Love, Ken
Page 8
that it was a doctor, but he was wrong. Teddy knew what the monsters were.
The monster said it wanted to try something else. Teddy didn’t know what it was talking about but it scared him. He hid behind his dad and the monster went into another room. Teddy watched the door of that room carefully. A doctor came out of it and asked them to go back in the room.
Teddy sat on the couch with his parents. The doctor started talking to his dad. A few minutes later, she started talking to Teddy. She asked Teddy about the monsters. She asked all kinds of questions but Teddy couldn’t answer any of them. He kept looking at his dad saying he wanted to go home.
Teddy felt like it was forever before his parents said they could leave. They took him straight home.
Later that day Billy came over again. Teddy’s mom kept watching them play. He thought he was doing something wrong, but she never yelled at him. She just watched. After playing with dinosaurs for a while, Billy wanted to go outside. He asked Teddy if he wanted to go with him and he said “yes.” They asked their moms and they took Billy and Teddy out in the backyard.
Billy ran right to the swing set. Teddy started to follow him until he saw the trees. He remembered the light and the monster. His mom came out behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. Slowly, Teddy walked over to the swing set with Billy. He sat on a swing and gently pushed himself into motion, facing the trees to make sure the monster didn’t come out.
Billy kept swinging higher and higher but Teddy stayed low. He didn’t want to distract himself with the swinging in case the light or the monster came back. While swinging, Billy asked Teddy if he wanted to play catch. He didn’t, but he said yes to Billy make him happy. He didn’t want to upset his best friend.
Teddy went in the house to get his baseball. When he came back outside Billy was standing next to the swing set. He told Teddy to stand by the trees and throw him the ball. Teddy got scared. When he didn’t go to the trees, Billy told him to again. Slowly, Teddy walked over to the trees. After staring into them for a minute, he turned around and threw the ball to Billy. Billy threw it back. After each throw, Teddy would look back at the trees to make sure the monster wasn’t there.
Teddy’s mom was watching Teddy play catch. She looked worried and went into the house. A few seconds later, both of Teddy’s parents came out. They watched him and Billy throw the ball back and forth with Teddy still looking back at the trees each time. Teddy smiled at his dad. He smiled at Teddy and went back in the house.
Billy threw the ball to Teddy and it went too high. It flew over his head and went through the trees. Teddy’s stomach felt uneasy as he looked at the tree line. Billy told him to go get the ball.
Teddy was frozen with fear.
Billy told him to get it again. Teddy heard his mom call his name. That made him feel safe. He went over to the trees where the ball went in. Teddy’s mom called his name again. He walked into the trees, looking for the ball. A few steps in, Teddy could hear his mother calling his name over and over. He looked down and saw the baseball.
Before Teddy could grab the ball, a monster came running at him. He screamed and the monster grabbed him. Teddy tried to keep screaming but the monster covered his mouth. It started carrying him through the trees, running faster and faster. Teddy was crying and he was kicking and punching at the monster but it wouldn’t let him go.
After a few minutes Teddy stopped fighting. He was scared and exhausted and the monster just wouldn’t let go of him. It started talking to Teddy. It told him if he was quiet and behaved that it would be nice to him. Teddy didn’t believe it but he didn’t have a choice. He didn’t want the monster to hurt him.
The monster brought him to a camp where there were a bunch of other monsters. They were sitting around a campfire and when the monster carried Teddy over to them they all got up and started smiling. Teddy knew the monster wasn’t going to be nice to him. Monsters were never nice.
The monsters took Teddy’s clothes off of him.
Teddy went to the place in his head where he can’t see the monsters. Every time monsters hurt him he went there. He didn’t want to see the monsters or feel them hurting him. He thought about playing dinosaurs with Billy. He thought about his mom making him breakfast. He thought about his dad reading him stories in bed. He thought about Miss Payton and school.
The monsters were still hurting Teddy. He tried to think about anything. He thought about Cheerios. He thought about toys. He thought about baseballs. He thought about trees and grass and bugs and water. It wasn’t enough. Teddy couldn’t hide from the monsters anymore.
