Books of Horror Community Anthology Vol. 3 part 1 by Multiple

Author:Multiple [Multiple]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Books of Horror
Published: 2021-10-27T00:00:00+00:00

Keeping Mum

David Watkins

Mum went downhill rapidly after they burned her mother. It was like she gave up, as if she’d been holding on to outlive Gran. Dad said mum had cancer, but I didn’t know what that meant. She hadn’t been out of bed since my birthday, nearly six weeks ago, now. I would visit for hours, when school and my chores were done for the day; usually to sit in silence, but sometimes, and these were the best times, I was rewarded with a thin-lipped smile and a few words.

"You’ll be going to Big School soon," she said.

It was four months 'till then, but I didn't tell her. She fell asleep anyway, like the effort of speaking had taken all her energy reserves. School wasn’t the same as when she'd been my age: back then, there were millions of people and thousands of schools. Being the only one my age, I would be on my own when I crossed the yard to go to the other shed that was Big School.

The next day she spoke again. "They'll tell you everything then, and you'll know it all." It was like she didn’t realize a day had passed and I tried not to laugh at her. She didn't know what she was saying. We carried on like this for a week, her saying a sentence, before passing out again. I would stay with her, mop her brow and hold her hand. There was, after all, nothing else to do; no-one and nothing to play with. No-one in Big School ever played with me, or anyone still in Little School.

Dad came in, looked at mum and grimaced. Before, he was always laughing. Dust caked the lines of his face, aging him. One of the Burners was with him, reeking of petrol.

"Hi, Dad, John." I nodded at the bigger man, the way I’d seen dad do. Something about him always made me feel nervous, but then that was the point of the Burners. They weren’t supposed to be your mates.

“Just coming to see how your mum is doing,” John said, without a smile. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him smile.

"Tommy, why don't you go get some sun?"

"Don't want to." Dad and John exchanged a look. Dad was the only one who still called me Tommy.

"Go on, son. Outside."

"No."

"I'm not asking, Tommy."

Dad had never raised his voice, didn't have to, and I wasn't going to let him start now—not in front of John. I kissed mum's head, ignoring the sharp intake of breath from the Burner. Her eyes flickered but didn’t open. I went out into the non-existent sun, to play with non-existent friends.

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