The Bogeyman

The Bogeyman
By Stephen A Abell

Number of Words: 499



"What kind of monster would do this?" The coroner surveyed the crime scene with horror, loathing, and complete sadness. The playground ran with blood. In the centre of the chaos lay the dissected body of a young girl, her limbs strewn over the tarmac. Her shredded clothes no longer able to hide her modesty.

“It was the bogeyman,” a small, scared voice said. The questioning officer asked the boy to repeat his last statement. “It was the bogeyman.”

The stark halogen lights illuminating the devastation glinted off the silent tears running down his cheek. “We were just playing, that’s all. Maggie loved the swings; she could sit and swing for hours. I was next to her, talkin’ ‘bout school an’ stuff, when I noticed we were alone an’ it was dark.

“We jumped off the swings an’ started towards the path, the lights are brighter there, when Mags spots something in the trees. I saw nothin’ an’ called her a scaredy-cat an’ carried on walkin’. I stopped when I heard her scream. Damn near crapped my pants too. Anyways, I turn around to give her hell an’ see this ghostly shape skitter between the trees. It was headin' for the path too.

“I grabbed her an’ shook her to get her movin’. That was all the time it needed. As we finally turned to run, the bloody thing stepped into the middle of the path.”

“Can you describe your attacker?” The officer asked in a none-to-gentle voice.

“Yeah, but you ain’t gonna believe me,” taking a deep breath he continued, “he was thin. Very thin. And as white as snow. Must’ve stood over seven foot tall, an’ mostly resembled a man…” Another deep breath, “until you saw his face.

“He didn’t have eyes. They were hollowed out holes, which looked like they went down to hell itself. His mouth was just a sewn up jagged tear in flesh. And, he had no nose.

“But it was his hands you noticed, ‘cause his fingers weren’t fingers, they were foot-long bone claws. It only took one swipe an’ Maggie’s arm was flying through the air. He moved forward so fast, he was just a blur, his talons swishing through the air, ripping through her flesh, slicing through her bones. All the while he never took those soulless empty-holed eyes off me. I stood transfixed as he killed my best friend.

“It was only when the guy walkin’ his dog came runnin’ over that he stopped. He seemed scared of the dog.”

“That’s quite some story kid,” the officer snorted, “you’re comin’ down to the station, son.”

“Wait,” the coroner interrupted, “what happened then?”

Tears started falling anew, “He lifted his hands; in the centre of each palm was a mouth, full of razor sharp teeth. “I’m coming for you, James, I am coming.””

As the officer pushed him into the back of the squad car, the kid’s shaky voice sounded one last time, “don’t you understand? He knows my name.”