Got any monsters? Tell Dave!

So, Dave is going to be my guest blogger today, only I will be introducing him! I really like that all of my guest bloggers have brought something completely different to Trace Talks. Dave decided to share a story he wrote several years ago that was intended to be for a childrens' (ages 2-5) picture book. Wow, who knew the guy with the Masters in Journalism who's been published in online magazines also writes for kids? Here's Dave!

WHEN I WAS 3 YEARS OLD

When I was 3 years old, I was scared of monsters. Every night, after my mommy tucked me in bed and turned out the light, all kinds of monsters snuck out of my closet and danced around my bed. But as soon as I turned the lights back on, the monsters disappeared into the closet again.

I cried for my mommy until she had to come and sleep with me in my bed. The monsters were scared of my mommy, so they didn't come out and dance around when she was in my bed.

Now I am a big boy. I turned four last week, and now that I'm big, I'm not scared of monsters anymore. I hunt them.

When my mommy puts me in bed and turns out the lights, I hide under my blue blanket with my flashlight and Sparky the teddybear. I wait until my mommy closes the door, then I crawl over to the closet. Sparky sits in the bed to make the monsters think I'm still in bed. As soon as the monsters come out, I shine my flashlight on them, and say "Go away, you monsters!", and they run away.

Sometimes I hear noises in the attic. So first I make sure my mommy is watching TV, then I climb the stairs. When I find the monsters who are making the noise, I throw my blue blanket on them. Then I say, "Go away, you monsters!", and they do.

A lot of the monsters are really scared, like I was when I was little. When I tell those monsters to go away, they start to cry. When those monsters cry, I just give them a hug and a glass of milk. Then the monsters are sorry they tried to scare me, and they give me a present before they leave. One purple monster gave me a secret. He can't drink milk because it makes him sick.

So, if monsters creep out of your closet and dance around your bed, just come to my big blue house and tell me. I'll make those monsters disappear.