I was recently transferred to the graveyard shift at work. Adjusting to the new schedule wasn't too difficult, but working nights and sleeping through the day meant giving up precious time with my eleven-month-old daughter, Lucy. I missed gently rocking her to sleep in the evenings before tucking her into bed. The anxiety from the separation became too much and I decided to do something about it. Two days ago I set up a camera in her room so I could check up on her from work. I wasn't too worried about her, as her mother was always home with her, but I thought it would be comforting to have the ability to see my angel sleeping soundly whenever I missed her.

I had just finished and emailed a report to my boss and decided to check in on Lucy. She was sleeping soundly in her crib and I was content, until I noticed a movement. I thought it was my imagination at first, but then the closet door silently opened. A bald head -large and pale- slid into view, supported by a long thin neck that swayed and twisted in impossible angles as it gazed around the room, verifying that it was empty. The figure slid out of the closet. Lucy's light was off, so it was difficult to distinguish detail, but this creature wasn't human.

Now on the other side of the closet door, this whatever-it-was had enough space to rise to its full height, which must have been well over seven feet. As it twisted and stretched, I saw that its seemingly human limbs moved like tentacles, apparently devoid of any bones or joints. It stood for a moment, long arms hanging at its side and head swaying gently, before its mouth began to open. Its jaw dropped surprisingly low, hanging halfway down its spindly neck. I heard a low gentle hum coming from the creature and watched as my little girl stirred in her crib.

At this point, I had recovered enough sense to take action. I attempted to grab my phone, but fumbled and dropped it. It hit the floor and bounced under my desk. Cursing and reluctant to look away from Lucy, I got on my knees and grabbed my phone. I called my wife, but there was no answer. I was about to dial 911, but I was frozen with fear when the creature's head suddenly stopped its graceful swaying and snapped towards my daughter's crib. The thing's neck was now stretched to full length -at least a foot- at nearly a 90 degree angle from its body, and it was focused on my baby girl.

The sudden movement caused its jaw to swing loosely back and forth and the volume of the humming increased slightly. Lucy stirred again and rolled in her crib. The creature noticed and began to move towards her. I was unable to move, petrified by total horror as the creature almost appeared to swim towards her and dipped its gangly neck into the crib. Extending its monstrous arms, it reached towards Lucy with long grizzly hands, fingers curling unnaturally backwards. It was at this moment that the creature opened its eyes which I had just assumed had been hidden in shadow. Bloodshot-red eyes faintly glowed as they locked onto my Lucy. I heard my daughter's gentle cries as the disturbance woke her and she sat up, coming face to face with the creature.

I don't know what terrified me more. Watching this creature reach for my daughter, or watching my daughter's face fill with recognition -this apparently wasn't the first time he'd visited her- as she stretched her chubby arms towards the thing and happily squealed her first word.

"Da-da!"