Every child reaches the age
When their thoughts need no consent.
When hearts twist and writhe,
Simple encounters evoke torment.

Days pass as moments,
Slipping through the tightest of grips;
Youth kisses sweet time goodbye
With soft, selfish lips.

With time comes knowledge,
With knowledge comes fear.
With truth we now know:
Monsters are real.

The creatures live among us,
Not unlike what you’ve read
But here in lies the difference,
They live in our souls, not under our beds.