Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye, I said. Instead, I spun to my knees and met the creature’s monstrous pinky with my own. Pinky swear, I said, holding up one hand. I will not sleep again until you are fed, Mumb. The bedframe cracked, and I was worried my knees would follow with the way I had myself braced. I swallowed the bile of fear that was gathering in my throat. For those not familiar with the dialect, he said, You promised me a feast a week ago!Which was, uh, true. OUYAY OMISEDPRAY EEMAY AWAY EASTFAY AWAY EEKWAY AGOWAY! Pig Latin sounds a lot scarier when whispered menacingly from a mouth that is straining to bite off your toes. The monster’s speech came out in, oddly enough, Pig Latin.

I sucked wind through my teeth as I braced myself against the bed and floor, unwilling to let him drag me into the shadows-and into his maw.

It yanked me forward, and I curled up my knees just in time for them to slam into the bed frame. That was not what the beast wanted to hear. Uh, fancy getting to chat with you this time of night. I went straight from deadbeat drowsiness to survival mode and lifted both hands in the air. Mm okay, I told my addled brain, it might be a good idea to wake up now.Ī thunderous growl followed that shook my room, uneased my stomach, and rattled pictures off the wall. The rest of the dangerous creature glared at me from the gaping hole under my bed, fangs gleaming. I slammed into the ceiling, saw stars, and then fell into the calloused green hand of a genuine monster. My first thought when I was bounced violently out of my sleep was, Oh no, did I forget to feed the dog? Unfortunately, the beast I had forgotten to feed was much bigger, much worse, and much less forgiving.Īnd was strong enough to toss my entire bed in the air. Many thanks to the friends and family who beta read this for me. Dedicated to Reddit user Bonster85, who inspired this story

A Dirty Drag Collection by Kyle Adams