A Monster Under The Bed

"Mom," Tia whispered with a tremor in her voice. Jenny was so caught up in the whirlwind of school runs, work deadlines, cleaning, and piles of laundry that she barely heard that whisper from her daughter's tiny lips. Tia called again, a little louder this time, "Mom, I think there's a monster under my bed." She stood at the door of her mother's home office, her wide eyes filled with fear, ready to tear up.

Jennifer, a busy mother balancing work and parenting, glanced at her daughter, momentarily torn between a looming deadline and her child's concern. Tia, clutching her favourite Teddy, with her eyes on the verge of tears, was not something she wanted to deal with right now. It always seemed to be the same.

Tia, a bright-eyed and imaginative seven-year-old, had a vivid imagination. She was a golden child. However, recently, one thing cast a shadow over her otherwise cheerful existence - the monster she believed lived under her bed. Every night, just as her parents were about to tuck Tia in bed, she would say, "I'm scared of the monster under my bed." Jenny's already frayed nerves would scream in frustration, instilling a chill in her that she might do something bad. She stormed out of her chair, walking towards Tia's room, pulling her a bit roughly along.

"Where is the monster?" she shouted, bending down near the bed, shining the mobile torch underneath it everywhere. "Can you see it, Mom?" Tia asked, her voice still shaky. "Yesterday night, some hands came sneaking from under there. I think it wanted to hurt me."

Jenny neither had the time nor patience to deal with this today. She was in a bad mood, and she was becoming increasingly angry and impatient with her daughter's incessant fears. Especially since she was exhausted from sleepless nights. She lost her patience, and snapped, "There is no monster in here. You need to stop being such a baby." With those harsh words, she turned off the lights and left the room, closing the door behind her. Tears welled up in Tia's eyes as she stood in the darkness. She knew her mother was wrong. The hands had crawled up on her yesterday, strong hands that she couldn’t stop. She started crying slowly, increasing the pitch as the clock ticked away.

When Sam entered, he could hear his daughter’s sobs. He quietly slipped out of his shoes and made his way to her room, taking care not to disturb Jenny, who was clicking away furiously on the keyboard.

As he opened the door to Tia’s room, he saw his daughter's tear-streaked face and trembling lips. Sam sat on the edge of Tia's bed and took her into his arms. "Sweetie, it's okay," he whispered soothingly. "I know you're scared, but I promise there's nothing to be afraid of. I'll check under your bed to make sure that there is no monster there, OK? You trust Daddy to protect you, right, sweetheart?" Tia nodded, and Sam gently lowered himself to the floor. He reached beneath the bed, his steady hands investigating every corner. He emerged with a triumphant smile, holding up a stuffed toy that had slipped under the bed. "See, Tia? No monsters, just your stuffed giraffe trying to hide," he said with a reassuring smile. He gently kissed her forehead. "You're safe, my love. I'll stay here with you until you fall asleep, and I promise you, there are no monsters here." Tia’s tears gradually ceased as her father stayed by her side, and she drifted off into sleep.

In the days that followed, Jenny and Sam noticed Tia's condition worsened. Tia’s nightmares lessened for some time, but then they emerged again. She started to rebel strongly when her Mom would tell her that Monsters are not real. Nothing her parents did helped Tia overcome her fear.

When Tia’s 9th birthday was approaching, a call from her school, asking her Mom to talk to the school counsellor, brought the ever-busy Jenny out of her mundane routine of work. "Mrs. Jenny Godwin, I am sorry to say that something strange has happened to Tia. Earlier when she stepped into school, her voice and laughter floated down even into my office. But then slowly, two years ago, her words transformed into whispers, and now, into complete silence. I think she is suffering from selective mutism, a very rare condition. When was the last time you heard her voice?"

Jenny recollected how in the morning Tia had walked into the room with her head down, her silence palpable. She had ignored it, though she could sense something was amiss. "Good morning, sweetheart," Jenny said. "How did you sleep?" She immediately regretted asking, fearing the story of the Monster would come up again.

Tia simply nodded and took her seat at the table, her gaze fixed on her plate. As they sat down for breakfast, the tension in the room was suffocating. Jenny recollected how each of her questions was met with only a nod or a shrug from her daughter recently. Tia, who had once been known for her bright and bubbly personality, now seemed like a shell of herself. She couldn’t recollect when was the last time she had heard her daughter’s voice. It was a shame that she had missed noticing her daughter slipping into silence.

Worried, Jenny and Sam decided to have a family meeting that evening. Tia's complete silence was a mystery they needed to unravel. They gently probed, asking her if something had happened at school or if she was feeling unwell. Still, Tia remained silent.

Sam had to go out of town for two weeks. Jenny, who had to deal with this alone, spoke to the best psychiatrist she could find in town. Sarah, the psychiatrist, explained about Tia’s condition, “Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder that affects a child's ability to speak in certain social situations or with certain people. With Tia, it is complete silence. She doesn’t want to speak or cannot speak at all, even though all her vocal organs are functioning fine.” Jenny, reeling under guilt, blurted, “I was so busy with work. I would often not respond or try to understand my child. I shouted at her to shut up whenever she complained about a monster under her bed. I think I am the one who pushed her into this.” Tears welled up in the mother's eyes as she gazed at her daughter, who looked back at her blankly.

The lines of worry etched across Jenny’s face were a testament to the depths of her concern, but Tia had her own doubts. She observed her mom more closely and realised the extent of the stress she was under. It was as if the weight of the world was resting on her shoulders, causing her to age years in days. She remembered the countless times she had complained about the monster to her mom, but her mother had not listened. Why should she talk now? What could Tia say, after all? Hadn’t the monster actually shown his face a few weeks ago?

 In the nights, when the room darkened, and the shadows deepened, Tia’s heart would begin to race. She would clutch her teddy bear tightly, her small fingers trembling, until she fell asleep. Sometimes a monstrous shape, with grotesque features and glowing, malevolent eyes, emerged from the darkness and troubled her. He would disappear after hurting her. Tia did not know what the monster did to hurt her, but she dreaded it. Even on those nights when the monster would not appear, she spent it in fear of the monster.

Three weeks ago, it was raining heavily. The curtains to the window were open, but Tia was too scared to step out of her bed and pull them shut. That night, the monster had crept onto her bed. The monster's ghastly form sent shivers down her spine, and a gasp escaped her lips. She could feel her pulse in her ears as her mind raced with a jumble of terrifying thoughts, especially on this stormy night. In that moment, when she felt utterly small and defenceless, the lightning had shone light on the monster. 

Tia’s world came crashing down around her. She realised no one could save her from this Monster, not even her hero, her dad who loved and protected her against everything. She couldn’t make sense of what was happening to her. She must be crazy. It was better to stop talking about the monster. She couldn’t talk, even if she wanted to. She couldn’t talk about the monster anymore.

Sarah looked at Tia and said, “No matter what it takes, I will find a cure for you, sweetie.” Jenny wept silently as Tia looked away because she had no hope. The monster she had seen on the stormy night was her hero, her dad. It was her Daddy!