Chasing the Monsters: 14

Sam got up, out of his bed, turned on the light and looked in the mirror.  He was breathing heavy, and his eyes looked scared.  He said, "I don't want to sleep," and then picked up his Spiderman doll, and said to his reflection, "Mom and Dad thought I was."

He carried the doll with him into the hall.  He knew he did not have to be quiet by Jack's room, since his older brother fell asleep with earphones in every night.  But when it came to his parents' room, which was diagonal from the nursery, he tiptoed and moved silent, like a panther, and imagined one, black and sleek, in his mind.  He pushed open the nursery door, and could hear the small breaths of Jewel, who had just recently, shortly after her first birthday, moved into the nursery with Ray.  His mother had told him that when Ray turned four, he would move in with Sam.  He wished it was sooner.

Ray was in a 'big boy bed,' as Blair had described it, against the far wall.  He walked over to it quietly, and shook Ray gently.  "Hey.  Wake up."

"No, sweeping." Ray said.

"Wake up, and be quiet," Sam said, in a whisper.  He watched Jewel's crib and knew she was out like a light.  A heavy sleeper, like Ray was, she was in baby dreamland.

Sam shook one more time, and said, "Wanna play?"

Ray sat up immediately.  "Pway?" he said, softly.

"Yeah.  Wanna play, like the other night?"

The littler boy nodded.  Sam put his hand out, and Ray took it, and both of them padded, Sam in bare feet, and Ray in footy pajamas, into Sam's room.  

***

Shaun opened the door, and surprisingly, he was wide awake, and had been watching television.  Todd could see the lights still on and a show blaring on the screen.  Todd said, "I have to talk to you."

"No problem, Todd.  You okay?  The kids?"

"I . . ." Todd looked around, and realizing that he losing control, said, "I need to sit down."

"Sure, come on."  Shaun said.  He still had not gotten back full use of his leg; the one that had been stabbed in the foot with the tranquilizing needle was still going in and out of numbness.  Something with the nerves.   

Todd sat, and Shaun shut the television.  Todd said, "This is an intrusion.  I know."

"No.  It was only The Golden Girls.  What's up?"  Shaun said, sitting across from Todd.  He was using a cane.

"The Golden Girls?"

"Yeah, well, long story."

"When . . . my father . . . Peter . . . when he was here, last year, there was something Sam said, something about him being weird."

"Yeah, sure, I remember."

"What do you know about that?"

"Nothing much.  He said he was weird.  No detail.  I went to the guy, after that, and made sure he knew the deal with me and those kids."

"I . . . still appreciate you putting your life on the line, Shaun."

"That's my job.  You going to tell me what this is about?"

"Sam's . . . having a hard time.  We can't help him.  He's still as upset as he was a year ago.  Tonight, he had a nightmare.  Blair, she started thinking that maybe . . . that . . ."

Shaun's eyes narrowed.  "She started thinking what?"

"She was afraid that maybe Peter had . . . hurt Sam, the way he hurt me."

At that moment, Todd knew he would never have been able to describe Shaun's face if he tried.  The man looked as if death had passed over him.  His skin, usually a deep, chestnut brown, and glowing with natural radiance, seemed flat and greenish.  He said, "Peter.  Malcolm was Peter."

"Yeah, you knew that, right?" Todd asked.

"Yes, I suppose I did, but to tell the truth, Todd, it never clicked up here much until right this minute.  I don't think so.  I mean, he never got the chance, Sam was never alone with him, that I know of.  Although . . ."

"Although what?"

"I don't know, I just never liked his eyes, you know?  As far as I know, he never got near Sam without someone else there.  You . . . might have to ask Sam, Todd."

"I don't want to do that.  I wanted to avoid it if I could."

"From what I know, no.  Sam wasn't alone with him, and he was only at the house a few days before the incident."

"He told Blair that Peter tried to get him to go to his cabin, but he said no.  He never told anyone, until he was at the hospital."

"He said no, that's all there is," Shaun said, getting up.  He turned his back to Todd, and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator.  "Want one?"

"No, thanks.  He said no, I guess, that's true.  I . . . I believe he would have told her if there were more."  Todd relaxed a little.

"I do too, Sam's a forthright kid, he'd say something."

"You're right," Todd said, standing.  "I'm sorry to have bothered you at this hour, Shaun.  Blair couldn't sleep, she was just crying, and it was all I could think of."

"You never have to apologize for coming to me about those kids.  They mean a lot to me."

Todd left, and Shaun leaned against the door.  Looking upward, he said, "Lord, I know I don't talk to you enough, but please don't let that madman have raped that little boy."

***

"I made a castle," Sam said.  "See?"  He and his brother were playing in the dark, but in a tent Sam rigged up out of blankets, and a flashlight as a light source.  

"Castle, for the pwincess."

"Right, now, you bring the horses over the drawbridge."  He lowered the Lego drawbridge and the smaller boy listened to what he said, bringing the toy horses over.  "Good job!"

"I'm tired." Ray said.

"Not yet, Ray, please?"

"I wanna go to sweep."

"You do?"

He nodded.

"But we're having fun?"

"I know but I tired, Sam."

"All right," he said.  He knew he had to be a good big brother, so he shut the flashlight, and he and Ray snuggled down to go to sleep in the tent.

