Eli

"They didn't attack him. That's not what monsters do. They just make you careless, so that you'll make mistakes and hurt yourself. They think it's funny."

Suddenly, this wasn't sounding as preposterous as it had two days before. "Are you the only one who can see them?"

Eli shook his head. "All kids can see them. Some just don't want to."

"Do monsters live everywhere?"

"Yeah. But I can't see all of them. I can only see the one's that live at our house. I think that's just the way that works."

"Well, what about people who don't have children?"

Eli shrugged. "They have more problems."

She stopped at a stop sign, then turned the corner. They were almost home. "Can these monsters hurt you?"

Eli shook his head. "No. That's why they're afraid of me. They said that they can't touch people who haven't reached poobirdie-which I think just means ?until I'm older'."

Susan considered her sons words as they pulled into the driveway.

* * *

The next day, after a night full of reflection, Eli's mom took the old route home from school.

"What's going on, mom?"

"I'm not going to take you to the boys club anymore," she said.

"Really? Why?"

She smiled slightly. "Well, someone's got to fight the monsters for us."

Eli smiled back and nodded, suddenly his old self again.

* * *

And over the next few days, everything else went back to normal as well. Thomas came home from the hospital, Eli was talking to them again, and, because of his imaginary backyard battles, no more bad things happened . . . big or small.