by Teri Tolliver

Created on: March 06, 2009

Andrew feared bedtime monsters with every fiber of his little seven year old body. "Mommy, do I have to go to bed right now?" he pouted. His mother gently pulled him into her arms and reached for his favorite bedtime story. " You need your sleep to grow up big and strong sweetie." she explained. Andrew wasn't buying that excuse tonight. He would stall as long as he could and then maybe... just maybe..." Come on Drew let's see if we can make it all the way through to the end of the story tonight, okay?" his mom pleaded. As he settled in for the story eventually he released a big yawn then closed his little eyelids. " Goodnight sweetie." his mom whispered as she kissed him on the forehead. " Night mommy." he yawned snuggling down onto his pillow.

Hours later the gradual squeaking of the closet door opening ever so slowly took his breath and brought him back into consciousness! Maybe whatever it was couldn't see him begin to tremble there in the darkness. Slowly he felt under his pillow for his trusty bottle of Monster B Gone. He was scared... but he was going to be ready this time! He just knew that something was in that closet! He wanted so badly to be wrong...for it all to be just a dream...but... it... was...there...now walking over... to his bed. Just then he threw the covers back... squinted his eyes and aimed his weapon...spraying a fine mist all around his bed! "Take that...you monster. I got you!" he panted proudly. Was it gone? As he scanned the room his eyes fell on a small figure at the foot of his bed! "Me not a monster." it claimed sadly. Andrew couldn't believe his ears! It was his little sister! " Mandy...what are you doing in here?" he wondered. "Me want Teddy! Me no find him in closet" she cried pointing a stubby finger in that direction. Andrew crawled out of bed and attended to his sibling. "Come on let's get Mommy up...maybe she knows where Teddy is, okay" he urged. He was feeling quite the big brother in spite of all the drama.

As time went on Andrew began to rely more and more on his title of big brother than on his bottle of Monster B Gone. The first night he slept all through the night without it was the beginning of the end of an era. As for Mandy his little sister, well she has her own monsters who threaten her, but thanks to Monster B Gone they are becoming more scarce nowadays.

Oh, and Teddy still has yet to be found. Maybe he was never lost in the first place. Maybe he was just replaced with a weird monster like looking stuffed creature that suddenly appeared one day in a closet...stranger things have happened!

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