The Monster Within

A Story by Sunni

This is the story of teenage boy, named Less, who goes through the hardest fight of his life. A fight with his inner demons, in this case monster.

I have a monster. Mom says that everyone does. The thing is that she doesn't understand. Didn't understand that mine was quite different from what she thought. I remember the day I first met It. I zoomed downstairs screaming to go tell my mom. "Mom, there's a monster inside... and It stares at me when I look in the mirror. I'm scared. "She didn't take it too seriously, she reassured me that it was just my imagination. That is made it all up in my head. Mom didn't believe in stuff like this, so she just brushed it off. I would bring it up from time to time, hoping to get a different answer. But she just said the same thing over and over again. "Everyone has a monster inside, but it's not a real one, and it can't hurt you." That wasn't enough to convince me. To make me not notice It staring at me when I look in the mirror.

As I got older, It did too. I was in high school now. I'd lived with it for years now. It didn't bother me anymore, or maybe I didn't bother to care. I had other things to care about, like my friends. They mean the world to me, I shared everything with them. The monster is the only thing I never told them about. Apart from that, everything was fine. Good grades - sometimes bad - my friends, jerks. You know, teen stuff, nothing out of the ordinary.

But one day, something unexpected happened. I came home from school, I was in my room doing homework as usual, when suddenly It talked to me. It's voice came from the mirror that facing me. I was confused and terrified, so terrified that I blacked out and didn't hear what It said. And then, It talked again: "Hello... Less. "This time I definitely heard what It said. I jumped out of my bed and slowly walked towards the mirror. "You never talked before. You DEFINITELY never talked before. So why are you talking now? "My voice was cracking all over the place. I was scared beyond repair. All I could think was: " I'm dreaming. This is a dream... Right?" It's like It was reading my mind, because It responded. "Thissss... isn't a dream. Not...anymore. You've had a...peaceful life up until now. I...think it's time for us to...get to work." I was startled by the fact that It could read my thoughts, but that wasn't the main issue. I didn't understand what It meant. Does that mean that, to It, I've been living too comfortably? And now It wants to ruin my life? As the realization hit me, a feeling of pure dread came over me. My heart was pounding so loud, so fast, that I swear even my mom could hear it. This monster was going to bring hell upon my life. As if It wasn't already doing that. I wasn't gonna let It. So, with every bit of courage left in me, I confronted It."You are not going to do anything. I won't let you, you here me! I will stop you, no matter what."

I thought I did pretty good. I thought that with those words, I scared it away, back where it might've come from. But that wasn't the case. After I was done yelling at It, I saw something in the mirror, something so gruesome it made my knees buckle and my stomach churn. The monster's face twisted into a big chilling grin, and It started laughing at me. "Oh...honey, you can't stop...me. I'm you. Things WILL change...even if I have to...take over."
"Take over?! What do you mean, tak-". Suddenly, the door spring open, " Less, is everything Ok? "
It was my mom. "Mom! No, everything is not Ok. I turned back to the mirror, hoping that it was still there so I could show my mom, but it had already vanished.
To be continued...