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Part 4: Edited Story ~ 1308 words (218 words from editing)
The head of monsters, Echidna, an agender creature sits at their desk shuffling through papers. Messily checking boxes on some papers, forcefully pulling others out of the stack, Echidna keeps searching until finally, they find the one paper they want. Sighing, they glare at the paper, looking it up and down, yearning for an answer. But, at last, when they think of an answer, it’s not the most accessible solution, though it is by far, the best.
Echidna’s job is to send monsters out into the real world, picking out beds for the monsters to hide under to scare children. This one girl, however, has caused every single monster assigned to her to quit. Completely out of monsters to send, Echidna’s solution is to go themselves, to discover why Petal has frightened every monster guaranteed to scare her. Echidna knows their plan will work. They are the scariest monster there is, being the parent of all monsters, with sharp claws, and pointed teeth, what more to terrify a little girl? With one last glance at the papers, Echidna slithers toward the window, ready to become the monster that will hide under Petal’s bed tonight, whispering threats through the night, chilling the little girl to the bone until she admits, finally, she might be scared of monsters, just a little.
Echidna accepts the fact that they will be needed because finally, they get to use their fearfulness to terrorize a child. Being the parent of monsters can be a boring job with a lot of ordering around, but not much of using monster features to scare, which can be fun. Of course, even parents need fun sometimes, or just a small break.
Just before Echidna leaves their office, they pause, realizing that they should collect more information on Petal before heading to her apartment. Echidna sits back down, once again sorting through papers. This time, however, is much gentler, the papers left in better care, as Echidna does not take their anger out. It doesn’t take long before they stumble across the paper they need. It is a letter, and it reads:
Echidna-
I don’t have much time to write this because my next shift is soon, but here is some information you might need to know. I’m sure you know Petal Meadows address, so I won’t write it down here in case this letter gets intercepted. However, she lives with her mother, who is deaf, and with her father in apartment 321, on the third floor of the building. Her mother works from home, her job unknown, and her father works late, arriving home around eight at night, depending on the day. Petal’s mother always tucks her into bed around seven thirty and once her father arrives home, he heads upstairs to Petal's room, spending a few minutes there, and then she’s left alone for the remainder of the night. I hope this is enough information to help you with further planning.
-Cerberus
After Petal’s mother puts her to sleep, Echidna slides into the room, as silent as a mouse. They scurry under the bed and wait. A few minutes later, Echidna reaches their arm up onto Petal’s bed, brushing her arm with an ice-cold finger. With no response, Echidna repeats the motion.
Petal’s breathing grows stronger, deeper, as she shifts onto her stomach, head peeking over the side of the bed. Whisper shouting, she yells “I’m not scared of monsters!” But Echidna can taste the fear behind her words, knowing that Petal’s statement isn’t quite true. This is something that Petal is afraid of, some type of monster, but Echidna just doesn’t know who it is yet. They will find out. That is their goal after all.
At the sound of footsteps coming closer to Petal’s room, she slips out of her covers and underneath the bed, hissing at Echidna to move over. Confused, Echidna does and Petal curls herself into a small ball whispering to herself, “I’m okay I’m okay I’mokay I’m- okay it’s okay I’llbefine.”
As Petal’s father enters the room, Echidna smells the alcohol in his breath. Realizing that he is intoxicated, Echidna also comes to understand that he must be abusive, and that’s the reason Petal is hiding. They know they have to do something, but time is running out, as the father approaches the bed. He sticks a hand under the wooden slats, surprising Echidna, but cautiously, Echidna thrusts their palm into his open hand.
The father jerks his hand back, a look of confusion scattered across his face. As Echidna pulls themself out from under the bed, they threaten him with words of, ‘Don’t you ever hurt my child,’ and, ‘You foolish man.’ As Petal’s father stands beside her bed menacingly, Echidna notices something about him. He’s a monster. Not a typical monster that you would find in a book about Greek Mythology, but one of the rarer ones. No wings, no scales, but marble eyes. X-ray eyes, Echidna thinks, they can see through any material. And that’s how Petal’s father saw her through the bed. But they do have a side effect. You can only see what you’re looking for, which is why Petal’s father didn’t see Echidna.
