Little Sammy Ellingsworth has been finding it difficult to sleep for quite some time now. He is convinced that there is a monster in the closet of his bedroom. At night, just after bedtime he can hear it breathing and he can see its dark red eyes light up and stare right out at him from the furthest most corner of the room. It is in there and Sammy knows it.

It doesn't matter how many times the closet doors are shut over; they always seem to just open up again ever so slightly. Bedtime has definitely become a time that he despises and fears for Sammy is sure that this monster is eventually going to come out and get him.

Who would believe a child when he says there is a monster in his closet? Sammy not only believes it exists, he knows for sure that it is there. Who can protect him? Who can save his soul? It's only his imagination, right? Sure, isn't that what any rational adult would tell him, whether that adult be his parent or anyone else at all for that matter?

Six nights in a row, six nights now and little Sammy has not slept much at all, not at night anyway. He is only eight years old and because of those previous six nights he is finding it more than difficult to stay awake in school. His parents have by this point been called into his school to have a chat with his teacher.

It is lunchtime at Sammy's school, and he is asleep at his desk while all the other kids are outside playing on a warm and bright Friday afternoon. His parents sit to one end of the room with the purpose of speaking with the teacher and as they do so Sammy dreams of his closet monster.

Unaware that his parents at even at his school. and as they talk with his teacher, Sammy can see a face, it is not just any face; it is that of the monster in his closet. For right now, Sammy's head lays on his folded arms which in turn rest upon his desk. The face, the monster, it is wolf like, dark and hairy, though it is most definitely not just any kind of wolf, there is so much more to this beast. It is evil, pure evil and it waits like a hunter only moments away from pouncing on its prey.

'We are at our wits ends' speaks Sammy's mum addressing his teacher, 'Sammy is just terrified of his own bedroom at nighttime. He is fine during the day, apart from being so tired that is. We have brought him into our own room on occasion, but we cannot keep doing that. He is eight years old and even with the fact that he is not in own room he is still nervous of allowing himself to fall asleep. He fears we'll put him back in his room if or when he does sleep.'

'Have you tried taking him to see someone about all of what is going on?' asks the teacher.

'Not as of yet' replies Sammy's father, 'we are not sure where that road would lead us, there is the fear that we ourselves have ... is of the possibilities that this could go on for years and this is not something that any of us want.'

'I have been working with children for very long time now. There is one child psychologist that I would strongly recommend. It most definitely would not be a bad thing to go see him. He offers a free first consultation so there would be no harm at all in taking him up on this offer.'

Sammy's parents look at each other and nod in agreement that maybe they will do this and as the teacher gets the details together Sammy continues to dream. The head of that wolf like monster becomes clearer and easier to see as if it is slowly moving out of the closet darkness. Its jaws open up to reveal large bright white fangs, with saliva dripping from it as if the creature salivates over a possible next meal. The head of the beast continues to move forward, as if it indeed is making its way out of that bedroom closet.

It is at this moment that Sammy suddenly wakes and lets out a roaring scream before moving away from his desk and falling out of his chair and onto the floor. All three adults in the room are quick to react, Sammy's father being the quickest, getting to his son and lifting him up into his arms. Mum's eyes well up.

'Dad ....'

'It's alright son, I have you', after a brief pause and moving his attention to the other two in the room Sammy's father continues to speak. 'I think we should take Sammy home.'

There would be no disagreement so home with his parents Sammy would go.

Night would come and Sammy felt more himself. He had rested well already so bedtime would bring more fear and panic then there had been before, especially with the dream Sammy had at school and since he is feeling somewhat awake, he most definitely does not fancy spending any time at all with that monster of his. Those glowing dark red eyes and the possibility of fangs as his dream suggested would mean that in no way Sammy wanted to be on his own in his room, or even be in his own room at all for that matter. His father at this moment thought it a good time as any to do a bit of investigating.

Nighttime darkness had set in when Sammy's father took his son by the hand into Sammy's bedroom. Before anything else, he closes over those slightly opened closet doors before moving to sit next to Sammy on Sammy's bed.

'That won't work dad.'

'What won't work?'

'Watch.'

No more than five seconds pass before the closet doors open again ever so slightly. To say that this moment did not have any sort of worrying effect on Sammy's father would not be an accurate statement. It is certain something strange. Closet doors don't just open all by themselves, these ones aren't supposed to anyhow.

'So, in here is where your monster is?'

'He lives in there, dad.'

'Well let's check it out.'

Sammy's father opens up the right closet door fully. 'No sign of any monster here ... huh, that is strange' he says reaching into the closet with his left hand. 'I can't feel the back of this thing.'

He takes a step into the closet then takes another step and vanishes. Sammy's mum soon steps into the room. She briefly looks around with somewhat of a confuses look.

'Sammy, where is your dad?'

There is no reply, so the question comes again.

'Sammy honey, tell me where your father is.'

Sammy had not taken his eyes off of the closet from the moment prior to when his mother came in the room. When the question came for that second time Sammy would slowly raise his right arm and point right at the closet. Mum considers the closet, if dad is in there then she should be able to see him or at least hear him, but she can't.

There is a brief pause before Sammy's father re-enters the room through the door his wife had entered only a few moments ago and not from out of that closet. At this moment, dad is looking somewhat ruffled. He moves straight to Sammy and takes his hand then moves to Sammy's mother and places an arm around her before beginning to usher them both out of the room.

Sammy would remain quiet as his parents would speak. His mother would ask a question as she would come to a halt before any of the three have exited the room.

'What the hell is going on?'

'We are leaving, and we are leaving now.'

'What?'

'Please trust me; we are not going to spend another night in this house. We can come back during the day and get our belongings.'

Sammy's mother could not get her head around what was, what is going on but for what it is that happened to Sammy's father, what it is he saw and what it is that he went through in the short amount of time he was gone, was more than enough to ensure that they would move home and Sammy would never again be alone with his closet monster but still it is there, still it waits, and still it watches, at least until the next child comes along.

To be honest, dad is never quite the same from this day on. The recommended session set up by Sammy's teacher is attended by all three members of the Ellingsworth family. Dad, while not speaking of what he witnessed, defends his son and his son's sanity.

So, the next time a child tells you that he or she is afraid of the monster in the closet or under the bed ... how will you react?