Lonely Boy, Lonely Boy

Lonely Boy, Lonely Boy1

Kody Boye2

Timothy Farclain had just buried his dog.3

He felt the most alone he had in a long time.4

Tim threw the shovel aside and closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure how much a person could cry, but he was sure that he had cried more than he had in his lifetime. His father stood on the porch, watching him with sad eyes. Tim had told his father that he had to bury his dog, and that he alone had to do it.5

The car that had struck Russell down was long gone. Tim was angry, but his anger was washed over with sorrow. He wasn’t sure how much more he could handle.6

“Tim,” his father said. “Come here, son.”7

Tim didn’t turn back when his father called him. He stared at the dirt, wondering if all of this was some kind of strange, twisted dream. He wanted to wake up and see Russell lying at the side of his bed, waiting for him to get up so he could feed him.8

“Tim?”9

Tim shook as his father set a hand on his shoulder.10

“Tim, buddy… I don’t know what to tell you. If your mother was still with us, she‘d know something to say. I‘m sorry I don‘t know what to tell you.”11

“I don’t know either, Dad,” Tim sighed. “Russell’s gone.”12

“I know,” his father said. “Come on in, Tim. We shouldn’t be out here. It’s going to rain.”13

The trees swayed as the first breeze came up.14

“Come on, Tim.”15

Tim stared at his dog’s grave, wishing he could touch Russell one last time. 16

He turned and followed his father inside the house.17

“Adam, where’s Russell? He usually…”18

“Russel’s gone, Mark.”19

Tim looked up at his father and his friend. Mark always came over every Wednesday night, usually to drink and play cards. Tim closed his eyes and kept them that way until he heard someone.20

“I’m sorry, Tim,” Mark sighed. “I can’t tell you how bad I feel.”21

“Thanks, Mark,” Tim said. “I appreciate it.”22

Mark looked back at Adam, who only sighed.23

“I’ll go,” Mark said. “Tonight’s not a good night.”24

“You don’t have to go,” Tim said.25

“No, Tim,” Mark said, setting his hands on Tim’s shoulders. “I’ll go.”26

Tim watched Mark cross the room, where he told his father goodbye before walking out the door.27

“Dad,” Tim said. “You can go over to his house if you want.”28

“No, Tim. I’m staying here with you.”29

Tim stood, walking over to his father. He wrapped his arms around him, closing his eyes.30

“Thanks, Dad.”31

“We’ll get you another dog, Tim. I promise. A sixteen-year-old boy needs a good dog.”32

“I don’t know if I want another dog,” Tim said, drawing away from his father. “I don’t want my new dog to get hit by a car.”33

“Somebody got too close to the sidewalk and jumped it, Tim. Russell didn’t run out in the road.”34

“I know,” Tim said “At least he didn’t suffer.”35

Adam kissed Tim’s forehead, stroking his sweaty hair away from his head.36

“How about you go to bed, Tim? It’s been a rough day.”37

Tim nodded, hugging his father one last time before he walked down the hall and into his room. He pulled his shirt off and crawled into bed, where he buried his head in the pillow.38

He reached down to pet Russell, but he wasn’t there.39

“Hey, Tim,” his father whispered. “You awake, bud?”40

Tim opened his eyes.41

“Yeah.”42

“Mark brought you something.”43

Tim looked at the door. Mark stood there, holding a puppy in his arms.44

“Hey, Tim. Got this little guy from the shelter. I figured he could use a good home.”45

Mark stepped forward and set the German Sheppard down. It whimpered when Mark let go, but when it saw Tim, its tail started beating against the bed. Tim reached out, letting the pup smell his hand before he pet it.46

“Thank you, Mark,” Tim said, taking the puppy in his arms. “It means a lot.”47

“No problem, buddy. I figured I’d drop the pup off and steal your dad for a little.”48

“Where you going?” Tim asked, grimacing as the puppy unexpectedly licked his face.49

“We were going to get some stuff for the pup,” Adam said. “That ok, son? You can watch the puppy by yourself, right?”50

