I'm Telling
by
Michael Delfay
by
Michael Delfay
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The squeaky window woke me up. The clock said three. Same as when Pete snuck in from
doing what he wouldn’t tell me. This time he was sneaking out and he didn’t tell me that
too. I wanted to go with him but I couldn’t. I tried to yell Pete! but nothing came out. Then
I could move and I went to the window. Pete was running past Mr. Taylor’s store where
Mommy said she would buy us candy tomorrow. He had Daddy’s shovel.
I went quiet down the hall. Mommy and Daddy’s door was shut. I could hear Mommy
crying because Daddy went away and didn’t say goodbye.
Skipper was on the porch. We ran after Pete. Pete is twelve and fast. We went too far and
got lost and I was crying. A dog barked far away then Skipper barked and there was a sound
behind me. I wanted to run but something picked me up. It was Pete and he was mad. He
said follow him and don’t make noise.
Pete was digging with Daddy’s shovel. Pete said he saw Daddy lie down in the ground last
night. He was trying to dig him up. He made a hole but Daddy wasn’t in it. I didn’t believe
him. We saw Daddy’s Bible in the hole and I knew Pete didn’t say a lie. Daddy’s Bible
looked like someone burned it.
We saw fire in the woods and there was singing too. Pete said for me and Skipper to wait
and don’t move. After a long time he didn’t come back. I was going to tell on Pete for
leaving me. The singing was louder and we went to it. There was a party and Daddy was
singing around the fire. He looked like the time Mommy threw flour on him. We went
behind a bush.
Pete was on a table and his clothes were off. Pretty girls were trying to eat him. He was
crying. A tall man with a mask like Halloween gave Daddy a knife. Daddy cut Pete’s thing
with the knife and the girls went there. Pete cried loud and went to sleep. Daddy threw up
red into Pete’s mouth. Skipper started barking and ran into the party. He started to bite
Daddy’s leg. The tall man caught Skipper and turned his head backwards. Skipper stopped
barking and the tall man threw him in the fire.
They put Pete in a hole and put dirt on him. I was going to tell on Daddy and Pete. I was
crying and they heard me. I went into the bush and they couldn’t find me.
It turned into morning and the party was over. I could see the way home. Mommy put her
bottle down and hugged me and said don’t ever sneak away again. I said Pete was with
Daddy in the ground and Skipper was on fire. I told her about the party. She said I had a bad
dream. Daddy was gone. Mommy was going to spank Pete for sneaking out and telling lies
about Daddy. I asked for candy but she said Mr. Taylor’s store was closed because no one
knew where he was. Mommy was mad because Mrs. Nelson was gone too and she couldn’t
buy more bottles.
Mommy tucked me in. She kissed me goodnight but I couldn’t sleep. I heard the front door
close when the clock said three. I went to the squeaky window. Mommy went past Mr.
Taylor’s store where she owed me candy. I was scared the tall Halloween man was in my
room. I ran after Mommy. I knew she went to the party because I told her. I was scared to
go but I wanted my Mommy. It was dark and after a long time I found the party. I went
into my bush. The party was bigger and louder tonight.
Mommy was on the table where Pete was last night. Pete was with Daddy singing around
the fire. Pete looked like Mommy threw flour on him this time. The pretty girls were taking
off Mommy’s dress. There were iron sticks in the fire. The tall man took off his mask and I
thought about the rat I saw in our garbage. The tall man took a stick and Mommy stared to
cry. The stick was red from the fire and he put it where her pee comes out. I started to cry
and wanted to help because I love Mommy.
The pretty girls stared to eat Mommy. Pete kissed Mommy’s lips better than Daddy does.
He started to chew her shoulder and Mommy went to sleep. I didn’t want to watch the party
anymore. I wanted to go home. I didn’t want Mommy or Daddy or Pete. I went out of the
bush.
I hid in the closet. I was alone. I went potty on the floor because I was scared to go down
the hall. I looked out the squeaky window and there was no one outside even in the day. The
stores were closed, even the bakery. I was hungry but I couldn’t go to the kitchen. I was
afraid the tall man was there with Daddy and Pete.
When it was dark I got into bed. I went under the covers. I woke up and the clock said
three. Mommy and Daddy and Pete were in the room. I didn’t hear them come in. They
smelled bad. Mommy sat on the bed and this time it looked like someone threw flour on her.
I wanted to go back under the covers. She smiled and I thought about Skipper’s teeth. I
didn’t love her anymore. She promised to buy candy tomorrow. I didn’t believe her. I
wouldn’t ask for candy anymore if she would go away.
Daddy and Pete held my arms and legs. Daddy pulled my pjs off. The crying was warm on
my face. Mommy said she would love me forever. She leaned over to kiss me goodnight as
sleep comes in waves.
