Maria (Beast Under The Bed)

**Spouses**

* Tom (husband/widower)
* Maria's Boyfriend (manstress) †

**Children**

* Lucy
* Dana (daughters)

**Maria** is a major character in the 2020 short horror film *Beast Under The Bed.* Some time before the film, she began having an affair with an unnamed man, and was found out by her husband Tom. That night, Maria's home was attacked by The Nix, and Maria was killed buying her daughter Dana time to escape. She was the wife of Tom and the mother of Lucy and Dana.

She is portrayed by Breayre Tender.

## Physical Appearance

Maria was an adult black woman with dark skin, dark-brown eyes, and curly black hair styled in an afro. In the beginning of the film, she is wearing a greyish-white bathrobe over her pajamas, which include long sweatpants and a pair of slippers.

## Background

Some time ago, Maria met and married a man named Tom, and they had two daughters, Lucy and Dana. An unknown amount of time before the events of Beast Under The Bed, Maria met and formed a romantic relationship with an unnamed man.

## Crypt Monster Universe

### Beast Under The Bed

One night, Maria's husband Tom learns that she is having an affair with another man. Tom's immediate reaction is to kick Maria out of the house, and she calls her boyfriend to pick her up. He doesn't answer, and Maria tries to call her father next when Tom asks her if she'll tell her father why she's being kicked out. Maria tries to shush him, saying that their daughters are asleep (unknown to them, however, they are awake and listening to the conversation). Maria tries to talk to Tom, but he refuses to listen to her and goes upstairs, leaving Maria alone downstairs as she starts to cry.

Some time later, The Nix attacks the house. Maria runs into her daughters' bedroom, frantically telling them to put on their shoes and that they have to leave now, refusing to answer Lucy's questions as to where Tom is. Maria picks up Dana and runs down to the living room, where Maria grabs her car keys. Maria then notices that Lucy is not with them, as she's upstairs getting her coat. As Maria screams for her daughter, the front doors explode open and The Nix enters the house. As it rounds the corner, it sees the girls and roars at them. Maria pushes Dana away and tells her to run and hide as the monster attacks her. Dana hides behind the wall, and screams as the beast tackles Maria and bites her neck, killing her.

Maria's death is referenced multiple times throughout the rest of the film, with Lucy, who had not seen The Nix, believing that Tom was responsible for killing her.

## Relationships

### Tom

Tom was Maria's husband. It is unknown what their marriage was like, but for an unknown rhyme or reason, Maria cheated on Tom with another man. Tom's immediate reaction to learning about this was to kick Maria out of their house, and later becoming hostile towards her when she tried to contact her father for a place to stay, asking her if she'd tell her father that she betrayed her family. He does not listen when Maria tries to talk to him, instead storming off and going upstairs.

### Lucy

Maria was Lucy's mother. They seem to have had a positive relationship before her death, as Lucy kept a picture of her with her even after she died. It is unknown if Lucy knew about Maria's affair before the night of The Nix's attack, but her opinion of her doesn't seem to have changed. However, Maria's death had a substantial impact on Lucy's relationship with her father Tom -- as she was in the room when The Nix attacked the house, Lucy believed that Tom was responsible for Maria's death as she only saw the aftermath. Over the months they were on the lam, Lucy grew more and more distrustful of her father, and even plotted to run away from him. Her anger with him came to a head at dinner one night when she made several comments about how they were not running from a monster, but the police, and eventually yelling that Tom had made up the monster to try and avoid getting arrested. However, Lucy learned that The Nix was responsible for her mother's death, and she banded together with her father to kill it.

### Dana

Maria was Dana's mother. They seem to have had a positive relationship before her death. Dana's opinion of Maria doesn't seem to have changed with the knowledge of her affair, though it is possible that Dana is simply too young to understand the complexity of the situation. Regardless, she still cared for her mother, and Maria likewise cared for her, as her final moments were spent diverting The Nix's attention away from Dana so the latter could escape unharmed.

### Maria's Boyfriend

He was Maria's boyfriend. Some time before the film, they met and began seeing each other, becoming close enough that he had her contact saved in his phone. Whether he knew Maria was married or not is unknown.

## References

1. ↑ *Beast Under The Bed* (dir. Keola Racela; January 31st, 2020)