Millie and the Midnight Monsters

Scratch. Scratch. Scratch. Millie's eyes snapped open. Something was at her bedroom door. She pulled the covers up to her nose. Scratch. Scratch. Scratch. Millie grabbed Mr Bunny tight. "What's out there, Mr Bunny?" she whispered. WHOOSH. The door swung open. Millie held her breath. Tap. Tap. Tap. Something was coming across the floor. Tap. Tap. Tap. It stopped. Right next to the bed. Millie leaned over the side very slowly. Two little eyes looked up. "Mew." It was Pickles. The cat. Just sitting there. Licking her paw. Looking very unimpressed. "PICKLES! You scared me!" Pickles jumped on the bed, curled up, and went straight to sleep. "...Thanks for that," said Millie. She turned to go back to sleep. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. It was coming from downstairs. Millie grabbed her flashlight from the bedside table. She looked at Mr Bunny. His eyes were wide and wonky. "Don't be scared, Mr Bunny" said Millie. "We've got this." She crept down the stairs. One step at a time. Creeeak. Creeeak. Creeeak. The thumping was coming from the kitchen. THUMP. BANG. RATTLE. THUMP. Millie's flashlight was shaking. THUMP. BANG. RATTLE. THUMP. The kitchen door was rattling on its hinges. Something in there was making a LOT of noise. Millie pushed the door open and shone her flashlight inside. There it was. The washing machine. Spinning around and around. THUMP. BANG. RATTLE. THUMP. "See? Just the old washing machine," said Millie. "Nothing to be scared of, Mr Bunny." Her voice was a bit wobbly. The machine shuddered. Groaned. And went still. "See? Nothing to be scared of." She backed out slowly and closed the door. GRRRRRRRRR. Millie gripped Mr Bunny tight. "WHAT was THAT?!" It was coming from the living room. This was the loudest noise yet. Low. Deep. Rumbly. GRRRRRRRRRRRR. That was NOT the washing machine. That was NOT the cat. Millie held Mr Bunny tighter. He flopped forward. She propped him back up. "I know, Mr Bunny. I'm scared too. But we have to." She crept across the hallway and pushed open the living room door. She pointed her flashlight at the couch. Something was lying on it. A blanket was pulled up high. And poking out the bottom... A huge, hairy foot. Millie gulped. She took one step closer. GRRRRR-SNORK-GRRRRRRR. The thing was GROWLING. Then she saw it. A big hairy arm hanging off the side of the couch. Hairy feet. Hairy arms. Growling. "Mr Bunny," whispered Millie. "I think this is an actual monster." She took one more step. Then the SMELL hit her. Millie's nose scrunched up. "It smells like... like..." PFFFFFFT. The monster had FARTED. "Oh that is DISGUSTING." The dog was on the floor next to the couch. He opened one eye, wrinkled his nose, and went straight back to sleep. Millie crept closer. She grabbed the edge of the blanket. "This is it, Mr Bunny. On three." One. Two. THREE. She pulled it back. "RAAAAH!" "AAAGH!" The monster sat bolt upright. It was Dad. Hair sticking up everywhere. Eyes half open. Dribble on his chin. "Huh?! What?! I'm awake! I was just resting my eyes!" "DAD! I thought you were a MONSTER!" "The SNORING! And the SMELL!" Dad looked offended. "I did NOT—" The dog looked at him. Millie looked at him. "...You sound like your mother," muttered Dad. "Come on, little one. Back to bed." Dad carried Millie back upstairs. He tucked her in. Mr Bunny on one side. Pickles on the other. "No more monsters?" said Dad. "No more monsters," said Millie. Dad kissed her forehead and tiptoed to the door. "Goodnight, Millie." "Goodnight, Dad." Millie closed her eyes. No scratching. No thumping. No growling. Just silence. Beautiful silence. ... HOOOOWWWWWL. Millie's eyes flew open. She grabbed her flashlight. She looked at Mr Bunny. THE END.