All Things Possible | Teen Ink

All Things Possible

July 14, 2015
By KatalyticReaction GOLD, Frisco, Texas
KatalyticReaction GOLD, Frisco, Texas
17 articles 1 photo 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
"We need more completely sane people doing completely crazy things.” -Hank Green


As a child, I had this recurring dream about a monster living under my bed. It would whisper things to me, but I can never quite remember what they were. They were spoken like secrets shared between two friends-- insistent, almost eagerly, and with the mysteriousness of all things possible.

The monster would tell me different secrets every time, then it would pause for a few seconds after finishing, and it always asked if it could come out from under the bed. I always said yes.

The monster would then proceed to ask if it could share my bed, because the floor underneath was cold and lonely.

Maybe it was pity, or maybe I never had a choice but to say yes, but I always said yes.

And the bed would shift, box springs creaking under added weight, blanket moving to cover both of us, something--some thing-- snuggling against my side for warmth, always accompanied by the scent of mothballs and acrylic paint.

“Thank you.”

It wasn’t spoken, but I could feel the quotation marks.

And we would lay in silence, until I woke up to the smell of mothballs and acrylic paint.

Every part of me--my hair, skin, pajamas, fingernails, and even my mouth--was covered with the scent and taste of mothballs and acrylic paint.

This perplexed me to no end until the dreams stopped when I was 15, and I forgot all about them. It wasn’t until recently that I had the dream again. Except that it kind of went differently than it normally did.

It took place in my new house with my new bed and my adult self. I remember, to this day, what the monster told me when it started to whisper.

Insistently, almost eagerly, with the mysteriousness of all things possible.

“I found you.”

And the bed shifted, the springs creaked, the blanket enveloped, and the monster embraced me in a hug I didn’t know I missed. When I tried to return the favor, my eyes opened with tears I didn’t know I possessed. The scent of mothballs and acrylic paint filled every pore of my soul, and I sobbed with the feeling that I suddenly lost something I couldn’t replace.

My monster was gone and all I was left with was

“Thank you.”



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This article has 4 comments.


on Jul. 23 2015 at 11:02 am
DawnBreaker BRONZE, Berthoud, Colorado
3 articles 0 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.
-Napoleon Hill

It is interesting to see a take on monsters where it is not some melevolant demon thing and is more of a mysterious friend. I'm not sure entirely the bigger picture behind this, but I think if you kept developing it, this would be even better. Good job though.

Beila BRONZE said...
on Jul. 21 2015 at 3:14 am
Beila BRONZE, Palo Alto, California
3 articles 0 photos 516 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." -Mark Twain

I really enjoyed the eerie mystery in this piece, and especially the unexpectedly emotional turn of the ending. However, I agree with Jc543 that this story needs more development in terms of imagery and details. You've got me hooked, but not yet am I totally immersed in your world. Keep working on pulling the reader in beyond just the surface level. Good luck in your future writing!

on Jul. 18 2015 at 7:58 pm
KatalyticReaction GOLD, Frisco, Texas
17 articles 1 photo 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
"We need more completely sane people doing completely crazy things.” -Hank Green

Thank you so much for your feedback! I really appreciate your advice, and I'll definitely be sure to take it into account in the future.

Jc543 BRONZE said...
on Jul. 18 2015 at 3:40 pm
Jc543 BRONZE, Bronx, NY, New York
3 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

Although I don't have a firm grasp on the larger idea being expressed, I found this piece to be very captivating. The simile used in the first paragraph was beautifully constructed. The first paragraph instantly drew me in, causing me to speculate about the monster's origins. At first I thought you would use the monster as a malevolent entity, but instead you created this emotional bond between it and the protagonist. By going down that path, you created a much more stronger story. However, I would love to see more descriptions throughout the story that had the same caliber as paragraph 1. Overall the story was very enjoyable.