"Do you see it too?" The little girl whispered, staring into the darkness of the night. I tried to see what she could, to see what would make this little girl so terrified to go outside, even with me. I told her no, I didn't. What did she see? "You have to be willing to see it." Her voice washed over me quietly, as if she were trying not to startle a deer. I looked down at her, but she was staring straight ahead. Her eyes were open wide, her blonde hair shifting in the gentle wind. I turned back to the darkness, and attempted to see what she did. I attempted to let my mind be open and welcoming to the horrors of her mind. Suddenly, where there was darkness only moments before, was a disfugured shadow. My stomach tied up in knots.
"What is it?" I asked her, trying to comprehend. It looked at me with glowing white eyes, sending shivers down my spine. She squeezed my hand, as if preparing me for her next words.
"He is the movement in the corner of your eye," she began, "the foot steps following you late at night." Her voice had changed, and suddenly I understood. "He is the fleeting dreams in your mind, the feeling of being watched when you are alone." This demon was speaking through her. Allowing me to understand. "I am the fear you feel when there is nothing to be afraid of."
I looked down at the little girl, but she had changed. Her eyes were no longer blue, they were as white as the demon's eyes in front of us. Her mouth didn't move as she spoke.
"I am the monster that lurks under your bed or in the closet. I am what nightmares are made of."
I looked at the demon, "Let her go. Please." I begged, not knowing if this would do anything. The demon stared back at me unblinkingly. Then suddenly it was gone. The little girl collapsed and I knelt down next to her, pulling her into my arms. She was sobbing quietly. "You're safe, now," I hushed her.
The little girl looked up at me, "We're never safe."
