Mother

“Open the door, Tom”, said the thing speaking with the voice of Tom’s mother outside his bedroom door, “Now you’re just being silly. I’m your mother Tom”.

“You’re not my Mother”, said the 7 year old boy, sitting upon the edge of his bed, “You don’t even act like my mother”.

“Of course, I’m your mother”, said the thing, “Look your father will be home from work soon. What is he going to say, hmm, when he finds out that you’ve locked yourself in your room?”.

“He’s not coming home”, said Tom, “You’ve killed him”.

The thing behind the door sounded flabbergasted.

“You don’t really believe that, do you Tom? That I would kill your father? I love your father and you very much. I’d never do anything to hurt either of you”.

“I don’t believe you”, said the boy, “You’re not my mother. You’re a thing. You’re not human and you killed my father”.

“Now look. I’m starting to get really cross now, Tom”, said the Thing, “Are you going to open that door or will I have to phone a joiner to come and open it because I can do that”.

“You can do whatever you want. I don’t care”, said Tom, starting to cry.

But then Tom heard the thing go downstairs and, going over to his bedroom door he pressed his ear against the keyhole and listened.

He heard the front door of the house open and his father’s voice.

“Is everything alright?”, he asked, “You look distressed”.

“Oh, it’s Tom”, said the thing, “He’s locked himself in his room and he won’t open the door”.

“Why’s he done that?”, asked his father.

“I don’t know. He’s got this mad idea that I’ve been replaced by a monster or something and he thinks that I’ve killed you. Would you just go up and talk to him. He might listen to you”, she said.

“Alright”, he heard his father say.

Then he recognized his father’s heavier, more strident footsteps climbing the stairs and coming up the corridor towards his room and then he heard his father knock on the door.

“Tom”, he heard his father say in a voice that sounded irritated but kind.

Tom hurriedly unlocked the door smiling.

But then Tom saw his Mother standing outside in the corridor; a satisfied grin upon her face.

“Where’s dad?”, he asked, looking round the edge of the doorway and down the corridor but seeing no one else.

“I’m right here Tom”, said the thing with his Mothers face, speaking with his father’s voice, “Inside your mother. She ate me, Tom just like she’s going to eat you”.

Then his mother started to open her mouth wide.