Tears blur my vision as they start falling again. I need to hug him and kiss him and make it all better. We only have each other.
Crawling to the side of the bed, I see my parrot lying on the ground. As I reach down to grab him, a low rumbling comes from under the bed.
I gasp and snatch my hand back with a small whimper.
My eyes focus on Snarp even as something moves under my bed. The rumbling quiets, but a clacking taps across the wood floor. Despite fear pounding in my ears, I lean forward to see. I shove a fist in my mouth to keep from making a sound as fear tightens around me.
Two claws appear from under my bed, and then three more, making a full hand.
My scream is muffled by the fingers I’ve pushed into my mouth. My chest jerks up and down with each painful breath.
Those razor-sharp talons wrap around Snarp. Another whimper escapes me as my only friend is gripped by a monster.
Shame and fear wash over me as I scramble back to the middle of the bed. Wrapping my arms around my legs, I rock back and forth violently. A lump blocks my throat, so I can’t call out for help.
But I need someone to save Snarp. He’s all I have.
And I’m all he has.
Oh, Snarp.
My heart shatters as I realize I’ve abandoned him.
Just like how I’ve been left. I can’t do that to my best friend. Forcing my arms down from my legs, hands clenched in tight fists, I bite down on my lower lip until the taste of dirty pennies filters into my mouth.
I crawl back to the edge of the bed, trying to control my shaking. I have to be brave for Snarp.
My parrot still lies on the floor, but the monster still has Snarp in its clutches. Except... it’s not hurting my parrot. Long fingers stroke down Snarp’s side with surprising gentleness before it experimentally flaps a wing. It’s almost as if the beast under my bed is trying to understand what it’s touching.
Those long, scary fingers drift up until they pet the top of Snarp’s head, and the knot in my chest loosens the teeniest bit.
"Can I have my parrot back?" I ask. My voice comes out surprisingly strong.
Those fingers stiffen as if caught in a cookie jar. They curl into its palm. For a moment, I think it’ll retreat under my bed. Visions of reaching down to pick up my best friend before being grabbed and pulled under the bed and eaten by big scary fangs leave me trembling again.
But then those talons gently wrap around Snarp before lifting him. A long, black, scaled arm emerges from under the bed, forcing me to back up in a hurry again. I’m careful to only go as far as the middle of the bed in case something tries to snatch me from the other side.
The monster sets the bird on the bed, still being gentle with Snarp.
Then the hand starts to move back down and away. I stutter, "Th—thank you."
Pausing its descent, the hand then reaches back up slowly to lift one of Snarp’s wings. It flaps the wing twice, and a low growl comes from under the bed again.
Despite the deep scary rumblings, it looks like my bird is waving at me in a friendly gesture.
The knot in my chest loosens a little bit more.
Then the hand retreats entirely this time, along with the sound.
I chance a look over the edge of the bed in time to watch the fingers slide back under the bed skirt.
"I’m going to sleep now, please don’t eat me," I politely askthe monster under my bed.
This time the sound it makes is closer to a deep purr.
I still don’t sleep the rest of the night just in case it tries, but the longer I lie there, the more I feel less alone.
After that night, I never felt truly alone. Not until four years ago. When Shadow disappeared.
