The Monster Waiting to Eat Me

There was only one rule: don't open the door.

Mommy told me a hundred times when we moved in that the room at the end of the hall was Michael's special office. Even if I wanted to go in, I couldn't. It was always locked.

I didn't want to know what was inside or know anything about Michael. He tried too hard to pretend.

He would never be my daddy, no matter how many times he told me to call him that.

I woke up one night to get a glass of water. The special office was right by my room, so there was no avoiding it on my way down the hall. I hated going by it at night. I could always hear Michael working inside.

I kept my head down and shielded my eyes with one hand as I went by.

But with my gaze on the floor, I saw a beam of light coming from the room.

The door was cracked open.

I didn't want to look. Then I heard the noises.

It sounded wet, like someone was stepping in mud over and over again.

Heart pounding in my ears, I pulled my hand from my eyes.

There was Michael at a desk, head down as he worked on...something.

I couldn't see it because there were jars and containers in front of him. Weird blobs floated in them.

I might have gasped because Michael was now looking at me.

We stared. I didn't know who I was looking at. It looked like Michael, but his eyes were wrong - all black. And as he smiled so wide, I thought his face might split in half.

I knew I didn't like Michael. But I had no idea he had a monster living behind the locked door.