Mentally Paranormal. (Short horror story)

Mentally Paranormal

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Henry wasn't a normal child. Even before he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was always babbling on and on about things that weren't there, and it worried his parents.

"Rose?' Tony called from the small living room.

"Yes dear?" Rose appeared on the threshold to the kitchen, stirring a bowl with a wooden spoon.

"It's Henry, again."

"Tony." She froze, the spoon hovering above the bowl, trembling in her hand. "We discussed this."

"No, we didn't. You just keep telling me he's perfectly fine whenever I find him talking to things and people that aren't there!"

"He is perfectly fine." She insisted.

"He's not, and you know it! The doctor told us that he is severely mentally ill, and we should get him on medication immediately."

"Even if there was something wrong with him, we can't afford it."

"Rose," He lowered his voice, stepping closer to her. "You're in denial, He needs help."

"Shut up!" she shoved him away, the bowl falling to the ground, spilling
leafy greens all over the floor. "I am not going to stand here, and listen while you tell me there's something wrong with my child." Her voice trembling, she burst into tears, sinking to the ground, her tears falling on the floor next to the spilled salad. Tony knelt down beside her, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm sorry Rose." Just then, Henry started screaming from upstairs, it was an awful high pitched scream, chilling the parents to the bone.

"Can you calm him down?" Rose asked shakily. "I'll have dinner ready, if You could bring him down?"

"Sure baby, just take your time." Tony stood, leaving Rose to clean up the salad. He rushed up the stairs to Henry, who hadn't stopped screaming.

"Henry?" He called, pushing open the door to his nine year old son's room. Henry abruptly cut off his scream and turned to look at his father. "Hey buddy." Tony said, moving cautiously toward the boy. Henry didn't say anything, he just stared at the wall. "What's the matter?" Tony asked, getting down to Henry's level.

"I thought I saw a monster in the closet." Henry said, smiling. Tony turned to look at the open closet doors, seeing a mess of clothes inside.

"Good news Bud, no monsters there."

"Oh, It's okay Daddy." Henry said. "He's not there anymore." His gaze drifted.

"He's behind you now."

Tony snapped his head back, chills running down his spine. As he expected, there was nothing there, but Henry's words still unnerved him.

"Let's go downstairs, Mommy might have dinner ready." He suggested, still shaken.

"Okay Daddy." Henry said, following Tony out of the room. Right before Henry left, Tony heard him whisper something.

"Lob, not right now, Mommy could still get away."

Tony quickly led them through the small house, and into the kitchen, where Rose had the table set, 3 bowls of tomato soup sitting in front of three chairs. Tony glanced at the trash can, where the fallen salad now sat. The three sat down, and Henry smiled.

"It looks just like blood!" He giggled gleefully. Rose either didn't hear him, or she ignored him, and beckoned Tony into the living room, leaving Henry alone with the food.