As a child I had an alter ego, his name was Michael. I wished I could be like him. Michael wasn’t scared. Michael could stand up for himself. Michael was always safe, and when he wasn’t safe he made it safe.
In the third grade I was supposed to write a paper, a short story, about something scary. It was Halloween and it was in Miss Silvers’ class. I wrote a story about Michael's step father beating him one more time. Only this time Michael fought back. He hurt the step father; hurt him so bad he would never harm Michael again. At this point I have to put a disclamer in here, I couldn't wright so all I turned in was a paper covered in gibberish.
It is Halloween, and to this day there are times I wish I had been Michael. Then I wouldn’t be haunted.
Haunted
Hiding under the blankets
Their voices so loud
You want to cry?
I’ll give you something to cry about!
Why can’t you be more like your brother?
The cries from down the hallway
Louder and louder
Don’t worry
I’ll keep you safe
Michael whispers
Don’t make any noise
Or they will come for you
Chris McQueeney 10/31/11 3:50PM
7 comments:
We were brave and strong, they were weak and wrong.
Brilliant! I don't know why, cn't put my finger on it bu tthis is pretty dark xD Love it!
chris, this is so powerful and sad and beautifully expressed. that this happens to children is a universal heartache.
nice to stop by here. i'm a fan of writers and poets :^)
love
kj
My sense of hearing is so acute. These voices down the hall, the footsteps, the KNOWING, preparing. I learned to be very quiet, and to listen with super human strength. But we can only endure for so long. One day I took a knife from the kitchen into my bedroom. And when the noise came in, I raised it up and armed myself with steel. The noise retreated. That time, I silenced it. I love that moment. Only once. But I did it once. Thank you Michael.
RT Punk's comment :)
And years later the scars across our hearts remain...
We survive though, we learn the hard way how to live through the worst the monsters in human guise dish out.
My deaf ears still hear and I still wake up screaming. ~ Indy
Hmm, I wish I could have developed an alter ego. Instead I tried to be one for someone I couldn't save. This scene is familiar in an unnerving way.
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