The Monster Is Behind Me…

The shadows lie. By the evening, I barely see the ends of my brown locks as I begin tying them. I stop. Is there something behind me? Just my mind… But I mention it to my mum, the shadows moving in the sadly brief talk before she rushes off for salsa night. My texts blew up. My Instagram is spooking me a bit but I stayed for the memes. I stare directly through my mobile. I’m blinded. I’m running from it. The bad mood.

My behaviour shifts thinking about my bedtime, my real shackle. I was scared of the shadows. So I jump right in bed with my mascara & joggers still on. Bethmarvels3x remixes the reel of my ramblings. The most I muster is telling everyone that monsters in the dark didn’t exist! I record, make-up still intact, boom! If I’m being real with you, I still believed something existed in the dark of my room every evening.

I bravely took up the challenge of making a music EP for extra credit, my grandparents bought me a microphone. It meant meeting bandmates by 7 p.m. down in the smoke. I ring my mom to pick me up, s.t.r.a.i.g.h.t. away. There aren’t any murders or reports like that. The latest rumour going round is there is this beast-like entity that makes gruff pants and the smell of it is supposedly like rotting flesh.

There is a man unearthing the floorboards by the bottom of the stairs. Rat problem, my mum claims… it might be weeks for the rodent(s) to surface. Traps are set. I might be able to sleep tonight. Before I slip to sleep, there is a strange beating rhythm. I mean, it isn’t scary because it’s just a rat! Right? I’ve been so bad at self-soothing recently, meep.

‘Be there by 8.p.m.’ my boyfie had just rung. I need to buy more brushes, I can’t seem to blend the blusher properly. It’s a bloomin’ shoddy budget brand. The starkness of my tones is bearable but the more reds, the merrier. I meet him in the restaurant. It’s been three years since we met, but 8 months of messily making out! He mentions the beast thing briefly ‘I think, Maisie… The thing that everyone be talkin’ bout is real. It’s like a monster. But I don’t regard it… I mean I wouldn’t say it’s evil. More like ’em Japanese mongrels’ he’s messily scoffing the meatballs, I’m not enjoying the mood.

‘Them silent beings that mean serenity and reincarnation if you see ’em. The real evil things, the real monsters; Maisie they’re… us, people. Misplace power, misstep boundaries, everyone has a bad bone. The bad shit that people get up to just to make their egos feel big.’ He ended abashedly. I enjoyed the meal.

My boyfriend made me feel better. Smart guy but needs to reign in a bit. Back to my bed, I’m tired but I don’t stop thinking about the restaurant. I run my mind. Might have ruined my mum’s third relationship, that was evil. By 3.a.m my mum is snoring. There’s a bustle in my room and I have to blink my eyes multiple times. I’m stupidly sleepy, I bash the side cab to see where I stuck my mobile phone. Ergh so late! Message. The Boyfie. It reads: Maybe be there for my brother’s birthday on Sunday? I love the idea of belonging, family matters. Right.

The scariest thing was I knew then it was in my room & I needed to be the brave 17-year-old to stand up from my bed right… N-O-W! Just make the shadows your bitch. I blew off the motivating speech in my head. I move but the rucksack makes me trip. Blast. This is the end. But, I stay there & nothing. No meanie. Just my smelly socks. I switch on the side light & I see myself, meh, looking a STATE in the mirror. I feel like a right messy bum.

My biggest enemy is standing there, staring back at me through the mirror. The bad self-talk makes me feel like this moment is entertaining to me. Back to shut-eye. I stare into the shadows. I bet my selfie is being liked right now. My mobile, oh… 11 souls think I’m that bitch! That’s enough for tonight but just 1 mor- I’m shocked. My Instagram screams for my eyeballs. The beast. 3 eyes, hairy belly. A scary motor oil slime sneaks off its tongue! Then I saw blood. ENOUGH. I shut the screen off. That’s me, bedtime.

I make my barrier out of bear and my big purple throw, I’m safest in my bed. I think this shit is beyond bonkers. It’s just special effects, it’s just made up, it’s just Instagram…My mobile buzzes. I must remember to reply to my boyfie, but my biggest intuition struck me then like never before. I stop letting the shadows grow stronger. I stop relying on the realm of momentary bliss to make feel better.

The End.

By The Myth Maker