Foxie and the Great Big Scary Monster

One night, as Foxie’s mom finished reading her a bedtime story, she tucked her in on each side nice and tight. Feeling quite warm and snug, Foxie was closing her eyes so that she could try to drift off to sleep. Her mom kissed her on the forehead and, as she was walking out the room, she flipped off the lamp and cracked the bedroom door. 

Foxie could hear her mother’s footsteps slowly disappear as they got farther and farther from her bedroom. Silence fell over the room and rested on Foxie’s chest as heavy as a brick. She opened her eyes, then shut them again, then opened them one more time - but, Foxie wasn’t able to tell the difference between her eyes being open and her eyes being closed due to how dark her room had gotten that night. Foxie began to feel nervous and her stomach started to hurt. 

Sleeping alone had always been hard for Foxie, but she had gotten rather good at it lately. She decided to use the skill her mom and dad had taught her: close your eyes and pretend to dream until you drift off to sleep and are actually dreaming. So, Foxie adjusted herself in the bed, rolling onto her side and sliding the pillow slightly to the right spot, then she closed her eyes and began to pretend to dream. She thought of palm trees and bright sunshiny days. She thought of her toes in the sand and imagined sounds of crashing waves. She thought about picking up seashells and building sandcastles.

Just as Foxie thought she was about to be asleep, she felt a rumble in her stomach and her thoughts switched out of her control. Suddenly, an unrecognizable creature was stomping her sandcastles, stealing her seashells, throwing the sand, and knocking down palm trees. Foxie screamed at the top of her lungs with pure fear. Her mom and dad came running up the stairs to check on her and she sat up in bed with a tear or two rolling down her cheek. 

“What is wrong, Foxie?” Foxie’s dad asked her with concern, flipping the lamp back on and sitting at the foot of the bed. 

Foxie’s mom stood at the head of the bed and pet Foxie’s head fur, saying, “did you have a bad dream?”

“Mom, dad, it was so weird! I wasn’t even asleep yet, I don’t think. I was trying to pretend to sleep so that I could fall asleep and then my tummy hurt and all of a sudden there was a Great Big Scary Monster attacking my daydream of a perfect beach day!” Foxie squealed and breathed quick breaths.

“Calm down, baby, it will be okay. It was probably just your stomach growling as you were on the brink of awake and asleep which startled you,” Foxie’s mom comforted her daughter.

Foxie’s dad held Foxie’s foot for a moment and said, “do you need a snack and water before trying to fall asleep again? It might help?”

Foxie sniffled and nodded then climbed out of bed to pitter patter down the stairs to the kitchen. 

“It’s late, Foxie, so it must be a very small snack,” Foxie’s mom opened the pantry to show her the options. 

“How about half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?” Foxie’s dad suggested.

Foxie nodded then sat at the table waiting on the sandwich. Her dad was thrilled to have the other half of the sandwich and she was thrilled to be feeling better with this food and company. 

“Can I sleep with the lamp on for the rest of the night? Just in case the Great Big Scary Monster wants to come get me?” Foxie asked, finishing her last bite.

Her parents nodded and escorted her back to her room. Foxie’s mom tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and cracked the door on her way out. Foxie looked around to be sure there were no monsters, yawned, closed her eyes, and dreamed of being curled up asleep under the sunshine in a bed made of sand. Foxie managed to go the remainder of the night without any more Great Big Scary Monsters.