Under the Bed: A Creature Feature from the Weird Space Universe

by A.M. Wiley

When Charlie, a young boy, is suddenly terrorized by a creature beneath his bed, he turns to his parents for help. But his father no longer lives at home, and his mother believes his wild imagination has run away with him. He is on his own against this predator until help arrives from an unlikely place. With his life on the line, Charlie uncovers the truth about his parents, his new friends, and the beast that hunts him. But will this be enough to help him face his fear and survive the night?

Genres: Horror

41 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 20, 2024

About the author

A. M. Wiley is a self-proclaimed movie buff, rollerblader, and nostalgia junkie. He spends his time digging through the crypts of local used bookstores or reminiscing to his wife and three sons about the “good ol’ days.”

Want more? Follow A. M. on social media. If you’d like to sign up for his author newsletter and receive a free short story, email him at andrewwiley.author@gmail.com.

Reviews

[Scott Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another thoroughly enjoyable story from A.M. Wiley, but I was not prepared for the connection to Weird Space. Really took me by surprise. I have no clue what to expect from Weird Space 2 now. But as a standalone short, this does succeed; there's plenty of humor, drama, horror, and a great redemptive arc, too. (I'm a sucker for those and if I'm honest I give at least a half-star just for that.) I wish the book went through another editorial pass to fix some typos and stray punctuation marks, but other than that, fun times!

[Megan Wintrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lurker who snatches kids from their beds is on the loose and it's hunting Charlie. A young boy who discovers his parents are hiding something from him.. but what?

With some help from some unlikely creatures will Charlie get rid of the lurker?

I really liked this one, it helped me actually read something..I really hope there is a follow on!

[Kevin Lawlor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m happy to get my AM Wiley fix as I wait for weird space three and HIS upcoming novel Fang Gloria. What we have here is a neat little story about a child being terrorized by a monster under his bed. And then he gets help from a gift from his father and we’re treated to a fun little romp that both can satiate the current weird space void, or introduce you to a little nugget of its universe. As events unfolded, all I could think of was the old Joe Dante movie, small soldiers. That’ll give you a hint of the joy that comes from this story.

[Janelle Halstead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute very short audio book about creatures hiding under a child’s bed.

[C.J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story, it was fun. I especially liked that it comes in audio too, this is the very first book I've listened to in audio form on my bookfunnel app so it was a nice change and I enjoyed listening to it.

[Sentinelle23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️Excellent surprise!

Eight-year-old Charlie's night light had been flashing non-stop for a good hour.

He called his mother.

Everything stopped as soon as his mother entered the room, and everything started flashing again when she left the room...

>>>>

I absolutely loved this excellent paranormal surprise with a super-captivating plot and a very moving main character!

I loved it!
It made me want to read another novel in the "Weird Space" series.

A must-read.

[Laura DeGrave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie has a bad feeling about his nightlight and what could be lurking under his bed.
A neighborhood friend went missing.
His parents argued over his active imagination.
Family secret kept in a box.
A squad of toys gifted as reinforcements.
Intergalactic the floor is lava?
Would Charlie see daylight or next on the missing person list?

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually listed to this in audio form. Very good story. I will investigate other books from this author.

[Amanda Cott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterfully taps into every childhood (and maybe present day?) fear of there being something scary under the bed.

[Monique the Book Geek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute creature short story.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute short story about what can lurk under our children's beds. Remember, when they tell you parents why they are scared, believe them! Recommended for adults with or without children.

[Kai Kokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the creature in this, it was unique both in characteristics and in origin story, was also a pretty terrifying creature. The whole short story was well written and there was a lot more depth to the story than I was expecting. Our main character Charlie was dealing with the struggles of separated parents, bully’s, and the fear for his life. All of these plot points unraveled alongside what was happening with the creature under the bed.
I did have a moment where I had to just “go with the flow” of the story since it caught me off guard and almost felt Toy Story esk? (If you read it you’ll hopefully know what I mean). But once I got over my previously set expectations it actually worked really well with the story and added such a unique aspect to the creature feature.
Thank you A.M. Wiley for providing me with a free copy of this short story! I definitely plan on looking into the rest of the Weird Space Universe.