There once lived a monster, who was young and kind and furry. He had a family whom he loved very much—his mother, father, and a little pet bug that jumped and licked at the monster every time he came home from school. He had friends who smiled and hugged him whenever he was sad. And he had a home, and food, and clothes knit from monster fur that kept him warm in the wintertime. Indeed, the world he lived in was as kind and warm as his heart. The only problem with his world was that it was always ever so dark!  

The monster had read the stories of the adventurers who had ventured beyond the city wall. They told of a thing called a sun, that was almost like a ball but it was made of every single color imaginable, and even more; and when one touched it, they were embraced by thick golden rays that banished all fear. They told of a thing called stars, that were not as bright as the sun, but twinkled pleasantly so that one would not be blinded by them; and if one laid back and stared up at them, one could make out pictures from the tiny lights.  

One day, the monster had walked a little further off the trail home than he should have. He began to tremble, and then began to run, since it truly is terrifying when one does not know what direction home is. He ran aimlessly, for his legs were gripped with fear, until finally he grew too tired and sat down on the warm fluffy floor. His eyelids drooped (as they do for the little ones who have exerted themselves too strongly), until his back couldn’t hold up his neck anymore and his head slumped on his backpack.  

When the monster woke up again, he was not scared anymore, for he saw something that filled him with wonder. It turned out, he had fallen asleep not far from the city wall, and from where he was resting, he could just see something over it. And there was something on the other side, that was warm and wonderful and light. The monster, forgetting the direness of his situation, ran toward the light. He reached a furry paw up, hoping to catch it, but it flickered and disappeared over the wall to a place he couldn’t see because of the wall blocking his view. 

But the monster wasn’t ready to give up. He braced himself and ran at the wall, furry fingers outstretched to catch a snippet of something he could climb. To his surprise, he didn’t catch anything at all, for he simply tumbled through the wall and landed on something cold and hard. At first he grimaced, there was something shining uncomfortably into his face. But then, once his eyes adjusted, he saw a world full of things to explore. And there was a light! It was large and purple and it warmed the darkness in a way so different from what the monster knew. 

Then, something sounded very loud. It was a low rumble that sounded almost like a roar. The monster jumped and covered his ears. When he thought it was safe, he uncovered his ears and began to crawl to the light, but then the sound came again. Now, the monster was scared. He realized he didn’t like this world. It was cold and hard, and the light hurt his eyes. So, the monster ran back into the darkness, into his world. He ran until finally, he was safe in the dark.