Ray said, "Tell me a story?"  He went in and out of mispronouncing his r's.

"Okay, I will.  Once there was a princess, her name was Princess Jewel.  She lived in a castle called Unforgettable, with her father, King Todd and her Mother, Queen Blair."

"Mommy and Daddy."

"Shh, now, let me tell the rest."

"Okay," Ray said, yawning. 

Sam continued to tell the tale.

In the master bedroom suite, Blair was out on the balcony, getting air.  She couldn't imagine dealing with Sam being abused, never mind watching Todd deal with it.  She rubbed her shoulders, in the cool, evening air, and breathed deeply.  Was Todd right?  Was it time to move?

He opened the glass door behind her and was on the balcony with her.  She said, "He said, no, right?  He said there's no way, didn't he?"

"He did say no.  He said he knew nothing about anything like that happening to Sam.  I mean, what did we expect?  Would he ever hide that from us?"

"No, he wouldn't."

"He said, if we wanted to be sure, we should ask Sam.  But he didn't feel Sam would lie to us . . ."  He stopped, "You're shivering.  We're going inside, come on."  They went into the bedroom, and Todd said, "I can just ask him, outright . . ."

Blair interrupted, "Sssh."

Todd stopped, and both of them listened.  It was now close to 1:00 a.m., and they heard soft talking.  Blair walked to the bedroom door and poked her head into the hallway.  She heard it again, soft talking, and it was coming from Sam's room.  "It's Sam, Todd."

"Let's go see what's up," he said, holding her hand.  

They walked together and stood outside his door.  "And so, King Todd was never going to allow the mean Ogre Petrov get the children.  So, he took out his sword and cut off Petrov's head and said, 'off with his head' and," he stopped to yawn himself, "he had a huge celebration dinner with macaroni and cheese and tacos, and ice cream for dessert."

Todd and Blair opened the door, and flicked on the light.  There was the tent, set up, and one side was fully open.  They could see Sam, inside the tent, lying on his back, and Ray, curled up next to him, asleep.  Blair said, "Sam, what are you doing?"

"I guess Ray was afraid, so I let him sleep with me."

Todd said, "Really?  Is that so?"

"Well, no."  He came out of the tent.  Todd hadn't noticed how dark the underneath of his eyes were.  "I guess not."

"What's the real story, Sam?"  Blair said, tucking an extra blanket over Ray.

"I . . . went and got him."

"Out of bed?"  she asked.

"Yeah.  I wanted him with me.  So Peter's ghost can't get him."

She looked up at Todd.  He said, "Buddy, Peter's ghost isn't coming for anyone.  Peter's dead.  People who are dead can't hurt us.  Remember, you and I talked about that?"

Todd crouched down, so he was close to the tent opening, then reached in and took Ray out, placing him in Blair's arms, and she whisked him off to his bed.  Todd climbed into the tent and said, "Hey, this place is big enough for me."

"Yeah, it is!  Cool!"

"Sam, why are you so afraid of Peter?  He's gone."  Todd said, patting his son's arm.

"He killed Mixie.  Mixie was my best friend, Dad, besides you.  And he did mean things to you and Grandma Bitsy.  He beat up Starr.  He called her names and he stole Ray.  And he gave Shaun medicine to make him sick."

"Sam, did he do anything else?  Anything else that scares you, maybe something so bad you don't want to tell me about it?  Maybe you're scared Mommy, and I can't handle it?  You don't have to be afraid of that.  We've got your back on everything."

"No, nothing else."

"Why did you tell Jack he was weird?"

"'Cause he was.  He had a weird face.  His eyes were like mad, and his face was like happy.  He tried to get me to go into his cabin with him once."

"Just once?"

"He offered me some cookies and milk.  But I am smart, Dad, I know not to go with strangers.  I didn't like him, ever.  Was he really my grandpa?"

"No," Blair said, appearing at the door.  "Timothy's your grandpa.  Timothy's Daddy's father.  Peter was just a sick man who was married to Bitsy, that's all."  She put her hand out, and Sam came out of the tent.  "To bed young man.  And don't get your brother up anymore."

"Okay, Mom." Sam got into the bed, and covered himself.  "Mom, can I have the light on?"

"Yes, sure," she said.  She looked at Todd, trying to read him, and he joined his eyes with hers.  Suddenly, she felt peace wash over her.  "Night little one," she said, kissing his forehead.

Todd bent to kiss his son, and said, "I love you, you know that?"

"Yep."

"And it's okay to be scared.  But it's also okay to move on from Mixie dying, Sam.  He was your best friend, and you have a lot of memories, right?"

"Yeah," he said, sniffing.

"Well, he wouldn't want you to be sad, would he?"

"No, he wouldn't.  He saved you from the bear, and he dug me out, so we wouldn't be sad."

"Right.  Just remember that, okay?"

"Okay, Dad."

"See you tomorrow, Big Guy," Todd said, leaving the door ajar and the light on.  

Blair was with her back to him, her hands in a prayer formation over her mouth.  "Todd, it's true, right?  Peter didn't touch him?"

"I don't think he did, no.  Not for lack of trying, but no, I don't think he did."  She turned and hugged him around the neck.  He embraced her, and said, "It's been a long night.  Let's go to bed."

Sam, turning over in his bed, said, "Dad's right.  Mixie wouldn't want us to be sad," and closed his eyes.

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