It was one dark, stormy night at Wool's when the wind howled outside the window and the other children's cries echoed down the hall making little Tom shiver beneath his threadbare blankets. However, he would not allow himself to bury his head beneath them. He was not like those babies crying out into the night having to be shushed by the matron.
A loud thud across his room made him jump and tense pulling his itchy wool blanket tighter around his thin body. His cupboard's door rattled as the whole furniture piece shook and rocked back and forth. Tom's eyes grew and he let out a squeak as the doors burst upon and out came a monstrous visage.
The floating head had sharp features split in half with a jagged scar that ran down half their face, wild oil black hair that seemed to be static around their head but it was their eyes that caused little Tom to scramble back terrified against his window sill. A glowing unnatural green.
"Hello there Tom."
A flash of lightning outside highlighted her features in terrifying quality, her smile seemed almost maniacal.
He let out a little scream.
"Oh, sh..." Her smile dropped and she looked around the dark room. From the rain spattered window then back to little Tom. "Bl..." A pale hand appeared out of thin air and she ran it through her static hair. She backed away her hand in the air but Tom watched every movement. He knew no one would come to his rescue.
Everyone hated him here, he was alone with her.
He watched as she slowly pulled something from the base of her disembodied wrist, "I'm just going to give us some light. Is that ok?"
He nodded slowly.
"Lumos."
He gasped as a small ball that looked like a little sun but didn't hurt his eyes appeared above his head. He heard a tsking sound from the floating head and when his eyesight cleared from its blurriness he watched fascinated as the girl swept what looked like the air around her from off her shoulders to reveal a white shift and a normal human body.
"Sorry about that. Forgot I would just be a head. I must have looked like a monster coming from your closet. I apologize, Tom. This is not how I wished our first meeting to go."
He stared at her. Her scar was ugly, her eyes still frightening but maybe… He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.
"Why were you in my cupboard?"
"Oh…" Her pale cheeks tinted just slightly before she cleared her throat and shrugged and pointed behind her with her thumb. "I came to visit, but it's my first time traveling this way."
She brushed herself off and turned back to the closet. "Well, I should be going back. Next time you see me, I'll look different but it will still be me."
She was strange, Tom thought. As he watched her climb back into the closet but not before whispering, "Nox."
The room went dark once more, but the fear didn't return this time. He had already seen a monster that night and it wasn't nearly as frightful as he thought it might be.
"Wait, how will I know its you?"
The faint moonlight from outside highlighted her scar and its almost shining like quality before she gave a small little smile.
"Just ask: 'what can be found in cupboards?'"
Tom looked at her, "What can be found in cupboards?"
"Monsters, I expect."