There's a Shoggoth under the Bed

Today a friend put out a 'casting call' for someone to illustrate a story he had written for Neil Gaiman's 'All Hallows Read' project.

I loved his story so much I got on it immediately, and this is what I came up with in about 25 minutes (If it was a professional commission I would have used ink and/or shaded smoother, but it was just a bit of fun).

There’s A Shoggoth under the Bed

“Mummmmm! There’s a Shoggoth under the bed!”

“Nonsense dear there is no such thing as Shoggoths”

“There IS and it’s all gooey and bubbly and covered in eyes!”

“Go to sleep dear there really is no Shoggoth under the bed.”

“Daaaaad! There IS a Shoggoth under the bed!”

“Come along now, let me have a look… see? Nothing there but your old bunny slippers.”

“But there IS a Shoggoth under the bed and it has fangs and snakey, slimy tentacles ALL over it!”

“Let me put the night light on and go to sleep, there is definitely not a Shoggoth under the bed.”

“MUUUUM! DAAAAAAD! THERE IS a Shoggoth under the bed and it’s HUNGRY!”

“Oh darling it’s fine look we will leave the door open and the light on….. there really is no Shoggoth under the bed and now it is our own bedtime. Goodnight.”

……..and then there was a squishing and sloshing, an awful crunching,munching and a flapping and flopping from his parent’s room and then….. then there was silence …

And Billy said

“I never said it was under MY bed!”

Story by Robin Stephenson

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Neil Gaiman explains 'All Hallows Read' here:

And if you're looking for a scary book to give someone, I'd recommend Lisa Richardson's fantastic Zombie Apocalypse novel 'Blog of the Dead - Sophie', which is available for kindle for just £1.91 at the moment.

Funnily enough, also illustrated by Yours Truly!