Bill lost his mind, making a break for Alice as fast as his legs could carry him. He dropped down low, skidding to a halt as he grabbed Buster's mouth, prizing it open with all his might as Alice cried out in pain. The dog was maddened with rage, saliva dripping from between its jaws as it turned on him in a split second, leaping for the mans throat. Barely reacting in time, Bill grabbed Buster by the neck, wrestling for a moment before successfully throwing the dog to the ground at his side.
“Alice, run for the house!”
Bill called out in a panic. She didn't move at first, cradling her bloody arm as it leaked all over her clothes.
“Alice! Go now!”
He hollered again, causing the girl to snap into action. Clambering to her feet, Alice ran back home in the exact direction that her father had arrived from. Buster had recovered already and was ready to give chase, but Bill stopped him with a swift kick to the stomach, winding the mutt and causing him to yelp as he caught air.
The large dog landed hard, laying still on his side as Bill achingly dragged himself back to his feet. Still on edge and ready for another round, he watched from a relatively safe distance as Buster twitched, rolling back up to stand on all fours. But the dog didn't attack again, instead limping off towards Charlie's old kennel, tail between his legs as if he was acting normally once more and knew that he was in trouble.
Bill really didn't know what to do or think, doubling over as he struggled to catch his breath. This was way too close a call. What if he hadn't been there to stop it? Alice could have been killed.
Buster would have to be chained up outside, at least until Martha got home and a decision could be made on what to do with him. But the priority now was to check on Alice's injuries. Making his way back to the house, Bill hoped that her wounds weren't too serious, as his daughter’s life was more precious to him than anything else in the world.
**********
“Where's Buster now?”
Martha had tried to compose herself as Bill recounted the tale. Alice had been inconsolable, even after the doctor had come to sterilise and bandage her cuts. She was now resting up in her room, the doctor long since gone.
“Is it rabies?” she added with some concern.
“The doc doesn't think so, but he's sent off for tests to make sure.”
The couple sat in silence in the living room, both staring into the empty fireplace. Getting a second dog was supposed to help their daughter, not damage her further. Buster had been a good dog up until that point and it was very uncharacteristic for him to just turn like that.
Alice was extremely distressed but thankfully mostly unharmed, other than a bite mark on her arm that had now been stitched up and a few other minor cuts and bruises.
Bill spoke up. “We can't keep him... He still growls when I get near, and has a look in his eye that gives me the impression that this could happen again. He can't be trusted around our girl.”
A single tear ran down Martha's cheek. She knew what was coming next.
“We need to put him down. He's a danger to Alice and to us.”
If that were to happen, they both knew that they would never risk getting another dog. The recent events were too horrific for them to even consider it. They knew that they would be scarred for life by this, so they couldn’t imagine how bad little Alice felt.
The Delaneys talked about Buster for a very long time, not really knowing what to do. Something had changed in their poor dog and he would no longer let anyone approach, not even with a bowl of food. Any attempts to get near him would be met with teeth gnashing and growling as he tried to break the chain that kept him tethered.
Bill eventually took the initiative and decided to call the vet to have Buster put down as humanely as possible. However, everyone who turned up refused to even approach the wild animal.
Taking things into his own hands, Bill asked Martha to take their daughter for a drive as he loaded his gun and went out back. He tried once more to approach Buster to no avail. It took a while to build himself up to it, eventually firing a metal slug right between the dog's eyes.
That was the first day the man had cried in years, breaking down and holding his pet’s lifeless body in his arms. He was utterly devastated.
Alice didn’t take the news too well upon their return that evening. She blamed herself, saying it was her fault and that she broke Buster. Bill and Martha didn’t understand what she meant by that, but she took all the blame and placed it upon herself nonetheless.
The family never did get another dog after that. They buried Buster next to Charlie in the back yard, with Alice insisting that they held a proper burial. She wanted to make sure that God knew he wasn’t a bad dog and prayed that that he would become an angel. Martha tried to convince her that all dogs go to heaven, but that didn’t stop Alice from wanting a special service for her only friend.
That day and every day after, Alice would visit the grave as soon as home schooling was over and often spent a good twenty minutes or so talking to her lost friend. The sight of it broke Martha’s heart, but she knew it was the girl’s own special way of coping with the loss.
**********
Another year went by and the Delaney's were beginning to worry as Alice was spending more and more time talking to herself or her imaginary friends. They were growing concerned about her development due to her lack of real friends or any real social interaction outside of their immediate family.
Deciding to give up their dream and sell the farm for the sake of their daughter, the Delaney’s explored a ton of other options, but didn't want to move out of the state they had grown to love. Bill found a job as a school janitor over on the eastern side of Kansas, in the small town of Birchfield. Alice would attend the same school, so he could keep an eye on her and make sure she settled in okay.
