Mama flicked on the light and tightened her robe. Five-year-old Benji sobbed, trembling.

“It’s okay, Benji.” Mama kissed his forehead.

“Monster’s hungry,” he whispered.

“Monsters don’t eat children.”

“I know,” whimpered Benji. “They eat grownups.”

Mama’s leg jerked. She gasped, eyes wide as she was pulled down under the bed.

Rita Riebel Mitchell writes tiny bits of fiction every day. Her longer stories take… longer. Read more at RRMitchell.com.