dart roun’ the walls and floor. I hotfoot through to her kitchen. Clear. Swerve to the livin’ room, look behind the furniture, under the furniture, roun’ the backs of picture frames. Mum trailin’ behin’ me.
Marshall, what on earth are you doing?
She all apologetic to the woman in the dressin’ gown, who ain’t said nothin’.
Bedroom. Curtains drawn so I switch on the light. I expec’ to see giant bugs scatterin’ for cover. But there ain’t nothin’. I lean under the bed. Smash wildly with the fryin’ pan on account of not wantin’ to get my arm bitten off.
Marshall!
Mum yellin’ at me, tuggin’ my arm. Says to the sleepy lady
I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just don’t know what’s come over him
. I stand back up, drop the fry pan, grab Sleepy Lady’s arms, push up the sleeves of her gown, inspectin’ her arms for giant bug bites. She don’t like this much, wakes up a bit, yells.
Mum grabs hold of my wrist where I got the bread knife still in my hand. She lookin’ at me like I a maniac.
Drop the knife, Marshall
she says.
I drop the knife. Sleepy Lady pick it up. She wave it at me, like it me that the threat to her further livin’ on earth. Mum holds up the torch between Sleepy Lady and me, but her eyes is fixed on my eyes even though she speakin’ to the lady.
It’s all right
she says.
He’s not threatening you, I promise. I’m sorry, I’m really, really sorry
.
Sleepy Lady tighten her grip on the knife.
You’re one of the boys harassing Mr Bush earlier! I’m calling the police!
I need to be doin’ some explainin’.
It’s the bugs
I say. I
saw them outside. The bugs are goin’ to kill you when you asleep. Goin’ to suck all your blood
.
Lady fixes me with an angry look.
You horror! Police! Police!
No!
Mum cries. She turn to me.
What is the matter with you? You’re going to end up just like your fa—
She checks herself.
I look down from her dagger eyes. I get it. Mum think I’m outta control. She think my anger issues gone off like a scatter-bomb.
I seen ’em, Mum
I say desperately.
She grabs me by the elbow.
I’m really sorry
she says to Sleepy Lady again. I give up. They ain’t goin’ to believe anythin’ I say.
Mum start leadin’ me out.
I’m sorry
she says again. She jus’ can’t get enough apologizin’ outta her mouth. It’s humiliatin’ for the both of us.
Jus’ before she yank me outta the flat, I see Sleepy Lady got three or four bullet holes along the wall, like gangsters been here, shootin’ the place up. Blam. Blam. Blam. Don’ make no sense.
Mum draggin’ me along the hallway, hurtin’ my arm. When we get to the corner, we see Sis watchin’ us from the doorway. I pull myself outta Mum’s grip.
Sis!
I say.
I gotta talk with you
.
Mum lets me go, but she look terrified.
Will you watch him for a minute?
She’s lookin’ back at Sleepy Lady, who already tappin’ numbers into her phone.
You see if you can’t talk sense into my boy!
Sis give Mum her sympathetic smile. Mum seems to surrender, and turns back to Sleepy Lady.
Let’s calm down
she says to her.
Let’s talk this through for a minute
.
Come
Sis say to me, guidin’ me up towards her floor.
Mum turn round one last time.
I want you in your bed within the hour, boy. You hear? In bed. Asleep
.
You know what? I have the very best intention of stayin’ up late as I possible can. I ain’t shuttin’ my eyes ever again. Not with these blood-suckin’ monsters crawlin’ roun’ the block.
Shut your eyes, boy, you gonna die. We all gonna die. Jus’ nobody else know it yet.
The Terrible Facts
Mum figure I’m safe stayin’ with Sis until I get myself calm down. Sis only a year older than me, but Mum ain’t stressin’ at me spendin’ time alone at her place. Sis ain’t that kind of girl.
