“Don’t look in the corner,” said Tom. “Just sleep.”
I laughed then. “But there is no thunder Tommy and I am grown now. Grown people don’t get scared of the corner,” I added curtly as I thought Tommy was just giving me one of those strange rules he occasionally made up just to keep me in bed.
“Just don’t look, Lou,” he said, tucking me in.
“What’s in the corner?” I asked, squeezing the sheets tightly.
“Nothing,” he says quickly. Then, after a pause, “Just sleep.”
“I’m 12 Tommy. Stop treating me like a child.”
“Yes miss assertive,” he says, kissing me on the forehead.
Tommy was the only family I had. He was 10 years older than me. That means he was old enough to be my parent so they let him keep me after our mother passed. I knew nothing about my dad and I didn’t want to know because the one time I brought him up with Tommy, his countenance went sour and it lasted the entire day. I love Tommy so much but I don’t like that he’s refused to notice I am growing and no longer the scaredy cat I used to be.
After Tommy left and shut the door behind him, I couldn’t sleep. Something had been forbidden and now it has become the only thing that mattered to me. I wanted to look in the corner so badly but I wanted to take it slow so I started with taking in the interior of my room which I am already very familiar with. In itself, it is ordinary. My bed is pushed against the wall, my window is narrow with half-broken blinds, and the wardrobe is placed on the opposite side of the room, along the left wall and it smells faintly of camphor. And the corner, just two pale walls meeting at a right angle, slightly darker where the light didn’t quite reach. I didn’t look, it’s all in my head.
After thinking long and hard, I stole a quick glance. I could swear I saw shadows so I turned and lay on my side facing the opposite wall, very aware of the shadows behind me. The air in the room suddenly felt thicker as beads of sweat formed on my forehead. I shut my eyes. So much for being 12 and grown.
When morning finally came, it seemed the rule still applied so I didn’t look but my mind was restless and something began to creak and turn. That side of the room, sunlight didn’t quite illuminate as the wardrobe blocked it out.
I almost called out for Tommy but I wanted to prove to him I was grown up mentally. I trodded to the corner to confront whatever supernatural figure hid there. My heart racing, I flipped on the light switch and was startled. I held my breath, fixing my eyes on the beauties curled up in the corner in a box.
“Oh, you looked,” Tommy said huskily.
I turned, a little frightened as I didn’t hear him walk in. “Why did you hide them?” I ask tearfully.
“Happy birthday Lou,” He says and kisses my cheeks.
“You’re so unbelievable,” I say, bewildered.
“I’m sorry. That’s just an epic big brother surprise method.” He adds, giving me a lopsided smile.
I glance down at the kittens and back to Tommy. Clutching my chest, I mouth a thank you. I’d always wanted a cat and him getting me two orange young ones, were the perfect birthday present ever.
My response to the freewriters daily prompt
