Fear

There's a monster in a cave. It has blue skin, fangs and blood dripping from its mouth. It's salivating, hungry for more.

I'm terrified to enter the cave. I left my purse in there.

I know I need to get my bag, but I don't want the angry blue monster to see me.

My heart is pounding. I tiptoe softly towards the cave using all lowercase letters on my feet.

I enter the cave's opening. There it sits, the blue monster in the darkness.

I realize as I come closer that the blood wasn't blood at all. There was ketchup dripping from its mouth. And the blue skin was just painted on.

The "monster" is sitting in the cave with bright eyes. It is just as scared as I am. As I come closer, I realize that it's not even a monster at all. It's a little boy.

The boy begins to cry. I notice my purse next to him. I unzip it and hand him a tissue. He blows his nose.

I hug him tight.
"I'm sorry." I say. "I don't know why I was afraid. Can we be friends?"

He nods.

I take his hand. He stands up and together we walk out of the darkness of the cave into the sunlight.

I am not afraid.

We are brave. We are together. We are one.