The Boogeyman

The Park

When Michael awoke the sun was shining brilliantly onto his face. He glanced over at his alarm clock. 1:27Pm.
Uh-oh.
If he got up this late his mother would be furious. He rolled quickly out of bed, his scrawny frame pulling on clothes as swiftly as his half-asleep body could muster. He briefly combed his messy hair and punched his wire frame glasses up his sharp nose.
His tiny hands yanked open his bedroom door, and he dove down the stairs only to see a dismal figure slumped at the bottom of them.

"Hey Charlie," Michael offered
"Whatcha doing?"
"Waytin', 'or dah-dee"

Charlie's young tongue struggled to produce the correct sounds but Michael managed to translate the rough words into "waiting for daddy". Of course. He had gone to the bar. As always. Michael gingerly kissed Charlie's forehead and walked cautiously into the grey kitchen. His mother was there, sporting a fresh bruise under her left eye.
It was bright purple and swollen to all hell but his mother still wore a perky smile to greet her eldest son as he entered the kitchen. She must not have noticed the time.
Hannah McCain was a young woman of 26. She had Michael's sharp features and blond hair, but her eyes were a pale ocean-green instead of his sky-blue. Her frizzy blonde hair hung loosely down to just below her small breasts as her slim hands worked frantically on chopping up an innocent cucumber. She still wore that perky smile as she said melodically;
"Your awfully late, Mikey. Did you forget? We're going for a picnic today. In Elizabeth Park. I'm just finishing the sandwiches. No time for your brecky today, Mikey, we really need to hurry. Don't worry, I'll make you extra sandwiches"
Michael flashed his most loving smile, lateness forgotten and nodded enthusiastically. The park. He always loved going out, especially when it was just him, Charlie and Mom. He was going to take his football and Charlie's fire truck and some marbles and
"Where's Daddy?"
His voice cut through the kitchens air before he had even meant to ask the question. Sadly, He already knew the answer.
His mother's smile disappeared as she almost whispered the one word which was slowly tearing his precious family apart.
"Bar,"
Yup, just like Michael had guessed.
"But don't worry about that, Mikey, we're going to go to the park and forget about that.....that.....bastard....for a little while, ok?"
Michael nodded.
"Now go get ready"

The next twenty minutes were a swift mosaic of teeth-brushing, Toy-gathering, and face-washing.

Then they went to the park.

The majority of their time there passed without incident. They started with a little walk around the park and chucking bread to the ducks, which Charlie repeatedly squawked out about.
"Look! Look! Guckies!"
His little voice scratched painfully across the air, absolute joy emanating from each squealed word.

Then, they sat down for a picnic which was composed of mountains made of cucumber and turkey sandwiches, sausage rolls and chocolate ice cream.
All the while, the sun beat down furiously on the oblivious little family.

Finally, they decided to have a little game of football on top of the kings hill.
Kings Hill was a small hill surrounded by trees on the far west end of the park. The tall trees provided decent shade, and Hannah thought it would be a brilliant place to settle down for a bit.
So that's what they did, over a game of football.
It was rather unfair on young Michael as he had to go against both his younger brother and his mother. They drove a hard game. In fact, Michael, despite all his efforts, was losing 5-7. There was still time. Mom was getting tired and Charlie was never much of a challenge. He could still win.
Michael dashed forward, ball rolling enthusiastically at his feet. Charlie came babbling along, trying desperately to knock the ball that was almost as big as him from his elder brothers large feet. Michael continued pushing forward swiftly and soon outran the frustrated Charlie.
Next, his mother waged her assault.
She bolted forward and went for a dramatic tackle, one which Michael was just about able to side step. His mother slipped and Michael managed to create a fair bit of distance between himself and the defenders. He still had the ball, and the goal was right there! He mustered up the power in his small legs and kicked the ball hard with all his might. It soared through the air artfully.....and completely missed the goal.
It swung far towards the right and glided down the hill outside of the families view.
"Mikey! I told you to be careful with the ball!"
His mother released a deep sigh.
"We're going now anyways, kiddo. Go fetch the ball while me and Charles pack up everything"
Michael groaned. After a moment of just standing there, he ran off after the ball.
He slid down the gentle slope of the hill and stood in the woods, surrounded by trees. He looked left and right, frantically searching for his little green ball.
There was a brief moment of panic when he couldn't seem to see it anywhere. Then, his keen eyes spotted the ball a little deeper into the woods, leaning lazily against a thick, gnarled and ugly tree.
He started to run over to it, very eager to get his little ball and leave the ominous forest. His shadow was swallowed by the shade as he jogged deeper into the woods. He was only about a meter away from the ball when a fancy shoe slid out from behind the tree and came to rest on the little ball.
A moment of pure panic elapsed over Michael and he immediately stopped running. The forest was so quiet that his own rapid breathing sounded like canon fire in his ears. His pulse was through the roof. Why was he so scared? Some guy was just resting on his ball. No biggie.
"Hello, Sir" his voice sounded tiny and cracked in the silent woods.
"Hey there"
The voice sounded like the undergrowth. It was rough and yet still somehow soft. The sound instantly forced Michael to imagine a large brown snake, maybe a cobra, slithering over thousands of dead leaves.
"Um...sir, your standing on my ball"
"Am i? What are you playing?"
Michael grinned at the interest.
"Well, me and my mommy and little brother were playing football but it was both of them against me and I was losing but I got the ball and I got really really close but I missed and then the ball rolled down here!" Michael's excitement animated his voice ecstatically.
"Is your Daddy not going to play with you?"
Michael's fear had eroded, replaced by childish innocence and the naivety that accompanies it.
"No sir, my daddies a bastard."
A dry chuckle shook the forest like an electric earthquake.
"What makes him a bastard, Mikey?"
Unease bubbled up inside of Michael's chest.
"How do you know my name?"
The man who Michael still couldn't see was silent for a short moment before saying;
"You just told me of course"
"Did i?"
Micheal couldn't remember telling him his name.
"Yes, Michael, you did"
Something still didn't settle right with Michael, but his childish instinct told him that he must have told the man his name because how else would he know it?
"Now what were you telling me about your father?"
The smile returned to Michael's face at the strangers interest in his little life.
"Oh my daddies a bastard because he's an al-coh-holly"
"Your daddy drinks?"
"Yes."
"Does this upset you?"
"A lot of the time yes. But not when me and mommy and Charlie all play ball in the park."
"I'm very sorry to hear that. But don't worry, I'm sure your daddy will be punished for upsetting you. In fact I can promise it."
Michael was astounded. "What do you mean, sir?" He was about to ask when the question was interrupted by the man with the snake-like voice.
"You had better run along now, Mikey"
And before Micheal could get a word in, the foot kicked the ball towards him and then slid back behind the trunk of the tree. Michael scooped up the ball and dashed back around to the tree to see the man's face. But when he got to where the man should've been, he saw only a big red ballon tied to the outgrowing roots the tree. It was so out of place that Michael froze immediately when he saw the uncanny fairground item. He stared at it, shocked and transfixed when a familiar sound wrung through the silent woods and shook the gentle air violently.

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