Mine
From a writing prompt on reddit.com:
http://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/2ay1j0/wp_on_his_deathbed_your_father_confesses_that/
I wasn't sure if it was the drugs playing tricks on his already failing mind or if there is any truth to his claims, but in his last moments, my father told me what he said was his biggest secret. Lets get a few things straight here before I tell the story; My father was a hard man. He worked hard and took no guff from anyone. He has always hated science fiction for as long as I can remember, and he has always said that truth should never be compromised, so when he swore to me that this actually happened, I believe that true or not, he actually believed it. These are his words, transcribed from my phone that was recording the conversation.
“You know I am not crazy right!”
“Yes dad, I know.”
“I have to tell you the truth! Nothing else matters.”
“It’s OK dad, there is no need to get ups-”
“YES THERE IS! You don't remember what happened but I do! Every night for the last 35 years I have relived it. Every night.. that face.. [He falls into a coughing fit here.]
“You OK? Need me to get a nurse? [I stood up to get help but he grabbed my wrist and drew me close to him]
“I don’t know how it got in, but when I heard you crying I came out and saw something huge and dark standing over your crib.” [Coughing] I didn't know what to do! I am so sorry. [Sobbing] I am so sorry David. I was so afraid… I could hear its voice in my head, asking questions… seeing my memories. I….” [He was quiet here for a long moment]
“Dad? [Pause] Dad, its ok. I’m here, and I am ok.”
“It spoke to me.”
“What?”
“The thing, it spoke to me.”
“What did it say?”
“Mine…”
“Mine?”
“Mine! And then he reached down and picked you up... It was in my head David. It hurt, I tried so hard to…” [Here he mumbled for a while, what sounds like gibberish. His eyes were focused on nothing and I had to shake him to get him back to reality.]
“Dad?... Dad, you OK?”
“I killed it!” It was in my head… It had you. I killed it. I killed it. I killed it. I killed it.”
“What?”
“Hunting rifle….. by the door. Shot it in the back.”
[I was silent at this point because I honestly had no clue how to respond. He look at me, and then turned his face away after a few moments.]
“I’m not crazy. I know what I saw.”
“I believe you dad. I don’t know why, but I believe you.”
“it… it’s still out there.”
“I thought you said you killed it?”
“I did. Buried it by the old fallen pine.”
[He had another coughing fit and then we just sat there for a few minutes, and then he seemed to compose himself a little better]
“I went back out there a few years later, convinced I was crazy. I needed to see it. I could still see it in my head, feel it poking around, but I honestly thought I was losing my mind or something. It wasn’t there anymore, but the rug I wrapped it in was, and it was still stained with blood.”
“Dad...I… I don’t know what to say”
“I heard more….”
“More what?”
“ I don’t know what it was David. Maybe it was bigfoot, or aliens... or something something else, I dont know… but I swear to God Almighty that when I was filling in the hole, I heard noises in the woods… words. I don’t know what they were, but I could hear them talking…. so I ran. I ran as fast as I could and never went back. That was the year we sold the cabin.”
“Wow.”
[He laughed]
“You’re damned right wow!”
[A few more coughs and then he held his hand out and dropped an old rusted bullet casing into my hands]
“I think…. I might sleep for a while now.”
“OK dad.”
“Stay with me David?”
“Ok dad.”
He fell asleep, and shortly after passed away in his sleep. I have not decided yet if I want to go up to the woods and look for the hole with the carpet, it its even still there… I don’t know if my dad was all there when he told me that story, but what I do know is the last 50 years, there have been more instances of missing hikers, children, and kidnapped babies than any other wooded area for about 700 miles. Maybe I will go up there some day… but if I do, you can bet I will be bringing my dad’s old hunting rifle with me!
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