The Boogeyman
The Boogeyman
Matt Sanders sat on the couch staring in awe at his six year old son. Time has flown by so fast, it feels that he blinked, and River was already six. He watched his son play with a little toy drum set that he got for his birthday yesterday.
"Daddy! I wanna be a drummer when I grow up!" River exclaimed with his eyes wide and two drum sticks in his hands. Matt's chest tightened, he felt his heart swell.
"Is that right little man? Keep practicing at it, you'll be an awesome drummer!" Matt patted his son's head and got off the couch.
"But for right now, I need you to go hang out at Uncle Zacky's while I go run some errands, will you do that?" He asked, looking down on his son.
River simply nodded and got up. He loved hanging out with his Uncle Zacky, he always told him the coolest stories.
____
They arrived at Uncle Zacky's house and he was already waiting outside for them. The minute he saw River get out of the car he opened his arms wide for him to run into for a hug. River ran to him and hugged him, his feet not touching the ground when Zacky lifted him in the air.
Zacky placed River on the ground and they both waved Matt goodbye.
"Alright kid, get inside. I'll make you some lunch."
____
"Listen closely, River" Zacky started. "The Boogeyman is a creature, a horrible and evil creature. They say he hides in the rooms of little children." With that River's eyes widened. His father always told him to not take Uncle Zacky's stories seriously, but he always got afraid anyways.
"He hides under your bed." Zacky whispered as he circled around River "He even hides in your closet. And sometimes..." he paused "HE JUMPS OUT!" River jumped and screamed.
"What does he do when he jumps out?!" River asked, shaken with fear.
"Well, he eats...LITTLE CHILDREN!" Zacky yelled as he grabbed River.
"I don't want monsters in my room." River pouted when Zacky put him down.
"Don't worry about it kid, your dad is M. Shadows. Living creatures are more afraid of him. Besides, it's just a story." Zacky said as he ruffled River's hair. River knew it was just a story, but that didn't make him any less afraid of his room now.
____
Later that night, Valary and Matt tucked River into bed. River didn't mention the scary story that Uncle Zacky told him, he simply forgot about it. Until the lights were off in his room and the house started making noise.
The clock on his wall kept ticking louder and the ceiling kept creaking. The ceiling fan was rocking, making a squeaking noise. River found himself shaken with fear, hiding below his covers. He kept looking at the closet door and seeing figures. The light from the moon and the jackets hanging at the door made figures on the wall.
He was so scared, he had to wake up his father. What else could he do?
River found himself slipping out of his warm bed and slowly making his way towards the door. He slipped out and ran down the hallway where his mother and father's room was. Their door was open and he slipped his head through, peering into the dark room. He saw the figures of his parents, sleeping soundly in their beds. He slowly made his way towards his father's side of the bed, shaking him abruptly.
Matt awoke with a startle. He opened his eyes to see his little boy standing there, eyes wide with fear. "What's the matter, kid?" he asked, voice groggy from sleep.
"T-there's a monster in my room, daddy." River's voice was shaking as he trembled with fear.
Matt let out a deep sigh. He knew this day would come, every kid goes through these phases. The most he could do was prove to his son that there were no such thing as monsters. He sat up and got out of the bed. "Come on, kid." he picked River up, taking him back to his bedroom.
They entered River's room and Matt turned on the lamp next to his bed. Letting out another deep sigh, Matt turned to River, who was now sitting on his bed, and started to explain.
"Listen, kid, there's no such thing as monsters that live in your room. There's no such thing as monsters."
"But Uncle Zacky said that there's the Boogeyman, a monster that lives in the rooms of little kids and hides under their bed or in their closet! Sometimes he eats the kids! I don't wanna be eaten, daddy!" River explained, his little eyes had bags under them from the restless night.
"Uncle Zacky?" Matt asked. "Remind me tomorrow morning to teach Uncle Zacky a lesson." He said as he cracked his knuckles.
"Alright, alright. I'll scare the monsters away so that they never come back. Okay?" Matt earned a simple nod from his son. "Scare them away with your scary muscles, daddy!" River exclaimed.
Matt smiled and picked up River's baseball bat that was against the wall. "Watch carefully, kid." he said as he made his way towards the closet. He opened the closet door and peered in, he entered and turned around to face River.
"Listen, Boogeyman, you better not scare my son again or else I'll have to turn you into a bloody mess! Nobody messes with my kid, you got that?" he said as he lightly hit the bat against his palm. He looks at River, "see, kid? now you're completely safe." He said as he closed the closet door.
River had a big smile on his face but quickly added, "daddy, please check under my bed also." Matt gave him a sympathetic smile, "alright, kid." He simply replied as he got on the floor and lifted the bed skirt to see underneath. "You better not be hiding under there. I have no problem with tearing you into pieces if you mess with my kid!" He heard River giggle from the top of the bed.
"I think you'll be just fine, kid." Matt said as he lifted himself off the floor. "Now, can you go to bed?" River nodded and pulled the covers over him. Matt tucked him in and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight, kid."
"Goodnight, daddy."
Matt shut off the lamp and made his way for the door, looking back at River. His eyes were already closed, the kid was exhausted.
Matt made his way back to his bedroom. As he entered, Valary groaned, "What's wrong? Is River okay?"
"Yeah, he's fine. He thought the Boogeyman was in his room. Zacky filled his head with stories about the Boogeyman earlier today." Matt said as he sat on the bed.
"Ugh, you're going to throw him a beating for that tomorrow, right?" Valary asked.
