Four
Can A Child Soften a Beast?
" "How now?" Cried Arthur. "Let no one pass this way without a fight!"
"Is that so?" Said the knight, in a bold and haughty manner."
Laurie turned the page and began to read when Tommy interrupted. "I don't like that story."
"I thought King Arthur was your favorite." She said, setting the book down.
"Not anymore." He said, then slipped his hand under the couch to present several comic books.
"Why do you keep them under there?" She said warily, eying the eight year old.
"Mom doesn't like for me to have them." He shrugged.
She lifted the pile. "Laser man, neutron man, I can understand why." She shook her head looking at another volume. "Tarantula man."
"Laurie," he said softly. "What's the bogeyman?"
The phone rang and Laurie patted his hand and went to answer it. "Doyle house."
"Hey it's me. Look I'm sorry about before."
Laurie sighed. "Oh, it's all right Annie."
"I am happy for you. But, I also have big, big news for you." A sudden low growl came over from Annie's line. "Oops, hold on a sec. Hi Lester. I'm about to be ripped apart by the family dog."
Laurie laughed. Serves you right.
"I hate that dog, I'm the only person in the world he doesn't like."
Laurie twirled some hair around her finger. "So what is this big, big news?"
"Well, what if I said you were going to the homecoming dance tomorrow night?"
Laurie paused. "I'd probably say you have the wrong number."
Annie giggled. "I just spoke to Ben Tramer and he got real excited when I told him how attracted to him you were."
"Oh Annie you didn't, please tell me you didn't."
Bored, Tommy went over to the window at the sound of several shrieks. He opened the shades and gasped as he saw a Shape by the window of the Wallace house. He ran over to Laurie. "Laurie, Laurie look outside! Laurie the bogeyman's outside!"
"Wait a minute, what Tommy?"
"Laurie the bogeyman's outside, look!" Laurie peered threw the window and recognized Michael's shape appearance.
"Oh it's ok Tommy, it's just Michael." She rubbed his head. "He's a friend. Go watch tv"
She returned to the phone. "It was just Tommy, he saw Michael in the yard and flipped. Oh please tell me you didn't, how could you do that?"
"Look it's simple, you like him, he likes you, alls you need is a little push. Well it won't hurt you to go out with him for God's sake!"
Laurie bit her lip. "I guess not."
"That's the spirit! It'll all be fine, you can just come over tomorrow and I'll help you get ready! Him and Paul can come pick us up!"
Laurie sighed. "I'm embarrassed as all hell but all right."
"Shit! Michael broke a pot!" Annie cried.
"I'm sure he didn't mean to, I'll pay for it."
"Oh, he's heading your way, Laurie. Maybe you'll have fun tonight too!"
Laurie rolled her eyes. "Friend, Annie. Key word is friend."
Annie swirled the popcorn in the bowl to let the butter soak in. "So what's his deal with following you around anyway?"
"I don't know, I asked but he wont talk. I think he can, he just doesn't want to."
"Well yeah, everyone knows Michael Myers can talk, I mean, 'Hey Judy, it's the bogeyman' isn't exactly silence."
"Hush! Don't taunt him, how fair is that?" Laurie sat on a chair. "Let's drop this subject, so when do you leave there?"
"Wallace's get back around 11."
"Neat, so do the Doyles, had enough time to think or am I walking home?"
Annie laughed. "I'll give you a ride, I really am sorry about that, were they mad?"
Laurie grinned. "Actually, they found it hilarious."
A sharp pitched scream sounded and Laurie dropped the phone and ran into the other room to find Tommy, holding the door open, Michael standing there looking uneasy. Tommy was screaming at the top of his lungs and when he sw Laurie he ran to her, hiding in her arms.
"Tommy?! What is the matter with you!?"
"It's the bogeyman!" He burrowed more deeply.
She looked up at Michael. "I am so sorry Michael, come on in, close the door, Tommy? Tommy look at me!"
Tommy nervously looked up at her, his tear stained face a pitiful sight. "Tommy you have to understand, it's Halloween, people dress up. This isn't the bogeyman, this is my friend Michael, he wont hurt you. Now say you're sorry."
Michael had stepped in and uneasily watched as Tommy turned to him. "I'm sorry, Michael."
The Shape nodded his usual silent nod. Laurie smiled. "I have to go hang the phone up, why don't you watch TV together for a second?"
Tommy nodded and sat on the couch, Michael slowly followed, looking at the TV. The Thing was on, a movie he hadn't seen since he was little, and soon he was more comfortable. Laurie came in and smiled, the two were both intently watching and Tommy jumped and hid his face in Michael's shoulder at a scary scene. Michael looked at the boy, then at Laurie, his eyes seemed to dance. He patted the boys back, and Tommy looked up to see it was over.
"Two peas in a pod." She whispered to herself. "Make room for me guys."
Laurie looked at the clock to see it was 9:30, a bit past Tommy's bedtime. She smiled, he had fallen asleep between her and Michael just before the movie had ended. She bent down, lifted him and carefully carried him up the stairs, laid him in his bed, and tucked him in. She smiled at his sleeping form, turned on his nightlight and turned to leave, feeling her heart jump as she saw Michael in the doorway.
"Well his parents wont be home for a while, we can watch the rest of Doctor Dimensia is you'd like."
He paused, tilted his head then moved from the door, reaching out his hand for hers. She smiled softly and took his, he led her down the stairs and to the couch, where they sat. Another movie was just coming on and so they settled to watch it. She had hardly noticed the little distance between them on the couch, not until a part she didn't want to watch came on and she turned her face to hide, barely having to move to do so. His arm reassuringly held her there, and she sighed, turning back.
"You know, I don't think I've ever felt this comfortable around a guy before." She paused as her conscience told her, Well you of all people know it should be fairly comfortable around HIM. She looked at her hands. "I can't help but wonder why me, though."
She heard him take a breath, not expecting anything to come out of it, and shocked when something did. "Because you know what it's like."
She looked up at him, wide eyed, heavy hearted. "What?"
Another breath. "You know what it's like... to be lonely, to not have anyone."
She looked at her hands. "I made that for myself."
His hand touched hers. "So did I."
Mwa ha ha. Don't worry, I'm not so sick as to hook them up as more than friends. And I'm not going to suddenly make Michael talkative, so fear not, Sharon is not going to totally murder the story.
R&R