Echidna’s heart starts racing as they take in this information, and suddenly, everything around them fades. They plunge into a fever dream landscape, and as it morphs into the grayish brown colors of the past, Echidna realizes they are viewing a memory. The reason why they do not want to have any connection to the Marble Eyes.
The Marble Eyes walks across a field, a misty haze surrounding him, walking closer to where Echidna is standing. Echidna from the past.
As Echidna watches this scene, they realize that this Marble Eyes is the one who later became Petal’s father. In their mind, Echidna can’t hear what the Marble Eyes and past Echidna are arguing about, but they know. They’ve memorized this conversation that used to constantly replay. “
“What do you want?” Past Echidna sneers at Marble Eyes.
“You very well know the answer to that.”
“And you very well know that I can’t give it to you.”
“Fine, are we done here then?”
“I suppose.”
Echidna remembers the context of this scene as it ends, and they vow to protect Petal knowing further harm will come to her if they leave now. It appears that Marble Eyes recognizes Echidna as well.
However, instead of pursuing them, Marble Eyes turns away in fear, Echidna’s threats making their way to his brain. Petal’s father, Marble Eyes runs out of the room, screaming as Petal stifles a gasp, in shock that Echidna defeated her father. She stares at them, happiness glittering like stars in her eyes, and hugs Echidna, catching them unaware. Carefully, Echidna hugs Petal back asking if she would like to be protected by Echidna. Even though Echidna is a monster, even they can have soft sides. After all, Echidna’s duty is to be the parent of monsters, and raising a little girl as a monster is still in the lines of their job. And it would hurt Petal further to be left here.
As Petal nods ‘yes, yes, one thousand times yes,’ Echidna scoops her up into a little ball, slithering home to the dangerous, magical world where Petal will be protected daily by a parent who loves her so. By a parent who teaches her to overcome the difficulties of life, when monsters are supposed to hurt. She will grow up among monsters who become her friends and protectors and she will live a much better life than she would have, stuck at home with her abusive father. Petal will become a finder of truth and justice vowing that when she returns to the Earthen World, she will do whatever she can to help children of abusive parents like herself.
The head of monsters, Echidna, an agender creature sits at their desk shuffling through papers. Messily checking boxes on some papers, forcefully pulling others out of the stack, Echidna keeps searching until finally, they find the one paper they want. Sighing, they glare at the paper, looking it up and down, yearning for an answer. But, at last, when they think of an answer, it’s not the most accessible solution, though it is by far, the best.
Echidna’s job is to send monsters out into the real world, picking out beds for the monsters to hide under to scare children. This one girl, however, has caused every single monster assigned to her to quit. Completely out of monsters to send, Echidna’s solution is to go themselves, to discover why Petal has frightened every monster guaranteed to scare her. Echidna knows their plan will work. They are the scariest monster there is, being the parent of all monsters, with sharp claws, and pointed teeth, what more to terrify a little girl? With one last glance at the papers, Echidna slithers toward the window, ready to become the monster that will hide under Petal’s bed tonight, whispering threats through the night, chilling the little girl to the bone until she admits, finally, she might be scared of monsters, just a little.
Echidna accepts the fact that they will be needed because finally, they get to use their fearfulness to terrorize a child. Being the parent of monsters can be a boring job with a lot of ordering around, but not much of using monster features to scare, which can be fun. Of course, even parents need fun sometimes, or just a small break.
Just before Echidna leaves their office, they pause, realizing that they should collect more information on Petal before heading to her apartment. Echidna sits back down, once again sorting through papers. This time, however, is much gentler, the papers left in better care, as Echidna does not take their anger out. It doesn’t take long before they stumble across the paper they need. It is a letter, and it reads:
Echidna-
I don’t have much time to write this because my next shift is soon, but here is some information you might need to know. I’m sure you know Petal Meadows address, so I won’t write it down here in case this letter gets intercepted. However, she lives with her mother, who is deaf, and with her father in apartment 321, on the third floor of the building. Her mother works from home, her job unknown, and her father works late, arriving home around eight at night, depending on the day. Petal’s mother always tucks her into bed around seven thirty and once her father arrives home, he heads upstairs to Petal's room, spending a few minutes there, and then she’s left alone for the remainder of the night. I hope this is enough information to help you with further planning.
