On Monsters

         In the shadows behind buildings, monsters lie. Their erratic forms make deciphering them hard, and they shy away from the human eye, so they are never seen, even at night. The monsters vary just as much as people do, with some pretty in pale shades of blue and others sprouting crimson horns where humans would sprout hair.
But their unnerving appearances show nothing of their intentions.

         One such monster, a dark, deep-voiced force with as many legs as a spider, sneaks behind furniture in the daytime. They are the shadow you think you see moving in the corner of your eye, only to vanish when you turn to check. Its favorite piece of furniture is the dryer, which grants them warmth when they lays behind. They often steals warm, freshly-dried socks in the winter to keep their many appendages warm.

         Another such monster, a green, slimy mass, hides itself in the sewers, where they spend their days plotting world domination. They are the tinkling noise you hear when you pass by a manhole cover, but assume it's just running water. They love hot dogs, and often venture above grounds at night to stock up on the leftover ones from street vendors. Unfortunately for them, it's unlikely that their evil plan ever comes to fruition, for so much as a glimpse of a human sends them running for cover.

         A third such monster, a misty, phantom-like form, hides in bakery cupboards until chef's backs are turned. While the chef isn't looking, they take a pinch of sugar from the bag and add it to the recipe. They dash off to their cupboard when the chef returns, giggling softly like a muffled set of chimes. Before the cookie dough can be put in the oven, they sneak out one last time to snatch a quarter of the dough, startling the chef, who finds that they have nowhere near as much cookie dough as they thought.

         A fourth such monster, a spotted, fluffy giant, sits in the countryside, among a field of wildflowers. While they are alone, they aren't lonely, and spend their time perfecting their potions and spells. They hate the winter chill, and fashion fist-sized charms from the daisies to magic away the cold. While it might make the weather stay summery a little longer, the charm also prevents the occurrence of winter snow.

         A fifth such monster, a scaly, yellow snake, rests in the attic during sunlight hours, nestled on an old, forgotten couch. At night, they wake up and racing downstairs, causing enough commotion to tilt the picture frames on the walls in the process. They conduct a search of the house for battery packs, and leach the energy from any that they can find. When they find colored pencils, they hiss and back away, thinking the utensils are other monsters threatening their territory. Later, they curl up on the windowsill and watch the moon descend from the sky, moving back upstairs only when sunrise starts to tint the horizon gold.