One night, Aiesha couldn’t sleep. Her mom had picked up a shift at the store, and both her brother and sister slept like rocks. She decided to get up and maybe get a snack. When she got to the kitchen, she saw a light flash through the window.
Without turning on the kitchen light, she looked out the window. In the yard across the way, she saw him. The night was dark, so little detail was visible. The man, at least she hoped it was a man, was hunched over and wandering aimlessly about his yard. He carried a flashlight which swung to and fro in no specific pattern. As he turned toward the kitchen, Aiesha moved away from the window. She didn’t want him to see her, and she certainly did not want to see him in case he was a monster. She returned to bed without her snack. She could not go back to sleep, however. Visions of a hunchbacked demon with pale skin and huge fangs dripping with poison haunted her.
The next morning when her brother had finally gotten up, Aiesha told him about the hunchback.
“Oh well, that’s the part that I left out. That’s not a hunch on his back. That’s his last victim. You see, he keeps the kids that he has killed in a pack on his back until they ripen enough for him to eat. Then, just when they’re about to become ripe, he goes out in his yard to forage for another little kid. Any kid who is up after their bed time, who he sees, becomes his next meal.”
This story sent Aiesha screaming out of the living room and back into her room with tears streaming down her face.
Aaron laughed a little and went to console his sister. He got to her door and changed his mind.
After about an hour of crying, Aiesha gathered herself together and went back into the living room. “Aaron?” Her voice trembled; she spoke slowly.
“Yes?” Aaron looked up from the T.V.
“Is that story true?”
Aaron smiled, “No, it’s probably not true, but you should probably steer clear of that house and any strangers. Just to be sure. Alright?”
"Alright.” She was quiet for a bit. “Aaron, I am going to go play at the Wilsons’.”
"Okay. Be careful crossing the street, alright?”
“Okay.” Aiesha walked out of the front door and to the curb, staying as far away from the house with the fence as she could. She looked both ways and crossed the street.
Later in the afternoon, Aiesha told her friends about the man in the haunted house.
“No way. You saw him?” It was Alex, a white kid with glasses and a bowl haircut.
“Yeah. He wasn’t that scary,” Aiesha said haughtily.
“Did you see his face?” asked Effie. She was blond with pigtails.
“Yeah. He had a big nose and two fangs that dripped with blood.”
The gasp that arose from the audience took care of the guilt that arose from lying.
The rest of the afternoon was filled with stories of the hunchback, always with Aiesha at the center of attention. Indeed, the rest of the week so proceeded. Soon after, the kids found something new to talk about, and even Aiesha forgot about the events of that late evening.
Without turning on the kitchen light, she looked out the window. In the yard across the way, she saw him. The night was dark, so little detail was visible. The man, at least she hoped it was a man, was hunched over and wandering aimlessly about his yard. He carried a flashlight which swung to and fro in no specific pattern. As he turned toward the kitchen, Aiesha moved away from the window. She didn’t want him to see her, and she certainly did not want to see him in case he was a monster. She returned to bed without her snack. She could not go back to sleep, however. Visions of a hunchbacked demon with pale skin and huge fangs dripping with poison haunted her.
The next morning when her brother had finally gotten up, Aiesha told him about the hunchback.
“Oh well, that’s the part that I left out. That’s not a hunch on his back. That’s his last victim. You see, he keeps the kids that he has killed in a pack on his back until they ripen enough for him to eat. Then, just when they’re about to become ripe, he goes out in his yard to forage for another little kid. Any kid who is up after their bed time, who he sees, becomes his next meal.”
This story sent Aiesha screaming out of the living room and back into her room with tears streaming down her face.
Aaron laughed a little and went to console his sister. He got to her door and changed his mind.
After about an hour of crying, Aiesha gathered herself together and went back into the living room. “Aaron?” Her voice trembled; she spoke slowly.
“Yes?” Aaron looked up from the T.V.
“Is that story true?”
Aaron smiled, “No, it’s probably not true, but you should probably steer clear of that house and any strangers. Just to be sure. Alright?”
"Alright.” She was quiet for a bit. “Aaron, I am going to go play at the Wilsons’.”
"Okay. Be careful crossing the street, alright?”
“Okay.” Aiesha walked out of the front door and to the curb, staying as far away from the house with the fence as she could. She looked both ways and crossed the street.
Later in the afternoon, Aiesha told her friends about the man in the haunted house.
“No way. You saw him?” It was Alex, a white kid with glasses and a bowl haircut.
“Yeah. He wasn’t that scary,” Aiesha said haughtily.
“Did you see his face?” asked Effie. She was blond with pigtails.
“Yeah. He had a big nose and two fangs that dripped with blood.”
The gasp that arose from the audience took care of the guilt that arose from lying.
The rest of the afternoon was filled with stories of the hunchback, always with Aiesha at the center of attention. Indeed, the rest of the week so proceeded. Soon after, the kids found something new to talk about, and even Aiesha forgot about the events of that late evening.