A frightened boy tells his mother that there is someone in his room at night. She doesn’t believe him until she installs a surveillance camera and makes a startling discovery.

Christopher Corbin pulled the sheets right over his head and stuffed his fingers in his ears. He thought that if he couldn’t see or hear the monster, it couldn’t get him — or at least he hoped so.

Over the last few days, the monster had gotten bolder and Christopher was sure that pretty soon he would feel those terrible claws dragging him out of bed and into the monster’s lair. Then he’d be lost forever, and his mom wouldn’t be able to find him…

Lacey Corbin looked at seven-year-old Christopher worriedly. Her usually boisterous and talkative son was very quiet and picking at the cereals he usually wolfed down for breakfast.

“Chris, honey,” she said. “What’s going on?”

Sometimes what may seem impossible is very real.
“Nothing…” Chris said, but from the way he looked away, Lacey knew he wasn’t telling her the truth.

“Come on honey,” Lacey said gently, sitting down next to Chris and putting her arm around him. “I can tell you’re upset. Please tell me what’s wrong.”

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Chris looked up at her with tragic eyes. “You won’t believe me,” he said sadly.

“Yes I will, I promise,” Lacey said seriously. “I cross my heart.”

“There’s a monster in my room,” Chris whispered in her ear. “He lives in my closet and he walks around at night and comes to the kitchen to eat. But I think one of these days he will eat ME.”

Lacey’s first reaction was to laugh, but she saw the dark shadows under her son’s frightened eyes. It might be only fantasy, but it was real to Chris. “OK, honey,” Lacey said. “I’ll put in a night light to frighten the monster.”

Chris looked happier. “You think that will work?” he asked.

“Yes, of course,” Lacey said. “Closet monsters melt in the light. You’ll see.”

But the next morning, Chris was as frightened as ever. “Mom, I nearly saw him!” Chris cried. “I saw his shadow through the sheets because of the night light. He didn’t melt, mom!”

“Listen, Chris,” Lacey said. “I’m going to catch your monster. Remember that nanny cam mom got when you were little?”

“The one that looks like a teddy bear?” asked Chris.

“Yes,” Lacey said. “I’m going to put it in your bedroom tonight, and if ANYTHING moves in there, it will film it. We’ll catch the monster in the act.”

Of course, Lacey didn’t expect the camera to catch anything, least of all a monster. She just wanted to set her son’s mind at ease. The next morning, she sat down to breakfast with Chris and uploaded the cam video.

Her mouth fell open. In the black and white video showing Chris’ room, the closet door swung open and a smaller figure scuttled out. There WAS something hiding in Chris’ closet!

Lacey jumped up and ran upstairs. She opened the closet door and pushed the toy boxes aside. Right in the back, curled up into a ball was a little boy about Chris’ age.

He started crying when he saw Lacey and she gently drew him out. “Hello,” she said. “I’m Lacey. Who are you?”

“I’m Victor,” the boy said in a tremulous voice.

“Hey there Victor,” Lacey said. “How about you come down and have breakfast with us? Christopher thought you were the closet monster!”

Chris was stunned when he saw his mother bring a little boy downstairs but he was very relieved to discover that Victor wasn’t a monster and didn’t want to eat him!

Victor told Lacey that he’d come to Chris’ seventh birthday party two weeks before with a friend, and had liked the family so much he decided to stay. “But what about your mom?” Lacey asked. “Won’t she be worried?”

Victor shook his head. “No,” he answered. “My mom is dead. My dad married Marga and she doesn’t like me. Please don’t make me go home!”

But of course, Lacey was forced to take Victor home. She knew immediately that he was telling the truth when she saw the way his stepmother yanked him inside by the arm.

“Stupid boy!” she screamed. “No dinner for you!” The woman turned a charming smile on Lacey and explained that they had thought Victor was with a friend. But Lacey saw the way the woman dug her nails into Victor’s shoulder.

She went from Victor’s house straight to the police and in an hour she was back with two officers and a social worker. They caught Victor’s parents red-handed mistreating their son.

At Lacey’s request, the social worker allowed Victor to stay at Lacey’s house (in the spare bedroom this time). When the court sent his parents to jail, Victor was allowed to stay. As soon as possible, Lacey asked to adopt Victor and he became Chris’ best friend as well as his brother.

What can we learn from this story?

Sometimes what may seem impossible is very real. Lacey thought her son was imagining it but there really was a ‘monster’ in the closet!
Every child deserves to be loved unconditionally. Lacey offered Victor the same love she gave Chris — the love he never received from his father and stepmother.

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