Taylan McLean slept soundly in her new room. Her, her father, and her older sister had just moved into the house not that long ago. They’d moved to Florida to be closer to their grandmother and their father’s friends. She was sleeping just fine, until she heard a creepy noise. She awoke, only to find her room in complete darkness, as her nightlight had somehow gone out. She sat straight up in bed as she heard a noise, then someone, or something, singing.

I’m the Boogie Man
That’s what I am
Oh, I’m the Boogie Man
That’s what I am

Taylan stared wide-eyed as she saw something move, and screamed loudly. “DADDY!”

Alexander McLean, mainly known as A.J., went flying up the stairs when he heard his youngest daughter’s terrified screams. He was single father of two little girls, who got jealous of the other VERY easily. He reached the second floor, then climbed the set of stairs that led up to Taylan's “awesome” room. He found her sitting in bed, with the covers and her duck clutched to her chest, as tears streamed down her small, rosy, cheeks. “What’s wrong, Baby?” He asked, as he’d turned the overhead light on, on his way up.

“Daddy!” Taylan wailed reaching for him. She immediately climbed into his lap after he’d sat down on her bed, and buried her face into his chest. “Don’ts lets Boogie Man gets me!” She cried.

A.J. hugged her close and rubbed her back. “T, there is no Boogie Man up here. If you hear a noise, it’s just the house settling.” He rocked her a bit, and once she’d calmed down some, he went to tuck her back into bed.

“NO! DADDY!” Taylan shrieked, putting a death grip on him.

A.J. sighed, pulling her close to him again. “Baby T, there’s nothing here. I swear,” he told her softly. “You want Daddy to check?”

Taylan nodded, and allowed him to set her and her duck down on the bed. She sucked her thumb, as she quietly watched him search her room.

A.J. searched her room for monsters, and when he found none, he lifted her up and set her down under the covers. He tucked her and Mr. Duck in, and kissed her forehead. “Nothing in here will hurt you, Baby. Now sleep, okay?”

Taylan nodded slightly and snuggled down into the covers, still clutching her duck tight. She watched as her Daddy turned her nightlight on, blew her a kiss, and left the room. She closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

A.J. went to check on his oldest daughter, Madison, after leaving Taylan's room. When he didn’t find her in bed, he headed for the bathroom and knocked on the door. “MJ?” He called softly.

“Yes, Daddy?” She answered.

“You okay, Baby?”

“Yes, Daddy,” she said sweetly, opening the door and coming out. “Will you tuck me back in, Daddy?”

“Sure Baby,” A.J. smiled, taking her hand in his and leading her back to her room. He tucked her in, kissed her head, and left.

Awhile later, Taylan awoke with a start again. This time instead of a creepy noise, she heard someone moaning. She also noticed her nightlight was off once more. “DADDY!” She wailed loudly.

A.J. came back up, not looking too impressed. “Taylan, there is nothing and no one in here, but you and your toys. Now go to sleep!” He knew she liked to put on an act like this when she wanted him to stay and play. “Daddy’s not telling you again.” He noticed her nightlight off again. “And quit turning this off. It goes off once more and it’s staying off. I mean it, Taylan.”

Taylan whimpered as she watched her Daddy leave. Still being terrified, she went and got her Scooby-Doo phone, and dialed the only number she knew.

“Hello?” A voice said on the other end.

“Brian!” Taylan cried softly.

“Baby T, what’s wrong?” Brian asked worriedly, as he could tell she was upset and crying.

“Boogie Man gonna comes gets me!” She wailed into the phone. “Daddy won’t listen! Says Boogie Man’s not here, but he is!”

“Baby, if Daddy says he’s not there, then he’s not there,” Brian said softly. “He wouldn’t let anything hurt you.”

“I needs you, Brian,” Taylan whimpered, remembering his promise to come over if she ever needed him.

“Baby, you’re fine,” Brian argued slightly.

“Please Brian?” Taylan begged, pouting though he couldn’t see her. “I loves you.”

Brian sighed heavily. “I’ll be right there. And I love you too.” He hung up, and headed down the street to A.J.’s. He was met by a confused man, after ringing the doorbell at the McLean household.

“Brian?” A.J. said confused. “What are you doing here?” He was quite surprised to find his friend on his doorstep at this hour.

“A little girl phoned, crying, and saying the Boogie Man was coming to get her,” Brian answered. “I came to serve and protect.”

A.J. sighed. “I told her to go to sleep.” He looked at Brian. “I’ll deal with her. Sorry you had to come all the way here for nothing.”

Brian shrugged. “Ah, well,” he said. “Late night jog never hurt anyone.” He gave a slight wave, then turned and jogged back to his house down the street.

A.J. closed the door, then marched up to the six-year-old’s room. He flicked the lights on and stormed up.

“Brian?” Taylan called hopefully.

“Brian went home,” A.J. snapped, as he reached the top step, and turned to face her.

Taylan's eyes welled up with tears, as she stared at him.

“And furthermore, you do not phone Brian without permission, unless it’s an emergency! Understood?” A.J. demanded.

Taylan nodded slightly.

“And because you have caused all this unnecessary trouble, you are not allowed to see Brian or watch T.V. at all tomorrow!” A.J. stated. He then stormed back down the stairs, slamming the door behind him.

