8. Adams

Adams

21 Antonia Gardens

Silent Falls

            At last, they had a place of their own. No more living with Mum and Dad, constantly telling her what to do, how to raise her child. Always, Nathan’s clothes were unsuitable; he wasn’t clean enough, even when he was just out of the bath. And now he was three, he was fed up sharing a room with his mummy like a baby. He wanted a room of his own.

            Not only did their new house have a room for each of them, it also had a huge attic that could be turned into a playroom for him once he was a little bigger. They moved in right away. Bethany found him a place in a new nursery just minutes from the house, so that she could continue her admin job in town.

            Yes, at last they were at home, and happy.

            “Mummy, can I sleep with you?”

            It was about two in the morning, their third night in the new house. She had to be up at seven, and Nathan had slept right through the past two nights. She’d hoped he would do the same tonight.

            “Nathan, you’re a big boy now. I thought you liked having your own room?”

He looked thoughtfully at her, clutching his blue pyjama top, trying to think of what to say. He looked as if he’d been awake for a while, his bright blue eyes showing none of the signs of tiredness she seen most early mornings.

            “You want me to turn your light on?” Bethany offered when he didn’t answer her. “Would that make it better?”

            He shook his head.

            “What’s wrong then? Do you feel okay?”

            “Yes, it’s just...”

            “Just what?”

            “There’s a man in my cupboard.”

            Not this again! While living with her parents, he always dreamt about boogiemen and monsters in cupboards and under the bed. He’d wake up screaming, but she’d turn on the light, look in the cupboard/under the bed, and there would be nothing there. It had only stopped a few months previously. But now it was back again.

            “Nathan, remember you used to think that at Granny’s house?”

            He nodded. “But this time there really is! I saw him! He talked to me. He said my name, he did!”

            She sighed, too tired to argue. “Come on in then, but just for tonight.” As he climbed in beside her, she knew she should have gone and looked in the cupboard. Maybe if she had, things would have turned out differently.

            “Could I have a word, Miss Adams?” asked Mrs Orr, the nursery teacher.

            It had been a week since Nathan had woke her in the middle of the night, and he had slept in beside her for the next two. However, before it could become too much of a habit, she had insisted upon him sleeping in his own bed after that. He had cried and begged for the first few nights, she ignored him. Eventually, he had given up and gone to sleep. The last two nights, there had been no problems at all, and no mention of the man in his cupboard.

            “Is there a problem with Nathan? Is he okay?”

            “He’s fine, it’s just, I’d like to show you something.”

            The small middle aged woman led her through the room filled with children to a table at the back. She looked over at Nathan, taking apart Lego buildings and throwing the pieces in a large plastic container, while talking to a little girl.

            “He’s a very pleasant little boy,” Mrs Orr complimented, looking also at him.

            “Yes, thank you. Is that all?”

            “No,” she took a deep breath before continuing. “The children were asked to draw their bedrooms today. Nathan got very excited, saying he’d only recently gotten his own room, and how everything was blue. And, he drew this.”

            She opened a drawer beside her, and sifted through some paper until she found the one she was looking for. She laid it on the table.

            The majority of his picture consisted of pale blue wax crayon, representing the walls. Darker blue represented his bed and curtains, some other colours for his toys, crowded in the corner. There was a brown square-the cupboard-and beside that a black scribble. It stood out in the picture, in comparison with the blue. It was the only black there.

            Bethany placed her hand on the scribble, and Mrs Orr nodded.

            “Any idea what that is?”

            She didn’t.

            “We asked him, Mrs Davis and I, and he told us it was the man in his cupboard.”

            “Oh, he’s been having nightmares about that.”

            “Well, we thought that too, it’s a common thing among children of that age group. However, Rosie asked him about this man, who he was.” She gestured towards the girl he was talking to. She looked a little older than him, maybe five.

            “He replied the boogieman, saying he’d moved in to look after him and his mummy. He also said not to tell you, but that he watched you all the time.”

            “It’s just his imagination, wild,” she laughed nervously. At least, she hoped it was his imagination.

            “I just thought it a bit strange, for such a young boy to say such a thing. He seems a little fearful of this man, he says he talks to him often, asks him how his day was when he comes home. He’s not even been sleeping then.”

            “Are you saying there is something wrong with my child?”

            “Not your child, he’s very intelligent, your house. You should know it is not in Nathan’s nature to lie. Perhaps this man isn’t imaginary. I think you should contact the police.”

            “You think there actually is a man in his cupboard?”

            “I’m just saying that maybe you should have your house checked before going back inside. I’m concerned about you and Nathan’s safety.”

            “I appreciate your concern.” She smiled, finding it hard now. The woman sounded right. And Nathan didn’t lie. Maybe just to be safe she should have the house checked. “I might just do that.”

            “Can we go now Mummy?”

            Nathan was standing beside her wearing his coat. She hadn’t noticed him.

            “Yes, we can.” She turned to Mrs Orr. “Thank you, I do appreciate that, and I’ll bear that in mind.”

