Ep 11. Under the Bed

In the episode "Under the Bed" of the sci-fi series Outer Limits season 1, fear takes hold of a boy after he hears a menacing growling noise beneath his bed. As the story goes, young Dougie is worried about sleeping alone in his room. His mother, Joline, tries to console him by reminding him that the family dog, Buttons, always keeps him company. However, Dougie is still uneasy and insists that something sinister is hiding under his bed.

Later that night, Dougie hears a loud growling noise coming from under the bed. Frightened, he tries to wake up Buttons, but the dog is oblivious to the sound. Dougie's fear grows as the growling becomes more intense, and he curls up under his blankets. When the growling finally subsides, Dougie falls asleep, but his dreams are plagued by nightmares of monsters lurking in the shadows.

The next morning, Dougie shares his fears with his friend, Erica. She dismisses them and tells him that he's being silly. However, Dougie's anxiety threatens to spiral out of control when he hears the growling noise once again. This time, he decides to investigate and peeks under the bed. He sees a pair of glowing eyes staring back at him before being dragged away by an unseen force.

Joline becomes concerned when Dougie refuses to sleep in his room and insists on staying with her and her husband, Mark. Despite their attempts to reassure him, Dougie becomes increasingly convinced that there is a monster under his bed. Joline, desperate to calm her son's fears, contacts a paranormal investigator, Mr. Wilson, who specializes in dealing with supernatural phenomena.

Mr. Wilson sets up cameras and audio equipment in Dougie's room to document any evidence of paranormal activity. As they watch the footage, they see an actual monster under Dougie's bed. The creature, a menacing, snarling beast, seems to be feeding off Dougie's fear, growing more powerful with each passing moment.

Mr. Wilson explains that the monster is a manifestation of Dougie's anxieties and that it needs to be destroyed before it can harm him. He devises a plan to lure the monster out of hiding by trapping Dougie under the bed and cornering the creature. Joline and Mark reluctantly agree, desperate to rid their son of the monster that has been tormenting him.

The plan goes awry when Dougie becomes trapped under the bed and the monster attacks. In a dramatic standoff, the family works together to defeat the creature and banish it back to the darkness from which it came. The episode ends with Dougie finally being able to sleep soundly in his own bed knowing that the monster is no longer there.

"Under the Bed" is a chilling tale of childhood fears and the struggles of parents trying to protect their children from the unknown. The episode explores the power of the mind and the dangers of giving in to irrational fears. It is a haunting reminder that sometimes the scariest monsters are the ones we create ourselves.