The Wrong Goodnight

A father entered his seven year old son's room for their nightly routine. The boy was tucked

under his blanket, but something felt wrong. He looked the same, yet different.

A grin stretched unnaturally from ear to ear across his face. The father asked

if he was okay. The boy nodded, that disturbing smile never fading, then spoke in a

voice that sounded just slightly off. He asked his daddy to check for monsters under the bed.

The father chuckled nervously and dropped to his knees, expecting to find nothing but dust

and forgotten toys. Instead, he found his real son. Pale,

trembling, eyes wide with absolute terror. The boy whispered desperately.