Taylan started to sob. Wasn’t fair she got in trouble for being scared. Madison never got in trouble for being scared. Then again, Madison never got in trouble at all. Wasn’t her fault the Boogie Man had actually come to get her! She hugged Mr. Duck tight and snuggled back down under the covers. She eventually fell asleep again.

Around eleven-thirty that night, another loud noise woke the already scared little girl up. She sat up yet again, clutching her duck and blankets to her chest. Taylan looked around her room, and began to cry when she heard singing.

I’m the Boogie Man
That’s what I am
Oh, I’m the Boogie Man
That’s what I am

Taylan sat staring wide-eyed about her room. She watched quietly as a figure ran in front of the end of her bed. The monster ran to her closet next and began to make even more noise. She did the only thing she could think of – she screamed. “DADDY!”

A.J. heard his youngest scream for the third time that night, and sighed heavily in annoyance. He chose to ignore her, and see what would happen. He groaned when she only screamed louder. “DADDY!”

Taylan continued to scream and cry until her Daddy finally came. She didn’t care how angry he looked, she still reached for him upon seeing him.

A.J. stood at the foot of her bed, his hands resting on the footboard. “Taylan Lavender, you’ve already lost Brian for one day, do you really want to lose him for another one?”

“NO!” Taylan wailed. “Want Brian!” Still she reached for him. “Daddy!”

A.J. shook his head, seeing her nightlight off, like it’d been the last two times he’d come up. “I told you not to turn the nightlight off, Taylan,” he stated, going over and taking it out of the plug-in on the wall.

“Daddy! Nooo!” Taylan cried, seeing him take her nightlight. “I didn’ts turn it off! I didn’ts!”

“Obviously you did, since there’s no one else here to turn it off,” A.J. snapped. “Now get to sleep.” He turned to leave, but thought he heard someone snicker. He knew it wasn’t Taylan, as she was too busy crying hysterically. He turned towards the closet with raised eyebrows, then went over to it. He opened the doors, only to find a little seven-year-old monster hiding in there, next to a tape deck. “Madison Jade McLean!” He yelled, upon finding her in her sister’s closet. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Madison looked up, surprised that she’d actually been caught. She hadn’t thought she’d be found, when she planned all this to get her sister back for tattling on her before they’d moved. Of course, she’d had Nick’s help, but he hadn’t known it was for terrorizing her little sister. If he’d known that, he wouldn’t have had helped her out.

“Answer me Madison!” A.J. demanded. He fought the urge to yank her out of the closet and smack her behind. “Now!”

Madison started to cry. “It’s a joke, Daddy! It’s a joke!” She cried.

“Well, it’s not funny Madison Jade! You know your sister’s afraid of the dark!” A.J. retorted. “Now get out of the closet! Now!” Once she was out of the closet, he turned her towards her sister. “Apologize!”

“S-Sorry!” Madison choked out. She gave a surprised yelp as she was lifted up into her Daddy’s strong arms. She knew she was in BIG trouble, like Taylan usually was.

A.J. carried the little monster back down to her room, making sure to leave Taylan’s overhead light on. After entering her room, he set her down and began to take the monster costume off her. “You’re in big trouble, Young Lady,” he stated. “First off, you should never have even thought of scaring Taylan like that! Secondly, I can’t believe you let me yell at her because I thought she was making up stories, when you knew she wasn’t lying because it was you!” He shook his head, and lifted her up out of the bottom of her costume. “I’ve half a mind to spank you, Madison Jade.”

Madison started to cry harder upon hearing that, and began to struggle. She stopped squirming when he set her down on the bed. She looked at him through tears.

“MJ, you know Daddy will never spank you, as much as you may tempt him. But Baby, you can’t be scaring your sister like that,” A.J. explained.

“Sorry Daddy,” Madison whispered quietly. She looked at him sadly.

“You still have to be punished, Baby,” A.J. said softly. He crouched down in front of her, so he won’t seem so tall and menacing.

“But Daddy!” Madison whined. “It was a joke!”

“A very mean joke, Madison Jade,” A.J. told her sternly. “I’m going to give Taylan's punishment to you. No cartoons or Nick for a day.”

“Nooo! Daddy! Nooo!” Madison wailed. “Want Nicky an’ cartoons!”

“You should’ve thought of that before scaring your sister,” A.J. replied. “Now, into bed.” He tucked her in, kissed her head, and left the room. He then headed back up to Taylan's room. He felt himself soften completely, when he saw his scared little girl, still sitting up in bed, sobbing her little heart out. He went and sat on the edge of her bed, immediately pulling her into his lap. “I’m sorry T.”

Taylan buried her face into his chest, tightening her grip on Mr. Duck, and popping her thumb into her mouth so that she could suck on it.

“Shh…” A.J. said softly, as he rocked her and rubbed her back. “The monster’s gone, Baby. Daddy took it away.” He kissed her head. “You want to call Brian in the morning and invite him over?”

Taylan nodded as she sniffled. “Want Brian tomorrow.”

A.J. smiled softly at her. “Want Daddy to stay with you, T?”

“Really Daddy?” Taylan asked hopefully. “You stay with me?”

“Of course, Baby,” A.J. smiled back. He got her into bed, then lay down next to her. He felt her snuggle closer, and held her tight. “Love you T.”