The Boy
Disclaimer: I do not, (even if I wanted to) own Pan's Labyrinth.
Response and Review, if the reader has the time and is willing.
Enjoy.
"…And so the man walks slowly slowly … towards the little girl… Saying, 'Give me the baby, give me the baby!' " Pedro was trying to imitate the man in the story, using hand movements, different voices. But no matter what, a drunk man was a drunk man, so his efforts turned into sloppiness and flailing around.
"Suddenly, the man looked up… And his mouth split open!!!" A gasp was heard from the little boy he was entertaining. Pure delight was seen on his face. "What happened next?" The boy enquired earnestly. Pedro grinned, and went on.
The girl froze in spot, and saw the fangs in the man's mouth… No, he was no man.. He was a monster. A pure clump of evil, I tell you. But." Pedro paused for effect. "The girl did not give the monster the baby, no no. She held tight, and refused." Mercedes walked in with a couple of beer bottles in her hand. There was a party in another room, and she was playing hostess, staying sober, so that she could put the little boy to sleep.
"The monster got mad of course. He was going to keep the baby, and make the baby a monster too." The boy gasped. Mercedes stopped.
"No! The baby can't be a monster!" The boy became horrified. "But he can. So the monster roared, and BOOM." Pedro spread his arms wide and opened his eyes and mouth wider.
"The monster had attacked the girl, and killed her!! He took the baby…" Mercedes slapped him. "How drunk are you to be telling the poor child this sort of tale?" He shrugged her off and continued. "So he took the baby from the girl, and went to the gate of the castle. He had gotten the baby from the girl." Mercedes became alarmed, recognizing the tale, what had happened…
"The monster was too late. At the entrance of the castle was a whole army, no less than 50 men, who surrounded him. They all held swords and guns in their ready hands. The monster, defeated, gave the baby to the beautiful sister of one of the soldiers, and spoke for the last time, 'Tell my son…' "
"The baby was the monster's son!?" Realization and awe filled the boys small face, as Mercedes moved forward, wanting to stop her brother from telling the rest.
"He said, 'Tell my son that I was a great monster who killed many, and that' The monster was cut off by the beautiful sister, who replied 'He will not even know your name'" Mercedes was frozen, shaping words that melted and boiled in her mouth.
"The brother shot the monster, and took the baby, while the beautiful sister ran to meet the little girl, hoping that she was safe-"
"…Stop."
"She ran through the maze before the castle, hoping hoping-"
"Stop"
"But when the beautiful sister arrived, the girl was—"
"STOP"
The atmosphere froze, and Pedro looked up at her with his drunken eyes, confused. "What? It's just a story." Mercedes snapped back, her voice full of anger that even the boy could detect.
"You know well enough why not to tell that story."
"It's not even real"
"But it's..!!" She noticed the boy sitting there, confused at what to do and say. He began to cry from confusion, and she picked him up, cuddled him in her arms, while shouting, "Get your drunk ass back into the other room, and throw up tomorrow outside!!"
The boy, becoming drowsy from the crying, crept into his little makeshift bed. He quietly asked, "Why were you so angry, auntie?" She smiled weakly, giving the bed a small pat, knowing that the true answer could not be said, and would never be.
"I'll explain later, Juan."