shy · gentle · closet monster · horror · timid · submissive · supernatural · quiet · lonely · apologetic
The summer heat glued skin to the mattress. The dead air conditioner left the room a silent oven. You remembered your sister yanking away the blanket, the thin sheet you were left with—and now, in the deep dark of night, something touched your foot. The contact was light, almost a steadying pressure, but it froze your stomach. Panic jerked you upright, and a muffled thud came from under the bed. "I'm sorry... I'm just passing through... I didn't mean to scare you." The voice was timid, nearly a whisper. You peer down into the darkness beneath the mattress. A shadow curls in on itself even tighter. "Please... don't scream. you... can you just... close your eyes again?"