There was something in the closet.

Demitri couldn't see it. It hid anytime he opened the door.

The closet contained: the four foot christmas tree, some boxes of hand me down clothing for Demitri to grow into, and the extra blankets.

And something else.

Demitri could hear it breathing when he closed the door.  A raspy rattlely sound that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.  Demitri peeked under the door and could see a shadow moving.

Tomo was still out on patrol and his mother was still in shock over the frog men ruining the picnic.  Demitri thought out his situation.  The creature hid anytime the door was open. So why don't I keep the door open?  This idea was easy to do and quickly done.  Demetri left the door open and climbed into bed.  The room was clearly lid by the almost full moon. Demitri settled in and watched the open closet.

Now the creature was peeking out from behind the christmas tree.  Demitri could see its outline in the moonlight that was able to get into the closet.  It was smaller tham him, had pointed ears, long arms, and glowing eyes.  Scary glowing eyes.  Demitri turned on his bedside lamp.  The warm yellow glow banished the creature back to the shadows.

Demitri tried to go back to sleep.

The raspy breathing came back.  Now it was joined by a soft scratching.  Demitri tried to find where the sound was coming from. He did not want to meet what was making the sound.  The sound was coming from under the bed.

Demitri made a protective sheild out of his quilt.  His mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother had made it for him when he was still a baby.  He knew that it protected him from bad dreams. His great-grandmother said the she sang protection charms into the quilt as she sewed it.  These charms protected him from evil she said.

Demitri beleived his great-grandmother.  She was magic. She had a pure black cat that she could talk to.  She knew what herbs would cure what and charms you could say to protect yourself.  She lived in a far away country.  The had a lovely wooden house made out of logs.  In the winter, she would use ice in the windows instead of glass.  The doorway was painted with bright flowers.  She told Demitri that each flower had a power.  And if you were quiet enough and still enough, the flower would tell you.  But you had to be very quiet, becasue flowers have quiet voices.  He spent many lovely afternoons walking in the mountains and hoping to here the flowers.

Just thinking about his great grandmother made Demitri feel stronger.  Her magic was in the quilt.  The quilt will protect him from the creature.  Demitri knew it.

He covered his head with the quilt and fell asleep.

The creature under the bed screeched in frustration, then went off to better hunting grounds.