Chapter 69
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
We run into the trees, the girl called Holli pulling me by the hand.
Those sounded like gunshots. I wonder where the cannons are? Do we have a wall set up for the monsters?
This girl knows that monsters are real.
I see it in her eyes. She’s not stupid. Of course they’re real.
The other guy runs beside us, too. It’s dark outside, and I look around. Where are the crickets?
No cricket sounds. The monsters must be close.
I can’t believe I have a gun. I’ve always wanted a gun in real life. Not like the one Dad uses, but a small one. Perfect for me.
Where are the chickens? Are they safe? I glance down. There’s no chicken poop on my clothes. They’re weird clothes. I don’t remember them.
The other boy is running under an area with tall trees. It’s dark under the trees, and I want to yell at him that monsters hide in the shadows, but I don’t. Maybe they won’t shoot him. Maybe he’s fast like me.
The air smells like…smoke.
I freeze, and the girl holding my hand jerks to a stop.
I sniff again. Cigarettes?
No. This smells like…campfire. And gunpowder.
A gunshot sounds, and I don’t think, I run. The girl and boy stay with me, shooting their guns backwards. I also shoot mine into the dark, cackling in glee when it’s loud.
It’s real. It’s real!
We run until we get to a spot that isn’t so shadowed. It’s a beach.
I look around, frowning. You can’t build walls around a beach?
The girl and the boy are talking together, but she doesn’t look scared. You know who isn’t scared of monsters?
Superheroes.
Wait…
I look at them more closely. The girl holds a gun like she knows how to use it. She shoots me a look that’s…calm. Like she’s fought monsters before.
You know who else has fought monsters before? Catwoman.
The boy’s eyes are moving all around, but he also has a gun. Is he Robin?
Slowly, I grin. Of course they are. I already have Superman and The Joker. They’re voices in my head. Their names are Wyatt and Kyan, but I know who they really are. There are others, too, but Superman and The Joker are my favorites.
And now I have more.
Something on Catwoman’s belt makes a noise. A walkie-talkie.
Cool! I bet it has superpowers.
The smell of smoke gets stronger, and I crouch, looking around for the monsters. The girl grabs my hand and pulls me into the trees, crouching behind a big one.
There’s a crash in the forest, and then I hear something.
“Little brotherrr.”
I jump. I know who that is. The walls weren’t tall enough!
“Where could he be?” There’s more rustling, coming from another direction. I crouch to the ground. He brought Waylon? They’ve always been the scariest monsters. How did he find me? I’ve been so careful.
Catwoman moves beside me, and her gun fires in an explosion of sound.
“You’ve always been a little shit, you know that? Now it’s time you finally paid.”
I cover my face with my arms. I don’t want to be punished.
“It’s okay.” Robin is beside me now, rubbing my back. I jump, looking at him with wide eyes. He just smiles at me. As if to say, ‘I’ll keep you safe.’
And it makes my heart slow down for just a second.
“You always embarrassed Dad, you demon fuck. Now you embarrass our family name.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, building fake walls around us, three walls thick. Another gunshot sounds, sticks crack, and there’s screaming.
I collapse on the ground, hands covering my ears, my own gun pressed into my head as I try to squeeze the sound away. The walls! They aren’t working!
“Get the fuck off me!”
Gunshot, scramble scramble, screaming.
Walls, walls, walls. Concrete walls. Brick walls. Walls made of water to wash all the bad away.
It’s Catwoman screaming now, and that’s what makes me open my eyes.
Then I see him. The monster.
Weston.
He looks older, but he has that same mean look in his eyes. That same jawline and heavy eyebrows. He has Catwoman by the throat, a gun to her head, the moonlight shining down on them, making her hair look white.
White like Krypto.
“You played the game, and you lost.” Weston is sneering at me on the ground.
It’s happening again. Weston will hurt Catwoman like he did Krypto.
And suddenly, I’m angry. The monster doesn’t get to hurt my superheroes.
As I focus in, I feel Superman’s strength flowing through me. I feel The Joker’s voice in my head, cackling about how pretty Weston’s blood will look decorating the trees behind him. Catwoman looks at me, her eyes full of the same anger I feel.
She drops down, falling on her butt.
Weston has to scramble to catch her. And when he does, I raise the gun, point it at him, and fire.
This is my game. My rules.
And in my game, I win every time.