Bennie was imagining a fun story as he played with his favourite action figures. Mommy said they'd get McDonald's soon, and he was waiting patiently. They would have gone sooner, but Mommy had to cry again.
In Bennie's story, two brothers were fighting bad-guys. One of the brothers got in trouble, and the other had to save him. Bennie liked this story he imagined; because two bothers were saved in the end. Not one.
The story ended sooner than Bennie would have liked; the door creaked again. The chill running up his spine broke the fantasy, and Bennie listened for it again with some alarm. When he heard nothing more, Bennie tried immersing himself again--to no avail. He realized the other boy was with him.
Toshio.
Bennie didn't like Toshio. He didn't understand why they had to live in their house--both Toshio and his mother. They were strange, and they smelled bad. Toshio didn't sleep, and nor did he have a room of his own--so he stayed with Bennie, and kept him up at all hours. Toshio seemed to delight himself with screeching cat noises.
Bennie's eyes would draw to a close each night, only to have Toshio startle him awake. The noise would start small, and muffled--closed away in the closet. Then the door would creak. Toshio would make his cat noises louder. It reminded Bennie of nails scratching on ice. And it would get louder--until Bennie had to see where Toshio was.
He was usually curled up in the corner, eyeing Bennie unblinkingly. Last night he came up close. Those dark and soulless orbs piercing and pointing at Bennie. Eating him.
Toshio threw a toy truck at Bennie. He clutched the side of his head and ran away--hot tears streaming down is cheeks. Bennie was very hurt and frustrated. He told himself he would demand that Mommy tell these people to leave. She was surly upset with them too.
Bennie ran into the kitchen and saw that the lights were off. He froze immediately. This was very wrong. The house was too cold. Usually someone was making dinner by now. Mommy was sitting at the table. Her head resting on it's surface. "Mommy!?" yelled Bennie.
Why did she seem so flat? The door creaked again--but slower, and louder. Bennie looked around, expecting to find Toshio. He was nowhere to be found. The door creaked again. And Bennie heard a heavy smack.
He turned to his mother and saw she'd fallen to the floor. Mortified, Bennie cried out for his mother. The door creaked again. As Bennie gathered the strength to run to her, he was stopped once more. His mother's jaw snapped open, and the creaking noise came from her mouth. Strands of black hair emerged from her throat. Something expanded her gullet and forced it's way up, inch by inch. Soon the shape of a head broke through. And a dark ravenous eye opened wide.
