I imagine you guys have all heard stories about the bogeyman, right?
You know - the ghost-like creature that is said to hide under the bed or in the closet?
The monster that kids fear yet is dismissed as a legend when we grow older?
Yeah, well I'm afraid this story involves that figure - which means you may laugh at it, but please hear me out.
You see this story was passed down to me from my uncle and concerns a family who lived next to us, or so he claimed anyway... the family moved away shortly after these events, which I always believed was a sign that my uncle was lying - yet even to this day the story creeps me out a little and I've asked my parents if it was true, they have never said yes or no but often looked rather uncomfortable before changing the subject or telling me to stop being silly.
Anyway, here is the story as my uncle used to tell me:
Kevin was an eight-year old boy who lived at home with his mom and dad, who knew all too well about the active imagination their son had - ever since he was three he'd come running into their room at night complaining about the bogeyman and as the years went by both his mom and dad began to grow wary of this behavior.
Eventually seeing no other option his mom and dad decided to go to bed one night with a promise not to give into Kevin's imagination, sure enough later that night Kevin ran into their room and called out:
"Mom! Dad! The boogeyman is in my room!"
"Go to bed Kevin," his mom replied.
"But Mom! The bogeyman is there!" Kevin protested.
"Go to bed," his father replied.
Both parents felt a little bad as their young son stood there, clearly not wishing to return to his room - yet eventually he departed and closed the door behind himself.
"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" Kevin's mom asked her husband.
"He'll be alright, he needs to get over this," Kevin's dad replied.
"He seemed frightened... I should go check," Kevin's mom replied, only for her husband to hold her back.
"We have to do this, for Kevin's sake," Kevin's dad said.
Despite her reluctance eventually Kevin's mom closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
In the morning Kevin's mother was first to wake up and went to her son's room, still feeling guilty over the previous night but expecting to find her son huddled up under the blankets as she slowly opened the door.
What followed was a horrible scream that woke Kevin's father with a start and he rushed out of bed and into Kevin's room - where he soon fell to his knees alongside his wife as they gazed at a terrible sight: Kevin was hung by the curtains, the window open wide as dirty boot-prints stained the floor, a paper note attached to Kevin's chest read out:
Do you believe in monsters?