Fear Runs Deep

The Little Boy

"Charlie! It's time for dinner!" Charlie's mom called. 

"Coming, Mom!" Charlie grabbed his red jacket and zipped it up as he ran from his room to the kitchen. "Mom! I met someone new at school today! His name is Fachnan Iniko and he likes dinosaurs just like me!" 

"Woah! Calm down kiddo." His dad said calmly. "I'm glad you made a friend today. Is he a new student?" 

"He said that he doesn't go to school because he knows everything already but he likes to come to play at recess and he likes snack time too." He said while reaching for a roll. 

His mom swatted his hand, "You know better than that. We have to say the blessing first." 

He got really quiet. "Mom..." he whispered, "Fachnan doesn't like praying. He'll get upset..." 

"Oh? Well, Fachnan isn't here, is he?" She asked worriedly. Charlie looked around slowly and then shook his head. "Then say the blessing, dear." 

He looked nervous. "Dad! Can you say it?" he asked hesitantly. 

His dad looked shocked. This was the first time since Charlie was 3 that he didn't want to say the blessing. "Um, yeah, sure son," he closed his eyes and began, "Oh gracious Father, please bless the food in front of us. Help it to nourish and strengthen our bodies and give us energy for tomorrow. Help us to have a good night and a good day tomorrow. And everybody says..." he trailed off waiting for everyone to say amen. 

"Amen." Charlie's mom and dad said simultaneously. They both noticed Charlie didn't say it. 

Charlie grabbed a roll and shoved it in his mouth being silly. They both smiled but still had worried expressions on their faces. He didn't seem to notice as he continued filling his plate with food. 

Dinner made Charlie's mom feel sick so she couldn't clean up. She asked the boys to do it for her as she went to lay down. She had been feeling very sick lately. Charlie headed to his room when his dad called, "Where do you think you're going, mister? Your mother said we need to clear off the table and do the dishes. Bring me the dishes off the table while I run the sink of water." 

Charlie got mad. He hated doing chores. He just wanted to go play in his room. He huffed and stomped over to the table. He grabbed one plate and stomped over to his dad, shoving it at him as he snapped, "Here!" 

"Woah, mister! Stop with the attitude. It will not hurt you to do a few things to help out. Your mother is sick and she can't do it," he said while taking the plate. 

"So? You're not sick. You can do it by yourself." 

"Oh really. You just earned yourself no video games or tv for the rest of the week." 

"That's not fair!"

"It is fair. Now go to your room and bring me your tablet and switch." 

Charlie ran off crying. When he got back to his room after bringing the stuff to his dad, he threw himself onto his bed and continued crying. 

"That wasn't fair of your dad, Charlie." 

Charlie looked up to see a black-haired boy with red eyes sitting by his toybox with Charlie's favorite stuffed dinosaur in his lap. "Fachnan! I'm so glad you're here. My dad is so mean to me! He was making me clear off the table! Do you believe that??" 

"I know. I was there. You just didn't see me. I'm always here you know." Fachnan giggled slightly. "Your parents won't like me. I'm a bad influence. Also, aren't they always mean to you? I mean they made you water the flowers last week and help bring in groceries. They made you sweep the kitchen and help clean the bathroom. It's not fair that they are making you do chores when they are perfectly able to do it themselves." 

"I know! It's not fair..." Charlie trailed off into a yawn as he laid down. 

"It is getting late. Get some sleep, my friend. I'll see you tomorrow." 

Charlie dozed off into a dream-filled sleep. He dreamed malicious things. He dreamed of his parents getting severely hurt. He dreamed of them never coming home only to find out they had been killed. He dreamed of stabbing things and eventually people. He didn't know who though. The worst dream of all was of him strangling his dad with a rope. None of these dreams scared him at all. He was intrigued by those ideas. 

Morning came quickly. Charlie slowly started to wake up. As he started to get his bearings back he noticed he was laying on the floor. He blinked a couple of times and saw he was in his parent's room. He sat up quickly. He started to get scared. His mom and dad weren't on their bed and the sun was out so it was later than the time he was supposed to be up for school. 

"Mom? Dad?" He called. He waited for an answer. It was really quiet. He crawled next to the bed, curling up, and putting his arms around his legs. All of a sudden he heard a creak outside the door. He gasped and crawled under the bed. He bumped into something. He immediately turned around. He pushed it out from under the end of the bed and crawled out the other side. The floor creaked again. He jumped. He slowly took a step towards the end of the bed. The floor creaked louder. He glanced at it and swallowed really hard. He took a second step and a third. He took a deep breath and stepped around it. He saw the lifeless form of a little boy. It took him just a minute to realize that it was Fachnan. He grabbed his friend and started to cry. 
"What happened to you? Wake up, Fach--" The door swung open. He saw his mother standing there. She had blood across her head and her makeup was running. 

"Charlie! Get away from that thing!" She screamed as she ran forward scooping him up and shoving him towards the door. "Run, Charlie!" 

"But, Mom! That's Fachnan..." He cried as his voice broke. 

"He came in the living room last night while we were watching tv and we just assumed he was you. Next thing I know he's strangling your father. I tried to get him off but he was too strong. He knocked me out... I woke up and tried to find you." 

"Mom..." 

"Run!" She screamed again as Fachnan began to sit up. 

Charlie took off down the stairs. He could barely see as the tears continued to stream. He rounded the corner to see his dad hanging from the ceiling fan with a rope around his neck. He dreamed that last night. He stopped crying. 

"Charlie! Help me! She's going to kill me. You know how bad parents are..." Fachnan screamed from upstairs. 

The next things that happened are a blur. Everything went black. "Fachnan..." Charlie uttered.

"I'm okay. You saved me, Charlie," Fachnan said quietly. 

"I can't see... I'm scared." He felt Fachnan holding him, "Why is it so cold?"

"You'll see..." He said while removing Charlie's red jacket. 

---------------

"And you're certain you heard nothing?" The officer asked the neighbors later that afternoon. They all agreed. "Hmm..." He walked back into the house. 

"What do you think happened here?" His partner asked. 

"It looks like the father had a bit too much to drink last night. He beat his wife and son. Then he couldn't handle his guilt so he hung himself. It appears, by the color of his skin, that the son didn't die until this morning. It's too bad he couldn't seem to reach his mother before he lost his strength. He was dragging himself, due to the marks on the carpet and blood on the stairs." 

"What about that?" His partner pointed to the bloody shape of another little boy. 

"That blood spot on the carpet?" He asked. His partner nodded. "Well, that had to have been the son here." 

------------------------------------------

"That'll be $7.50, Ma'am," The cashier stated. 

"My son sure is going to love this jacket," She said while handing over the money and picking up the red jacket. She waved as she turned to leave.

"Have a nice day, Ma'am!" The cashier called. 

"Thank you. I will." 

TO BE CONTINUED...