The footsteps following me sounded closer. I ran through the empty corridors of the hospital, my heart pounding with terror.
I turned a corner and stopped short. I had reached a dead end.

Frantically, I looked around for some means, an avenue to escape. There were two doors, one on either side, but they were padlocked. The blank wall stared back at me forbiddingly. And the steps got louder and nearer.

With trepidation in my heart, I slowly turned around to face the inevitable. Eyes screwed tightly shut, I began to mumble the prayer mummy had taught me before she went to meet Jesus.

The footsteps rounded the corner and came to a halt. The gentle voice of my doctor made me start crying. He picked me up in his arms and carried me back to my room. On the way, very matter of factly, he said, "Calvin, if you spit out your medicine, the monster will keep coming back. And mummy won't be happy in heaven".

"I promise I won't spit it out again Daddy".