The Monster Within

w up and became a man wit

had impri

taring blankly at the cr

s were bloodshot as he stared at

y to look elsewhere. I vaguely remembered the time h

a f

ecome this deranged, I wo

d have

a terrib

.

.

ggily to find a small figur

ed the porcelain cup from th

to hit its head with a "thud," and blood immediatel

. What was

His long, thick eyelashes and dark pupils we

whelmed wi

efoot and reaching out to check his wound. The boy, frightened, q

nd I saw the most beau

ling delicate lips. Suddenly, his

with guilt. Help! Kids n

ed out. "Mother, why is there a littl

till lazing around. I shouldn't have let you go to school! You're going to ge

t the boy, insist

e's nothing there! You better get the cooking and laundry

boy. She scratched her head and said she di

so stu

rept in, reminding me of the mov

uld probably go to chur

d on impulse, so I imme

r "grumble" behind me, the

nd quickly wiped the blood off the boy's

l face turning red as tears fe

e wound and brought him a bowl of g

must be

ell from him. As I was about to pick them up, he slipped

want to rest for a bit?" I caug

his dark eyes blinking as

tuation t

to pick up my brothe

.

g the little boy. He wouldn'

room, my grandfather, my cousin, and my frie

completely

bit scared. I turned to see the

up, and I intended to take him to the guest r

became weightless! His body turned alm

ll lying on the floor in my ro

lp tin

led up as I took

had to figure out

im. "Wake up. Hey."

s hand, which was icy cold. It w

cking him under the thick quilt. Only after th

s about the same a

teriously appear in my room? Why did he turn transparent when leav

ne thing w

t be h

o do with those rolls of yell

him, but there was nothing. T

y suddenly opened his eyes,

d, nervously stepping back.

as

d instinctively looked to the side. Wh

yesterday, toda

m

with a soft gaze and seemingly

her for several seco

sk him who you are, where you ca

the next moment, I und

't hear o

choice but to acce

went to

.

ked at me with eager eyes, his long

ry depend

al instincts we

ly scurrying between school and

back to bring him grue

was super cool playing bas

not to stay up late and to take care of myself.

t the mysterious boy w

from Manfred to buy

st. Today he was nine

let him s

o I based it entirely on Manfred's taste, saying I w

sponsibility to buy, and Manfred just

in the mirror, was

.

ig guy now, looked at me

ght become an old man in

about four

th skin better than mine, fair and delic

ing to him, constantly chattering, but h

ring if he was

.

t, I vaguely heard a male

ly startled. Th

ystery could fin

but his always-closed eyes

s face, whic

some hot water

g his face and head against it. It tickled, and I

was so a

tincts were ove

d him clinging to my hand, I

till cold. Wha

my eyes and lay down

s breathing grew heavier, the

ting his body. "I'm her

ed off to sl

ke, and I wo

re out what w

.

h fair skin, alluring ey

midly, as if waiti

you? Where do you come fr

utes as he slowly clutched his hea

dea

ad slowly and sai

ere are your rolls

my question. Every time I asked a questio

ing was s

t work on his ability to

are

ained

o you co

ained

are you

ained

call him Phil. It was the

stand when I called him th

shouted "Phil", he would turn around, t

d growing, but every midnight,

ep him warm, so I wouldn't b

Holding his cool body

I didn't want t

and shout at him. "Who

rom his nose. Finally,

o you co

ained

are you

ained

zed this wasn't

yellow paper could the myster

I was going

ned him, inappropri

ed, start

le face flushed red, his innocent alluring e

y! S

o go to sch

.

s feelings to me, an

y and said he'd wai

in the morning, I woke

l into the arms of

me, a faint blush appearing on his fair face. I realize

trikingly handsome

eyes gazed st

ang

ared my throat. "You should chang

und from his nose,

, I held my head in my

reed to be his girlfriend,

the room and spread a blanket on the fl

, his dark eyes seemingly

y lay down on

imbed onto the bed and snuggled into my a

d him hard, the sound of a solid th

dly. "You're not a child anymore! Go slee

sound from un

s. This guy was to blam

find those rolls

ket, and he was shiver

is eyes, his dark eyes look

he bed. It's col

ed with a glimmer of jo

he only slept o

I started feeling cold, unsu

I'll hold yo

ike a puppy, and I

.

at Phil, who curled up i

ead and went

sn't wearing shoes, so I walke

aged leaves fell to the ground, making a ru

ht. I needed to go b

pit loosely covered with lea

and then I realize

, and when I twitched, he

and he rubbed his sleepy all

hint of desir

fled th

.

movie, and I gladly agreed. In the dark

ared at me with tear-filled e

until I was cornered ag

snapped coldly, "Phil

and moved away from me, squat

early ver

th Phil's secret paper. I demanded sternly, "Phi

on hearing m

d, he alre

called o

few days, he had grown a

"Phil's paper can only b

e yellow papers were

room? And why did you look like a chil

hair covering his eyes. Sweat beads appeared on his forehead as

noticed his face was

I had to s

know who

n't k

speec

d voice whispering in my ear, "Please, you are mi

pit in the middle o

ly I was dreaming, like

barefoot, searchi

dually collapsed w

wing, and the sparse, dappled sunlight filtering thr

uched my foot. I looked down,

ng on the ground towards me, his whi

s pale, making him

d sharply with the lush

ified beyo

ft my leg, desperate to get away

ite hand suddenly

and I was on th

d his head, locki

as P

aze was fierce and obsessive,

rly bloodless, with n

ered, feeling the cold,

d kissed my foot, slow

t, finding myself tig

not look

p at school, feeling utte

d anxiously, "Mona, did

to see his w

ngled slig

e willing, we can leave this city tomorrow,"

ny longer and burst in

sighed softly. "Leav

"My dear, no more tears," he teased, tapping my nose. "I'll

utiful as if it were the sunlight that

e me urged me

suddenly hit him, grues

cried, kneelin

ed, "Please, someone

, while people around me asked why I didn't get in the car and

knew Manfre

yself, my feet involunta

as truly und

at him fiercely. He still

ard and slapp

n confusion, his lips moving s

you still

ly and fiercely in my ear, "Please, you are min

hat kind of a mon

ery means to d

of last night's dre

me a dee

ldn't sle

looked at me with disgust. "This is fo

t. I promise I'll marry so

le

eyes, I was still in the deep pit in the middle

ale, bloodless face, with

It was the slap I gave

me as Phil crawled onto my body, his p

ncontrollably

over forcibly. It was a dream. It

mate with me, the

rose all ov

arlobe, neck,

ically, "No. Ple