I Will Watch Over You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0Z07Ub9vh8

I Will Watch Over You

They say monsters aren’t real, that the ones lurking under the bed are just figments of an overactive imagination. But the monsters do exist, they lurk in wait of someone deserving of their company. Whether it be good or bad in nature.

            Bria was more than deserving. She was locked in a dark room with no windows. Kept there by the man who’d imprisoned her when she was young. Her body was battered and bruised from years of torture and pain. Scars covered every inch of her pale skin. Her bed was simply a futon mattress dropped onto the floor. No sheets, no blanket, no pillow, just the air around her and the bloodstained fabric.  

            From her room she could hear the man in the main part of the house with his friends. Poker night, a night when at the end of it she was stuck with the winner for however long they saw fit. She stared at the faint strip of light under the door, her lifeless eyes locked on it. The darkness, with a single bit of light was all she’d ever known. The cruel touch of a man that didn’t care was the only thing she had to look forward to.

            A shadow blocked her only source of light and she braced herself for the door to swing open. She never knew who would be there, but it was always one of them. They were always rough and bitter, never gentle. She buried her face in the futon and slowed her breathing, trying to appear dead like she always did. At least dead they wouldn’t be able to hurt her anymore.

            She staid like that for as several minutes, looking up when she realized that no one was coming in. The shadow still remained and she got up shakily, tripping over herself. She leaned against the door, listening for anything. She could hear all five men, all still gathered in the living room. Had they turned out the hall light? No, he never did that, it always stayed on, even in the middle of the night. Then what blocked it?

            “Hello?” she croaked softly, just barely loud enough for someone on the other side to hear her. “Who’s there?”            

            She felt a hand on her shoulder and braced herself to be thrown to the ground. But instead of digging nails into her skin it was soft, warm and comforting. She turned slowly, seeing only a shadow that stood two feet taller than her. Her breathe stopped and she stared, not really sure what she was looking at. At first she thought it was a man, but she could see the faint outline of her bed through it. The soft touch went to her cheek, cradling her face. “I will watch over you.”

            The words were a whisper, a comforting tune that calmed her. “What..what are you?” she stuttered slightly as the sweet touch guided her to the mattress, easing her onto it.

            “I will watch over you.” Was all it said. She could see it settle on the futon beside her, but no dent was made. The voice seemed so familiar, something out of her childhood.

            “Have you come to me before?” she wanted answers, any kind really. Anything to tell her what she was really dealing with.

            “Shhh, lay down. I will watch over you.” Pressure on her arm forced her down onto the bed. The shadow rose when she was laying flat, heading back to block the light of the door. As she stared at it something came into her mind. A nightmare of being chased and torn apart that she used to have as a child. A voice that told her running would be pointless. A voice just like this one.

            “You…you’re that thing! That thing my mother always warned me about. The beast under my bed.” She shot up, backing up into the corner and curling around herself.

            “I’m not all bad.” It responded. It’s tone never changed, staid always sweet and comforting. “I will watch over you.” The mantra was repeated again as if it was trying to drill it into her mind.

            “But…but you…I used to dream….I…” she started, breathing heavily in panic.

            “Shhhhh, hush now child. I will watch over you.” She tried to speak again, but some force stopped her, soothed her.

            The handle of the door began to rattle as the lock was popped from the outside. She retreated farther into the corner, knowing for sure that she would be abuse once more. The door kept banging back and forth in its frame but it wouldn’t open. “God damn it girl, you better now have blocked this off!” The brutal yell made her wince. She would be beaten into unconsciousness when the door opened, there was no doubt in her mind.

            “Do not fear. I will watch over you.” The shadow’s voice was like a soft lullaby, urging her to sleep.

            The banging stopped and she could hear the man stomp down the hall. Something massive thrown against the door and she yelped, burying her face into the cushion. “I didn’t do it, I swear it wasn’t me!” she yelled, desperate to try and get the blame off of her so he would go easy on her.

            The door shuttered and cracked, but still stayed in place. “You little f**k!” he screamed, his voice accented by the sound of wood splitting.

            “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” She wailed, tears filling her eyes as she hid herself against the bed. She looked over and could see the massive gaps in the wood, but the split chunks didn’t fall away as they should have. They stayed suspended, holding the door solid even though it was in pieces. “What…what is going on?” she whispered, stunned by the spectacle.

            “I will watch over you.” The shadow said simply, never moving from n front of the door.

            “You…you’re doing this?” she looked up at it, eyes wide and full of admiration.

            It didn’t respond, just staid where it was, solid and stoic. The screaming on the other side of the door continued, but she no longer feared him getting through. She sat up eventually, crossing her legs beneath her and silently watching the door continue to break up without falling in. Her breathing was calm and for the first time in years she felt calm and fearless.

            The man on the other side of the door began to slow after a few hours, exhaustion kicking in. The blows stopped and she heard him collapse in front of the door. The shadow moved and the wood fell onto the floor in shards. The man lay on the floor, panting like the dog he was. The shadow appeared over him for a moment and he started to gasp, his air cut off for an unseen reason. Then he fell limp, his pulse stopping and his body giving in to death.

            “Come, I will watch over you.” The shadow seemed to offer a hand, and she took it, the form much more solid than expected. She knew that this being had haunted her when she was young, but now it was her savior. It was the one that would protect her for life. It would always watch over her.

Reviews

[Amaya Sullivan]

A great spin on monsters. I really enjoyed the way it was told. It seems this story is an excerpt from a bigger story. Is there more to it? It would be very interesting to read it from the "shadow's" perspective. Maybe from the point of view when she was younger and the shadow would scare her every night. It would be a very interesting read.

Great story! Good luck! Keep writing!