The Man of Many Hats

Chapter 17

My mom called the cops. I put the hat on the pile. I was ready to face the man. I couldn't let my mom die.

The police arrived at our house. They asked us questions and left. I looked my mom in the eye and said,

"Mom, please leave. You are going to die."

She started to interrupt. I kept talking,

"Please...Mommy?"

She started to cry. I hadn't called her mommy since I was in third grade.

"Okay."

She told me. She walked out of the door. She drove off. I have to kill the man.

"Come to me! I'm no longer afraid!"

I heard a crash in my room. I ran upstairs. The man was standing on the pile. He said,

"Hello Richard, you called!"

I gritted my teeth,

"I'm going to kill you!"

He started laughing,

"You think your weak little mind can defeat me?!"

I nodded. He kept talking,

"This world will eventually die! You aren't going to be the one to stop me!"

I have a reason. I know why I am on earth. To kill the man of many hats! I said,

"Why can't I?"

He looked at me and said,

"I hate you, kid. I will kill you!"

"Why do you hate me?"

"You know why!"

"I really don't!"

He gritted his teeth and looked at me,

"You little idiot!"

"Oh really? Oscar!"

The man screamed,

"Don't call me that!"

The papers in my room were flying in the air. The sound was deafening. I yelled,

"Why not? It is your name!"

He smiled,

"Why don't you just kill me now, Richie?"

I screamed,

"Richie is my nickname. You killed my sister!"

Before I knew what I was doing. I pulled off the man's last hat. I threw it into the pile. I held onto him and yelled,

"Fifteen of fifteen!"

The man couldn't move. He couldn't teleport. He could only talk. I ripped his sunglasses off and threw them into the pile. I saw his grey eyes. He knew what would happen.

I watched the hats glow red. I watched them explode. I watched my life flash before my eyes. I saw myself as a baby. I saw myself as a three year old running through the corn patch. I saw my sister. I saw myself holding her. I saw myself cry when I found out my dad died. I saw the rest of what happened to my life. It stopped abruptly. I was sitting on a train sleeping.