Chapter 4
Iris
There’s a monster in my room.
There’s a monster in my room.
THERE’S A MONSTER IN MY ROOM!
Whoever is screaming needs to shut up. I can’t think with this noise.
“Yes,” the monster says. “Scream for me.”
Oh god, it’s me who’s screaming. It’s so loud and I can’t seem to stop.
His large hand with talon-like nails reaches toward me, and I blanch, pushing myself back into the corner of the wall, trying to get away from his touch.
My eyes flick up to his face, trying to memorize every detail for whatever police report I may need to file later.
The thought of having to tell an officer that I was attacked by a monster in my room turns my scream into a manic giggle. They won’t believe me. Who would?
The air shifts around me as he moves away, giving me space, which seems to help.
My manic laughter softens and eventually stops.
My chest still heaves with the ragged breathing of fear but not being caged in by him, feeling like a cornered mouse about to be eaten by the oversized cat, helps me to regulate that back to normal.
All the while, he stands in the opposite corner by my bookshelf, large, muscular arms crossed over his bare chest, his eyebrows knitted together with intrigue, as he watches.
His gaze is like fire on my exposed skin—note to self, always be sure to wear full pajamas to bed from now on, not this flimsy tank top and barely there shorts.
“Wh—what are you doing here?” I ask, my voice shaking.
Pushing myself as far into the corner as I can, I pull my pillow into my lap and the blanket up to my neck.
I have nowhere to go, and this beast still stands there, staring at me.
His eyes blaze red, and his muscles flex under his dark skin.
God, how I wish he would say something instead of staring at me.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I—thank you.” I swallow. Really? Thank you? Shaking my head, I try to muster some level of confidence as I ask again, “But why are you here? In my room? How did you get here?”
His voice is deep, gravelly, and almost bored as he replies, “I came through that portal.” He points under my bed and that’s when I finally notice the glowing blue light flowing out from underneath me. “Technically, I am here to take your soul.”
“My soul?!”
“Yes.” He crosses the room in a flash. I don’t even see him move before he’s crouched in front of me, his face only an inch from mine.
My eyes roam his features, taking in the strong brow, the stubble on his cheeks, and the way his pupils flare as he gazes back at me.
He grins, baring his pointed teeth like an animal snarling.
“But, I will not be taking it tonight.” He backs off again, more slowly this time, setting himself against the edge of my desk, his arms crossed over his chest, and his feet hooked at the ankle.
I realize only now that he wears no shoes, and mud cakes his pants and feet.
“Who are you?”
He laughs deeply. “Why, darling, I am the Boogeyman.”
“The Boogeyman?” I ask. Surely he’s lying. “That can’t be. Those are fairy tales told to us as children. Meant to keep us from getting up in the middle of the night.”
“Darling, I do not lie. I am not only a Boogeyman, but I am the Boogeyman. I am the leader of them all. And those tales you speak of… they are true.” His plump lips curve into a mischievous grin, baring the tips of his jagged teeth.
The leader of all the Boogeymen. “Wait, there’s more than one?” I ask. This conversation has taken such an odd turn. As unbelievable as this all seems, I find myself intrigued by the beast in my room.
“Yes, there are thousands.”
Thousands. Thousands of monsters are stealing people’s souls.
That explains so much about the state of the world.
Society, as a whole, seems to have lost its soul.
Perhaps they have increased their quota?
Leaving more soulless suckers wandering the Earth.
All of that aside, it still does not answer why the leader of all Boogeymen is here.
In my bedroom. Refusing to take my soul.
“If there are so many, and you are so important as their leader, then why are you here?”
“Ah. That’s the issue. A seal to your realm has broken, and as my staff are apparently incompetent, I was tasked with fixing it. Upon entering the portal, I was drawn to your scent and could not deny the urge to claim what is mine. Only…”
I hold my breath, waiting for the next words to come out of his mouth. “Only?” I manage to whisper.
“Only your beauty made me pause. I stopped before I could consume your soul, and something in me knew that I needed to hear your voice. When you screamed… it was like the gates of Hell opened before me.” His red eyes cast down to the floor as if embarrassed.
But there’s no way a monster as large and commanding as he is could feel that way.
“It was the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.”
I never would have expected to hear someone say that my scream was beautiful. Least of all, the leader of all of the Boogeymen. I’m also not sure why I find that… exciting? Like, I want to scream for him again?
Get a grip on yourself.
I give my head a shake, trying to bring my thoughts back to the situation at hand and the fact that I have a very real Boogeyman leaning against my desk who, judging by the speed at which he moved a moment ago, could steal my soul before I have a chance to even think about running away.
God, am I hearing myself? The Boogeyman is real. And he’s in my bedroom. I pinch my leg, hoping that this is just a bad dream and that I’ll wake up soon. Wincing at the sharp pain as my nails dig into my thigh under the blanket, I know this in fact reality.
“What happens to the people and their souls?” I ask, both curious and hoping I can buy myself more time to find a way out of this.
“Their souls are consumed. They become fuel for us to survive on. Their bodies stay here, continuing to live among the likes of you.”
Again, this explains so much. People nowadays seem so soulless.
Uncaring about others. Not giving a shit what happens to the person next them on the bus or the neighbour down the street.
But surely there aren’t that many that have been taken captive.
Though… thousands of creatures are stealing souls, and that’s a lot of Boogeymen to feed.
My mind reels with all of this information, not the least of all, the fact that there is still a Boogeyman in my bedroom. Staring at me with his ember-like eyes, watching as I process all of this.
Swallowing, I ask the only other thing I can think of, “So. If you’re not going to steal my soul, then why are you still here? Surely there is something more important a Boogeyman of your stature could be doing.”
“I don’t know,” he replies, his response seeming to surprise him as much as me. “I’ve never experienced this before. I’ve never failed to follow through with my task.”
I try to keep my voice from quivering. “Could you just, you know, return from where you came?”
He cocks an eyebrow, his gaze keen and following the line of my leg as I stretch it out before me. “I could, yes.”
“I promise I won’t tell anyone you were here.” Not that anyone would believe me even if I did.
He flies across the room again, his face appearing inches from mine so quickly I have to stifle the scream fighting its way up my throat. I can’t show fear. Not if I ever hope to find a way out of this.
His lips curve into a sinister grin, showing off his pointed teeth as his eyes roam down the blanket as if he can see every inch of my body underneath. “I didn’t say anything about leaving.”