THE BOOGIE MAN

Late one evening when I was eight years old, I had a life changing experience. This is not something I talk about and once you hear the story you will understand why. It sounds completely crazy. Regardless, it still haunts me to this day and I will never forget it.

I had been in bed for a while but I just could not sleep. Detailed and disturbing nightmares were not uncommon, so fighting sleep was routine. To pass the time, I figured that I would get a couple of my toys to play with under the covers. The street lamp not far from my window faintly spilled its light throughout my room and a little past the threshold of my open closet. It was there that I spotted the toys that I wanted to snag, my He-man and Skeletor.

I slipped out of my cozy bed and tiptoed barefoot to my closet. As I was reaching down to pick up my toys, I felt something was wrong. A dread like I had never felt before oozed over my little body. My eyes suspiciously scanned to see what it was. Unfortunately, they found something in the corner of my closet, an unknown dark figure. It was blacker than any other shadow, like a black hole sucking the shreds of light in from the world around it. It was small with shoulders wider than its waist. The thing was humanoid in shape with a round head. From that head peered two faintly glowing red eyes and they were looking right at me.

I stood hunched over, frozen in fear for what seemed like an eternity. I eventually broke myself from my position and cautiously backed away. As I did, those eyes followed me. Then the seriousness of the situation hit me and I really started to shake. After a few steps, I made a mad dash to my bed and hurdled over the foot board. I pulled the blankets over my head and trembled until I passed out. From then on, and even to this very day, my closet remains shut at night and I sleep with a blunt object within arms reach.

I have tried to rationalize it a billion times. Was it an animal? I did have a cat named Conan as a kid but he is not to blame. When I jumped over the end of my bed that night, I woke him up. There is nothing else it could have been. Whatever it was, it was definitely alive. Darkness so incredibly deep that exuded pure fear? I believe what I saw that night was the boogie man.

I am quite aware of how ridiculous this all sounds. But I know what I saw and I can still feel that fear like it happened just yesterday. I am just over thirty years old and I still believe in him. What is worse, my daughter came to me this weekend with that same look in her eyes. She asked if I would come close her closet door because she was afraid of what was inside.

She just turned eight years old. I know it was him.