still too awake to find rest. However, she had an idea how to pass the time.

           She suspended her arm over the edge and waited to see if her friend would take initiative. When she felt the firm, comforting grip in her hand, she still had to stop herself from recoiling. As gentle as it was, it was still bizarre. Once she relaxed, she began asking questions.

           “Can you squeeze my hand? Siobahn’s voice was soft in the quiet of the room. There was a pause. Just as Siobahn thought it couldn’t hear or understand, the invisible hand squeezed hers, delicately.

           “Okay, good. You can understand me.” She smiled to herself. “My name is Siobahn. Can I ask you some questions? Squeeze once for yes and twice for no.”

           Another pause then a squeeze. Yes.

           “Do you like holding hands?”

           Yes.

           “Are you a ghost?”

           Two squeezes. No.

           “Hm. Are you a monster?”

           No.

           “Are you human?”

           No.

           “Do you know what you are?”

           A beat passed then, no. Siobahn pursed her lips, thinking.

           “Are you friendly?”

           Yes.

           “Good,” she smiled again, and gave a gentle squeeze back. “Sorry if I wasn’t friendly at first. Do you have a name?”

           No.

           “Oh, that’s okay. Do you want a name?”

           It gave a weak squeeze. An uncertain yes. Siobahn thought for a moment. She had never even named a pet let alone whatever was under her bed. “You said you were friendly. Why don’t I just call you Friendly?”

           Yes. The squeeze was quick and firm this time.

           “It’s nice to meet you, Friendly.” Siobahn said. She yawned and relaxed, finally becoming tired enough to sleep. “Good night, Friendly.”

           Siobahn slept easily, and when she rose in the morning, Friendly was gone. She still had plenty of questions, but the creature didn’t even know what it was. Thus, Siobahn did what everyone in the modern era did. She went online.

           Siobahn spent her morning typing away on her phone. Initial searches were met with dead ends circling back to the Boogeyman and El Cucuy. She tried finding leads on paranormal forums and even resorted to looking up fictional stories in hopes they would be inspired by real events. There was nothing. Five hours glued to a screen and all Siobahn had to show for it was a headache.

           She wanted to talk to someone about it. She wanted to tell her mother or her friends, but she didn’t need them to think she was facing a mental health crisis. Though, maybe she was. She wondered if Friendly was nothing more than a muscle spasm or some tactile hallucination insighted by a tired brain that she merely believed to be a creature.

           Siobahn spent her day inside her mind. She went through the motions at work and barely even remembered driving home. That night, she fell into her new budding routine. She showered, dressed for bed, dried her hair and braided it, then she laid down and draped her arm over the edge of her bed. Friendly took her hand and in moments, she was asleep.

           The pattern continued, lulling Siobahn into a comfortable habit. Going to bed meant holding hands with the creature under her bed. She decided that whether Friendly was real or not didn’t matter. It helped her sleep. Within days, she no longer kept the bathroom door open with the light on. She felt comfortable enough navigating her room at night without it. However, comfort can be a fragile thing.

           Siobahn was woken up by a sharp tug to her arm. Friendly clenched her hand and pulled as if trying to drag her under the bed. Siobahn fell to the floor with a dense thud but pulled away with adrenaline rushing in her veins.

           “Hey! What the hell?” Siobahn huffed as she managed to stand. Before she could say anything else, she heard a click. She froze. The door to the balcony that had been locked and barricaded by boxes since Siobahn moved in was unlocked and being pushed open. The boxes proved to be useless as they simply slid aside.

           Once her muscles allowed it, Siobahn vaulted over her bed and tucked herself between the nightstand and the wall. Heavy footsteps fell as someone entered her room. Siobahn covered her mouth in fear she may make a noise. She forced a deep breath into her lungs, desperate to ease the panic rushing through her. While the intruder rummaged through drawers, Siobahn moved to peek over her bed.

           The figure was tall and broad. It was difficult to see any features beyond a silhouette as the only light was filtered in from the open balcony door. A hand touched her leg, and Siobahn made a startled gasp, drawing the attention of the intruder. They moved closer to the bed and Friendly’s touch left Siobahn’s leg. She looked up and locked eyes with the intruder on the other side of the bed. Time froze as their dark eyes locked on hers. Then, suddenly, the intruder fell back. They hit the ground with another dense thud and Siobahn sat, confused.

           “Whoa, hey, wait!” The intruder stumbled over their words. It sounded like a man. Siobahn crawled on top of her bed and watched as the intruder tried to scramble away. Something had pulled his leg under the bed. No, not something. Friendly.

           The man was frantic. He dug the knee of his free leg and his palms into the hardwood floor, but they only slid with a squeak of friction. Soon the other leg was grabbed as well. He grunted and sputtered, still trying in vain to escape. Friendly was just too strong. Siobahn was glued to her spot as she watched the events unfold before her.

           The man let out a scream born out of terror and pain as he was dragged fully under the bed. Though, there was no sound of bone breaking or skin tearing. Only a scream. It was jarringly loud, but it did not snap Siobahn out of her daze. It wasn’t until silence rang in the room that her mind came back into focus. As if the intruder had vanished mid-scream, the room was calm again.

           Siobahn sat on her bed for several minutes without moving. She watched and listened, expecting something else to happen. When nothing came, she inched toward the foot of the bed and hopped down. Her legs shook as she padded across the floor to the light switch. There were items strewn across the room and the balcony door was still wide open.

Siobahn lowered herself by sliding down the wall until her bottom met the floor. Her mind raced, imagining what horrible, gruesome sight sat under her bed. She sprawled and laid awkwardly on the floor only to be met with nothing. The underside of her bed was empty. There was nothing but a dust bunny staring back at her. The woman laid there for some time before she slowly got up and shut the balcony door. She locked it and slid the boxes back in front of it as if they could keep someone out. Siobahn put her bedroom back together. She folded clothes and returned what jewelry she had back to her box. It was like no one ever came in.

Once again, the bathroom light illuminated the room through the open bathroom door. Siobahn sat on the edge of her bed staring at the balcony. She felt a familiar grip, this time around her ankle. She stared at her leg and noted how her skin was indented though there was no other evidence that anyone else was there.

“It’s okay. You can let go.” She spoke softly. Friendly released her and she pulled her legs up onto the bed so she could lay down. Siobahn hung her arm over the edge and waited for Friendly to take it. The grip was stronger this time. Friendly was consoling its friend in the only way it knew how.

“Are you okay?” Siobahn asked.

One squeeze. Yes. Siobahn nodded. Her eyes never left the balcony door.

“I’m okay too,” she lied. “Thank you, Friendly.”

As the adrenaline waned, Siobahn’s body relaxed. Unfortunately, sleep would not come for her that night. Her gaze remained focused on the balcony door. Her mind raced with what could have been if Friendly had not protected her. Anxiety made a home in her chest. While she had Friendly to keep her safe, Siobahn couldn’t sleep knowing how easy it was for someone to enter her apartment.