Magnolia Blooms

5. HeavyDirtySoul

"You're back? Why are you back?  Why do you keep coming here?" The voice asked.

"I don't know," Maggie said.

"Shut up you waste of space! Who asked you?"

Maggie was shoved to the ground again.

"Aw. Don't hurt it."

"You suddenly care about not hurting it?  You didn't care when you broke its leg."

"I didn't say I cared. I want to be the one who gets to hurt it."

"Why can't we both?"

"Why didn't we just finish this thing off when we had the chance?"

"Too many questions, I guess. I don't remember. It was two years ago. And we tossed it. I thought we'd never have to deal with it ever again."

"Maybe dumping it outside a fucking arena was the stupid idea. The river would have been better.  It would have been carried off in the water and probably drowned. Then it wouldn't still be here and it couldn't be here bothering us."

"I still don't understand how it's here at all. We left Ohio. It can't know where we are."

"Hey. Stupid. Do you know where we are?"

Maggie didn't say anything. Last time she'd spoken, they hit her.

"Answer me!" The monster roared.

Maggie shook her head.

"I- I don't know where you are. Just the scary room."

Horrible laughter.

"Scary room?  Idiot. This is your room. Well, it was your room. Til we decided we'd had enough of you."

The monsters kept saying more and more horrible things. They talked about the things they had wanted to do to Maggie. They stayed in the dark this time though. Maggie didn't see their melted faces this time. She just heard their horrible voices.

They were circling her. Like sharks.

Suddenly, Maggie felt herself get grabbed. She looked down and snakes or something like snakes, because she couldn't see their heads and they were way too long, were wrapping themselves around her arms and legs, tying her down to the floor. Maggie struggled to escape. Horrible laughter filled her ears.

"You're not going anywhere. Our pets will make sure of that."

"And I wouldn't move around too much," the other horrible voice started saying. "They don't like it. And they'll just do the job we wanted to do."

Maggie tried struggling a little, but the creatures tightened themselves around her even tighter.

She started whimpering in fear. Where were her Mama and Papa? Where were Mama Debby and Papa Josh?

"Shut up!" The horrible voices both screamed at her. The creatures were tightening despite her no longer struggling. It was starting to hurt and it was hard to breathe.

Suddenly, the creatures holding her body down stopped moving. Maggie sighed with relief.

"Don't get too comfortable," the voice said.

Maggie tried looking around. She couldn't see much outside the small circle of light.

Their laughter was the worst. It was a horrible sound that Maggie's seven year old mind couldn't describe.

They were circling her. Maggie could tell that much. They were staying just outside the circle of light Maggie was tied down in.

One of them had a stick, and it poked Maggie with it. Maggie remembered this 'game'. The pokes would hurt more and more until Maggie fell asleep.

They started with the stick again and Maggie could feel the owies it used to give her.

The creatures started tightening again as Maggie tried to get away from them. The pain was unbearable and Maggie couldn't help but start screaming.

"Oh shut up! Maggie!"

The monster's voice changed. It didn't sound as scary anymore. It sounded like Papa Josh.

"Maggie, Maggie!  Wake up sweetheart!" She heard. Maggie opened her eyes and saw her Mama and her Papa sitting on her bed. Papa had his hands on Maggie's arms. She launched herself into his arms and started to cry.

"Oh, baby girl," Papa said, rubbing her back as he wrapped his comforting arms around her. "Another bad dream?"

Maggie nodded.

"Want to sleep with us again?" Papa asked.  Maggie nodded.

"Okay, Bug," he said, picking her, Turtle and Uff up and carrying her to their room. Mama smiled at Maggie as she followed Papa to their room. Maggie was looking over Papa's shoulder at  Mama.  Would Mama remember her asking about the scary room?  Would she ask Maggie if the dream was in the scary room with the monsters?

Maggie sniffled as Papa put her down on the bed, handed her Uff and covered her with Turtle. Mama got into bed and Papa sat down on the bed and looked around the room.

"Okay, Bug. Anything to worry about here?"

Maggie looked around Mama and Papa's room and shook her head. The closet was closed tonight. Nothing was on the chair in the corner. Nothing looked scary. Papa turned out the light and Maggie looked around again. Everything looked the same. Maggie relaxed as Papa lay down in the bed and pulled the covers up. He smiled at Maggie which she could see in the moonlight. She looked over at Mama who was smiling at her, too.

"Let's get some more sleep, okay, Bug?" Mama said. Maggie nodded and Mama put her arm around Maggie. Maggie felt safe.

But the monsters knew where Maggie was. They knew she was in Ohio. The monsters had left her here. In the bag.

Maggie tried to go back to sleep but she was afraid the monsters would be back. She listened as Mama and Papa and even Jim, who'd followed Mama and Papa into Maggie's room, started breathing evenly indicating they were asleep. Jim would whimper once in a while, having his own doggy dreams. Did doggies dream of monsters, too?

Maggie lay in the safety of her Mama's arm and her Mama and Papa's bed, afraid to go back to sleep. She whispered in Uff's ear about how maybe the monsters were coming back to get her.

Eventually, because Maggie is only seven, she fell asleep.