“Sure.”51

Adam walked out the door. Before Mark could leave, Tim stopped him.52

“What’s the puppy’s name?”53

“That’s your choice, bud.”54

Tim named the puppy Rex. The name had popped into his head shortly after the little guy had jumped and nearly knocked him over; hence the name Rex, for his playfullness.55

“Tim!” Adam called. “Where are you, son?”56

“Here!” Tim said, grabbing the puppy as it jumped at the bag of puppy food his father was holding. “Quit, Rex.”57

“Good name for a little guy like that,” Mark laughed. “He gets riled up easily.”58

“I’ve seen,” Tim said. “He nearly knocked me over when I bent down to grab the dollar I dropped.”59

the men laughed, setting the dog’s items on the counter. Tim held the puppy close to his chest. When he shut his eyes and looked at his current situation, he knew he would be all right.60

Nothing would be wrong.61

It took in the smell of dead flesh and continued to burrow. The larva was hungry. The meat was close. It was the last survivor of its mother’s pod. It had no intention of dying.62

When it touched the cold, hard surface, it burrowed through an open wound, to the very core. The creature was dead, but not enough to where it couldn’t be used.63

The larva stopped, calmed, waited.64

Its time would come soon…65

Very soon.66

Tim shivered and pulled the puppy close. It whimpered, but when he covered it up, it calmed down and closed its eyes, soon falling asleep.67

“Good boy, Rex,” Tim whispered, stroking the pup’s back. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”68

He couldn’t imagine not having the pup with him. He couldn’t imagine lying there without something to hold.69

“Night, Rex,” Tim said, kissing the dog’s head.70

The next morning, Tim woke to the dog licking his face. He laughed and pushed the puppy off his chest.71

At least I got to sleep, Tim thought. Guess the little rat helped.72

He reached out and ran his hand through the dog’s short hair before standing, grabbing some clothes and walking out of the room. He knocked on the bathroom door.73

“Dad, you almost done?”74

“Yeah, son. I’m just getting dressed.”75

The door opened. Adam smiled, ruffling Tim’s hair.76

“Sorry, son.”77

“It’s ok, Dad. Don’t worry about it.”78

Adam walked down the hall, leaving Tim by himself. He felt the pup at his side and ran a hand through his fur.79

“I’ll be out in a second,” Tim said, entering the bathroom and closing the door. “Good boy.”80

Rex whimpered and pawed at the door, but Tim ignored him and undressed, stepping into the shower. He grimaced as the cold water hit him, but sighed as the water gradually warmed up.81

The pup continued pawing at the door.82

Russell used to do that, Tim thought. He was louder than Rex though.83

Tim continued to shower.84

The dead thing’s eyes opened to darkness. It cried out, but the planned roar was no more than a whimper. Down here--down underground--the sounds were cut off, even to the dead thing’s ears.85

It was wrapped in a thick, soft object. It attempted to stand, but found that it was unable to. It growled and began pawing at the soft thing, and when the material fell away, it was replaced by dirt.86

Loose dirt.87

The dead thing clawed for the surface, desperate. It wanted food, it needed food, and it needed it soon. Its mother’s larva was dependant on its survival. It would not be able to reproduce if it did not have fresh, warm meat.88

It continued to claw at the dirt, ready to reap the strength that a fresh kill would bring.89

The cold began to seep into the house. The puppy drew close to his leg, nudging Tim with his nose. He picked the dog up, holding him to his chest.90

“Shh, it’s ok,” Tim said, stroking the puppy’s fur. 91

The dog whimpered.92

“Come on, let’s go in my room. We can watch TV and get warm.”93

The puppy licked Tim’s face. Tim rubbed the dog’s ears and carried him into the bedroom, where he dumped the pup on the bed before turning the TV on. He scrolled through the channels until he found a comedy and crawled into bed, leaning against the wall and pulling a blanket over his waist.94

The puppy’s whimpering drew his attention away from the TV.95

“What? You want under too?”96

The puppy whimpered a yes. Tim opened the blanket, letting the pup under. He smiled when Rex stuck his nose out, sniffing the air before retreating under the covers.97

“The cold’s not that bad,” Tim smiled.98

The electronic whoomph that came with a power outage dampened his enthusiasm.99

“All right… Guess we‘re not watching TV.”100

The puppy whimpered his agreement.101

“Tim! Where are you, son?”102

“I’m right here, Dad.”103

Tim stood in the hallway, the puppy at his side. It panted and ran up to Adam, eagerly accepting the pets that he offered.104

