Shadow Hound

“Pack your things kiddo. I’ll call grandma and let her know what’s going on. We will all go to the beach for the day, and then I’ll drop you off at grandma’s afterward.” Caleb just looked at Mom sullenly as she left to get her phone. I tried nudging him for a hug to cheer him up, but it didn’t seem like there was anything that would do it. “Well, don’t dawdle. Go get your stuff. Spare clothes, shoes, socks, shirts, undies, pants, swim trunks, towel. Go, go, go.” Her voice was cheerful but impatient and she punctuated each ‘go’ with a clap of her hands as she walked away.

I looked back to Caleb next to me on the bed, tears squeezing out of his eyes and leaking down the sides of his nose. “She doesn’t believe in it.” His soft whisper wrenched my heart for him and broke my own heart at the same time. Couldn’t Mom see how terrified we both were? “It’s going to hurt one of us and she doesn’t believe in it.” His arm around me tightened in a hug that was almost too tight.

Hugs were nice. I like hugs. If I could just live in that memory of that last desperate hug. If that had been the Moment of my death, safe and loved unconditionally, feeling all my big brother’s protective adoration soaking into me right then it would have been okay.

After a few moments, he let go and dashed his tears away. “Alright kiddo,” his cheerful voice wasn’t sincere. “We’re going to the beach. And at the beach, we are going to have so… much… fun.” Sobs caught in Caleb’s voice, and I tackled him to give him another hug before he got about packing our beach bags and his overnight back. “I’m going to pack you an overnight bag too, okay? Just in case Mom changes her mind.” I nodded sagely as if I understood the family dynamics that kept me from being able to stay with grandma. I wasn’t sure what it was about me that the old woman didn’t like, but there was a problem and nothing I knew how to do would fix it.

While Caleb worked, I wandered through the warm bright house. With the beams of sunlight streaking through the windows, it was difficult to think of this being a scary place. Even in the early evening when we played in the yard and watched the bunnies it didn’t seem that bad. Only sometimes. Only when the thing was looking. Mom was on her phone talking in hushed angry tones, I could only assume she was talking to grandma. Grandma’s side of the conversation was heard as a muffled vaguely speech-like sound pattern.

“…I told you to stop telling him your bible-thumping stories… He’s terrified out of his mind… Well, the dog idea didn’t work. She’s freaking scared out of her mind too, just cowers under the covers with him… Mom, if there is someone or something in the house, I’m not waking up when it or they come through. The dog doesn’t wake me. No! Your stupid demons and damnation crap is what caused this… Oh, don’t tell me you genuinely think that there is something ‘evil’ living under the shed, too…? Because the dog you won’t even let into your home is afraid of it you believe in it…? Oh, yeah? Is it okay for her to come stay with you too…? Not even camping in the backyard…? That’s what I thought... I’m taking that promotion and we’re moving to the new place the company is offering... I don’t care if it’s in another state and you’ll have to drive twelve hours to visit, I can’t let my kid spend another night living someplace he is afraid of… Fine… I’ll drop him off at six.”