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All Chapters of Of Men and Monsters: Chapter 11
- Chapter 13
13 Chapters
July 8, 1975
Of Men and Monsters/Crystal Lake Publishing
JULY 8, 1975Scenes from “They Come Out at Night” played in my head as Matt and I lugged the metal tub into the house. We’d waited all morning for Mom to leave for the lunch shift at the diner, hoping against hope she wouldn’t hear that thing sloshing around in the bathroom. Either that, or she’d figure out that we were waiting for her to leave, and that we must be up to something. Somehow, we got through it, and as soon as she left, we were in motion.Along with an oversized net, the tub was easy enough to pick up at the local fishing shop, once we’d filched the money from Mom’s not-so-secret hiding place where she kept her tips. The house next door had two or three young kids living there and their toys were always scattered all about the yard. We had our eye on the red wagon.The plan was to get the creature out of the bathtub with the net, dump it into the metal tub, and hide it in the backyard until dark. Then, we would put the tub on the wagon and lug it across the street
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July 11-12, 1975
Of Men and Monsters/Crystal Lake Publishing
JULY 11-12, 1975The days of Matt’s wake and funeral were the worst of my young life. Worse than my father’s abuse. Worse than all the nights I listened to my mother hurt and crying. Worse than the time he threw me against the wall. Worse, even, than watching my father kill my brother.The police had found my brother’s body shortly after I’d told Officers Duffy and Gagnon what had happened. Since he’d only been in the water a short time, the wake was open-casket. Seeing my brother made up like a wax doll in a grotesque parody of sleep was an abomination. It made me angry, not sad.Leah came, hugged me, and said she was sorry, but she was distant, cool. Her father was not with her. Besides my mother, I felt the saddest for Kelly. She was devastated, as only a teenager losing her first love can be. She held me for a long time in the receiving line, shuddering uncontrollably. Mary showed up after Leah and Kelly, and stayed by my side. Everything had changed between the four us, but I d
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September 3, 1975
Of Men and Monsters/Crystal Lake Publishing
SEPTEMBER 3, 1975The first day of school had been on my mind for weeks. What kind of reception would I get as the new kid? Because I wasn’t just the average new kid, I was the new kid that had found skeletons on the beach. I was the new kid whose brother was murdered. I was the new kid that had killed his own father.I walked into homeroom, hoping to see a friendly face or two from my days at the beach, but life isn’t always that kind. Sure, I recognized kids I’d seen around town or in passing at the beach, but nobody from the gang I’d gotten to know.Mrs. Caldwell walked in and began roll call. She paused briefly at my name, and I felt the questioning eyes of a few kids, but that was all. The rest of the day was more of the same. Some curiosity, but no cringing or hostility. I sat with Mary and a few other kids from the beach at lunch. We talked about classes and teachers and how we wished summer wasn’t over, normal stuff.I walked Mary home after school and asked her if she
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