"All around the mulberry bush the monkey chased the weasel. DAD!! You still coming? I'm almost done!!" Dad chuckled as he walked to the kitchen for another beer.
"Yeah be there in a minute bud! Just give me a sec."
He popped the top, took a long slurp before setting it back down and picking his phone back up. His wife still hadnt responded to his texts. He had things he wanted to do tonight, and none of them included playing with that weird little boy. He loved the boy, but he never got over how the child was so unlike him in every way. He wanted a son that felt at home running the track with him, shooting hoops, or even working on things with him in the garage. He got that in the form of a sweet little girl, that he rarely got to see anymore and it was a source of never ending pain for him. The last time he saw his daughter was when he brought her a tiny kitten one of his clients gave him for her last birthday. He had wanted to linger, but he was wary of causing any drama between his ex and his current wife. So he stayed long enough to hand her the box and recieve of a months worth of sweet sloppy kisses and hugs from her before heading home. His wife had started making a point to leave the house more and more lately, forcing him to spend "quality time" with their son, doing things the boy liked to do. Usually it involved him stumbling along in some random weird medieval video game, going on 'quests' with him and his dorky little friends. He dreaded walking down into the 'dungeon' the name the boy gave the damn basement but knew he had to if he wanted to avoid being accused of not making an effort tonight. He heaved a huge sigh and threw what was left of his beer in the trash. The boy didnt like it when he drank beer around him, and he wasnt trying to give him anything he could complain to his mother about.
"DAD COME PLAY!!!"
"AlRIGHT BUD!! Damn give me minute kid". He swore quietly and headed across the house to the basement door. As he walked he stumbled on something hard and painful that stuck to his foot. He looked down and swore louder this time. It was a head of one the action figures the boy had begged him to get. With every step he took closer to the door, there was a small plastic head of an action figure. His annoyance turned into anger, these things cost a small fortune and this is what he was doing with them. Almost like the kid gave him a giant middle finger. He collected the broken toys as he walked and yelled out to the boy as he went down the basement stairs.
"Son you cant break toys like this. I know you're just being creative, and your mom doesnt want me to tell you how to play....but these things cost alot. You should take care of things a little better than this bud, or this is going to be the last time I buy new toys for you. Okay?"
He got to the bottom step and looked around. The little boy was no where in sight, but he could hear his high little voice humming from somewhere deep in the room. The lights were mostly out, except for the closet light at the back of the basement. He walked deeper into the basement and once again stumbled over something hard and plastic. This time it was a body of one of the several beheaded action figures. The boy had made a bread crumb trail of their heads, and battle rows of their bodies. The man shivered and kicked a few of them over.
"I don't know what youre playing at here son, but you can come on out now and clean these up. We're going to be having a long talk with your mother when she gets home too. Come on out now." Silence answered him. Then the little boy's singing resumed.
"All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasle. mmmmm mmmmmmm mmmhmmm hmmm".
"THATS ENOUGH I SAID! COME OUT HERE NOW! PICK THIS SHIT UP!"
"Come play Daddy. You promised we'd play. The game hasnt started yet." The boys voice echoed as if he were in the walls themselves. His father had had enough. He turned on the main light and tore through the basement opening and shutting cupboards, flinging boxes up and emptying contents of large bins. Still subconsiously avoiding the back of the room with the open closet and bright light.
"WHERE ARE YOU!? GAME OVER! COME OUT YOU WEIRD LITTLE SH-" A loud giggle rang out.
"Ah ah ahhh. A dollar for the swear jar Daddy. No grown up words remember?" The boy continued singing. The father gave up and slowly began walking towards the back of the room, attempting to appear more upset than he was afraid. He knew thats where he was hiding. But he wasnt sure if he wanted to find him now. He had always been off, but this was outrageous. He was an adult and he shouldnt be afraid of a little speck of a boy. But here he was, inching slower than a snail, holding his breath as he peered into the closet. The song the boy was singing echoed in his head, and without realizing it he began to sing it out loud.
"All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasle." He moved the old moth eaten clothes in the closet expecting the little boy to spring from them at any moment. When he didnt, the father took a further step into the closet and crouched down to peer under crates.
"The monkey thought it was all in good fun-" he stood up and backed out the closet,
'POP GOES THE WEASLE" the little boy flew at his father, and took a swing. His fathers head tumbled down and came to a rest at his small dirty feet. The boy smiled, picked up the head, climbed the stairs and walked out to his room. He placed his fathers head next to his mothers on his dresser. The doorbell rang and he ran downtairs and eagerly answered the door. A mail carrier stood at the door with a clipboard.
"Hey little guy, I need one of your parents to sign this for me, can you go get them please?"
"Oh theyre not home right now." The carrier tucked the clipboard under his arm and looked down, his words froze in his throat. The little boy grinned up at him with hungry jet black eyes.
