Scared Boy by Gabrielle Matus (5th Grader)

In the small town of Santa Elena in the Cayo District of Belize, ten year old Tom and his mom lived in an old wooden house. The boy loved to harass his mom because he was frightened to sleep alone. Tom was afraid monsters would get him. One night while Tom was lying in his bed, he heard a sudden shriek and he cried, “Mom, are you okay?” But there was no answer and everything was silent. He went down the stairs and he saw a monster attacking his mom. Tom asked his mom, “What can I do? His mom told him to stay back or else the monster would attack him as well. Tom could just stand by and watch his mom get hurt, so he got a broom and started to beat the monster.

The monster turned around and tried to kill Tom but he ran into his room and locked the door. Then Tom heard his mom screaming again. He cried, “Mom, are you okay?” Tom left the safety of his room and ran back down the stairs to where his mom was on the floor, bleeding. Tom knew the monster was still somewhere in the house. So he called the neighborhood woodsman who, in no time, came over with an axe. After a short hunt for the monster, he killed it. Then they took Tom’s mom to the hospital.

The doctor said she would survive but would have some brain damage. Eight weeks later, Tom’s mom returned home. She has some disabilities like writing and eating by herself but if she can survive a monster, she could survive anything.