He started crying and screaming but the monsters kept hurting him. It seemed like the louder Teddy screamed the more they hurt him. Teddy screamed so much he couldn’t breathe anymore and he passed out.
Dear Missy,
Something is wrong. My head hurts so bad. It’s so noisy in there. I can’t sort anything out. Things aren’t happening the way they’re supposed to. The monsters weren’t supposed to hurt Teddy. Teddy is a little boy. He should be playing with his friends and going to school and eating Cheerios. He should playing dinosaurs with Billy and he should always feel safe. No boy deserves to be hurt by the monsters. Why didn’t anyone help him? He cried and screamed and no one would listen to him. It’s not right.
This has nothing to do with you, Missy. I don’t know why I’m telling you. You don’t even know Teddy. I just wish I could help him, but it’s too late. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bothered you with this. Give Mom my love.
Love,
Ken
Fallout, 3
Chuck was working his way through a small middle-class community. Daylight had broken and he was getting tired. The rest of the night had gone relatively well, with only a few small issues. He was still thinking about the people at the retirement community. He felt horrible about tranquilizing all of them. They didn’t deserve that kind of treatment, but order had to be kept. Even if the system wasn’t perfect, it was the only system they had. Chuck forced himself to accept that rationale in order to get through the shift.
He got to the home of Timothy Melville. He tried going in, but the front door was locked. He rang the doorbell but got no response. He banged on the door a few times and said, “Mr. Melville, it’s Moving Day!” There was still no response. Chuck turned to his ARO. “How old is this guy?”
The ARO checked the chart. “Twenty-eight years old, sir.”
“Last known health status?”
“Perfectly healthy. He had a physical last month. He’s in great shape.”
Chuck was confused. “Then why isn’t he coming to the door? Did he answer when we called him today?”
The ARO replied, “Yes. He received and acknowledged the call.”
“Something’s not right here.” Chuck went back to the door and banged on it again. “Mr. Melville!” He heard nothing. He turned to his ARO again and said, “Tell the Enforcers to check the house for open windows or doors.”
“Yes, sir.” The ARO delivered the message to the Enforcement Officers. They quickly came back, having found nothing open.
“I’m kicking the door in,” Chuck said. He kicked the door a few times, but it didn’t break open. “What the hell?” He tried kicking it again but it still wouldn’t break.
From inside a voice called, “That door is steel reinforced and has three deadbolts on it.”
Chuck looked surprised. “Mr. Melville?”
“I’m not coming out,” he answered.
“Why not?”
“That’s a really stupid question.”
“Mr. Melville, I have authorization to break in.”
“You won’t get in,” he said. “The back door is just like the front door and the windows are security sealed. You’d need a wrecking crew to get in here. Just go away and leave me alone.”
Chuck was getting frustrated. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” Timothy asked.
“You know why. We have to move you.”
“Wher
e am I supposed to move to?”
Chuck turned to his ARO and said, “Where’s he going?”
“County Twelve, sir.”
Chuck sighed. “Shit.”
“Well?” Timothy called out.
Check answered him, “County Twelve.”
“That’s exactly why I’m not going. That place is a pit.”
“It’s only for six months.”
“I don’t care. I’m staying here.”
Chuck walked away from the door and to one of the Enforcers. “Take the door frame down and cut the deadbolts. We have to get in there.”
“Yes, sir,” the Enforcer replied.
Chucked watched as the Enforcement Officers dismantled the front of Timothy Melville’s house. He hated using those methods to force people to move.
When the deadbolts were cut off and the door was free, Chuck heard Timothy shouting. “What the hell are you doing?”
“We got the door open, Mr. Melville,” Chuck responded. “I’m coming in.” He pushed the door open and walked into the front hall of the house.
Timothy yelled, “Get out!”
“I’m not going anywhere Mr. Melville, you have to—” Chuck had gotten to the end of the hall. Timothy was in the adjoining living room and had a pistol aimed at Chuck’s head. He put his hands up and said, “I wasn’t going to hurt you, Timothy.”
“It’s Timothy now? What happened to Mr. Melville?”
“Put the gun down.”
The ARO yelled, “He’s got a gun!” Enforcement Officers headed for the door.
Timothy shouted, “You come in here and I will