Sis the only one of my crew with a smartphone. I got a dumbphone, has a camera, that about it. Mustaph so down, his family got one of them meters for the TV, where you put in the pound coin for 60
Marshall, what on earth are you doing?
She all apologetic to the woman in the dressin’ gown, who ain’t said nothin’.
Bedroom. Curtains drawn so I switch on the light. I expec’ to see giant bugs scatterin’ for cover. But there ain’t nothin’. I lean under the bed. Smash wildly with the fryin’ pan on account of not wantin’ to get my arm bitten off.
Marshall!
Mum yellin’ at me, tuggin’ my arm. Says to the sleepy lady
I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just don’t know what’s come over him
. I stand back up, drop the fry pan, grab Sleepy Lady’s arms, push up the sleeves of her gown, inspectin’ her arms for giant bug bites. She don’t like this much, wakes up a bit, yells.
Mum grabs hold of my wrist where I got the bread knife still in my hand. She lookin’ at me like I a maniac.
Drop the knife, Marshall
she says.
I drop the knife. Sleepy Lady pick it up. She wave it at me, like it me that the threat to her further livin’ on earth. Mum holds up the torch between Sleepy Lady and me, but her eyes is fixed on my eyes even though she speakin’ to the lady.
It’s all right
she says.
He’s not threatening you, I promise. I’m sorry, I’m really, really sorry
.
Sleepy Lady tighten her grip on the knife.
You’re one of the boys harassing Mr Bush earlier! I’m calling the police!
I need to be doin’ some explainin’.
It’s the bugs
I say. I
saw them outside. The bugs are goin’ to kill you when you asleep. Goin’ to suck all your blood
.
Lady fixes me with an angry look.
You horror! Police! Police!
No!
Mum cries. She turn to me.
What is the matter with you? You’re going to end up just like your fa—
She checks herself.
I look down from her dagger eyes. I get it. Mum think I’m outta control. She think my anger issues gone off like a scatter-bomb.
I seen ’em, Mum
I say desperately.
She grabs me by the elbow.
I’m really sorry
she says to Sleepy Lady again. I give up. They ain’t goin’ to believe anythin’ I say.
Mum start leadin’ me out.
I’m sorry
she says again. She jus’ can’t get enough apologizin’ outta her mouth. It’s humiliatin’ for the both of us.
Jus’ before she yank me outta the flat, I see Sleepy Lady got three or four bullet holes along the wall, like gangsters been here, shootin’ the place up. Blam. Blam. Blam. Don’ make no sense.
Mum draggin’ me along the hallway, hurtin’ my arm. When we get to the corner, we see Sis watchin’ us from the doorway. I pull myself outta Mum’s grip.
Sis!
I say.
I gotta talk with you
.
Mum lets me go, but she look terrified.
Will you watch him for a minute?
She’s lookin’ back at Sleepy Lady, who already tappin’ numbers into her phone.
You see if you can’t talk sense into my boy!
Sis give Mum her sympathetic smile. Mum seems to surrender, and turns back to Sleepy Lady.
Let’s calm down
she says to her.
Let’s talk this through for a minute
.
Come
Sis say to me, guidin’ me up towards her floor.
Mum turn round one last time.
I want you in your bed within the hour, boy. You hear? In bed. Asleep
.
You know what? I have the very best intention of stayin’ up late as I possible can. I ain’t shuttin’ my eyes ever again. Not with these blood-suckin’ monsters crawlin’ roun’ the block.
Shut your eyes, boy, you gonna die. We all gonna die. Jus’ nobody else know it yet.
The Terrible Facts
Mum figure I’m safe stayin’ with Sis until I get myself calm down. Sis only a year older than me, but Mum ain’t stressin’ at me spendin’ time alone at her place. Sis ain’t that kind of girl.
Sis the only one of my crew with a smartphone. I got a dumbphone, has a camera, that about it. Mustaph so down, his family got one of them meters for the TV, where you put in the pound coin for 60
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