[ WP ] Monster under the bed , in the closet , are all real . But they are not there to scare us .

Heavy footsteps loom closer, and I hold back a sigh as I allow my form to dissipate. Just in time, I vanish from mortal viewing as the closet door slowly opens, flooding the tiny space with light. A tall shadowy figure stands guard at the entrance, carefully inspecting every corner. He turns to a much smaller version of himself. 
 
 `` No monsters tonight kiddo, do n't worry.'' 
 
 *Monster*. The single word a knife that cuts far deeper than any physical weapon. And yet how am I to convince the humans otherwise? My true form is so vastly different from theirs, that they ca n't conceive the notion that I mean no harm. 
 
 It started with horror movies, where claws and fangs are meant to maim and injure; to devour humans. I'm harmless I *swear* - these claws ca n't bring harm to mortal flesh, their sole purpose lies in vanquishing the Shadow-Lurkers. 
 
 Shadow-Lurkers are mirrors of humans, though they are as their name sounds, no more than shadows. Humans can not see them, just as they ca n't see me when I hide my true form. You can not see the Shadow-Lurkers by looking at them directly, but you can sense their movement. Humans are much more sensitive than they believe, however that pesky invention called `` imagination'' allows them to wrap themselves in a thick blanket of ignorance and security. 
 
 Have you ever seen something out of the corner of your eye - just a flicker of movement, and you turn your head to find nothing out of the ordinary? It was a Shadow-Lurker. They patiently wait until you've fallen deep into sleep, and suck your life away. They are hardly ever fatal at first encounter, merely shaving small increments off your life at a time. 
 
 *They* are the cause of nightmares, not I. *I* am a guardian, I was created to protect the human race, to keep the Shadow-Lurkers at bay. So why am I the monster? Why am I the one who brings tears to the little one's eyes? Why am I the outcast? 
 
 Nonetheless, I will shoulder my fate. It is my sworn duty to protect the human race, I and all Guardians like me, have banded together in unity. The Shadow-Lurkers seek only to claim this world for their own, feeding off humans to strengthen themselves. 
 
 So next time you hear a `` monster'' in your closet, sleep peacefully and know you are protected. But listen to your gut when you catch a flicker of movement, or find yourself filled with dread for no reason, and pray one of the Guardians will be there to protect you.
