I looked over at Kalisha.
“He’s adjusting the dials on the drums,” she whispered, pointing below us.
Okay, time to test my theory. I hope I’m right...
I covered one of Marty’s ears with my hand and put my mouth up to his other ear. I began to whisper the lullaby Mum used to sing to us before bedtime when we were younger:
“Grab your shoes and if you’re clever, grab your coat for this weather.”
Please work. Please be the only sound you hear!
“We’ll make big waves jumping in the puddles. Look out for Mum, she’s armed with cuddles.”
A small moan escaped Marty’s lips.
It’s working!
He blinked once and a spark in his eyes lit up.
“Andy? What –?”
“Shh!” I cupped his mouth with my hand. “Don’t make a noise.”
Marty’s eyes were wide and glassy. They darted all around, taking in the warehouse. Then he finally looked at me. He looked as petrified as I felt.
“We’re going to get you and everyone else out of here, but we need your help.” I looked at Kalisha again.
She was still watching Bob who remained downstairs. She gave me the thumbs up.
“Just pretend to be a stone statue. I have a plan.”
Let’s pray it works.
“Hurry, Andy, he’s coming!” Kalisha frantically whispered, waving at me to come back behind the drum.
A tight ball formed in my gut.
“I don’t want to leave you now, but I have to,” I whispered to Marty. “I’ll get you out of here. Remember: a stone statue.”
Marty nodded.
I reluctantly let go of him and joined Kalisha, right before Bob came up the platform.
I poked my head around the stairs. My blood raged throughout my body as I watched Bob inspect one of the children.
“Oh, no,” Kalisha sobbed. “That’s Henry. He lives in the house behind mine.”
What is he looking for? A scratch? A bruise?
Bob turned the boy’s chin up and stared into the kid’s eyes.
“Blue eyes, my favourite. The yummiest kind,” Bob sneered. He opened his mouth and smothered the boy’s face.
If he hadn’t been making so much noise slurping, I’m positive he would have heard the cry that escaped my lips.
The boy didn’t fight back or scream. He remained still.
I turned away and closed my eyes tightly.
“What’s going on? What’s he doing to Henry?” Kalisha pleaded.
“If I tell you, you’ll scream too.”
She took my hand and squeezed it.
When the noise finally stopped, I peeked around the drum again, my heart pounding.
Bob stepped back. There were two holes where Henry’s eyes had been. Blood began to seep in the sockets then rolled down his cheeks like tears.
What are you?
My stomach was queasy. I covered my mouth and felt the vomit raise up. I swallowed just as it threatened to come out of my mouth.
If I spew, we’re goners for sure!
The boy’s expression was still blank – as though nothing had happened to him.
I looked at Kalisha with desperate eyes.
“We have to move now.”
Kalisha nodded her agreement.
I could see Marty shaking where he stood, doing his best to act like a statue. Sweat covered his face, his hands clenched.
You’re doing great, Marty. Keep it up.
I motioned Kalisha to follow me as I stepped toward Bob.
He was looking down at the little girl now, tilting her chin up to face him.
It’s now or never.
Using the anger inside of me, I let out a roar of rage. Before he could turn around, I slammed my whole weight into the monster. It was like hitting a wet mattress. He crashed against the platform rail. Slime covered the side of my body.
Kalisha ran up to the girl and whispered something in her ear. It was enough to wake the girl out of her trance. She screamed at the sight of Bob. Her shrill screech began to fill the room, shooting off the walls.
The older boy blinked, and began looking around, unfreezing from his trance. He grabbed the little girl’s hand and pulled her towards him, his mouth hung open in horror.
Stunned, but not defeated, Bob let out a cry of anger, and pushed me against the wall, knocking the wind out of me.
I fell to my knees, coughing, trying to get air in my lungs.
A clawed hand wrapped around my throat and pulled me up on my feet, pinning me to the wall and squeezed.
I tried to pull the claw off me, but it was useless. My hands slipped from the slime.
Through blurred vision, I saw Kalisha, Marty and the other two kids running for the stairs.
Go! Get out of here, Marty!
My head felt like it would explode and my chest burned as my lungs struggled for air. I was getting dizzy, and my arms and legs grew heavy. I began to close my eyes.
I was released suddenly, dropping to the ground. On my hands and knees, I coughed again and tried to gulp air. I opened my eyes and wiped away the tears running down my face, trying to clear my vision. I rubbed my hands along my neck. Through blurry eyes, I saw Marty on top of Bob’s back, his hands struggling to get a grip around Bob’s thick slimy neck.
Marty, no!
I couldn’t cry out. I could barely breathe. I watched, horrified, as Bob threw Marty over his head in one easy motion.
Marty slammed into the wall and dropped to the ground like a teddy bear next to me. My brother didn’t move.
“Marty?” My voice cracked, as I put my hand on his chest.
Thank goodness, he’s breathing!
“You should have just eaten an ice cream, boy,” Bob sneered. “If you had just eaten an ice cream, none of this would have happened!”
“Why are you doing this Bob? We’re just kids!” I yelled. I saw Kalisha creeping up behind him. She gave me the thumbs up.
I need to keep Bob distracted.
“Where I come from, Andy, children make the yummiest ice cream,” he replied, licking his slimy lips and taking another step towards me.
