Afraid of the Dark

“Hush little baby, don’t say a word,
And never mind that noise you heard.
It’s just the beasts under your bed,
In your closet, in your head.”
― Metallica, Enter Sandman

Mom always tells me not to be afraid of the dark. But I know better.

“There’s nothing that can hurt you,” she’ll say with a smile before kissing me on the forehead and closing the door behind her. That’s when I pull the covers over myself like a burial cloth and lay awake with my eyes open until I see the light again.

Once,...