The Home Run

The Beast!

Izzy's POV

       "Okay. Quiet you guys." Squints said, but the boys kept talking, "Shh! Quiet! Are you trying to wake it up? It just went to bed!"
       "What just went to bed?" Smalls and I asked semi loudly.
       "Shh!" everyone hissed, then said, "The Beast."
       "Oh yeah!" Smalls said, louder.
       "Shh!" everyone hissed at us again.
       "Jeez," I said holding my pillow against my chest and moving a bit closer to Benny.
       "The legend of The Beast goes back a long time before any of us could even pick up a baseball. Back to a place called Mertle's Acres. It all started about, mmm, twenty years ago, when thieves kept stealing junk from Mertle's Acres junkyard. So Mr. Mertle, the guy that used to own the place, got him this new pup from the dog pound. He fed him whole sides of beef and turned the pup loose in the junkyard. And the pup was grateful. And so, in a few weeks, the pup grew into The Beast. And he grew big, and he grew mean so that he could protect the junkyard with only one thing on his mind: To kill everyone that broke in. And he did, and he liked it a lot!
       "The Beast was the most perfect junkyard dog that ever lived. A true killing machine. But after a while, the cops started getting phone calls from people reporting all the missing thieves, the ones The Beast had killed. It added up to about 120... 173 guys. It's true. They never found a single body. Not one. Some people say they all got away. But we all know what really happened. The Beast ate them. He ate them bone and all. The Beast was too good at his guard dog job, so the police said he had to be retired.
       "My grandpa, Squidman Palledorous, was police chief back then. He ordered Mr. Mertle to turn his backyard into a fortress and chain up The Beast and put him under the house where he could never get out to eat children and stuff. That's where he's been for 20 years. And that's where he'll be for the rest of his life. Because Mr. Mertle asked the cops how long he had to keep The Beast chained up like a slave, they said until forever. Forever. Forever. Forever. Forever. Forever. And so, The Beast sits there under that lean-to, dreaming of the time when he can break the chain and get out, dreaming of the time he can chase and kill again."
       "See, man? That's why you can't go over there. Nobody ever has. Nobody ever will." Bertram said, looking at Smalls and me.
       "One kid did, but nobody's ever seen him again," Ham said.
       "That ain't true," Kenny said.
       "Yeah, it is. He got eaten." Ham said, solemnly.
       "Nu-uh," Smalls said.
       "No way!" I said.
       "None of that's true. You're making it up to scare Izzy and me." Smalls said.
       "Oh, yeah?" Squints asked, looking at Smalls and me, "Stick your heads out that window and look down."
       "Boys," I said, standing up with Smalls and walking up to the window. We looked out the window. I heard chains rattle and the growling of The Beast. Suddenly something moved the fence causing Smalls to scream and me to jump back.
       "He's down there," Smalls said.
"You bet he is." Squints said, clutching a B.B. gun.
       "Whatever goes over that fence stays there," Ham said holding a baseball bat.
       "It becomes the property of the beast. Forever." Squints said.

*~*

       I walked into my house after leaving the treehouse. All the curtains were drawn, all the lights were off except for the burning end of a cigarette.
       "Dad?" I asked, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness.
       "How come you lied to me?" he asked, his speech slurred.
       "What?" I asked, stepping further into the house.
       "You weren't at your friends' house. You were with boys." I noticed an empty bottle of whiskey at his feet, "And they lied for you. That was a mistake." he pointed in front of him with what looked like a knife.
       I frowned and looked to where he was pointing. I saw two bodies laying on the floor. It was Danny and my mom. I quickly ran up to them.
       "Mom, Danny. C'mon get up! Please, you have to get up!" I kept begging them to get up, but they wouldn't move.
       I felt something cold on my hands. I knew that feeling before. It was blood. I pushed myself far away from them and wiped my hand on my pants and on the carpet to get the blood off but it had already stained my hands.
       "They weren't the only ones. I gave him a chance, to tell the truth too, but he didn't either." he looked toward the kitchen. My eyes followed his gaze where there was another body. I quickly realized who it was and moved over to it fast. It was Benny.
       "Benny! Oh, my god. No. No. No." I looked at his face. He was pale. He felt cold and didn't look like himself. I held him in my arms and cupped his face with my hand, "Benny, Benny, no please god. C'mon Benny, get up."
       "I thought I could trust you. I thought you would never lie to me!" my dad said and stabbed me.

*~*

       I shot up from my sleeping bag on the floor of the treehouse. I had a thin layer of sweat on my face and was breathing like I'd just been chased by The Beast. I clutched my chest where I'd been stabbed in my dream. I took deep breaths in an attempt to slow my breathing. I looked around at the boys who all looked like they were asleep. I sighed and rubbed my eyes.
       I stood up and walked out of the treehouse and stood on the small ledge. I leaned on the wood railing. I heard footsteps behind me and quickly turned around and swung my hand to hit the person. He swiftly caught my hand at the wrist.
       "Hey, it's just me," Benny said, letting go of my wrist.
       "Sorry, Benny," I said, shaking my head.
       "You okay?" he asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.
       "I'm just on edge from a dream. I didn't wake you up did I?"
       "Well, sorta."
       "Oh, my god. Really?"
"You kept on repeating 'no' and 'please' and my name."
       "Oh, god." I said, sitting on the edge of the small ledge, "Did I wake up any of the other guys?"
       "I don't know," Benny said, sitting next to me.
       "Do you think I did?" I asked, quieter.
       "Possibly." he said, lowering his voice, "What was it about?"
       "My dad."
       "What happened in it?"
       "He found out that I wasn't with J.J., but Danny and my mom lied for me. So he killed them. Then he got ahold of you and you lied for me too and he killed you." I paused taking a deep breath, "Then he got me and kill me too..."
       "Holy shit," Benny said, looking at me stunned.
       "God I hope he buys it," I said, playing with my long hair.
       "He will. I think I've known you guys long enough to know that, drunk or not, your dad is kinda gullible."
       "He kinda is isn't he," I said, smiling a bit, but it faded fast.
       "What's wrong?" he asked, turning more towards me.
       "I don't know. I guess when we play ball it takes my mind off all this stuff." I said, looking at him, "It's like my escape from reality."
       "Yeah," he said, turning a light pink color when he looked at me.
       "Let's promise each other something right here right now," I said, standing up.
       "Okay," Benny stood up, "What's it gonna be?"
       "No matter what. No matter where we are, who we are, what we're doing. We have to still have each other's backs, be friends or anything. We just have to stay in touch." I grabbed his hands, "Even if we're married, unmarried, have kids, don't have kids, hate each other's significant other. Even if we fight, if we date and breakup, whatever. Anything. We have to always have each other's back."
       "Deal."
       "Swear to god?"
       "I swear to god." he did the sign of the cross.
       "Cross your heart."
       "Cross my heart." he drew an 'X' over his heart.
       I quickly pulled him into a hug. He hesitated but then I felt him wrap his arms around my shoulders. I held him tightly, not wanting to let go. Letting go meant going home. Going back home to my dad. Back to reality. I felt safe. I sighed deeply burying my face in his chest.
       "I don't know if I can go back home," I said, quietly.
       "Well, at least we get to play the day after tomorrow. Gives us time to buy a ball," he said and I could tell he was smiling.
       "I wish we could play tomorrow," I said, looking at him and releasing him from the hug.
       "C'mon. Let's go back inside. You need to get some sleep." he said, putting his arm around my shoulder and I put mine around his waist.
       "Okay." I smiled.
       "And if you need, I'll stay up with you." Benny smiled back at me.
       "Thanks, Benny," I whispered, as we walked back into the treehouse.