Surprise!

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  Photo by Mitja Juraja on Pexels.com

Scott Hendrick was 15 but he was still afraid of the dark. He hated it. He didn’t let on to anyone that he was afraid, but he was terrified. He was very neat and tidy, but not for the reason’s his mom thought. He wanted everything put away so there were no where for dark things to hide at night.

Every night his ritual was to check his closet thoroughly; check under his bed which he kept clean, and put away any close or items laying about. He then would plug his cell phone in next to the bed, and put his flashlight under his pillow. Next, he would turn the light out and run and jump into the bed so nothing could grab his feet Once in bed, he would pull the covers over his head while he retrieved the flashlight from under his pillow and flipped it on. lastly, he would peak out and shine the light around the room to make sure nothing had appeared in the darkness. The flashlight remained on all night sometimes. He went thru batteries rather quickly, so he kept a drawer full of new ones next to his bed, along with glow sticks and any items he came across that could illuminate in the dark. He used to keep his television on at night for the light source, but mom made him start turning it off every night.

Scott disliked this quality of his a great deal. He felt it was as bad as wetting the bed. He was fifteen years old for God’s sake. He figured he would never get a girlfriend being such a pussy. He couldn’t risk his friends knowing, so he hadn’t hung out over night at a friends house since he was 6 years old.

It was the end of the summer 2014 break, and Scott had just started his freshman year at Copper Cove High School. Over the summer he had shot up and was now 5 foot 10 inches tall. He was glad he had mowed lawns over the summer, as it had afforded him spending money to save toward his first car. It also resulted in him becoming an Adonis with rock hard muscles, and a golden tan that complimented his light brown wavy hair, and deep blue eyes. He had gone from nerd to hottie overnight. So, far he had managed to act cool, and as if he hadn’t noticed all the attention from the girls. His friends thought he was a rockstar. So, no one could know his little secret. It would be social suicide.

He was at his locker about to leave for the day. Reagan Palmer appeared with her notebook pulled to her chest peering over at him with those big brown eyes that no one could resist. Brushing her long black hair back over her shoulder she edged closer to him as if she was going to tell him a secret. He leaned down and she whispered, “When are you going to ask me out?”

He felt his face become hot, and immediately started sweating. “I uh… I umm… I was going to just been real busy ya know?” he said as he casually looked around the hall, feigning disinterest in her.

“Oh…” she said, but the tone revealed her disappointment. “Well, I am having a party this weekend. You should come. It’s going to be lit as fuck.” She said as she glanced around the hall matching Scott’s behavior. “I mean if you want.”

“Oh yeah? Sure I will come, just text me with all the details and I will be there for sure.” He said smiling at her. Her face lit up with joy. She looked so beautiful. He shifted nervously still transfixed on her soft plump lips and mesmerizing big brown eyes. His gaze traveled down her neck to her body, and then it happened. His junk pitched a tent. The damn thing had a mind of its own. The wind would blow and it would stand at attention. He quickly placed his notebook in front of his boner to conceal his issue.

“I uh, Have to go” he said pushing past her. “later.” he called back over his shoulder as he rushed down the hall.

When Scott arrived home, he received the text message with the party details, including instructions to being a change of clothes as he would be staying the night. Apparently, her father had given permission to have 4 guests stay out in the guest house. She had selected him as one of them and hinted in the text that she would sneak out and come hang out with him after everyone was asleep. ‘I am about to become a legend’ he thought smiling to himself.

His stomach started churning thinking about sleeping in the dark in a strange place. “Fuck!” he blurted out loud. “I am just going to have to face my fears.”

That night he laid his clothes out on his chair for the party. He opened his closet door and only glanced in. He left the door open which is something he never does. He put his flashlight in the bedside table and plugged in his cell phone. He stood at his doorway with his hand on the light switch and took a big deep breath. He flipped the light off, and walked as calmly as he could to his bed and got in. He did not pull the covers up, he merely laid his back staring at the ceiling. Perspiration was forming on his forehead from anxiety. He wiped it away shutting his eyes.

