The Monster In My Bed

The Monster In My Bed M. L. Smith Copyright This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Copyright © 2023 by M. L. Smith All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information, address: [email protected]. First paperback edition May 2023 Book design by Cauldron Press Designs Editing by Fair Crack of The Whip Editing ISBN: 979-8-218-13565-2 Contents 1. One 2. Two 3. Three 4. Four 5. Five 6. Six 7. Seven 8. Eight 9. Nine 10. Ten 11. Eleven 12. Twelve 13. Thirteen 14. Fourteen 15. Fifteen 16. Sixteen 17. Seventeen 18. Eighteen 19. Nineteen 20. Twenty 21. Twenty One 22. Twenty Two 23. Twenty Three 24. Epilogue 25. Acknowledgement One Delilah woke from a dreamless sleep, her face twisting in discomfort. Her stomach ached and a small cramp had Delilah clutching at her lower abdomen, willing away the spasm. God, was she starting her period early? It wasn’t due for another two weeks at least. Cracking her eyes open, Delilah stared ahead groggily, her brow furrowing in confusion. Why the hell was it so dark in her bedroom? Usually she kept the hallway light on and the door ajar before falling asleep, nervous to be alone in the pitch black of the night. Had the light burned out? With a groan, Delilah forced herself to move, reaching for the lamp on her nightstand. Her hand clutched at the air instead, and she searched blindly until her eyes slowly began adjusting to her surroundings. What was that orangish glow in the distance? And where was the outline of her furniture? Delilah wiped at her eyes, registering more details that didn’t make sense, her confusion mounting. Her mattress was hard as a damn rock, and as she searched for her comforter, all Delilah touched was the silk of her tank top. Had she slid off the bed in her sleep? She palmed the ground beneath her, ripping her hand back quickly. Why was her floor covered in dirt? Something’s not right. Her heart pounded in her chest as she lay there, too scared to move. “Don’t panic,” a woman said from beside her, and Delilah did the exact opposite, screaming like a lunatic and leaping up. A soft hand clamped over her mouth and she was tackled to the ground, a startled cry leaving her as someone loomed overhead. “Shh, please be quiet,” the woman whispered frantically. Delilah’s eyes adjusted further to the darkness and she could just make out the features of the woman straddled over her. Green eyes, long black hair, and a nervous expression were all Delilah could focus on. She seemed around her own age, maybe in her upper twenties? A few drops of sweat slid down the side of the woman’s face, causing her hair to stick to her cheek. What was going on? Delilah mumbled into the woman’s hand, trying to speak. “You have to promise not to scream or make any noise, do you understand? I’ll explain as much as I can, but we’re not home anymore, and this place isn’t like our own.” Delilah mumbled something again, nodding her head in agreement just so the woman would back up and give her a chance to breathe. The words the stranger had spoken should have frightened Delilah, but she was oddly calm as the woman stood up, holding out a hand and pulling her to her feet. Warm earth touched her toes, almost as warm as the woman’s grip on her hand before she released it. Delilah noticed the woman was wearing a t-shirt and boxer shorts, not too dissimilar from Delilah’s own silky pajama set. “What’s going on? Where am I?” Delilah asked, looking around once more. What had once been cloaked in total darkness now took on a more nuanced edge. The glow she had noticed before were plants. Trees, it seemed. The light was muted, but it was enough for Delilah to finally understand that she was standing in a wooded area of some sort. Everything looked like it was burning, part of some crazy, hellish dimension. “What kind of weird ass dream is this?” It had to be a dream, didn’t it? Nothing looked like this in real life. “I’m Cordelia. What’s your name?” the woman asked quietly, drawing Delilah’s attention away from the world around her. Delilah stared at Cordelia blankly, wondering why introductions mattered in a dream. “Delilah,” she eventually replied, a slight tremor betraying her voice. Her womb spasmed again and Delilah nearly bent over to alleviate the pain. What the hell was that? Was it normal to feel physical pain in dreams? She certainly hadn’t before. Cordelia let out a small breath, squaring her shoulders resolutely. “Okay, Delilah, this is going to sound a little crazy, but you’re not dreaming. We’re not dreaming.” Delilah snorted, the cramping forgotten completely as she laughed at the absurdity of it all. Of course she was dreaming. “Quiet!” Delilah’s mouth snapped shut at Cordelia’s panicked tone, a small fissure of fear running through her. Cordelia bit her lower lip, looking around quickly before her gaze returned to Delilah. “I don’t have time to coddle or convince you, okay? Just listen, and please believe me, because I honestly think your life depends on it.” Delilah gulped, nodding in understanding, her hands becoming clammy. “You’ve been asleep a lot longer than the rest of us, but I’m the only one who stayed behind to make sure you didn’t wake up alone and frightened. It wasn’t fair to leave you without any way of knowing what was happening.” Dream or not, that didn’t sound good at all. “What is happening?” Cordelia threw her hands up in the