LJ Idol 19: F That, I *AM* a Contender!

[bewize]

When I was a child, I knew a secret. Once I went to bed, if I pulled my blankets in tightly around me, if I slipped the second pillow over my eyes, if the only part of me left exposed to the darkness was my nose, then I was safe from everything.

The monsters under my bed had no power if they couldn't touch me, and the blanket was my fortress. The shouting voices of my parents couldn't penetrate the thin fabric as more than muffled exclamations, which my childish brain could turn into songs or playful greetings coming from dreamed friends waiting to lure me into the Land of Nod.

If I took a flashlight under the covers with me, I could get lost in secret gardens, wardrobes, foreign countries, enchanted forests, pirate ships, or anywhere else the written page could take me.

Somewhere in my teen years sleep became an end of itself. The hours under the covers were still spent drifting from dream to dream, only these dreams involved school, boys, a bright and shiny future that was almost in my reach.

But eventually, all childhoods end and mine was no exception.

After college, I got my very first apartment, complete with roommate to share the expenses. Her bedroom shared a wall with mine, and while we were poor and living mostly from pilfered food from either her job waitressing, my job waitressing, or her boyfriend's job as a restaurant manager, we were comfortable.

My graduation present from my mother was a bed, and it is the most comfortable bed in the world. The blankets were the same ones I'd used as a child, so perhaps it isn't surprising that on the night when my dresser turned over, without explanation, that I immediately yanked the covers over my head.

It was three a.m., I'd been in bed for at least an hour and a half (waitressing was a night job!), and the roommate and her boyfriend were also asleep.

BOOM!!!!

I was jerked awake and my first thought, for which I take no responsibility, was "MONSTERS!" I yanked the covers over my head because I didn't want to see the end coming.

Two seconds later, I threw them off and leapt to my feet, because fuck that, I wasn't going down without a fight!

There was nothing there.

The dresser and the television on the dresser were both laying face down on the ground. Without explanation.

Then, I heard the boyfriend's voice. "V! Go and see what that was."

I promptly dissolved into hysterical giggles.

We never did find out what made the dresser turn over. I maintain that it was a poltergeist. Whatever it was, the protective magic of the blanket was forever shattered.

Earlier this morning, I got an email from my boss telling me that next Tuesday will be my last day at work. (I'm fighting it, but that's another post altogether.) From where I sit now, I see monsters more real than any from my childhood barreling towards me in the form of utility bills, credit card statements and student loan IOUs coming due.

All I want to do is climb under the blanket and hide until it goes away.

In fact, as soon as I post this entry, I think I will go and hide under the covers. But tomorrow, I'm going to throw them back, get up and get dressed, drive into my office and fight for a severance package. Then I'm going to go to an interview and do my best to get a new job.

Because, fuck that, I'm not going down without a fight!

This entry was written in response to the therealljidol Challenge 19: Blanket . There will (probably) be voting for this week's entries. I will make sure to link to the poll once it is put up and I would appreciate it if you would vote for me if you enjoy my entry. As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated.

Comments

[catwomyn5.livejournal.com]

You are going to WIN! You will get the package and a job offer! Be the monster! *grrrrr* Nice entry! ;)

[bewize.livejournal.com]

WIN! I WILL BEAT HIM AT HIS OWN GAME!!!!

Glad you liked it. :)

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

You go! Good luck on the interview! And I hope the jerks give you the severence package youneed and deserve!

[bewize.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Tomorrow promises to be a long day...

[gratefuladdict.livejournal.com]

Awww... this reminds me a bit of the cape the child wears in Crash, and the badge the officer wields in Practical Magic. Our symbols have power because we believe in them. At least until the poltergeists come along.

Good luck tomorrow!!!

[bewize.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Symbols do have power. Even over poltergeists. It was gone when I came out from under the covers. :D

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

I love how you thread the fear of unseen monsters (even good ones) through this... and how you will overcome the very real, very scary, and yet still unseen, ones you are facing now.

You deserve that package, so fight fight fight!

Good luck with your interview, although I am sure you will knock 'em dead.

[bewize.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

*bounces around*

I will fight! Fight to the bitter end!

[dabhug.livejournal.com]

YOU CAN DO IT! I believe in you.

