the lights are low

the TV plays

to an empty couch

the windows are boarded

shut

yet he hears whispers

he checks the locks

he closes the blinds

he buries himself

under piles of blankets

but a shadow surfaces

by his feet

so he grabs

his shield and runs

to his room

there are no windows

there are no lights

but the wind scratches his roof

and a monster lives under his bed

he finds a bat, gathers

his weapons, sprints

to his basement

but the stairs creak under his weight

so he jumps down the steps

he sits in the center of the floor

so he can better

keep watch

the lights are on

the door is shut

the room is silent

so he can better hear

his pounding heart