Situated in Lyon County, on the eastern side of Kansas and only a few hours from the state capitol, Birchfield was surrounded by woods on one side, rolling hills on the other and was bordered by a creek with meandering streams that fed it. The area was a huge contrast to the western side of the state that was mostly flat and full of fields.
The town itself was a small, but regular All-American town with the usual amenities offered in such a place. Dirt roads crisscrossed in a grid like pattern, except for the newer developments towards the edges that were fully paved. At its most central point sat the town hall, where Mayor Taylor sat in office largely unopposed. He had been voted into the position by the small population of just under four hundred people.
The move wasn’t easy on any members of the Delaney family, as they all loved their farm. It had been Bill and Martha’s life long goal and was everything that Alice had ever known. The adjustment period would be long, but they were determined to give their little girl as normal a life as possible, in a town where the people were known to be friendly and welcoming. Homesickness set in almost immediately after hitting the road. It may have been the end of an era, but it was also the dawning of a new one. Their lives weren’t over… They were just different.
Chapter Two: The girl next door.
Arriving in town in their beat up truck, the Delaney's moved into their new house at the edge of town, right next to a woodland nature reserve. The house was only a third of the size of their farmhouse, but it was pleasantly decorated in pastel colours, with plenty of natural light entering through its many double glazed windows. The family may have been downsizing, but it wasn’t as if they were going to struggle for space. The neighbours were pleasant enough too, but life was very different than what they were used to. It had been many years since Bill and Martha lived in New York City, and they had come to realise that they would never be able to live in a city that large ever again.
Alice was enrolled in school as soon as it was possible, as they didn’t want her to miss a single day. Most of the other kids had known each other for years and didn't seem to like her too much, calling her weird and different. She did do extraordinarily well in class though, as
home schooling had surprisingly given her the edge that she needed.
Alice caught the bus to school like everyone else, under Martha’s complete insistence. Bill had offered to drive her there and back, but was quickly overruled. Wife’s law. The main thing Alice had noticed since moving to town, was that everything in Birchfield was so much louder. There were people everywhere. The neighbourhood wasn’t so peaceful, at least compared to the home where she had grown up, and so after school she would sometimes sneak off into the woods to play and have the alone time that she sorely craved. After all, imaginary friends were much better than real friends, or so she thought. At least until she met Sam Mitchell.
**********
Sam waited by the front door of his house with his backside planted firmly on the bottom step. He was extremely excited, as today was the day he was going to make a brand new friend. His mom always picked him up from school, which meant that he didn't have to catch the school bus with the rest of the rabble. He was usually more than happy with that, but this time it was different and he considered it a missed opportunity.
The Mitchell's had new neighbours that his parents had already met a few days earlier while he was in class. He was told to wait before introducing himself as they were still unpacking and settling in, but he couldn't wait any longer. It was the end of their daughters first day in school, so he had to become her friend as soon as possible before she found some other clique to join up with. However, it seemed that today of all days the bus was running a little late and the holdup was killing him. Time was of the essence!
Sam had already seen the girl next door from his bedroom window the same day that the Delaney family had moved in. He knew that she was the exact same age as him. Ten years old and in the same grade too. She was tall, skinny and pale, but pretty, with long blond hair and thick eyebrows. Her flowery, summer dress was wafting in the breeze as she helped to carry boxes from their truck. He had noticed from a distance that she looked sad and he just wanted to help cheer her up.
Sam himself was pretty much skin and bones, still too young to have filled out at all. His mousy brown hair was usually a mess and the frames of his glasses were often bent out of shape. Not as tall as most kids his age, he was fairly short, but was expecting a growth spurt any day now.
As Sam's mind dwelled on his first memory of the girl, the bus finally rolled around the corner, pulling up to the curb between their homes. He could see movement on the inside as the door slid open and the stop lights began to flash. It was now or never.
Sam didn't hesitate for a second. He jumped to his feet, running over to meet the new girl as soon as she disembarked, hopping off the last step onto the pavement with sandaled feet. She was wearing another flowing dress, backpack straps over both shoulders with hands gripping them tight. Not expecting anyone to be there, she was startled by the sudden enthusiasm of the boy who had stopped just shy of her face.
“Hi! I'm Sam! I live next door!” He stated, a little louder than he had intended.
She was more than a little taken back by his boldness, standing completely still as the bus pulled away to deliver the other students to their destinations. Sam just stared, with a stupid, wide grin across his face. It was an awkward few seconds before she responded, smiling shyly in return.
“Hi Sam. I'm Alice.”
“Wanna come play at my house? I have a ton of toys.”
She looked right past him towards the front door of her home, then over at the door to his before turning her attention back to him. Her cheeks had begun to turn rosy in colour.
“Okay, I guess. I need to ask my parents if it's alright though.”
