Chapter 9
It was morning and Rachel lay awake in bed. She wasn’t going to waste another day arguing with Marc again. She wanted to talk to Jack about everything, the situation that they were in and how it may be very different if she were to consider separation from him for a while, but before she even had the first thought about getting showered and dressed, Jack ran into the room.
A worried look filled her face. At first she thought something a lot more serious had happened… an accident, maybe, but before she could pursue her thoughts, Jack began to talk. What he said was not what she expected to hear from a ten year old boy.
“Mom, I don’t wanna live here anymore…”
Her eyebrows shot up with surprise. “Jack, whatever makes you say that?”
He wanted to talk about this monster he had seen in the house, tell her about the terrifying presence that it had over him, but he just couldn’t, he had that strong feeling inside of him that she would not believe him.
Rachel was worried. She left the bed and swept him into her arms, hugging him tightly to her musky, silky nightie.
“You can tell me, Jack…what made you say that?”
“There’s this, thing, Mom. It lives in this house and I’ve seen it a couple of times now…it’s real awful and… and I think it wanted to hurt me.”
“When did you see this?” She was growing more concerned at what she heard her son describing. It was quite worrying for her to listen to; no normal ten year old boy should be talking about being scared by a creature that lived in the house; godsakes, it wasn’t even real. However, at least he had said something now; it was a start.
“It’s okay son, I know you wouldn’t make up something like this, but…”
She calmed his fragile state with another motherly hug. It didn’t seem to comfort him much, but it was what she thought she should do.
“When did all this happen?”
“I tried telling Dad, and you, but you both wouldn’t listen!”
“I’m sorry, honey, I should have listened to you.”
The door opened abruptly and Jack clung tightly to Rachel. It was only Marc.
“I heard shouting… is everything alright?”
Rachel looked down at Jack.
“Tell your dad, son,” she said softly, stroking his cold forehead with her sleeve.
Like the little boy he was, he shook his head in a child-like manner and then stared at his father who stood there, impatiently waiting for a response.
“Marc, Jack said he’s seen something horrible and he doesn’t like living here anymore. We’ve known that for months now, and it’s gone on for too long. Don’t you think it’s about time we considered moving?”
His jaw dropped with astonishment that his wife and son could display such stupidity. Were they serious? Well, okay, the kid was, but she surely didn’t believe him?
“What the hell are you talking about, Rachel? Did I just hear you say move? Move? Give me one good reason why the hell we should!”
“Marc, calm down. Please, keep your voice down, the neighbors will hear.”
“Then let them hear!”
She said no more but walked out of the room, taking Jack with her.
Marc wasn’t sure how to think or feel right now and ignored everything as he also left the room and went downstairs to the kitchen. His wife and son sat side by side at the table, drinking tea. Jack was crying, but trying very hard to stop.
