Bed Bugs

It was late at night. My eyes hurt from being open. I wanted sleep. I wanted Mommy. She could make them go away. All of them. But she wasn't here, she was safe in her own bed with Jack. I hated Jack. After Daddy left Jack moved in and Mommy explained that Jack was going to be my new Daddy, but I didn't think there was anything wrong with the REAL Daddy. I guess Mommy thought there was. Jack wouldn't let me crawl into bed with them if I got scared at night.
I was scared now.
I could hear them whispering. Hiding in my closet. Under my bed. In the corners, under the rugs, on the ceiling, behind the curtains! Everywhere, little tiny voices whispering to me. Telling me how good I look to their hungry little stomachs. How tasty I seem. How they want to eat me. Gobble me up, bake me, roast me, fry me, eat me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner ... and dessert.
Jack won't let me leave the light on. He says it wastes eletra-city, but I don't care what city dies because I like my light. He says I can't have my door open either because he needs his sleep so he can get up in the morning.
I'm not getting up in the morning. I'll be dead.
NO! (One of them just moved closer.)
They're big bugs. Little bugs. Some of them are purple, some of them are green, some are blue, and the BIGGEST one is orange with red stripes. He's King Bug. He tells the other ones what to do. Like eat me. That one that moved earlier just got closer.
I don't like Jack, but Mommy said the three of us would be very happy together. Well, Mommy seems happy, Jack seems happy, but THEY don't have to stay awake all night worrying about Bugs. The Bugs only come after little boys and girls. I think Jack brought them.
MOMMY!!!!
(King Bug just reached out with his big feeler thing.)
(It touched my arm.)
Jack won't let me have a doggy. If I had a doggy I could have it stay in here and watch me all night. I'd train it to kill bugs.
I know why the Bugs hate boys and girls. We squish bugs at school. One day Bobby showed me a trick with his glasses. He burned the ants on our sidewalk. That's why Bugs hate us. That's why Bugs eat little children.
King Bug is sitting near my bed. He's staring at me. He's drooling. I'm not going to scream.
Jack wouldn't like being woken up.
*YAWN*
I'm tired. King Bug is singing. Tired.
Think
I'll
sleep...



Good-night.