Imaginings: Help! My Closet Monster Doesn't Want to Leave

The monster under the bed told me the monster in the closet was crying last night. I don't know why the bed monster thinks I should care about a crying monster since most kids are afraid of monsters in their room. The under the bed monster's name is Harold and the closet monster is Pooky. Pooky, the closet monster has big blue ears and a purple nose. One arm is pink, the other green. His teeth are crammed into his oversized mouth and his fur is matted. He is obviously a well worn monster. Also, only kids under eight years old can see him. It is clear that his crying will not make my getting ready for school fun.

I decided to ignore them and just get dressed for school, which would have been fine, but Pooky was holding the closet door shut. My clothes were being held hostage by a closet monster. Mom is not going to be happy. She's called me twice already. I don't think me not getting dressed will impress her and me telling her that a closet monster was keeping me from my clothes,will definitely not be good. So here I am, begging Pooky to open the door. Oops, there goes Mom again. Next thing you know she will be at the door.

"Pooky, please open the door, Mom will be here any minute."

"No, you don't like me as much as you like Harold and I don't want to leave your closet next week."

"I like you both the same, besides you and Harold are getting close to the time you will need to find another place to live. You know the rules, next week when I turn eight, you guys have to leave."

"I don't want to leave."

"Tell you what, Pooky, we can talk about this when I get home from school this afternoon, but right now I can hear Mom on her way up here and I have to get dressed."

"Oh alright. Here are your jeans and shirt." Pooky quickly opened the door and threw them out, then slammed the door shut.

I was buttoning the last button on my shirt when Mom opened my room's door. That was close.

I'm not sure how I will deal with Pooky and I'm sure I will be thinking of nothing else all day during school. What does a person do when it comes time for a monster to move on and he doesn't want to?

Help me out here, readers:

• How do I convince Pooky to go?
• Why might Pooky not want to leave?
• Have you ever had a problem like this?
• What did you do?
• Should we ask Harold for his help?
• What if Pooky stays?
• Why do you think monsters are supposed to leave when their kid turns eight?