SILENCING THE MONSTER

Jimmy and his sister, Angie, normally loved Halloween, but this year was different. Jimmy was eight and Angie was six so they had no say in their mom’s decision to accompany her to a mountain cabin. They were to meet her wacky boyfriend, Ralph, for the week-end, which this year included All-Saints night.
Jimmy couldn’t understand what his mother saw in that man. Ralph was an alcoholic with a weird sense of humor. He dressed like a cowboy and always smelled like marijuana which he often smoked with his mother in the bathroom. Six months prior he had dressed up as a giant bunny for an Easter picnic and frightened all the children.
For Jimmy and Angie there would be no trick-or-treating and no dressing up this year. To make it up to them, Ralph had rented horror movies and bought popcorn and soda pops. They had barely completed watching the first scary movie when Ralph spoke.
“Hey kids, me and your mom are going into town to get a few things. We’ll be right back.” He walked over to Jimmy who was seated on the couch and tousled his hair. “You guys stay indoors. There’s real bears and wild animals in these woods, but you’ll be safe if you stay inside.”
Angie’s eyes welled. “You’re leaving us?”
Her mother smiled and gave Angie a big hug. “It’s just for a few minutes, honey. You’ll be fine. Ralph ran out of beer and we could use some more snacks.”
Jimmy saw Ralph grin widely. “We’ll try to bring you a big surprise, okay?”
Angie’s face lit up. “Really? Like what?”
“We’ll see, honey, we’ll see,” said her mother.
Within a few moments, the grown-ups had climbed into their car and began their trip to the nearest grocery store. At least that’s what they had said. For all he knew, Ralph wanted to have sex with his mother and just needed to get away from them. He was old enough to know about these things and he’d seen Ralph kissing on his mom and grabbing her behind.
“Do you want to start the second movie?” asked Jimmy. The burning wood crackled in the fireplace.
“Maybe we should wait for mom,” said Angie.
“Why? Are you a scaredy cat?”
Just then there was a pounding on the back wall of the cabin. Both Jimmy and Angie looked at each other.
“What was that?” gasped Angie.
Jimmy tried to make light of it. “Probably just a raccoon or something. Nothing to worry about.”
But he was

worried, and he knew Angie could sense his fear. In this one-room cabin, there was nowhere to hide. Apart from the main room, there was a bathroom and a closet, both of which were not very big.
“But what if it’s a monster?” asked Angie. “You heard Ralph. There’s all kinds of scary things up here.”
“Ralph is full of crap. He makes up stuff all the time.”
The pounding on the wall had stopped but now Jimmy and Angie heard footfalls approaching the front door. The person or thing or whatever it was kept getting closer and closer. Jimmy didn’t like the eerie silence.
“Ralph? You asshole! Is that you? You’re not very funny.” he yelled. When there was no response, Angie grabbed Jimmy’s hand.
“Maybe we should hide until mom gets back!” cried Angie.
Jimmy did not argue. The entity outside was now on the porch and at any moment would be at their door. A low growl that rang half human and half beast came from somewhere outside.
“Come on,” he said. He squeezed Angie’s hand and led her into the dark walk-in closet. After he shut the door, the only illumination was a dagger of light slicing through the slatted double doors. He cradled his arm around his little sister and huddled in the farthest corner, away from the menacing light.
The strange sounds on the porch now were in the cabin. Jimmy and Angie’s terror-filled eyes were riveted on the closet entrance, the only thing standing between them and the unknown. Gaping, Jimmy’s stare was drawn to the shotgun lying partially-covered under a pile of clothing at the other end of the closet.
He reached for the weapon. His hands trembled and his heart pounded. No matter what that thing was, he was going to kill it.
Jimmy had shot a .22 caliber rifle but never a weapon as big as a shotgun. He made sure there was a shell in the chamber and clicked off the safety. He gently nudged Angie away as he pointed the shotgun at the closet door.
A dark shadow moved closer to them as Jimmy put his index finger to his lips. Angie nodded in accord. He expected to pick up the rank odor of a wild beast when he inhaled but instead smelled the unmistakable scent of burnt marijuana. He took careful aim.
When the closet doors broke apart from the outside, Jimmy pulled the trigger and the loud boom shook the closet. Splinters of the slatted doors flew outward and a wild beast in light brown hair was thrown backwards onto the floor.
“You killed the monster!” yelled Angie.
Jimmy’s mother stood at the cabin’s threshold. “You killed Ralph!” she gasped in horror.
“Was that the big surprise?” asked Jimmy, sarcasm dripping with every word.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 09.02.2013

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