A thump sound suddenly came from his closet. He bolted straight up in bed, and fumbled for his flashlight in the drawer. THUMP, BA DA BUMP BUMP drummed out from his closet. He could hear his heart beat thundering in his ears, so he wasn’t sure if it was his heart or the sound came from the closet that time.

Finally locating his flashlight and flipping it on, he turned the beam toward his open closet. Cloths were swinging back and forth as if someone had passed by them and brushed them. Ice cold terror smacked him in the chest. He couldn’t breathe. He struggled to take in air darting the beam from the flashlight around his room in search of the intruder. Choking he was finally able to inhale and screamed, “MOM!” he panted terrified rapidly shining the beam in new directions all over his room. “MOM! I NEED YOU!” He screamed trying to sound calm but failing miserably. It felt like forever but his bedroom door finally swings open with his mother standing in the doorway.

What Scott? What’s Wrong?” She asked turning the flipping the light on and walked over to him with a look of concern.

Wide eyed staring into his closet, skin pale white, and panting, Scott Said, “something is in my closet mom.”

She turned to look at his closet to see his cloths still swaying slightly. “In your closet?” she stood and walked over to the closet reached up and clicked the chain, and light bathed the compartment. “There is nothing in here baby.’ She said turning back toward Scott.

“Lo-…lo-…. Look mom, my cloths are still moving. Something made them move.”

“She looked back over her shoulder. “Oh son, the air conditioner probably caused them to move. Do you need to come sleep with me tonight baby boy?” She said in that soothing mommy tone.

It really pissed him off for her to treat him like a baby. His faced flushed with anger and embarrassment. “No Mom! I am not a baby anymore! I am 15. I can’t sleep with my mom” He declared.

“oh, is that right?” mom said amused. “well, I am sorry. Your alright then?”

He climbed out of the bed and shut his closet door. He turned to his chair with the cloths and hung them on the back of his closet so he could tell if the door moved. “yes, mom. I am fine.” he insisted walking back to his bed.

“Okay then. Good night.” she flipped the light off and shut the door.

Scott turned his flashlight back on and leaned against his headboard pointing it at his closet determined to catch whatever was in there. He must have drifted when THUMP! BA! DA! BUMP! snapped him awake. He was still leaned against the headboard. He pulled himself up and pointed his flashlight at the closet. The door was open, and his clothes were gone. “MOM! MOM! MOMMY!” He screamed. she must have been asleep because he kept calling her and she never came. He was too scared to move.

He sat there thru the night like that. staring with his flashlight around his room. Waiting for the boogeyman to get him. At sunrise he finally drifted to sleep.

He woke to the smells of breakfast being cooked downstairs. He rolled over and looked at his closet. His clothes were still gone and the door was ajar. He bolted out of bed and headed toward his door. His clothes were hanging on the back of his bedroom door with a note. It said, “Made you breakfast downstairs. I know you had a long night. I have a surprise for you in the garage.” It was written in feminine swirls characteristic of his mother.

He shrugged as he hung the clothes back up on the door. He walked sleepily down to the kitchen and found a plate waiting for him with sausage and eggs. He inhaled fresh breakfast without breathing. The sausage tasted strange, but it was really good, and he was famished.

He started for the garage to see his surprise. He got to the door and swung it open flipping the light on. There is the yellow glare was his mother’s body hanging from a meat hook. she had been gutted. Her cutting block was there on the tool counter with some of her intestines and one of her arms in a grinder. His stomach lurched when he realized why the sausage tasted strange. “then who made the food?” he said out loud as the lights flickered and went off, he turned to run when the lights flickered again coming back on, and there, hanging on the door, were his clothes, He looked closely and black eyes stared out from the door over his shirt. The door slammed shut. A soft evil chuckle could be heard, and then Scott’s screams. Scott never made it to the party.