The Closet

A small child crouches in the back of a dark closet afraid of what is on the other side. Most children hide from the monster in their closet, her ogre was in the rest of the house. As time passed, she grew tired and wary she hoped that it would be all over soon, for she longed to be at the window watching the rainfall. From the back of the closet she could, hear the thunder crash and the lighting was visible underneath the door. When she was not in trouble, she stood at her window, for hours gazing at the night sky mystified by the flashing wonder. This time however, the child knew better than to go out there and be caught. The heat in the small closet was making her sweat drips of perspiration slowly trickle down her face as the rain would on the window. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine that the droplets of sweat were really mist from a large waterfall that would hit her face as she spins and dances in the stream. Magically she was wisped a way to a wonderful world of make-believe free from this closet, from the house, and most importantly free from the beast. A smile formed on her face as the girl dreamed of happier times the dream was shattered however when the doorknob rattled. The ogre has found again! Maybe, the ogre can just taste the child’s fear bringing her directly to her hiding places. In self-defense, she pushes back into the interior of the closet and prays that she could for once be absorbed into the numerous boxes being stored there. The girl hid her face as the door creaked open and the lights chase away the shadows in the closet. The beast grabbed the girl by the ear and dragged her out of the closet with such force that if it had let her go when its arm extended, the girl would have surly crashed through the bedroom window. Desperately, the girl bit her lip to keep form screaming. With out missing a beat the beast haled her off to the next room and forced the child’s face into the toilet bowl until the tip of her nose is touching the dirty water.

"How many times do I have to, remind you to flush the toilet?" the beast roared its voice rang through the small bathroom and vibrated, the toilet where it was still holding the girls head. The fumes of the bile were making the child gag so held her breath to keep from coughing and inhaling the contents of the bowl. Just before the girl passed out the ogre removed her head, dragged her to the front door, opened the door and shoved her out into the dark night of the storm. Goose bumps immediately began to form on the girl’s bare legs and arms.

Lightning flashed throwing creepy shadows across the ogre’s face as it stood on the thresh hold, and gave her orders. The thunder that followed was not of natural origin it came from the beast itself.

"Now run around the house and repeat I WILL NOT FORGET TO FLUCH THE TOILET and you better not dare stop until I say you can" it bellowed over the storm and with that it was gone locking the door behind it. The young girl had only been in the rain for just a few seconds but she was already soaking wet. Not wanting to make the ogre madder she began to run, her feet slipping and sliding on the wet grass. Sticks and rocks dug into the girl’s unprotected flesh but she kept right on running chanting her familiar chant. Many times, she has traveled around these walls calling to unknown phantoms trying to embed some forgotten rule into her stubborn memory. At first, the girl tries to count her rotations to pass the time away but after the first hundred, she always loses count. As the sun began to make an appearance over the horizon the sky cleared and the storm passed by. The girl wished she could ride a cloud out of this valley and no longer had to run away from demons she could not see see. As the hours pass by, the trips around the house seem to get longer, and longer the girl wished that the next passed the beast will come out and allow her to go inside once more. Each time she is greeted only with a shadow filled porch and the night sky. The stars blink at her with wonder and piety far too afraid to look upon the horrors unfolding below and the birds sit silently in the treetops for no one can find the right words to express the dread they feel. The girl’s legs are weak and sore from the stress of their labors. Her feet are thrashed and swollen from all the many obstructions along the path and her lungs are on fire burning in need for a breath. Desperately she tries to intake enough air so that she can keep moving and not miss saying her rhythmic chant.

"I will not forget to flush the toilet! I will not forget to flush the toilet!" When the girl just cannot take the pressure any more, her whole body goes numb and she runs and speaks automatically. Since she no longer has to concentrate on the task her mind is free to wonder she can escape to her flower room in the depths of her subconscious. There she finds sanctuary from all of her pain and suffering. Susan her friend can then take over now and protect her.

The beast says that Susan is just an imaginary friend, just something that the girl created in her mind to the girl however Susan is as real as you or me. With Susan in total charge the girl dose not realize that she has stopped running and is standing in front of the beast telling it that she has definitely learned her lesson this time and that she will never do it again. The girl dose not choke on the cold water coming out of the shower nozzle that the beast shoving into her face one of the ogre’s favorite ways of cooling her off after a long punishment. She dose not mind sleeping naked on the hard wood floor right next to her brand new bed with only newspapers to cover her. Susan takes good care of the girl and she never has to worry about anything when she is around. The girl just spends her time in her little room with the flowered wallpaper. Whenever the gets scared of the storm outside, she can hide in the closet where she keeps the boxes. From the back of the closet she could, can hear the thunder crash and the lighting is visible underneath the door. When she was not in trouble, she stands at her window, for hours gazing at the night sky mystified by the flashing wonder. This time however, the child knows better than to go out there and be caught. The thunder roles and she jumps expecting it to be followed by the sound of stomping feet, but all is silent and the girl is safe from the inevitable just a little longer.