Page 2 of Oblivion
My wardrobe wasn’t getting any light from the room now, so I think it was yesterday. I learned to count days, because Mommy told me to make sure she wakes up when the light goes out.
She told me light means day and dark means night. And when the dark goes away, that means it’s a new day. She told me I was so smart, and she gave me a cookie. It was melty, and so tasty, and I was so happy.
Maybe she will give me a cookie again.
I crawled to the other side of the closet, where I pulled a robe from above. I was cold, and without a blankie, my hands started shaking. Maybe Mommy and Daddy wouldn’t notice it.
My nose scrunched as I reached it, but it smelled like Daddy, and Daddy had those sticks he likes to light up. It smells like that, I think.
It didn’t matter. I would just sleep here until they come back for me. I knew they would. They just played like this.
I pulled the material around me when something fell out of it. I couldn’t see it properly, but lifting it, I could see it looked like Mommy’s medicine. Oh no, she would be so angry if I touched her medicine. It looked sharp, pointy. I think I saw the doctor using it on the big box.
Mommy told me it was for her ouchie, and she felt better with it. That was why I shouldn’t touch it. I could destroy it, and she would be so mad.
I didn’t want Mommy to be mad.
It was long, almost bigger than my hand, but I dropped it down. Maybe Mommy wouldn’t notice it. Or maybe I should put it back inside the robe.
I pulled it up, but the sharp part stuck in my hand, and it hurt. I tried shaking it off and it fell off. I got another ouchie, and Mommy was gonna be very angry that I touched her medicine.
I shouldn’t have.
But as I pushed myself closer to where her medicine fell, the door swung open, the light illuminating my wardrobe. I closed my eyes because the light hurt.
It wasn’t day yet. I counted. It was dark earlier. I didn’t see any light coming through that little hole in the door.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”
It was a man. A very big man, and he was smiling. It wasn’t my daddy, and I didn’t know him. Sometimes Daddy’s friends were staying at our house, but I hadn’t seen this man before.
I could see his face now, my eyes becoming better with the light. He had a scar above his eye. He had an ouchie as well.
“What happened there, boy?” He looked at my hand from where the red goo started dropping on the floor—the same color as when I cut my knee, when Daddy pushed me. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” My lower lip wobbled, but I bit on it, trying not to cry. “Please don’t tell Mommy. She will be angry because I touched her medicine.”
“You touched her medicine?” He looked at the floor, his eyes seeing Mommy’s medicine.
“I’m gonna be a good boy. The bestest boy, but please don’t tell Mommy.”
Something passed over his face, and he looked at me again. He smiled then and extended his arms to me. Mommy sometimes lifted me up, but she said I was too heavy now and she didn’t want to have to carry a little shit around. I was a little shit. She told me that.
I didn’t know what that meant, but I knew what heavy was. I didn’t want this man to be angry at me because I was heavy.
“No.” I shook my head. “Mommy said I’m a little shit, and she can’t carry me around. I’m too heavy.”
“It’s okay, son.” He smiled again. “I’m strong. See.” He lifted his arm, showing big muscles. Maybe he was stronger than Mommy. “Come on now. Come here.”
I stood up, taking one, two, three steps to him. His hands came around my middle, and as they connected with my stomach, I winced because I forgot my ouchie there. But I didn’t cry. Mommy said I could never cry when other people touched me, even if I had an ouchie.
That one lady was here one day, and she saw my ouchie. Mommy said if I cried again, they would take me away from her. I didn’t want them to take me away from Mommy and Daddy.
The man lifted me up, stepping back into the room.
“See,” he told me. “I can lift you, and you’re not that heavy. I have a son almost your age, and he is heavier than you.”
“Really?” I asked him because I couldn’t believe somebody could be heavier than me. “But Mommy told me I’m a heavy bur.. bud… bor—”
