THERE IS NO light. Inside of Monster, it is dark. No moon; no stars; no sky. Above me is only black hanging over the forest. It is devoid of anything else.
This place reminds me of when I was a child; I would shut my eyes tight and close everything out. The black removed everything except for sound. I could hear my heart beating and, if it got quiet enough, the blood rushing through my veins.
I know I'm not breathing heavily because my lungs are waiting for me in Monster’s stomach. It still feels like every breath is laboured.
I am here in this place without light, searching for an ally. A person who may or may not exist. A good, no, a half-decent Monster. He is the only one who can release me from this place. How am I going to convince him to do that?
How am I supposed to find this guy?
Why do I have to wear these dress shoes? I’m not a little boy anymore! I want my running shoes! (Baby crying in my head.)
Calm down, Boogeyman…
I feel a shift; it is like I am running on cushions. My trainers are on my feet. I can run.
So, I can wear what I want? Boom! My full jogging outfit with my trainer pants, my comfy hoody (hooded sweatshirt.), and my phone playing some of my favourite music.
Yay!
I should probably nix the music so I can hear potential threats.
THWACK!
Hit by a board! It didn’t really hurt, but it did knock me down.
I can hear familiar giggling. It is the sound of some spoiled man-children. Lo and behold, there are three Monsters all laughing like a bunch of arse-heads!
The light of my rage reflecting at me in their eyes. What is happening to me? I don’t like it when these buttons are pressed. Monster is about to set in motion a series of events he will live to regret in its deepest form.
Lying on the ground, I realize I don’t have any legs or a body for that matter. What am I doing on the ground? What exactly did they hit? It is all in Monster's belly. I am a spirit!
I’m not doing this again. Another battle; for what? Enough is enough.
I float up to my feet like the god I am.
“Run.” I say, calmly.
I see the dirt turn up under one of their shoes as he decides to abandon the others and disappear down the trail.
I can feel the green come up in my face.
“You’re Monster…” I state.
“So…” One of them challenges.
I can feel the warmth in my face.
“Wha-what are you doing?” One of the two asks.
“I’m going to hurt you, bad.”
Another runs off. The last Monster and I watch him disappear. Our heads turn to face each other, and our eyes meet. At this point, my face is practically on fire with the green light. I push it to my throat.
“BoOo!” I say, in a monstrous voice.
He doesn’t say a word; he only runs. I am alone.
I remember when the light and dark sides of myself visited me. Where were those guys during my battle with Monster? Where are they now?
This life of mine is full of peaks and valleys. One moment I’m learning to fly, and the next, I get eaten by a peer. The hardest part of all of this is when it is over, Monster is going to be right there.
How am I supposed to deal with Monster's constant presence after he ate me? How is Demon going to overcome her emotions about what he did? As a human, we threw people away all the time. When that is not an option, how do we emotionally and mentally deal with the inner battle to forgive?
FORGIVENESS CAN’T JUST COME
It must be earned. To just give my trust to someone who doesn’t deserve it is not an option. Navigating these uncharted waters is tricky.
No longer human; I must let go of human notions.
The time will come when Monster will have to make up for what he has done. There will be a time when he will have to face that ugliness. There must be repercussions for his actions; there must be tribulations and work towards forgiveness.
If there is no action or steps taken to meet that beginning, a new fire will be born that will burn us all, and we will be no better off than the humans.
We don’t get to write each other off the way humans do, the way we did when we were human, so long ago. Now we must accept each other, faults and all, and we have to help each other overcome our shortcomings because we don’t die.
You would believe it is unthinkable to prey on each other because of the repercussions of having to face that person for the rest of your life in a society where everyone is just as capable as you are. Imagine there is no jail to throw someone away; they actually have to make up for what they do.
There is a familiar smell: food. It smells like BEEF WELLINGTON. Gordon Ramsay? There are voices. Up ahead, the trees are thinning out. Buildings are lit up in a clearing.
The plan was to slow down and approach with caution, but here I am standing in the middle of an occupied street.
Families are moving about what seems to be a posh carnival. The patrons are overdressed and all speaking with a classy drawl.
A closer inspection leaves me feeling cold and disturbed. All the people are sporting Monster’s face; his silly beard and all, even the young kids. All these people are just him.
This leaves me to think about his psyche on another level. The men, women, and children, all him.
“Hi,” I say, with a wave.
THEY STOP AND LOOK AT ME
“Hey there, Boogeyman.” They say, in union.
Creepy…
“Listen, I know that what happened between us is crazy, but eventually, in order for you to get at that throne in the pyramid, we are going to have to work together.”
Not a single one of them responds. They are all just standing there waiting; for what? I have no idea.
I walk a little closer, and that doesn’t seem to make the slightest difference. Furthermore, I wish I had never said anything. All those eyes looking at me, no one is blinking. All those beards, the man-buns; not a soul was spared, not even the babies being pushed in the strollers. I stand before a population of douchebags, and I need their help.
“I have a plan, and if it works, when I’m done, one of you can sit in the throne.”
They break into movement and all start walking away, going back to their illusion of being at some sort of amusement park.
The slow clap. I search for its source, and there is one Monster standing near one of the rides, watching the kids go round. He grins and waves me over, and like the big sucker I am, I walk over to him for my dose of abuse.
“You are not going to get a response from any of them, but there is one on the mountain who might listen.” He points.
In the distance there is a not well-maintained, twisted road; it leads to a dark mountain; there appear to be Pterodactyls flying around the midsection.
He couldn’t put them at the peak because he doesn’t like to finish anything, and climbing to the top would have been a hassle. This is going to be terrible.