The Monster Under the Bed

Five year old Chris Halliwell didn't like to ask anyone for help. He was already five years old, a whole hand! He didn't always need his mommy and daddy for every little thing. He wasn't a baby anymore. His cousin Prue was a baby, and babies didn't have much fun. Chris admitted that he didn't know everything, of course. He was still too young for that. That was what his big brother Wyatt was for. Wyatt was 7 whole years old, which meant that he knew everything. Whenever there was something that Chris didn't know, he would ask his big brother.

Tonight was the most magical night of the year, Halloween. He had been looking forward to Halloween since he was only four. His mommy picked out the coolest space man outfit for him to wear. Chris had put it on the moment he got home from kindergarten, and he never wanted to take it off. Wyatt was going to be a cowboy, with a special cowboy hat and everything! Last year, the only Halloween he could remember, he had been sick. That's why he wanted this year's trick-or-treating to be the best ever.

Everyone in his family was going trick or treating. Even Prue was going, and she couldn't walk yet. Auntie Phoebe had bought her a pretty princess costume, and she was going to push her in her carriage. Auntie Paige was coming too. Auntie Paige was going to have a baby. She told Chris that the baby lived in her belly. Chris asked her time and time again how it was going to come out. Auntie Paige refused to answer him. The only bad thing was that his daddy wasn't coming. Chris hardly ever saw his daddy anymore.

They weren't aloud to go out until Chris' mommy came home from work. That's why, for the past 30 minutes, Wyatt and Chris stood by the window, in their costumes and ready to go. Prue was sitting on Auntie Phoebe's lap, also in her costume, while Phoebe talked to Aunt Paige. They were talking grown-up talk, so Chris and Wyatt didn't bother listening. "We get lots of candy, right Wy?" Chris asked for the millionth time that night.

"Millions of bags full", Wyatt said confidently. Chris looked at his older brother in awe. Of course, whatever Wyatt said was most definitely true. "Mom's home!" Wyatt said excitedly. Sure enough, Chris' mom's car pulled into the driveway. "MOMMY!" Chris squealed! He was so excited. Prue crawled to the window, always anxious to do what her cousins were doing. She babbled incomprehensible baby talk as Piper approached the door, her arm full of bags.

She smiled at Chris, Wyatt and Prue, just like she always did. "I got all of this candy to give to all my trick-or-treaters", Piper explained. Chris ran up to her and gave her a big hug, and a sloppy wet kiss. "I love you mommy!" Chris said. Piper just chuckled and muttered something about candy. True to her word, 5 minutes after Piper got home, the whole family was ready to go. As long as the Wyatt and Chris promised to stay close, their mommy let them walk a little bit ahead.

While their mommy walked slowly through Prescott St. talking to her sisters and pushing Prue in her carriage, Wyatt and Chris raced from house to house, giggling at each additional piece of candy. An hour had passed, and everyone was very tired. Auntie Paige sat down on the bench, her hands over her stomach. "Patty's tired, and so am I" she said stifling a yawn, referring to her unborn child with the name she had already chosen.

"Wyatt, Chris", their mommy called, "come here and sit." Wyatt and Chris were graciously accepting candy from their elderly neighbour Mrs. Wilkins, when they sadly walked back to their mother.

"We want more candy", Wyatt whined.

"We weren't finished trick-and-treating!" Wyatt complained.

"Mo!" Prue shrieked, clapping her pudgy hands together. She always wanted to be just like her big cousins.

"We'll rest for fifteen minutes, and then we'll trick-or-treat for fifteen minutes more", Phoebe said in an exasperated tone of voice. Wyatt and Chris were going to argue but their mommy gave them a look that said if you say another word; you'll get a time out. Wyatt sat down on the bench beside the one where his mother was sitting. Chris sat down beside him. "You want to hear a story?" Wyatt asked, a mischievous twinkle in his light blue eyes. Chris nodded eagerly.

"Okay, so you know how mommy says that there are make believe monsters, and then real ones that are in the book in the attic?" Wyatt asked

"Yup!" Chris replied proudly, feeling just as smart as his big brother.

"Well, this story is about a real monster that only comes out on Halloween night. He's really big, and green…and he has shinny yellow eyes! Ya, and he lives under your bed. His favourite food is little children!" Wyatt said, trying to make his voice sound all spooky. Chris looked at Wyatt, his bright green eyes wide, and his naturally pale face even paler. Then, he remembered what his mommy and his aunty told him about the real monsters.

"If the monster is real", Chris said slowly, "Mommy and the aunties will vanik…vanqua…they'll kill it!" Wyatt looked at where his mom and aunts were sitting, still talking grown-up talk. When he was sure they couldn't hear he whispered, " It's too powerful for them to vanquish, and if you tell them about it, it'll get them." Of course Chris believed him without question. Why would his big brother lie to him?

Just as Piper had promised, after 15 minutes, they began to trick or treat again. Wyatt ran to the doors once again with his old enthusiasm. Chris was strangely quiet. "What's wrong buddy?" Chris' favourite Auntie Paige asked him. Chris looked into her liquid brown eyes wishing he could tell her. He would never tell her, because he would be very sad if the monster got her. "Nothing's wrong", Chris mumbled. He stayed quiet until they got back to the manor. "I'm going to go to my room", Chris said quietly. Wyatt was happily going through his bags of candy. Piper found it strange that her youngest son didn't want any candy, but she didn't want to push him.

