Viscera and Other Tales

Delilah Breathed

When I was 12 years old my family moved from Ruidoso, New Mexico to Midland, Texas. It was meant to be a fresh start for me, my mother, my sister Andrea and my little brother Tomas. After escaping from the abusive patriarch in our family we decided to stick together and do our best to move forward, away from the past.

Midland, though a boring town, was going to be the start to our new life.

Emphasis on was.

When we moved into our new place the first thing to get us was the smell. A putrid stench hung in the air, heavy and suffocating.

Mom told me to keep Andrea and Tomas (who were 7 and 4 respectively) outside while she investigated the source of the foul odor.

Five minutes later she emerged from the front door holding a shoebox wrapped completely in duct tape.

She gagged as she tossed it to the side, it flipped and landed at the edge of our yard.

"It's coming from there." She said, shuddering.

I looked to the box, something about it drawing my attention, before my mom hurried me back to the car to help unload everything.

Despite the fact that I was the oldest, I had to share a room with Tomas. According to my mom it's because we were both boys and it wouldn't make sense for one of us to have to share with Andrea.

I loved my brother but I was against the idea from the get go, preferring to have a private space of my own.

Unfortunately, I was outvoted on the matter (due to Tomas' vote not counting).

Life settled into quiet tedium. A month passed and I looked out towards the window, happy with the boredom and freedom from abusive chaos.

The box remained in our yard.

Nobody thought to pick it up or move it due to a fear of whatever was inside and we grew to pretend it didn't exist.

Except, apparently, for Andrea.

One hot Texas day, Andrea (without permission of course) grabbed the scissors from my desk and marched outside to the box.

Watching from the window, me and Tomas stared and she began to cut the duct tape from around the strange box.

I kept hoping whatever smelly thing within would burst and coat her in its juices, annoyed at her for once again "borrowing" my stuff without asking.

It took some twisting and ripping before she was finally able to pull the box open.

Out tumbled a chunky, brown haired Cabbage Patch doll.

I felt confused and Andre must have as well as she turned her head back to the box, flipping it around expecting something else to be in there, causing the stench.

There was nothing and she wearily reached down and picked up the fat doll.

Noticing me in the window, she held it up with a look of confusion. I shrugged in response and motioned for her to bring the doll inside.

"Does It smell?" I asked as she entered.

"Nope. Not from what I can tell."

"Then where was that stench coming from?"

"Who knows." She said. "Maybe it got aired out."

"Maybe."

"Lemme see!" Tomas yelled, running over to Andrea and snatching the doll from her hands.

"Ay! Tomas no arrebates!"

He didn't pay attention as he turned the doll around. He ran his hand through her hair and over her red flowery dress.