The Closet

It lived inside him, but he did not know its form. A vapor perhaps? He did not know whether it was big or small - or what part of his body was being occupied. He merely knew it was there. He heard the scraping sound on his spine. Sometimes it spoke. He did not understand the words, but he understood their intent.

He looked down at the knife in his hand. His vision focused and then blurred out. He blinked it back to clarity. The knife was long and thin. The sharpest he'd found in the kitchen. It dangled as he stared at his naked body in the mirror. He would find it.

God knows why the police showed up. Perhaps he had been yelling without realizing it. They found him, bleeding to death, surrounded by pieces of meat. The man was carved open, but he was smiling. A detective leaned in and the man slowly turned his head.

"Am I going to die?"

"Yes."

"Good. I couldn't find it, but it will die with me."

Matson watched as the man let himself die. He shook his head, swallowed the naseau that was rising within him. Then he heard it. Joe. He had never heard Joe sound scared. It turned his blood to ice. He was facing the open closet with his back to the dead man.

"Matson...Jesus...there's something here you need to see..."

The visitor...

Well, you came all the way up here, so have a seat. Or stand. Doesn't make no difference to me. I'd offer you a drink, but I don't have much. You want to know about the creature? That's it, right? Never had a visitor in twenty goddamn years on this mountain, and now it's like Disneyland. Wish I'd never even told anyone about it if you want to know the truth.

Alright, fine. It was about this time, early evening. The sun was kind of falling through the leaves like it is right now. I got an eye for animals, see? You gotta understand that part of it. I don't see animals, I don't get to eat. You learn to look for little things. Movement. Shape. It gets to where you can pick em out real easy. I don't guess a city boy like you would know anything about that. They're all around us right now, and I bet you couldn't find one little bird.

So, it was just figuring to get dark, but the sun didn't want to let go. It was one of them long days. Folks say that's bullshit, but I don't cotton to what most folks think anyway. Reason I moved up here...to be alone. So, I see this...animal. A twitch in the tall grass. Dark fur. I figured on a bear and grabbed my gun...they don't mess with me, but it pays to be careful.

I'm squinting, see. Trying to get a handle on it. Big. It was big. And then the neck spiders. All up and down my backbone. I felt cold. Damn cold. I started backing up, and that's when it took an interest in me. Stood up, and no it wasn't no goddamn bigfoot. Don't even say it. I don't know what it was, but it wasn't that. And I ain't gonna lie and make it something it wasn't. It was like something from a nightmare. Dirty, with its teeth bared and it's hissing at me. It had claws, too. Eyes like a cat. When it came at me, it came on all fours. Fast. Ran like a wolf. I ain't gonna lie. It scared the living hell out of me. I closed my eyes and fired my gun and, when I opened them, it was gone. Then I went down the hill and told Elroy. Then the city folks started coming with cameras.

I'll tell you what I told everyone else. It's out there. It could be watching us right now. I like to think that we have an understanding, the thing and me, but it don't got no understanding with you. And neither do I.