-Cerberus
After Petal’s mother puts her to sleep, Echidna slides into the room, as silent as a mouse. They scurry under the bed and wait. A few minutes later, Echidna reaches their arm up onto Petal’s bed, brushing her arm with an ice-cold finger. With no response, Echidna repeats the motion.
Petal’s breathing grows stronger, deeper, as she shifts onto her stomach, head peeking over the side of the bed. Whisper shouting, she yells “I’m not scared of monsters!” But Echidna can taste the fear behind her words, knowing that Petal’s statement isn’t quite true. This is something that Petal is afraid of, some type of monster, but Echidna just doesn’t know who it is yet. They will find out. That is their goal after all.
At the sound of footsteps coming closer to Petal’s room, she slips out of her covers and underneath the bed, hissing at Echidna to move over. Confused, Echidna does and Petal curls herself into a small ball whispering to herself, “I’m okay I’m okay I’mokay I’m- okay it’s okay I’llbefine.”
As Petal’s father enters the room, Echidna smells the alcohol in his breath. Realizing that he is intoxicated, Echidna also comes to understand that he must be abusive, and that’s the reason Petal is hiding. They know they have to do something, but time is running out, as the father approaches the bed. He sticks a hand under the wooden slats, surprising Echidna, but cautiously, Echidna thrusts their palm into his open hand.
The father jerks his hand back, a look of confusion scattered across his face. As Echidna pulls themself out from under the bed, they threaten him with words of, ‘Don’t you ever hurt my child,’ and, ‘You foolish man.’ As Petal’s father stands beside her bed menacingly, Echidna notices something about him. He’s a monster. Not a typical monster that you would find in a book about Greek Mythology, but one of the rarer ones. No wings, no scales, but marble eyes. X-ray eyes, Echidna thinks, they can see through any material. And that’s how Petal’s father saw her through the bed. But they do have a side effect. You can only see what you’re looking for, which is why Petal’s father didn’t see Echidna.
Echidna’s heart starts racing as they take in this information, and suddenly, everything around them fades. They plunge into a fever dream landscape, and as it morphs into the grayish brown colors of the past, Echidna realizes they are viewing a memory. The reason why they do not want to have any connection to the Marble Eyes.
The Marble Eyes walks across a field, a misty haze surrounding him, walking closer to where Echidna is standing. Echidna from the past.
As Echidna watches this scene, they realize that this Marble Eyes is the one who later became Petal’s father. In their mind, Echidna can’t hear what the Marble Eyes and past Echidna are arguing about, but they know. They’ve memorized this conversation that used to constantly replay. “
“What do you want?” Past Echidna sneers at Marble Eyes.
“You very well know the answer to that.”
“And you very well know that I can’t give it to you.”
“Fine, are we done here then?”
“I suppose.”
Echidna remembers the context of this scene as it ends, and they vow to protect Petal knowing further harm will come to her if they leave now. It appears that Marble Eyes recognizes Echidna as well.
However, instead of pursuing them, Marble Eyes turns away in fear, Echidna’s threats making their way to his brain. Petal’s father, Marble Eyes runs out of the room, screaming as Petal stifles a gasp, in shock that Echidna defeated her father. She stares at them, happiness glittering like stars in her eyes, and hugs Echidna, catching them unaware. Carefully, Echidna hugs Petal back asking if she would like to be protected by Echidna. Even though Echidna is a monster, even they can have soft sides. After all, Echidna’s duty is to be the parent of monsters, and raising a little girl as a monster is still in the lines of their job. And it would hurt Petal further to be left here.
As Petal nods ‘yes, yes, one thousand times yes,’ Echidna scoops her up into a little ball, slithering home to the dangerous, magical world where Petal will be protected daily by a parent who loves her so. By a parent who teaches her to overcome the difficulties of life, when monsters are supposed to hurt. She will grow up among monsters who become her friends and protectors and she will live a much better life than she would have, stuck at home with her abusive father. Petal will become a finder of truth and justice vowing that when she returns to the Earthen World, she will do whatever she can to help children of abusive parents like herself.