Precious Boy (Short Story)

Chapter 1

This is the unedited version of the story I wrote 3 years ago. I just copy and pasted it in:

I was sitting alone on my couch, snuggling in with a warm blanket and hot tea. The tv droned on brainlessly. I finally gave up on trying to focus on who was the baby daddy and got up and left the room. I entered my room, and grabbed my cell phone. Suddenly I heard a knock at the door. Once, twice, silence. I sauntered over to the door and opened it slowly, prepared to tell the salesman I have already bought all that he had to sell. A little boy sat on my doorstep, shirt torn to rags and his shorts covered in brown mud. A small necklace of a moon hung around his neck. He turned his head to look at me and I could see the soot on his face. Shiny lines of water ran through the soot, evidence he had been crying. The boy was about 5 or 6 and obviously was in need of a warm bed and a nice meal. He slowly lifted his arm to show a gaping wound, with tooth like gashes. I gasped in shock, dried blood surrounded the deep gouge in his skin. "What happened?" I asked, he only shifted his head to look at the ground. Hard sobs raked through him. "Hey, hey! Don't cry, it will be alright," I said, bending down on my knees to look at his face, I wiped away his tears with my thumb, "what's your name, sweetheart?" He looked up at me, and frowned. "J." He whispered, wringing his hands. I smiled. "J, do you know where your mom is?" Fresh tears welled underneath his eyes. "Wanna come inside for some grilled cheese?" I asked, reaching for his hand. He hesitated before nodding and grasping my hand. I lead him into my house and into the bathroom. I grabbed a washcloth and scrubbed the soot and dirt off of him and dressed him in new clothes. I finally addressed his wound, he flinched when I gently rubbed the skin around it. I finally cleaned the wound, and wrapped it in a bandage and gauze. He slumped his shoulders and looked up at me. "Want something to eat?" I asked, grabbing his hand. He nodded quickly. I led him into the kitchen and toasted up some grilled cheese. I heaped his plate with 2 slices. He looked gratefully up at me. I gave him glass of water with a small cup of apple juice. He ravaged through the meal hungrily. Finally I got a good look at him. Lovely golden blonde hair, crisp blue eyes, and sun-kissed skin. Precious Boy. After he had finished his food, he looked up at me and smiled. His smile completely blind-sided me. Since his arrival this is the only time he actually looked like a kid. His toothy grin lit up his whole face, casting a warm glow into the room. "Hungry?" I asked, ruffling my hand through his hair. He shook his head no, and yawned. I walked over to him and lifted him up and into my arms. I walked over to the lazy boy rocking chair and settled down. I wrapped a fuzzy blanket around us and he laid in my arms.  J slowly lifted the moon necklace from his neck and slipped it around mine, "Thank you!" i whispered, he returned my thanks with a small smile. Slowly I rocked the chair back and forth, his eyes lulled to sleep. I kissed his forehead and rested my head against the pillow on the chair.  Sleep came easy to me, it slowly grasping hold of me and pushing me into a blissful dream.  I Suddenly jolted awake, Startled by a soft cry. I looked down in my arms where J was sleeping. His skin had turned a ghoul-like gray and had a almost translucent look.  His eyes were wide open, the once beautiful blue orbs now were onyx black.  He laid completely still, like he was in shock. "J?" I asked, slightly shaking his shoulders. No response. I looked down at the wound on his arm, black ooze seeped from around the gauze bandage. I felt bile rise in my throat. Slowly J's eyes began to shut. Tears stung the backs of my eyes. I slowly stood up from the chair and laid J down on the couch.  I ran over to the phone, Quickly dialing in my mother's number. On the last ring I heard my mothers voice through the telephone. "Hello?" She said. "Mom! I need your help!" I whispered into the phone. "Casey, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Mom , I'm fine!"

" what's going on?"

"A little boy knocked on my door today, around 10 pm, and he had a big flesh wound and now black ooze is coming out and he won't wake up!" I said in the phone, worry edging my voice. "I'll be right over." She hung up the phone. I slowly put down the phone and ran my fingers through my hair. What's wrong with J? I slowly walked over to the couch. J lay completely still, not even his eyes moved under his lids. "J?" I said kneeling in front of the couch. "J please wake up!" I cried, a solo tear dripping down my face. I grabbed  his small hand in mine. His skin was cold and clammy. Worry spun through me. I slowly used my free hand and pressed it to the inside of his wrist. I felt his pulse, hardly was it even there. My heart raced. I was only with this little boy for a