“Good boy,” Adam said, patting the dog’s side.105

“How come you’re home from work so early, Dad?”106

“The network went down at the computer café.”107

“At least you’re home.”108

“Yeah,” Alan said, slipping out of his coat. “Hamburgers ok for dinner?”109

“Sure, Dad,” Tim smiled. “That’ll work.”110

It sensed the thickening of the ground and screamed, startled. It had made a good deal of progress since it had first started digging, but there was many, many more feet to go. The thick, compacted ground would only make it worse.111

It whimpered, a bit of its former self creeping back into its conscience. The parasite willed the old conscience back and continued to dig, desperate to reach the surface.112

It had to feed, otherwise it would die.113

“Thanks, Dad.”114

“It’s no trouble, son,” Adam said, wiping ketchup off his upper lip. “I was getting hungry, and I’m more than sure you were too.”115

Tim finished his hamburger, walking to the sink and running water over his plate. The puppy was busy eating his food in the corner, noisily chewing and spraying crumbs outside his bowl.116

“I’ll clean that up.”117

“It’s ok, son. The dog’ll probably clean it up anyway.”118

Tim picked up the dog as it walked to his side. Outside, the clouds moved over the moon.119

“We should probably move away from the windows,” Tim said, stroking the whimpering pup. “The TV went off a little while ago. I think a transformer exploded.”120

“Yeah, you’re right,” Adam said, rising. “There’s not a whole lot we can do here, Tim. Unless you just wanted to sit in the living room and play with the pup.”121

Tim shrugged and followed his father into the room, trying to hold the frantic pup in place. When Rex slipped out of his arms, he was saved by the soft cushion of the couch.122

“It’s ok, boy,” Tim said, stroking the puppy’s head. “Don’t be scared of the cold.”123

The little dog pushed itself into the fabric of the couch, shoving its face under a cushion.124

“At least he’s not barking,” Alan said, setting a hand on Tim’s shoulder. “Russell always used to howl when it got cold.”125

Tim nodded, sighing.126

“God, Tim; I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”127

“It’s ok, Dad,” Tim said, sitting down beside the dog. “Russell’s gone… I can’t help that. I have Rex here, so it’s ok. Russell would want me to take care of the puppy, not worry about him. I know that.”128

Adam kissed Tim’s head, running a hand through his hair before sitting down. Tim took the dog in his arms and held it like the diamond possession that it was.129

It was too weak to continue. Its lack of energy was forcing it into the deepest parts of rest. Soon, it wouldn’t be able to continue. It was almost at the top. It could sense that. 130

It would wait.131

It would bide its time.132

“Tim, you ok?”133

Tim looked up as his father peeked into the room. 134

“Yeah, I’m ok,” Tim said, holding the puppy close. “Are you?”135

“I’m fine, son. I came in to say goodnight.”136

Adam walked into the room. Tim sat up to hug his father.137

“Thanks, Dad. Love you.”138

“Love you too, son. Goodnight.”139

“Goodnight.”140

Adam closed the door as he left, leaving Tim and the puppy in darkness. When the wind blew a tree‘s branches into the house, Rex whimpered.141

“I’m here,” Tim whispered.142

The pup calmed after Tim spoke. He didn’t want his little friend crying. It made him feel like he wasn’t doing a good enough job of sheltering it.143

“It’s ok,” Tim said, stroking the dog’s neck. “Just go to sleep, little guy. I’m here.”144

The pup set its head on Tim’s pillow and fell asleep.145

When he woke up, Tim crawled out of bed, pulling a shirt over his head. He walked out of his room. Dawn’s warm, orange light pierced through the blinds in small, barely-noticeable cracks. The light was only a sliver, but it was enough.146

Where am I going?147

Tim couldn’t answer his thought, but he knew that he was going outside. He wanted to see Russell’s grave, to mourn a little more. The pup hadn’t stirred when he had crawled out of bed; he had simply laid there, his small body rising and falling with each little breath.148

