Sann sat in the little, pink, plastic chair by the window. She looked outside and watched as gusts of wind carried the clouds across the bright, full moon. The window creaked and groaned whenever the enraged wind battered it from outside. To Sann, the roaring of the wind sounded like the shadows were trying to claw their way into the house. Their long, gangling claws sliced at the window, but could not penetrate the glass.

She hated shadows. Sann was scared to death of them. Anything could be lurking inside ready to strike. That's why she sat close to the window, where she could bath in the glow of the moonlight. Safe.

Pulling her knees up under her chin, Sann watched as moonlight danced on the trees which were swaying from the wind. She shivered, but kept her gaze on the silent moon.

Something moved in the room.

Sann froze, not knowing if she should turn and look or ignore it. What if she sees one of the monsters? Its beady dark eyes staring back at her as if it was looking right through her…

No. Sann thought. I'll be brave, like mommy said. Still, she had an ominous feeling that something else was in the room with her. Sann took a deep breath, and turned her head toward the creeping shadows in the room.

She almost screamed when she seen the monster-like shadows behind her. They covered the walls, the floors, and most of the bed. Once she realized that there was nothing there, she breathed out a sigh of relief. No monsters. She almost laughed out loud as she realized how silly of herself to actually believed there was one in the room with her.

Sann sat and waited. Soon the sun would be up and all of the menacing shadows would be gone. Her mommy would come and hug her, and kiss her, and tell her how brave she was for not being scared. The thought made her feel invincible.

A low moan split the silence.

Now that was real. Sann though to her horror. This time she spun around, flinging the little pink chair across the room. Her eyes darted all around, trying to locate where the sound came from. Then her eyes went to the bed. To the thing that rose from the bed. She looked strait into those dark, beady, menacing eyes.

Sann screamed.

The monster roared back.

Immediately, Sann darted for the door. She hit it hard, and fumbled for the knob. Finally she grasped onto the slick, metallic surface. Twisting the knob, she flung the door open and raced down the hall.

Darkness washed all over her. There was no light except for a small ray coming from down the hall. Terrified she ran toward the light.

"Mommy!" She screamed as tears rolled down her face. The shadows reached out for her from every direction except the orb strait ahead of her. She was only a few feet away when the orb suddenly dropped to the ground with a loud thumb and crack.

The light disappeared.

Behind her the monster roared still, but it was getting closer. Too close. Sann glanced behind her. There it was, roaring, running toward her down the hall coming closer and closer. It was coming to get her.

"NO!" Sann screeched. She tuned left into another room. A huge window glowed on right side of the room. Light! She ran to it but stopped dead halfway there. Two monsters stood silhouetted against the window. The moonlight gave them an eerie glow and turned their thick, dangling, manes into a silver pool. Their long, stick-like arms and legs were wrapped around each other. Both were roaring at her.

Suddenly there was a loud crash as something hit her in the back of her head. Sann spun around to see that the biggest monster was glaring down at her. His eyes were full of malice as he held some sort of board over her head. He was going to strike again.

Sann screeched and darted across the room. She dove under a table in the corner and cowered there, franticly trying to think of what to do, what she was supposed to do. I can't do this! I can't!

"Mommy, help me!"

She looked at the monsters, who were scuttling around the room, looking for her. The shadows are protecting me. Sann thought with awe. Mommy was right, shadows are good. Darkness is safe.

The biggest monster bellowed while the others gathered together. With a jolt, Sann realized that they were crying. They were terrified. They were afraid of her. Sann smiled; they feared her!

She no longer looked at the monsters and cowered with fright. They were weak. She remembered what Teacher told her about monsters. He said they had bad eyesight, they couldn't smell very good, and they can't hurt you without a weapon.

Yes, she could do this. She had a chance. Sann thought of how proud everyone would be of her if she succeeded. They wouldn't laugh at her anymore for being afraid of monsters and shadows. She would finally feel wanted, and not an embarrassment to her mommy.

Sann crept from her hiding place, the darkness. Stealthily, she approached the group of monsters. Silent as the moon. Her short legs moved swiftly but her claws made a taping noise on the hard, smooth surface of the floor. The monsters heard her, but did not see her.

She clapped her pincers with delight as they cried in fear. Her long, barbed tail swished with excitement.

There was a loud crash behind her. Sann looked and saw what the monsters call a lamp had fallen off the table, and now laid on the floor in tiny sharp pieces. The monsters looked down at her. They roared and ran out of the room. Sann ran in pursuit. They dashed down the black hallway, all the way to the end and stopped. They were trapped.

Sann flicked her antennas happily as she seen the terror in the monsters' eyes. Slowly she lifted her front legs while standing on her back ones. Sann splayed out her claws and roared at the monsters. They screamed.

"I'm not afraid of you anymore!" Sann howled. Three trembling monsters cowered beneath her, their dark, beady eyes fixed on her. Three? Where's the fourth, the big one?

BANG!

Something struck her from behind. It stung. Sann whirled around. There, at the  other end of the hallway stood the big monster. He was holding something that looked like a stick…

"No!" Sann hissed in horror. Its one of the monsters' weapons Teacher warned me about. A gun. She dropped to the floor and made a mad dash into a room to her right. One of her legs snapped and she howled in pain. The gun did this!

Sann hurled herself under the bed. Darkness. Strange, just only a short while ago, she was terrified of it.

"Mommy…" She sobbed. The big monster stomped into the room, roaring. Sann stayed silent. The monster was speaking now, it sounded like it was to her. Teacher had taught her some of the monsters' language, so she only understood half of it.

"Come out!" He screeched. "Come out you dammed thing so I can blow your head off!" Sann could tell he was extremely mad and frightened at the same time. I have to do this!

Cautiously, Sann crept out from under the bed. His back was to her. Perfect. Scuttling, she approached him and stood on her back legs again so she towered over him.

"Dad! Look out!" A monster from behind screamed. The big monster turned around and stared strait into her wide, red eyes while she looked into his dark, beady ones. Sann hesitated. Can I really kill him? A hesitation was all it took. The monster raised his gun, aimed, and fired.

The impact sent her reeling.

She hit the floor hard.

The shadows that she had been afraid of for so long began to reach out to her with their tiny claws. Soon the whole room was swamped in shadows that were reaching out to her, trying to take her to safety. Not light, but darkness.

The monsters stood over her, staring down at her with those tiny, black eyes.

"What is that, Daddy?" One asked.

"A monster," he replied.

The shadows had engulfed her, and now she was safe.

Safe, in darkness.