Sam beamed at her, literally jumping for joy.
“Awesome! Just come and knock. I'll be waiting!”
Without even pausing for her to say another word, Sam sprinted back to his house to prepare, leaving Alice in the dust. Her mouth hanging open in astonishment.
Alice went over to the Mitchell's home to play that very same day and she didn't regret it one bit, as her and Sam soon became good friends. Over the following months, she spent an increasing amount of time with him as they went on adventures in the surrounding fields and woods after school, and on most weekends.
The pair became almost inseparable, with Alice and Sam telling tales of each of their escapades. But no one believed the stories despite the claims that they were completely real. It was all chalked up to the wild imaginations of the overactive minds of children.
**********
Sam sat impatiently on the bench out near the school playing fields, his bright blue lunchbox sealed tight and resting on his lap as he checked his plastic watch. Their lunch break had started five minutes ago and Alice was late. They met in the same spot at the exact same time every day. It was their own little tradition that had lasted for well over a month now. He simply refused to start eating without her, willing to go hungry if she didn't show.
It was another sweltering hot day in Birchfield, Kansas. Thankfully the bench resided under a large tree that sheltered its occupants from the harsh sunrays. The other kids were running around the quad, some playing catch while others organised their rag tag kickball game. The remainder were gathered around in various small groups, talking and laughing between themselves. Sam never felt like he fit in with any of them, but neither did Alice and that's one of the main reasons that he liked her. They didn't need anyone else in their gang as they were the ultimate outcast duo.
As Sam observed the shenanigans from his vantage point, a soft hand reached over from somewhere behind, tapping him on his shoulder and catching him by surprise.
“Made you jump!” Alice said with her usual smile that often brightened his day.
“Did not!” He said defensively.
“Did too!”
They both chuckled as Alice slid onto the bench, elbow touching against his. Sam undid the latch of his lunchbox, finally willing to eat its contents. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, plain chips and a single clementine. It wasn't original or exciting, but it would suffice.
Alice set down a brown paper bag onto her knees, rolling open the top to pull out her own sandwiches. They both sat there quietly, chowing down on their food as the other kids screamed and yelled playfully in the school yard.
Alice was the first to break the silence.
“Guess what I saw last night.”
There were so many possibilities for him to answer with that he found it hard to pick one. Instead he decided to answer with a question.
“What?”
“You were supposed to guess!” She said, mocking disappointment.
“I dunno. A bear?”
She shook her head, and he threw another question her way.
“Was it even an animal?”
“Kinda.”
Now Sam was really stumped. “I don't know, Alice. Come on, just tell me already!”
His lack of guesses caused Alice to pout.
“Okay… But I really wanted you to guess more. I saw sprites in the woods. Right by my bedroom window!”
Sam arched his eyebrows, having not expected that to be her answer at all.
“Like… A fairy or something?”
Alice shrugged. “Yeah. A magical looking creature thing. I guess it could have been a fairy. It was beautiful... But it didn't have wings or anything like that though.”
He knew she had a vivid imagination and often played along, but he didn't believe in her stories himself. To him it was just a game, but he wouldn’t dare say that to Alice as he didn't want to upset her.
“Really? I've never seen one around here. What did it look like?”
She seemed to think about it for a moment, picturing what she had seen in her mind's eye.
“It looked like… Like a little person, but not. It had moss for hair and twigs for its arms and legs. Its skin was all green, like it was made of leaves.”
Sam waited for her to finish before talking.
“So it looked like a plant? Are you sure
it wasn't one?”
Her excitement quickly changed into a frustrated frown and Sam instantly regretted his poor choice of words. He attempted to retract his questions post haste.
“I didn't mean it like that. I'm just saying it was dark, right?”
“I know what I saw, Sam! Plants don't move!”
She had caught on to his obvious backpedaling.
“Okay… I believe you.”
He was lying. He didn't believe in the supernatural like she did, but he just wanted to appease the situation. Taking another bite of his sandwich, he decided to let her continue raving about the wonders she had seen. Her tales were always relaxing for him, as he just loved listening to her voice.
It wasn't long until the full thirty minutes of their lunch break had flown by and the bell was ringing for afternoon classes. They both closed up the remainder of their respective lunches and stood up from the bench in unison.
“See you after school?” Alice said as Sam escorted her back to the building.
“I wouldn't dream of missing it.”
**********
“Alice, where are you?”
Sam was seriously worried about his friend as he knew she’d had an especially rough day at school. The other girls in seventh grade had been picking on her even more than usual. They called her a freak, targeting her for her general looks, non-designer clothing, personality and pretty much everything else in between. She usually managed to ignore it, but today was different somehow. Alice had split as soon as the bell rang, running all the way to the woods near her house before disappearing into the foliage.
“Alice? It's Sam!”
The Beast Inside Page 3