            “Are we going home now?”

            “What?”

            He had been talking consistently in the ten minutes since they left the nursery and had gotten on the bus to town, but she hadn’t been listening. She was too busy trying to take in what she had been told. It wasn’t a planned journey, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to go back to the house.

            “Are we going home?”

            “Not right now. Why don’t we visit Granny and Grandpa?” She hated to do it, to admit to them that this new wonderful house wasn’t the best idea ever, but what else could she do? She wouldn’t feel safe going back to the house.

            “Didn’t you tell his teacher he’s had these nightmares before?” her mum asked, stirring the soup.

            “Well yes, but she says he tells him he watches us, and that he talks to him all the time.”

            “But you said yourself he has an over active imagination. And he is only three.”

            “I know, but she seemed convinced he was telling the truth.”

            “What he thinks is the truth.” Her dad entered the room. She glanced over his shoulder at Nathan, who was staring fixedly at a cartoon. “She’s known him for how long? A week?”

            She nodded, feeling like the stupid child as she always did when living there.

            “You’ve known him his whole life. You knew right away it was his imagination. What’s the real problem?”

            “What?”

            He sat down on the dining chair and looked at her. “What’s the real problem? Are you unhappy there? Lonely? Is it costing too much with the bills? Because your room’s always there for you if you need it. Just say.”

            “No!” she snapped. “There’s nothing wrong. I would just feel safer if someone checked the house before we went back in.”

            “You are not wasting police time for this,” her mum said.

            “I’ll check it for you,” her dad offered. “After dinner, and you’ll see. Nothing but the same bad dreams as he had when he was here, I promise.”

            “Thank you, Dad. That’s all I wanted.”

            As promised, he drove to the new house after dinner and checked for any boogiemen hiding, and as promised, there was nothing.

            A feeling of relief swept through Bethany as she carried a sleeping Nathan into the car to be driven home. As she waved goodbye to her dad, she was filled with the happiness she’d had on that first night. It was their home, and they were safe. Or so she thought.

            Nathan knew better. He knew it wasn’t his imagination like in Granny’s, but that Grandpa just couldn’t see the man. Because he was magic, not even a man really. And as he was tucked into his bed that night and his mummy shut the door, he awaited his voice. And it came.

            “Nathan.” It was a deep voice, like a man’s, but there was something different about it, something inhuman, and as he heard it, the room filled with cold air.

            “Yes?” He pulled the covers up to his chin.

            “Where have you been today? You haven’t been at home.” He spoke slowly, and calmly.

            “I was visiting Granny and Grandpa. Granny made soup.”

            “Who was the man that came here? Was that your Grandpa?”

            “Yes.”

            “He looked all over the house. In every cupboard. He stayed in this one for a very long time, he even started touching the walls and the floorboards. He looked right at me and didn’t see me. Grown ups can’t see me. You do know that, don’t you?”

            “I do.”

            “Then why did you tell him that I was here? To come and look for me?”

            “I didn’t. Mummy did.”

            “Mummy?” He laughed. “Didn’t I tell you not to tell Mummy?”

            “I didn’t Mrs Orr did.”

            “Exactly how many people have you told about me? You knew that I was a secret!”

            “That’s all. I promise!” he cried, now pulling the covers over his head. But it didn’t drown out the voice.

            “Well if you keep telling, people will keep coming here, and then you and your Mummy will have to leave. And you promised me that you would stay here to play forever. You can’t break a promise.”

            “I won’t!” he sobbed. “I won’t!”

            “Well I don’t know if I can trust you anymore. I’ll have to make sure. Come here.”

            Nathan panicked. He’d never actually seen the man before, and had no desire to. He sat up and looked at the cupboard, that was open by an inch. He didn’t want to go near him.

            “Come here Nathan. I want to talk to you.”

            He looked at his bedroom door, it was shut tight, and he’d have to run past the cupboard to get to it.

            “Are you listening to me? I want you to come here.”

            “Okay,” he mumbled, tears still drying on his cheeks. He slipped out of bed. The carpet seemed thicker, as if it may swallow his feet.

            “Come on, it’ll only take a minute.”

            He walked slowly towards the cupboard, and when he got to a few steps away, he began to run towards the door.

            “I don’t think so!” The cupboard door flew open, and he was engulfed by the darkness.

            Nathan’s body wasn’t discovered until Bethany went in to get him up for nursery the next day. He wasn’t in his bed.

            “Nathan?” she called. There was no response, but she was sure she heard a floorboard creaking in the cupboard.

            She opened the door, and there he was, slumped in the corner, his eyes closed tight. She didn’t need to touch him to know he was dead.

            Heart failure, apparently, she and her parents were told later that day. But she knew better. She knew it wasn’t his imagination after all.

            She never went back to that house again. It was sold to another young family, the Morrisons, who had a four year old daughter, Abigail. After the room was painted pink, she began emptying her box of toys, when she heard a voice from the cupboard.

            “Abigail.”

            “Who’s there?”

            “I’m Nathan. I’m here to play with you. Forever.”