[bewize.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[superhappytime.livejournal.com]

I don't really remember having fright as a child that led to be hiding under a blanket...mine was more to escape to my own imaginary world of awesome.

[bewize.livejournal.com]

Lucky childhood. I used to jump out of the bed because I thought the monsters would grab me from the shadows.

[superhappytime.livejournal.com]

I very rarely have nightmares of any type. Or maybe I just imagine myself as too awesome for fright.

[bewize.livejournal.com]

That's lucky. I often have nightmares, sometimes really bad ones even as an adult. Stupid overactive imagination!! *shakes fist*

Of course, in situations where I *should* be scared, I most often prove that I have a deep seated stupidity that masquerades as bravado. *woes*

[superhappytime.livejournal.com]

oh, my overactive imagination is more into the absurd.

[bewize.livejournal.com]

Like what, if you don't mind sharing. Two nights ago, I had a dream that I was trapped in a car with a strange man who wouldn't stop smoking when I asked him to. So I threw him out of a moving car.

That struck me, even at the time, as absurd.

Or do you mean not dreams and something else?

[superhappytime.livejournal.com]

oh, dreams...not dreams...it doesn't really matter.

the other night i had dream that billy idol was a clean cut, successful business man without a hint of irony to him.

[boxsofrain.livejournal.com]

You go get those monsters! ;)

[bewize.livejournal.com]

Grrr, argh!

Hehehe. Thank you!

[johnmill79.livejournal.com]

That drawer was definitely creepy!

[bewize.livejournal.com]

It really was! No idea what happened to it...

[darkprism.livejournal.com]

I wish you absolutely only the best.

I can completely relate to the "rules of the covers and monsters." =)

~*~

[brightflashes.livejournal.com]

I love your attitude in this and I love your ability to use the topic to convey the two stages of your life and just very good job. I love it. :)

[abbismom.livejournal.com]

Brilliant post. Tightly written and put together wonderfully.

Having said that, I'm sorry you are going through job woes. It may be the start of something better...like my recent job woes were. But in the meantime, it's scary as shit.

Best of luck!

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Haha I like how your boyfriend nominated YOU to go figure out what happened. hah.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Also I believe you mentioned in the green room while I was on my trip that you had a certain picture of a young lady wearing a beekeeping veil. (I got on long enough at some point to read comments but not respond, and now there's a hopeless heap of them somewhere) You should send it to me at winged_snail [at] yahoo.com (=

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

My brother did the same thing with his blanket every night. I knew they could protect against monsters, but I didn't know they also protected against poltergeists!

[thenodrin.livejournal.com]

I need to explain my thought process before I can really reply, otherwise it won't make any sense.

You talk about monsters and covers and that makes me remember a Cookie Monster alarm clock I had when I was little (before my sister was born, so I had to have been 5 or 6.) I was terrified that Cookie Monster was going to eat me.

So, this put me in mind of late 70s - early 80s channel 9 children's programing. So, when the boyfriend asked you to check and see what caused the dresser to fall over. I immediately thought that you should say, "Its the plumber. He's come to fix the sink." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLywD77KBT0)

So, I'm kinda weird. You probably already knew that.

Good entry. :-)

Theno

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Perhaps if you throw the blanket on the monster, it will get confused!

[amandakcampbell.livejournal.com]

I hope everything went well on the interview and that you get that severance package!!

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

lol. Great entry! Why is it that wierd things like that happen in the night? I love being under my blankets. Right now they are in the laundry, or I'd go curl up, just to honor this entry.

[sushimustwrite.livejournal.com]

That is one magical dresser. I hope the interview went well.

[agirlnamedluna.livejournal.com]

Ah, I had a very similar ritual as a child.

I really hope you'll win and get a package and a new job!

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

:grins:

[scienter.livejournal.com]

I didn't have monsters and I've always wondered why. I think it would have behooved me to be afraid of monsters for a while, anyway.

All the best of luck in your job quest! Go kick some ass, lady!

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

I STILL use my blankets that way, it's a comfort measure. No matter how hot the weather, I don't sleep well unless I have at least a portion of a blanket draped over me. Good entry.

[pricelessone.livejournal.com]

Work it, girl. You're amazing. Hope everything worked out.