short scary stories

20. First words

Any day now, she'll say her first words.

My wife and I have been playfully betting on what she'll say first - 'Mama' or 'Daddy.' I can hear my wife crooning over and over while she feeds her 'Mama's little girl! Mama loves you so much!' Sometimes, she's not even subtle about it - 'Say 'mama!' Come on! 'Mama!''

I don't mind it though. I still believe I'll win. When we first brought her home, she would scream and cry and nothing my wife would say could calm her down, but I knew just how to hold her to help her fall asleep. Our daughter was a daddy's girl - my wife needed all the handicaps she could get.

I sit our daughter in her chair and my wife and I begin babbling like chickens - 'Mama!' 'Daddy!' 'Say Mama!' 'Who's daddy's baby?'

I pull the gag from our little girl's mouth.

"P-please... what do you want from me? Please let me go..."

My wife's smile falls from her face. With a heavy heart, I put the gag back in as the girl starts to scream. I take her back to the room, locking her in and shutting the lights out. When I return, I find my wife crying.

"It's ok, honey," I tell her, "The next one will be better. I promise."