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A bedtime mystery hiding in plain sight. By Catherine Lowery

I walked over to my window, And took a look outside. I couldn’t believe it, My eyes opened wide. I saw him standing there below, Beneath the streetlight’s soft, yellow glow. He looked at me and raised his hand. “Oh my,” I said. “It’s the Boogeyman!”

I kneeled beside my bed And softly said my prayers. Then I thought I heard someone Slowly creeping up the stairs. I quickly jumped into my bed And pulled the covers over my head. I thought to myself, “Who could this be? Is it the Boogeyman coming after me?”

I tried so hard to fall asleep... But then I saw him standing at my door, Looking in to take a peek. Then I heard my bedroom door Slowly open wide. Then I thought I saw him Slip quietly inside.

I looked around my room At my closet’s open door. I saw him standing over there, With his two big feet together on the floor. Then I thought I saw him In the corner, over there. He was sitting patiently On my big blue chair. But... he didn’t seem to stay there long. In a moment, he was gone.

I quickly looked beneath my bed... And what did I see? Two big green eyes Staring back at me. I felt so scared, I couldn’t sleep. Then I felt him tickle The bottoms of my feet.

I screamed so loud, my Mommy came, And Daddy did just the same. They asked me what it is I fear. I said, “It’s the Boogeyman. He really does live here!”

He lives inside our basement And lurks around our house. I know you never see him… He’s as quiet as a mouse. He hides inside my closet And sits upon my chair. I even see him out my window, Giving me his evil stare. With bright green eyes, he looks at me... Each night I see him in here, you see.

Tonight, I even felt his touch. He is different, he is not like us. As I tried to fall asleep, I felt him tickle the bottoms of my feet. When he touched me With that soft, furry hand, I just knew it was the Boogeyman.

Mom sat down upon my bed. Then she looked at me and said, “I know, my dear, just how you feel, But the Boogeyman... He isn’t real. Just take a look around right now To see what you can find. I bet you will agree That this is all just simply in your mind.”

My eyes, they wandered over To my closet’s open door, Just to see my own two boots Together on the floor.

Then I gazed over to the corner, But... he wasn’t sitting there. Instead there was a bunch of clothes Piled high upon my big blue chair. My cowboy hat sat on top. Did I think that this was him? I am relieved that it is not.

As I approached the window And took a look outside, I thought I saw the man From whom I was trying to hide. My heart began to beat real loud, Then it began to race. But when I got a better look... It wasn’t even a stranger’s face. He looked up at me again and waved. It’s just our neighbor… His name is Dave.

I crouched down upon the floor. There was still another place to look, Just one more. I lifted the corner of the spread And took one quick peek beneath my bed. Then I saw those bright green eyes, The ones that took me by surprise. He slowly crept out from under my bed. He began to purr as I stroked his head. That’s just our cat, his name is Sam. I can’t believe that I ever thought That he was the Boogeyman.

I sat down again upon my bed. Then Daddy turned to me and said, “What did you find? What did you learn? Do you think that the Boogeyman will ever return?” I looked at him as I sighed. Then... I replied: He doesn’t live inside our basement Or lurk around our house. He doesn’t come inside my room As quiet as a mouse.

He doesn’t stand inside my closet Or lie beneath my bed. I made him up… It was all in my head. He doesn’t live inside my home Or in a house of any kind. The only place he really lives... Is deep within one’s mind.