The night started like any other. Samantha was in bed by eight o clock and she was asleep by eight fifteen. I was right there beside her, watching over her, protecting her from all that goes bump in the night. I am Flashy, Samantha’s trusty flashlight. I make over five hundred lumens of monster banishing, shadow killing brightness. No matter if she wakes up from a nightmare, or she sees a strange shape in her closet I am there. All she has to do is grab me and light me up. When she does the monsters all flee from my might! I have been watching over her for six years now, and I have yet to fail her. On bad nights I just need to hold the forces of darkness at bay long enough for one of her parents to come in and rescue us. I have not failed yet.

  I laid beside her head just waiting for a dastardly shadow or creepy creak to dare disturb my ward so my wrath could shine down like a thousand blazing candles. The minutes ticked away but I didn’t mind. I am vigilant, nothing gets past me. Soon an hour had slowly crept by when I started to sense a presence coming from under bed. I kept a watchful eye out to make sure that it didn’t try anything funny. The seconds were ticking slowly by and I could feel the pressure building. I knew that soon the moment of violence would be at hand. I could hear Samantha starting to stir in her sleep. The aura of malice coming from under her bed was waking her from restful slumber. I knew that soon whatever was down there would make its move.

  With a start Samantha awoke and in a flash I was going to battle with my unseen foe. My bulb flared into life as I quickly swung under the bed to vanquish my mortal enemy. Alas! What terror did I find waiting for me in the underbelly of Samantha’s room? Naught but some dirty socks and her tea set. I had done it; I banished the Wrathful Spirit of Doom! Samantha was safe again. The agents of chaos that roam the kingdom of her room were no match for me.

  The elation of victory quickly subsided as I settled back into my diligent watch. Just because I had vanquished one foe tonight didn’t mean I could relax. I would not rest until dawn. I could not rest until dawn, for she depends on me! The hours started to flow quickly by as I kept my silent watch. The small Hello Kitty clock on her dresser was just showing midnight when Samantha awoke with a whimper. I instantly blazed to life to comfort her from her nightmare. I hate when she has them for they are the one thing I can’t prevent from attacking her. At least I can be there to comfort her when she has one.

  As quickly as she had awoken, she was calm and back asleep. This was the part of my watch that was often the hardest. As the night wanes the horrors of the unknown try their hardest to attack my precious ward. But I am always ready for them. In the murky depths of her closet I could see something moving. What ever it was it was big, and it was watching me. I knew that for a threat like this I must be extra prepared, so I made sure that she was fully covered for no denizen of the night can get through the protective blankets.

  This was shaping up to be a long night, and to make matters worse I could here a deep rumble in the distance. It was getting closer with each passing moment and soon I could see bright flashes of light outside the door. A thunderstorm was upon us. Things had gone from bad to worse. A searingly bright flash of lighting followed near instantly after by a deafening roar of thunder woke Samantha. I knew that tonight we just had to hold out until Dad came and got us.

  Mere seconds passed and Dad was there, Samantha hadn’t even called for him. He knew that we needed him and he came. He is the best. Dad picked both of us up and took us into his room to be there with Mom.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Everything will be ok honey” Mom said as she gently stroked Samantha’s hair.

  “I thing we should go to the basement, the news said there is a chance for tornadoes tonight” Dad whispered to Mom.

  With that Dad picked us back up and we headed downstairs to be safe. I hate the basement. It is full of junk and it is always dark down here. Even during the daytime the shadows are long and the monsters waiting behind every corner. Thankfully Samantha rarely goes down here, and when she does Mom or Dad is almost always with her. Mom and Dad headed under the stairs with Samantha in tow.

  As soon as everyone was settled a thunder clap shook the very earth we were in and the lights went out. I instantly came on to keep us safe from the omnipresent darkness of the basement. “I’m going to grab our lantern off the shelf quick” Dad said before climbing out from under the stairs with only his pathetic phone for a flashlight. Dad quickly found the box marked camping and pulled it off the shelf. He started rifling through it and soon he said “Found it!” He switched the lantern on and a dull bluish glow lit up the basement.

  He started walking back when a crashing noise resounded all through the house. The great oak beside the house came crashing through the ceiling overhead! It crushed the stairs and Mom shielded Samantha from the massive limbs that instantly filled the space around us. One of the limbs had hit Mom in the back of the head and she fell limp on top of us. The basement was plunged back into darkness as one of the limbs hit the lantern from Dad’s hands shattering it.

  I tried to come on but I couldn’t. I was cracked and broken. In my ward’s hour of greatest need I couldn’t do anything. Fear started to bubble up inside me as I heard Dad calling out to us for light so he could find and help us. I couldn’t light up. Samantha started crying as she realized she was all alone in the dark, stuck under her injured mom. I had to light up, I absolutely had to. How can I call myself her protector if I can’t do this one simple thing? The creatures of the darkness were closing in on us and the only hope we had was for me to light up the night. I tried to turn on but nothing happened. I was hit to hard. I was broken.

  I couldn’t give up without a fight, everyone was depending on me. I concentrated as hard as I could on igniting my bulb but to no avail. I could feel the power running through my core but it couldn’t make it to my bulb. My connection was severed and there was no hope. Yet I had the strength for one last try. I focused all of my being on bringing light back into the world. As I strained with all my might I felt a flicker, a flash, run through me. Then another one! I felt a third one starting but I was unable to make it happen. I was empty, no more energy left. I gave my all but it wasn’t enough. I was a failure. I could hear Samantha begging me to light up again but I knew that it was impossible. But as I heard her crying and pleading, I knew that I had to keep trying until my final moments and I ceased to exist.

  So, gathering all of the strength I could muster I gave one last desperate push. To my surprise I felt myself ignite and start shining bright. I did it! I lit up the darkness when it was needed the most. “Hold on Samantha I see you. I’m coming for you” Dad cried out when he saw my light. Soon he had fought his way to us. He quickly freed Mom and Samantha from the tree. He laid Mom out carefully on the floor and told Samantha to be brave and hold the light so he could help Mom. He was able to rouse her from her impact induced slumber.

  The next thing I remember is waking up in Samantha’s hands in a hospital room. Mom was resting because she had a mild concussion from when the branch hit her. Everyone said she would be ok. Dad came over to sit next to Samantha and he said “I’m proud of you Sammy, you saved us, you and Flashy saved your mom. I love you.”