Knocker

Tommy

"Knocker! Knocker!" I am running towards Rodger's room and the knocking is loud loud loud and it is again and again and it won't stop. I reach for the handle and then the knocking stops like he knows that I will free him. Free him from the room. Free him from jail. Free him so he can help me. Will I go to jail?

I stop myself from thinking because Knocker will do that for me. Knocker is so smart; he thinks of everything.

I open the door and Knocker is there, with his brown fur and black button eyes like coal.

"Knocker!" I open my arms to him and I say, "I am so so so so so sorry. I need you, Knocker. Holmer was wrong, and now Ma has seen Rodger and I don't know what to do!" I am crying again like a big baby, but Knocker doesn't mind. His mouth smiles but his eyes stay like coal.

"Tommy!" Ma is calling. "Tommy, who are you talkin' to?"

"It's Knocker, Ma. Knocker is going to make it all better."

"Come here, Tommy, and bring that bear, aight?"

I walk towards Ma with Knocker in my hands. Ma makes a motion that means for me to come closer. She is still kneeling, but now she is facing me as I walk right up to her. Ma looks me in the eyes, but I try to avoid eye-contact, instead I choose to look at my socks.

After a second, I say, "Are you mad?"

"No, no, sweetheart. I love you." she says. Then she looks down at my hands and says, "did your teddy–"

"Knocker." I correct her.

"Did Knocker tell you to do this?" She looks back at Rodger for a second. Her face is stained with tears and now my face is too.

I nod. It was him. It was him and him only. I did not do it. It was not my fault.

"Okay." Ma takes away Knocker before I can say anything else and she walks into the kitchen and opens a cupboard and there's a garbage and she throws in Knocker. Knocker screams and tries to climb out but the cupboard is closed now and he can't open doors so he is trapped. Again. In jail.

"Tommy, listen to me." Ma squeezes my shoulders and looks into my eyes, but I don't look into hers because I am looking at the cupboard and I am listening to knock knock knock. "This is not your fault."

"Who's fault is it then?" I ask.

"It's– It's nobody's fault, okay? We'll go see a doctor first thing tomorrow. I want you to not do what Knocker tells you, okay?"

I don't meet her eyes. I can't. I won't.

"Tommy, okay?"

"Okay." I mumble the words.

"Good boy.