Cat and Mouse (Part Three)
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None of the nights sense then had been quite that bad, but the shadowman hadn't come back either. When anyone came to check on him at all, it was Donna, and she was never happy. She talked to him like he was a dad and she was his wife. She would talk to him about times they have had together... Except they hadn't. Even talking about sex and wanting to have a baby. Bobby never said anything back. Eventually, Donna would get mad and start yelling at him, accusing him of being horrible. She even hit him once. It wasn't a hard hit, but his chest burned where she did it. And she left a mark. He'd fallen down and started crying then, curling up into a ball. He didn't care if Donna saw it. He could not help it. Luckily, Donna did not try to make him feel better. Instead, she made a sound like a snort and stopped yelling. She hadn't said anything else except to tell him that she was going to her mother's. The next night, she'd come in just long enough to tell him she was going to a hotel. Two nights later, she'd stuck her head in to tell him she was going to stay with someone named Bernael. Each night she brought him a plate of food, although she didn't even seem to remember doing so.
Bobby hated those nights more than he did when Donna had treated him like a baby. When she talked to him, she asked him questions he was to young to answer, then told him he was being immature and got mad. Only this guy named Bernael seemed to make her feel better, as she told it. She started coming in every night for a few nights in a row, telling him how much a better person Bernael was than him and how she just might be moving in with him instead. Bobby didn't know whom Bernael was, but after a few weeks of hearing about him, Bobby had started wishing the shadowman would come back. If they wouldn't let him go at least Donna was nice to him when the shadowman was around. She hadn't treated him like an adult he wasn't. She hadn't talked to him like his mom had talked to his dad before she'd left.
The door clicked, and Bobby looked up suddenly. He was in the corner with his knees hugged up to his chin. That was where he sat when the sunbeam faded away. He didn't move as the doorknob turned, and he remained equally still as the door swung open slowly. He really had no way to brace himself for what Donna would say or do to him. "Bobby?" Donna said, stepping into the room wearing a blue dress. She flipped the lights and opened the door all the way. Bobby blinked in the harsh 100-watt light and huddled a little tighter. Something was wrong with her voice. "Bobby?", Donna said again. Her voice was happy and light. He almost didn't recognize it. "Oh, there you are. Stand up, baby. Guess who's here to see you."
Bobby put his knees down, but he did not stand up. "It's okay,sweetie," Donna said. "Come on. Bernael's here." As soon as she said it the shadowman walked in past her. He wore all black. He wrinkled his nose and glanced at the corner where Bobby used the bathroom. With a grimace of disgust, he then looked down at Bobby and extended a pale, thin hand. Bobby took the hand and stood shakily to his feet. "How long has it been sense you have eaten?" the shadowman, Bernael asked him. Bobby couldn't look away from his eyes, he couldn't remember the answer to his question either.
"A while, I would wager," Bernael said. He turned to Donna. "Go downstairs and fix the boy a sandwich. What kind of sandwich do you want, Bobby?" Bobby just stared. His eyes were starting to burn. He felt his bottom lip moving like a worm on his face. "Do you like grilled cheese?" Donna asked him, crouching down to eye level at Bernael's side. "Grilled cheese and tomato soup maybe? Would you like that?"
"Answer her, Bobby," Bernael said. His smooth, cultured voice felt like warm water on his skin. "Yes ma'am," he whispered. "Go on, Donna," Bernael said. "Cut it into even quarters. Diagonally." Donna hopped up and left the room happily. She looked like she would start skipping in a minute.
Bernael closed the door behind her, and moved back in front of Bobby. He put his hand on Bobby's shoulder. Bobby felt like he started levitating and that only Bernael's hand was keeping him on the floor. Bernael looked him up and down and leaned over to sniff at him. His nose wrinkled slightly. "You need a bath too," he said stoically. Bobby couldn't help it anymore. He collapsed against Bernael and threw his arms around him. Tears poured out of his eyes, and he heard himself croaking and crying against the shadowman's chest. Bernael put his arms around Bobby's back, holding him awkwardly. He patted his head and patted his shoulder. "What is it, son?"
"I want my daddy." Bobby whispered.
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