Chris sat on his bed, with all of the lights on, hugging his favourite teddy bear Mr. Fuzzy close to his chest. You're not real, go away. You're not real, go away. Chris repeated that to himself over and over again. His mommy told him to say that to all of the monsters in his dreams, and they would go away. Chris concentrated on his door, and it slammed shut. If there was really a monster in here, he didn't want his mommy, his aunties, Wyatt, or even Prue getting hurt. He heard the sounds of other people going upstairs into their room. It was time for bed, when Wyatt said the monster would come out.

His head hanging low, he turned on his night-light, and turned off the light. He sat in the darkness, clutching his teddy bear closer to his body. Chris stared into the semi-darkness, jumping at each shadow, cringing at each strange sound. He felt like someone was watching. He told himself that he was being silly. Real monsters don't live under beds. Just in case, he leaned over, so he could see under his bed. At first, he saw the dark void there that he always did. Then, out of the darkness appeared to bright yellow eyes.

"Wyatt", Chris whispered. Usually his brother was able to hear him. He waited for Wyatt to orb in, but nothing happened. He didn't want to admit that he was scared, because only babies were scared. One time, Chris killed a demon all by himself. His daddy was there, and called him such a big boy. Wyatt could always be brave around the real monsters. Chris wanted to be just like Wyatt. Chris was so scared that he was trembling. He knew what he had to do.

Slowly, he got off the bed. He knelt down so slowly, so deliberately, that it was almost as if he was searching for a chance to back down. Finally, he was kneeling completely beside his bed. He still saw the shinning yellow eyes, staring at him menacingly. They were almost mocking him, daring him to explore further. Cautiously, slowly, he put his small trembling hand under his bed. His wrist was grabbed almost instantly. He tried to pull it free, but he couldn't. He tried to scream, but nothing happened. He was crying now, something he never did.

Wyatt had fallen into a troubled sleep, right after he had eaten all the candy he could. Maybe it was all the candy that was making his tummy hurt, or maybe Wyatt was feeling bad about the story he had told Chris. It was really mean to scare his brother. Wyatt knew that Chris believed everything that he said. Now his brother was having just as much trouble sleeping as he was. Great now he was feeling…what had his mom called it? Guilty, that was how he was feeling. Wyatt sat bolt upright, feeling a shot of pain in his midsection. Chris was in trouble, he just knew it.

Wyatt orbed into his brothers room, but he didn't see Chris anywhere. All he saw was an empty bed. He heard a muffled sort of yelling. If that was coming from where he thought it was coming from, Wyatt knew that he had eaten too much candy. "Chris?" Wyatt said in confusion. There was no answer. Wyatt looked under the bed, and saw a brilliant flash of white light. He knew Chris was under there, and he knew what he had to do.

He held out his arms, just as his aunt Paige had taught him. "Chris", he said loudly and clearly. A stream of orbs came from under the bed, into Wyatt's arms, and formed into Chris. It was lucky that Wyatt was so much larger than his brother, or he would never have been able to hold him. Chris was hurt; he had a big wound in his chest. Gently, Wyatt put him down, and placed a glowing healing hand over him. Chris' eyes fluttered opened, and he stared wide eyed at his big brother.

"Did I get the monster?" Chris asked.

"Not yet", Wyatt said gently, "I'll get him for you." Wyatt said. Wyatt liked to protect his little brother from the real monsters. Wyatt stood in front of the bed and said, "Come out you big ugly monster! Come out and get me!" Wyatt was acting much braver than he really felt. He had to be brave in front of Chris. There was a rumbling sound, and a lime green blob with great bulbous yellow eyes squeezed itself from under Chris' small bed. Wyatt was still scared, but he was also angry that the demon tried to hurt his little brother.

"You can't hurt Chris! I won't let you!" Wyatt yelled. He felt great amounts of power coursing through him. Light shot out of his palms, and straight at the monster. The monster shrieked, although it didn't have a mouth. It writhed around in pain, until, in a puff of smoke, it was gone. Wyatt picked his brother up, a miraculous feat for someone his age, and placed him on the bed. Then he sat down beside him.

"Is it gone?" Chris asked. He found Wyatt's hand and held it tight.

"Of course it's gone. I'll always be here for you buddy. You know that", Wyatt said soothingly.

"I'll always be there for you to Wyatt. I love you", Chris replied. There was silence, and Chris held Mr. Fuzzy closer to him. He knew that the monster was gone, but hew was still a little scared. Of course, he would never till Wyatt that. Wyatt got up from the bed, and started to tiptoe towards the door. A surge of panic shot through his him. He didn't want to tell Wyatt how he felt, but he didn't want to be alone.

"Wyatt, will you stay with me?" Chris asked softly. Wyatt ran back and jumped into the bed.

"Of course I'll stay little bro, I thought you'd never ask", Wyatt said with a smile. Chris rolled over, feeling so calm inside, perfectly at peace. All of his fear just disappeared. The real monsters never scared him when his big brother was there to protect him…

At about midnight on Halloween night, Piper Halliwell and Leo Wyatt stood outside the door of the room of their youngest son. Wyatt was there too, fast asleep, with his arm around her little brother. Chris was also off in dreamland, his mouth slightly open. Piper smiled at the sight of her two boys together.

"What do you think happened?" Leo wondered.

Piper sighed, and put her arm around her husband. "I don't think it matters", Piper said with a smile. "We did good with those kids didn't we", Piper said to her husband.

" Of course we did", Leo said, pulling Piper close and kissing her passionately. "Happy Halloween."