My Friend Bobby | Page 6

I was scared and I said come on Bobby let's lock ourselves up in my
room and we ran upstairs and locked the door. Mommy was banging
things and laughing and crying downstairs and screaming we've got to
get out, he'll kill us if we don't, and a while later I heard the car coming
up the road fast, and saw daddy run into the house just as it started to
snow. Then mommy was screaming please, Ben, we've got to get out of
here, he tried to kill me, and the dog is vicious, he bit me when I tried
to make him stop.
The next minute daddy was running up the stairs two at a time and I
could feel him inside my head for the first time and I knew he was
angry. He'd never been this angry before and he rattled the knob and
said open this door Jimmy in a loud voice. I said no I won't and he said
open the door or I'll break your neck when I get in there and then he
kicked the door and kicked it again. The third time the lock broke and

the door flew open and daddy stood there panting. His eyes looked
terrible and he had a leather belt doubled up in his hand and he said
now come out here and his voice was so loud it hurt my ears.
Down below mommy was crying please Ben, take me away, he'll kill
us both, he's a monster! I said don't hurt me daddy it was mommy, she
was bad to me, and he said I said come out here even louder. I was
scared then and I said please daddy I'll be good I promise. Then he
started for me with the belt and I screamed out Bobby! Don't let him
hurt me, Bobby, and Bobby snarled like a wild animal and jumped at
daddy and bit his wrist so bad the blood spurted out. Daddy shouted
and dropped the belt and kicked at Bobby but Bobby was too quick. He
jumped for daddy again and I saw his white teeth flash and heard him
snap close to daddy's throat and then Bobby was snarling and snapping
and I was excited and I shouted hurt him, Bobby, he's been bad to me
too and he wants to hurt me and you've got to stop him.
Then I saw daddy's eyes open wide, and felt something jump in his
mind, something that I'd never felt there before and I knew he was
understanding my think-talk. I said I want Bobby to hurt you and
mommy because you're not nice to me, only Bobby and my panda are
nice to me. Go ahead, Bobby, hurt him, bite him again and make him
bleed. And then daddy caught Bobby by the neck and threw him across
the room and slammed the door shut and dragged something heavy up
to block it. In a minute he was running downstairs shouting Carol, I
heard it! you were right all along--I felt him, I felt what he was thinking!
And mommy cried please, Ben, take me away, let's leave them and
never come back, never, and daddy said it's horrible, he told that dog to
kill me and it went right for my throat, the boy is evil and monstrous.
Even from downstairs I could feel daddy's fear pounding into my head
and then I heard the door banging and looked out the window and saw
daddy carrying suitcases out through the snow to the car and then
mommy came out running and the car started down the hill and they
were gone. Everything downstairs was very quiet. I looked out the
window and I couldn't see anything but the big falling snowflakes and
the sun going down over the hill.

Now Bobby and I and the panda are all together and I'm glad mommy
and daddy are gone. I went to sleep for a little while because my head
hurt so but now I'm awake and Bobby is lying across the room licking
his feet and I hope mommy and daddy never come back because Bobby
will take care of me. Bobby is my friend and he said he'd always take
care of me no matter what and he understands my think-talk even if he
isn't very smart.
It's beginning to get cold in the house now because nobody has gone
down to fix the fire but I don't care about that. Pretty soon I will tell
Bobby to push open the door and go down and fix the fire and then I
will tell him to get supper for me and then I will stay up all night
because mommy and daddy aren't here to make me go to bed.