Short Story: You Know What Kids Are…

Short Story: You Know What Kids Are Like...

This piece has not been edited by the ShortbreadStories team.

"You're looking right at the place! Why can't you see them?"

"What, in that shrubbery?"

"Yes!"

Luke went a bit closer. "There's nothing there you Dodo!"

"There is! There is!" Carla's eyes widened in fear, "I can see them! Don't go too close, they might get you!"

"Ugh! You're just being silly!" and he stomped off leaving Carla to stare in petrified silence at - whatever it was in the shrubbery - "Stupid little kid, why couldn't she be a brother?" he muttered.

The day seethed with heat, midges swarmed, wasps foraged, and bees were all over the Syringa, but they weren't what Carla was staring at, terrified to look away unless they came at her when she wasn't looking. "Why can't he see you?" she whispered.

"Carla! Luke! Time for lunch!" their mother bustled about, bringing dishes of salad, cheese, meat cuts and other items out under the awning by the lake, "Ah, Luke! Grab this jug of juice, there's a good boy, and perhaps you could come back for the bowl of fruit salad, - CARLA!" she stopped and looked at where the six-year-old was still staring at the shrubbery, "Come on sweetheart, you still have your hands to wash, - and don't you forget to do yours either Luke!"

When Carla still didn't move Sheila frowned, threw a tea-cloth over the exposed food, and rubbed her hands down the front of her apron as she made her way across the lawn. "Carla?"

"He can't see them, but I can, can you Mummy?"

"See what, dear?" Sheila tried to follow her daughter's gaze, "The bees?" she laughed, "Well there are a lot out today aren't there! Now do come along, I've got the picnic all set up outside..."

"No, not the bees! You must be able to see those, those things - in there..." and just as Luke had, Sheila went a little closer to try and discern what Carla was seeing beyond the bees. Several bits of rubbish had blown in under the branches, crisp packets and sweet wrappings, mostly half hidden with the fallen leaves of Rhododendrons and Azaeleas, but she could see nothing else, "...don't go too close Mummy!"

"Well, there's only a few bits of rubbish under there anyway, sweetheart, I'll have to get that cleared out, now I've seen it; I'll do it after lunch."

"No!" at last Carla's eyes looked away from the spot to her mother's face, "You mustn't touch it! They'll get you!" and she looked back again quickly.

"You have to come away Carla." she spoke gently. This wasn't the first time Carla had 'seen things', and she felt it would be wrong to get cross with her about it, so she took the child's hand and tugged, "Come on dear, you have to wash your hands remember?"

Reluctantly the child allowed herself to be led away, but she kept her eyes firmly fixed on the shrubbery until they were going indoors. When she'd dutifully washed her hands, she looked straight back at the shrubbery as they emerged again, just as Luke landed a smacker on a lone wasp. "Oh, they've gone..." she said, her face relaxing, and they had an uneventful meal.

---

"Oh William! What a day!" Sheila greeted her husband as he returned from his day's work, "It's been so hot! How have you coped?"

"Trolling dusty streets sticking tickets on car windows is definitely not for the faint hearted in this weather, that's for sure," he replied emphatically, "I'm exhausted!" and he gratefully accepted the pint of beer she'd poured into his glass. "How's your day been?" he kissed her cheek.

"She's been seeing things again."

"It's just her imagination working overtime, you know what kids are like!"

"I think it's the rubbish that's accumulated under the Syringa and Azaeleas, I don't know why it builds up under there, but it's months since we did it last, and it really needs doing again. I thought maybe we'd get to it after the children are in bed, and it's cooler, what d'you think?"

"Gives me a couple of hours to have a snooze and recuperate I s'pose," William agreed reluctantly, "'Though I'm sure it could wait 'til the weekend; - couldn't it?"

"Normally I'd say yes, but I think it's the rubbish that's giving Carla the heebee geebies, she's been getting worse the last few days again."

"Okay, Okay! It shouldn't take long!" and he drank down the last of his beer trying not to feel irritated.

---

Carla couldn't sleep. It was too stifling, even now, two hours after she'd gone to bed. Her windows were wide open, blowing the curtains gently, revealing it was still light outside, and she heard her mum and dad as they went out into the garden, talking in hushed tones so as not to disturb the young ones. They fetched some tools from the shed, and she could hear the rake rustling the leaves.

Maybe she was a little sleepy, because it was a few moments before she suddenly sat up in alarm. "Mummy! Daddy! NO!!!" she screamed, and ran to the window.

Down there in the growing dusk she saw them, one minute Dad was reaching under an Azaelea with the rake, and the next he was recoiling with an exclamation, as Mum turned and looked up to see Carla hanging out of the window, arms outstretched.

She rushed forward, "Carla get back in! You'll fall! What's the matter?"

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"Something scratched me!"

"You were reaching under there quite a way, I expect the branches..."

"... my arms weren't under the branches... AAAH!"

"WHAT?"

"My leg! Something bit me!"

"I can't see anything! Are you having me on?"

"Daddy! They're coming out! Run! Run!"

"Get back in this minute Carla!" Sheila snapped.

"What's going on?" Luke's sleepy voice entered the fray.

"Luke, make Carla stop hanging out of the window like that! OW!!!"

"Mummy! Daddy!" the child was in hysterics, "Run! Please run!"

"Carla," Luke yawned as he entered her bedroom, "Don't hang out so far, you'll fall!"

"Look, look! You must see them now?!"

Luke looked just as his mother's left arm suddenly disappeared, and he became aware of an indistict redness which seemed to be milling around both his parents. Then he saw jaws. Jaws the size of a small crocodile, and there were at least four of them now, no, five, six; - emerging from the shrubbery on long sinuous red necks.

He realised his father was lying headless behind his mother, and in seconds she too was headless. Carla was a whimpering mess as she retreated from the sight, but Luke could only stare, completely shocked into frozen disbelief as he saw the creatures devouring both parents. "I'm just having a nightmare..." he decided.

---

"There's these two children, Sarge, the boy 'phoned up 'alf an hour ago. They won't come out of the 'ouse..."

"It's after ten o'clock at night! Where's their parents?"

"That's just it! They've got this mad story about monsters in the garden eating 'em!"

"More like the parents are out on the razzle, an' left the kids without a baby-sitter!"

"S'what I said; reckon we'll 'av a word wi' them when they get back! Prosecutable offence that is!"

---

The Hydra moved on. It should have done so sooner. It knew that once a child had seen it it's days were numbered. Clearing up stray dogs and cats, (well, all right, the occasional pets disappeared as well), but when the parents attacked like that, well, what choice did it have? No-one would believe what the children said, but adults? No, they had to go before they could raise the alarm...