(1004 words)
doing what he wouldn’t tell me. This time he was sneaking out and he didn’t tell me that
too. I wanted to go with him but I couldn’t. I tried to yell Pete! but nothing came out. Then
I could move and I went to the window. Pete was running past Mr. Taylor’s store where
Mommy said she would buy us candy tomorrow. He had Daddy’s shovel.
I went quiet down the hall. Mommy and Daddy’s door was shut. I could hear Mommy
crying because Daddy went away and didn’t say goodbye.
Skipper was on the porch. We ran after Pete. Pete is twelve and fast. We went too far and
got lost and I was crying. A dog barked far away then Skipper barked and there was a sound
behind me. I wanted to run but something picked me up. It was Pete and he was mad. He
said follow him and don’t make noise.
Pete was digging with Daddy’s shovel. Pete said he saw Daddy lie down in the ground last
night. He was trying to dig him up. He made a hole but Daddy wasn’t in it. I didn’t believe
him. We saw Daddy’s Bible in the hole and I knew Pete didn’t say a lie. Daddy’s Bible
looked like someone burned it.
We saw fire in the woods and there was singing too. Pete said for me and Skipper to wait
and don’t move. After a long time he didn’t come back. I was going to tell on Pete for
leaving me. The singing was louder and we went to it. There was a party and Daddy was
singing around the fire. He looked like the time Mommy threw flour on him. We went
behind a bush.
Pete was on a table and his clothes were off. Pretty girls were trying to eat him. He was
crying. A tall man with a mask like Halloween gave Daddy a knife. Daddy cut Pete’s thing
with the knife and the girls went there. Pete cried loud and went to sleep. Daddy threw up
red into Pete’s mouth. Skipper started barking and ran into the party. He started to bite
Daddy’s leg. The tall man caught Skipper and turned his head backwards. Skipper stopped
barking and the tall man threw him in the fire.
They put Pete in a hole and put dirt on him. I was going to tell on Daddy and Pete. I was
crying and they heard me. I went into the bush and they couldn’t find me.
It turned into morning and the party was over. I could see the way home. Mommy put her
bottle down and hugged me and said don’t ever sneak away again. I said Pete was with
Daddy in the ground and Skipper was on fire. I told her about the party. She said I had a bad
dream. Daddy was gone. Mommy was going to spank Pete for sneaking out and telling lies
about Daddy. I asked for candy but she said Mr. Taylor’s store was closed because no one
knew where he was. Mommy was mad because Mrs. Nelson was gone too and she couldn’t
buy more bottles.
Mommy tucked me in. She kissed me goodnight but I couldn’t sleep. I heard the front door
close when the clock said three. I went to the squeaky window. Mommy went past Mr.
Taylor’s store where she owed me candy. I was scared the tall Halloween man was in my
room. I ran after Mommy. I knew she went to the party because I told her. I was scared to
go but I wanted my Mommy. It was dark and after a long time I found the party. I went
into my bush. The party was bigger and louder tonight.
Mommy was on the table where Pete was last night. Pete was with Daddy singing around
the fire. Pete looked like Mommy threw flour on him this time. The pretty girls were taking
off Mommy’s dress. There were iron sticks in the fire. The tall man took off his mask and I
thought about the rat I saw in our garbage. The tall man took a stick and Mommy stared to
cry. The stick was red from the fire and he put it where her pee comes out. I started to cry
and wanted to help because I love Mommy.
The pretty girls stared to eat Mommy. Pete kissed Mommy’s lips better than Daddy does.
He started to chew her shoulder and Mommy went to sleep. I didn’t want to watch the party
anymore. I wanted to go home. I didn’t want Mommy or Daddy or Pete. I went out of the
bush.
I hid in the closet. I was alone. I went potty on the floor because I was scared to go down
the hall. I looked out the squeaky window and there was no one outside even in the day. The
stores were closed, even the bakery. I was hungry but I couldn’t go to the kitchen. I was
afraid the tall man was there with Daddy and Pete.
When it was dark I got into bed. I went under the covers. I woke up and the clock said
three. Mommy and Daddy and Pete were in the room. I didn’t hear them come in. They
smelled bad. Mommy sat on the bed and this time it looked like someone threw flour on her.
I wanted to go back under the covers. She smiled and I thought about Skipper’s teeth. I
didn’t love her anymore. She promised to buy candy tomorrow. I didn’t believe her. I
wouldn’t ask for candy anymore if she would go away.
Daddy and Pete held my arms and legs. Daddy pulled my pjs off. The crying was warm on
my face. Mommy said she would love me forever. She leaned over to kiss me goodnight as
sleep comes in waves.
(1004 words)