Monster in the closet

From Elfi

A small child went to sleep in his room after a goodnight story read to him by his mother. In the middle of the night, he woke up to a scratching sound coming from his closet. He froze, stared at it terrified. If he moved, would the thing from his closet come out and attack him? Eventually, he managed to go back to sleep. Even in the daylight, he was nervous around his closet and refused to open it, remembering the noises from the night before. Now this child grew into a boy, and then a man. As an adult, at night, he was still nervous around closets, especially if the door were left open. If asked, he would have been unable to explain where this fear originated, assuming he would admit to having it, for such a fear is considered silly in adults.

Alternatively: The following day the child went and found his mother and told her about what had happened that night. She listened to him, promised that they will take a look this coming night. When the noise repeats, the two of them approach the closet and his mother opens the door. If they see a monster, his mother has the age and maturity to handle it and help him defeat it. If, on the other hand, the thing making noise in the closet is a frightened raccoon, trying to find its way out to someplace safe, his mother also has the ability to take care of the raccoon and let it go outside where it is more comfortable, showing him how to do the same in the process. This child, growing up into a boy and then a man, would be comfortable with closets, and would know how to help others when they fear monsters, and when it may only be a frightened raccoon.