Tim pushed his feet into his shoes and walked out the door, then off the porch, where he opened the gate and sat on the steps. He stared at Russell’s grave.149

“Thank you for being such a good friend, Russell,” Tim said. “Thank you for helping me grow up.”150

It pulsed. It felt a presence outside its own. Its dead eyes shot open. S low growl escaped its throat. It clawed for the surface, the first amount of light breaking through.151

Tim looked up as he heard a noise. It was something faint, like a low hum from a nearby car. The only problem was that there were no cars driving by this early. It was just him and grave; nothing else.152

When the dirt started to fly up from the grave, Tim frowned, fear grasping his chest. Was Russell really dead? Could his dog have just slipped into something and woken up underground?153

“No,” Tim said. “I’m just imagining this.”154

The sad fact was that he wasn’t imagining this; he was just trying to say he wasn’t seeing things. The truth of the matter was that the dirt was flying away from the grave and that something was digging itself out.155

“Russell?” Tim asked, stepping close to the grave.156

The decaying paw shot out of the ground. Tim’s panicked, bloodcurdling scream made the hairs on his arms stand up. He backed away and tripped, falling flat on his but.157

“No!” Tim cried. “No! Russell! NO!”158

The dog reared its head and stared at Tim. On its forehead, a red, fleshy mass pulsed. The dog’s eyes--once filled with the light of life--were now glazed over. In death, the dog was no dog; it was something dead, a corpse that had been possessed by some darker power.159

When the dog that was once Russell stood on all four feet, it stared at Tim. The dead eyes showed no emotion as a black tongue slipped out of its mouth, running its tongue over its worm-infested lips.160

“Russell,” Tim sobbed. “Please, no.”161

The dog let out a low whine and stepped closer. Dirt and blood fell from its body, the red mass pulsing with each step.162

Tim screamed for someone--anyone--but there was no help for him. He scrambled away from the dead thing, his eyes never leaving the creature. When Tim’s back hit the first step, the dog screamed and lunged for him, teeth bared and spittle flying. Tim screamed and wrestled with the dead creature, the rancid scent of decay driving his mind into the darker side of human nature. He saw black holes and endless streams of candles, séances of cars carrying sheet-white corpses; all the horrible things in the world.163

Tim was staring at his worst nightmare.164

It had been his friend. once upon a time.165

“RUSSELL!” Tim screamed. “NO!”166

The dog bit into his shoulder and tore a chunk of meat away. Tim screamed and scrambled up the stairs. He fell, cracked his chin and felt blood stem from a fresh cut. Below, the dead thing tore at meat and skin, screaming in triumph as it bathed its face in his blood.167

When Tim got to the door, it was locked.168

Shit…169

“DAD!” Tim screamed, pounding on the door. “HELP ME, DAD! HELP ME!”170

The body snatcher heard his screams and leapt onto the porch. Tim grabbed the closest weapon he could find. He hefted the broom with his good arm and slammed it into the creature’s side, getting nothing more than a startled grunt out of it.171

The door opened to reveal his father, holding a shotgun.172

“SHOOT HIM!” Tim screamed. “IT’S NOT RUSSEL, DAD! SHOOT IT!”173

The shot echoed through Tim’s ears and reverberated through his brain. He closed his eyes when the dull silence pierced his ringing ears, hot tears escaping his eyes.174

“Tim! Are you all right!”175

“Dad… It took over Russell’s body… The red thing on his head.”176

“What red thing?”177

Tim stared at the gaping hole in his once-upon-a-time dog’s side. 178

The pulsing mass was gone.179

“Oh, Tim,” Adam said, stepping down and wrapping Tim in a hug. “You’re ok.”180

Tim nodded. The pain in his shoulder began to flare up.181

“We have to get you to a doctor,” Adam said. “I’ll call 9-1...”182

“No, Dad. We’ve gotta bury Russell first.”183

“After you’re at the hospital,” Adam said, grabbing Tim’s arm, forcing him along. “Russell will still be there when we’re back.”184

Tim sobbed as he realized that the dog would still be there. He sobbed because of his friend’s loss, and he sobbed because of what his father had just done. He sobbed because the dog that had once been his best friend had nearly ended his life, and because Russell was now truly gone.