Okay, so there's monsters. And something tells Johnny that she really, really means it, not just the monsters that all six year olds have.

Does she mean Aiden?

"Yes," he says, because even if they're not talking about the same things, he's been able to see his own brand of monsters for a long time. He hesitates, then gestures as nonthreateningly as possible at Aiden. "And I know about your buddy, here." He hesitates again. She seems really scared. He wonders how much of this is a real memory -- how much of it really happened. "Doesn't Aiden protect you?"