“Where you come from? You’re not even human!” I could feel anger rising in my chest again and I clenched my fists.
Bob laughed and Kalisha got closer to him. “You’re right, I’m not human. You’re foul, disgusting creatures as adults. But as children, you’re just delicioussssss! Do you know how frustrating it is when you can’t find children, Andy? When parents keep them away from the pool, the playgrounds, or worse, when the adults watch them on the streets in front of me!” He took another step closer. “Then you and your brother moved here and everything was fine again. Except you wouldn’t eat the ice cream!”
I could see Kalisha’s eyes blazing, her fists clenched. She nodded towards the rail behind us, signalling her plan.
I hope this works.
I shakily stood up, leaning on the wall for support.
She tapped Bob on the shoulder. As he turned around, I ran at him again. As my body collided with his, Kalisha ducked down to the floor into a tight ball. Bob went over the top of her and over the rail!
He screamed. We heard a splash then silence. We leaned over the rail, just in time to see a clawed hand disappear into the drum.
“Yes!” Kalisha hissed.
“Martin Caser can deal with you now,” I sighed.
I heard a groan and turned to see Marty stumbling to his feet. I rushed over to him up and put my arms around his shoulders.
“Where did he go?” he asked, looking around.
“Down there.” I nodded toward the drum. The liquid in it had turned into a pale purple colour. “Bob’s gone. We’re safe.” I hugged my brother tightly, relived it was all over.
“Let’s get out of here,” Kalisha said, wiping slime off her pants. “The police have been called.”
“How? Who called them?”
“Marcus, had a phone in his back pocke
t. Him and his sister Kerry were the other kids.”
I nodded. “Thank goodness someone had a phone. Getting out of here sounds like a good idea.”
We linked arms, and then stopped instantly. Henry still stood there, frozen in front of us.
Kalisha sobbed. “Poor Henry.”
I nodded, fresh tears brimmed my eyes.
It looks like Bob got another victim for the anniversary after all.
It was then the music finally stopped. Henry began to move his fingers.
“It’s okay, Henry,” I said, rushing over to him. “We’re getting you out of here.”
Chapter nine
“I’ll see you guys after school. Have a good day!” Dad called from the driveway.
“Bye Dad! And good luck!” I said, waving him off for his last day as an accountant.
“This is going to be great!” Marty beamed, as we crossed the road to Kalisha’s house.
“I don’t know. I think they should have thought about it more seriously,” I said, kicking a stone on the footpath.
“Hey guys!” Kalisha waved as she stepped out of her front door.
“You must think it’s great, Kalisha,” Marty pressed on, taking the lead on the walk to school.
“Well, if that’s what your parents want to do –”
“– It is!” Marty burst.
“Then I don’t see the harm in it,” she shrugged. “Do you think the police will figure out what really happened to Bob?”
“I highly doubt it,” I replied. “The paper said the police are treating it as a Missing Person’s case.”
As we reached the corner shop, I peered in through the window.
“It does look nice inside, I guess.” I looked at the sign on the door:
Pine Ridge Ice Creamery
One Week till Opening!
Kalisha looked through the other window.
“Your parents did a lot of work to the shop. I don’t see why it can’t work out.”
“Did you see Henry in the hospital?” I turned towards her.
“Yeah, I did,” she replied. “The doctors said that his eye sockets aren’t too badly infected. His Mum was picking out glass eyes when Dad and I went to see him. They’re going to get a guide dog for him when they get home. But he’ll still be in the hospital for a while though.”
I shook my head. “I still feel bad about what happened to him.”
“Well, at least he doesn’t remember what happened. Once the ice cream was out of their systems, none of the kids remembered a thing. They don’t remember Bob, the warehouse, nothing. They don’t even remember much of summer.”
I felt ill thinking about Marty eating Bob’s ice cream. Marty didn’t even remember much.
“‘All your favourite flavours, plus three new ones to try!’” Marty read from the backboard at the back of the shop.
Kalisha leaned towards me. “Wouldn’t it be funny if Blueberry-On-Bubblegum was made from Bob?”
I chuckled, and gave her a sly grin.
“It would be the perfect revenge and our little secret.” I winked.
“Yuck!” Marty grunted, stepping away from the window. “You two are gross!”
“Well, they never found his body,” Kalisha said, as we started walking again. “And your parents did take over everything – including that warehouse – after the investigations.”
I stopped in my tracks. “You’re right,” I said slowly. “You don’t think...?” I looked at Marty and Kalisha, who has also stopped walking.
We stared at each other, mouths open and wide-eyed.
“Nah, they couldn’t have...” Marty trailed.
“Maybe we should avoid trying that flavour. Just in case,” I said, trying to chuckle.
We walked the rest of the way to school in silence.
About the Author
M.C. Perri lives, breathes, and occasionally eats all things that scare and terrify! Raised by witches, with werewolves as pets, Perri considers the most horrifying things in the world to be clowns, lacy handkerchiefs and algebra.
Coming soon by M.C. Perri...
Under the Big Top
The Hole
The Children of the Bell Tower
Publications by Learning Island
The Scarecrow by A.T. Davison
A Ghost at Midnight by Jeannie Meekins
Captain Albacore by Caitlind L. Alexander
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