When The Monster Comes | Completed

Chapter 15

"Timmy?" Leonard asked. "What are you doing here?"

Just moments before, a wildly-surprised Leonard had opened the door to find Timmy, in his grimy and disheveled form, waiting on the welcome mat under the dim lights of the porch. Dressed in his pajamas and now appearing not only surprised, but a little upset, Leonard looked from Timmy, to his living room, then back again, and repeating.

"Hi Leonard," Timmy said, interrupting his cycle of looking back and forth. "I got lost. I couldn't find my mom. Can you have your parents call her, please?"

Leonard hesitated, but not in trepidation. Timmy could see a complex series of emotions go through his friend in an instant. But he agreed quickly enough.

"Sure, Timmy. Come in."

Timmy stepped into the house slowly and shakily. He almost cried in relief when he felt the cool, comfortable air of the house touch his skin. His bit his tongue and forced himself not to shed another tear in front of Leonard, though. He didn't want to be called a crybaby again.

"You can leave your shoes on," Leonard said comfortingly, even a little warmly. "Our house is dirty anyway."

At Leonard's beckoning, Timmy followed his friend out of the house's entrance and into the white-walled kitchen. Leonard left Timmy for a second and went over to one of the kitchen cabinets. He returned with a Nature Valley granola bar, one of Timmy's favorites.

"Here you go, Timmy!" Leonard said.

Timmy's eyes widened at the sight of the prize. "Thank you," he said, both eagerly and tiredly.

Nearby, the living room was filled with light from the TV, but nothing else. Timmy supposed that's where they were headed next, and took a couple steps in that direction. He stopped, though, and looked back, when he noticed that Leonard was hesitating.

"Leonard?" he said.

Leonard took a deep, full breath, before walking past Timmy and into the living room's entrance. Timmy followed suit, and felt his unease return when he did.

Leonard's dad sat on the couch, motionless and staring at the screen. He was holding a glass of what looked, to Timmy, like apple juice. His hair looked greasy and slick, and Timmy thought that touching it would be gross. Timmy thought he might be remembering wrong, but his stomach looked bigger, too.

Meanwhile, Leonard stood beside him, still not saying anything at all. Like before, he took a deep breath, then finally spoke.

"Hi Dad," he said.

What seemed like several moments passed. For a while, Timmy thought, it was like Leonard's dad hadn't heard him at all. At last, his chin twitched, and it was as if the twitch brought his dad to life. When he did speak, though, it was slow, methodical, as if he had just woken up from a long dream.

"Yes?" Leonard's dad said.

Timmy heard a weird sound come from his friend's throat. Whatever it was, it seemed to have helped, as he spoke with a little more enthusiasm this time. "Timmy's here! He said he got lost. Can we call his mom and tell her he's here?"

Like before, it was a long wait for a response from his father. It was like, Timmy pondered, the words were slow to reach him, like they had to pass through something thick to get to him.

There was no twitch this time, but he still spoke slowly, like it hurt Leonard's dad to talk. "Ask you mother, Leonard."

Timmy watched Leonard stay for a few seconds, as if waiting to see if his dad had anything else to say, before grabbing Timmy's sleeve and tugging him along up the stairs.

It wasn't until they were walking up the stairs that Timmy noticed just how still the whole house was. Timmy had sensed it before; it wasn't just the conversation with Leonard's dad. It was as if the figures in the photos held their breath, as if every creak the stairs made was a violation. Timmy struggled to describe it, but it was like everything in Leonard's house was hiding.

When they got to Leonard's room, Timmy entered while Leonard stayed at the door.

"You can sit on my bed if you want," Leonard assured.

Timmy obliged, and felt his muscles mercifully relax when he sat down. When he looked back, though, he saw that Leonard had left without him noticing. However, he soon heard the sound of running water in the background, and Leonard quickly returned with a glass of water.

"I thought you might be thirsty," he said.

Timmy grasped the cup with two hands, as it was a little big for him. "Thanks, Leonard."

"No problem," Leonard said before heading back toward the hallway. "I think my mom's still taking a bath. I'll knock and see if she can call your mom."

Timmy took a sip of water. "Okay," he said.

Leonard gave him a desperate attempt at a reassuring smile, then closed the door, leaving Timmy with his thoughts.