"Oh definitely, right after breakfast." Matt laid down in bed and got comfortable. "Uncle Zacky is going to find out that the Boogeyman is actually a sleep deprived father."
"Daddy! I wanna be a drummer when I grow up!" River exclaimed with his eyes wide and two drum sticks in his hands. Matt's chest tightened, he felt his heart swell.
"Is that right little man? Keep practicing at it, you'll be an awesome drummer!" Matt patted his son's head and got off the couch.
"But for right now, I need you to go hang out at Uncle Zacky's while I go run some errands, will you do that?" He asked, looking down on his son.
River simply nodded and got up. He loved hanging out with his Uncle Zacky, he always told him the coolest stories.
____
They arrived at Uncle Zacky's house and he was already waiting outside for them. The minute he saw River get out of the car he opened his arms wide for him to run into for a hug. River ran to him and hugged him, his feet not touching the ground when Zacky lifted him in the air.
Zacky placed River on the ground and they both waved Matt goodbye.
"Alright kid, get inside. I'll make you some lunch."
____
"Listen closely, River" Zacky started. "The Boogeyman is a creature, a horrible and evil creature. They say he hides in the rooms of little children." With that River's eyes widened. His father always told him to not take Uncle Zacky's stories seriously, but he always got afraid anyways.
"He hides under your bed." Zacky whispered as he circled around River "He even hides in your closet. And sometimes..." he paused "HE JUMPS OUT!" River jumped and screamed.
"What does he do when he jumps out?!" River asked, shaken with fear.
"Well, he eats...LITTLE CHILDREN!" Zacky yelled as he grabbed River.
"I don't want monsters in my room." River pouted when Zacky put him down.
"Don't worry about it kid, your dad is M. Shadows. Living creatures are more afraid of him. Besides, it's just a story." Zacky said as he ruffled River's hair. River knew it was just a story, but that didn't make him any less afraid of his room now.
____
Later that night, Valary and Matt tucked River into bed. River didn't mention the scary story that Uncle Zacky told him, he simply forgot about it. Until the lights were off in his room and the house started making noise.
The clock on his wall kept ticking louder and the ceiling kept creaking. The ceiling fan was rocking, making a squeaking noise. River found himself shaken with fear, hiding below his covers. He kept looking at the closet door and seeing figures. The light from the moon and the jackets hanging at the door made figures on the wall.
He was so scared, he had to wake up his father. What else could he do?
River found himself slipping out of his warm bed and slowly making his way towards the door. He slipped out and ran down the hallway where his mother and father's room was. Their door was open and he slipped his head through, peering into the dark room. He saw the figures of his parents, sleeping soundly in their beds. He slowly made his way towards his father's side of the bed, shaking him abruptly.
Matt awoke with a startle. He opened his eyes to see his little boy standing there, eyes wide with fear. "What's the matter, kid?" he asked, voice groggy from sleep.
"T-there's a monster in my room, daddy." River's voice was shaking as he trembled with fear.
Matt let out a deep sigh. He knew this day would come, every kid goes through these phases. The most he could do was prove to his son that there were no such thing as monsters. He sat up and got out of the bed. "Come on, kid." he picked River up, taking him back to his bedroom.
They entered River's room and Matt turned on the lamp next to his bed. Letting out another deep sigh, Matt turned to River, who was now sitting on his bed, and started to explain.
"Listen, kid, there's no such thing as monsters that live in your room. There's no such thing as monsters."
"But Uncle Zacky said that there's the Boogeyman, a monster that lives in the rooms of little kids and hides under their bed or in their closet! Sometimes he eats the kids! I don't wanna be eaten, daddy!" River explained, his little eyes had bags under them from the restless night.
"Uncle Zacky?" Matt asked. "Remind me tomorrow morning to teach Uncle Zacky a lesson." He said as he cracked his knuckles.
"Alright, alright. I'll scare the monsters away so that they never come back. Okay?" Matt earned a simple nod from his son. "Scare them away with your scary muscles, daddy!" River exclaimed.
Matt smiled and picked up River's baseball bat that was against the wall. "Watch carefully, kid." he said as he made his way towards the closet. He opened the closet door and peered in, he entered and turned around to face River.
"Listen, Boogeyman, you better not scare my son again or else I'll have to turn you into a bloody mess! Nobody messes with my kid, you got that?" he said as he lightly hit the bat against his palm. He looks at River, "see, kid? now you're completely safe." He said as he closed the closet door.
River had a big smile on his face but quickly added, "daddy, please check under my bed also." Matt gave him a sympathetic smile, "alright, kid." He simply replied as he got on the floor and lifted the bed skirt to see underneath. "You better not be hiding under there. I have no problem with tearing you into pieces if you mess with my kid!" He heard River giggle from the top of the bed.
"I think you'll be just fine, kid." Matt said as he lifted himself off the floor. "Now, can you go to bed?" River nodded and pulled the covers over him. Matt tucked him in and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight, kid."
"Goodnight, daddy."
Matt shut off the lamp and made his way for the door, looking back at River. His eyes were already closed, the kid was exhausted.
Matt made his way back to his bedroom. As he entered, Valary groaned, "What's wrong? Is River okay?"
"Yeah, he's fine. He thought the Boogeyman was in his room. Zacky filled his head with stories about the Boogeyman earlier today." Matt said as he sat on the bed.
"Ugh, you're going to throw him a beating for that tomorrow, right?" Valary asked.
"Oh definitely, right after breakfast." Matt laid down in bed and got comfortable. "Uncle Zacky is going to find out that the Boogeyman is actually a sleep deprived father."
9/25/13