Once Upon a Time

Throughout this story, the phrase "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED" is repeated. These words appear on plaques outside of peoples houses. The reason for putting these words in all caps is to emphasize the danger that may arouse. This story is told in first person by a narrator who is supposed to write a children's book. The only thing in this story that relates to children is the title "Once Upon a Time", and the last paragraph of how the mother reads to the child. The narrator ends up thinking of a danger story that came from the eerie noises that had awaken her. The whole story revolved around making the house safe. The family had to buy all the new and latest equipment to keep them safe at night and protect them from intruders. However, at the end of the story we learn that their son becomes tangled in the mess and gets hurt. I found it ironic how the narrator is supposed to write a children's story and make it light and sweet but in turn makes it gruesome and scary.