Lennon Andrew - Creatures of the Night

Copyright 2019 by Corpus Press

All rights reserved.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either a product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, unless explicit permission was granted for use. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. This book or portions thereof may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the publisher. All stories are copyrighted to their respective authors, and used here with their permission.

River of Nine Tails 2018 by Mark Cassell

Father 2018 by Richard Chizmar

White Rabbit 2018 by Tim Curran

A Survivor 2018 by Ray Garton

The Newel Post 2018 by Eddie Generous

Snap 2018 by Kev Harrison

The Green Man of Freetown 2018 by Curtis M. Lawson

Silent Scream 2016 by Andrew Lennon

Valley of the Dunes 2018 by Adam Light

Gertrude 2013 by Evans Light

He Wears the Lake 2018 by Chad Lutzke

One Thousand Words on a Tombstone: Bully Jack 2018 by Josh Malerman

The People in the Toilet 2018 by Mason Morgan

Scales 2018 by Christopher Motz

The Worms Turn2018 by Frank Oreto

Human Touch 2018 by Glenn Rolfe

Hinkles 2018 by Kristopher Rufty

The Giants Table 2018 by Mary SanGiovanni

The Last Thing You Want to Be 2018 by Jeff Strand

Infestation 2018 by Mikal Trimm

The Ugly Tree 2018 by Gregor Xane

Gertrude was previously published in Screamscapes: Tales of Terror

Cover by Mikio Murakami.

Interior formatting by Lori Michelle of

The Authors Alley.

For more information, please visit:

www.corpuspress.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE PEOPLE IN THE TOILET

Mason Morgan

Jimmy was standing in his room with his legs crossed when he decided he couldnt hold it any longer. It had been five days since he last snuck outside and crouched in the garden. Five days. Hed never gone this long. It burned in his stomach, and with each passing step, he could feel it trying to sneak out. He looked at the door to his bathroom, the one with The People in the toilet, and then to the door leading to the staircase and, eventually, outside, where the sun was beginning to fall. He opted for the staircase.

It had been three years since Mom last took a wet wipe to his behind. Since then, hed learned to fold the paper instead of crumpling it and also to put one hand over his ear and push his head against his shoulder so that both ears were muffled when he flushed. He didnt like loud noises. They scared him. Lots of things did. But nothing scared Jimmy more than The People in the toilet.

He heard them at night, slurping and sloshing behind the door, making their bad man plans, bringing with them a stench that splattered the whole room. He didnt dare leave the door open at night, and he never, ever, used the toilet for number two. And since Christmas was fast approaching, his parents always kept their doorand as such, their bathroomlocked.

Thus, the garden. Hed stashed toilet paper under some dirt near a fence post in the corner where Mom grew carrots. Thats where he was headed when he felt something go wrong.

Hed almost made it all the way down the stairs when there was an inner tumbling, a belch from his tummynot his mouth or his back, but his tummyand then he felt it coming out. He navigated the final steps without the use of his knees. At the bottom, he tried to force it up with crossed legs and a push. A warmth squished in his underwear, and he knew it was too late.

And so, onto the white carpet and in full view of his loving mother, Jimmy did a bad thing. He did a real bad thing, as evidenced by the thunder Mom made when he pulled down his shorts and squatted. The noise she made was so loud, little Thumper started barking in her kennel, a yap that barely echoed through the hallway. The thing Jimmy did was so bad, Mom cursed right in front of him. It may have been the worst thing Jimmy had ever done.

Nothing to your father, she said as she scrubbed the carpet to a color that almost didnt look brown. Thumper did this, do you understand? She took him to his bathtub and washed his behind. Do you understand me? Her loud voice made Jimmy look away, which she noticed immediately and countered with a kiss on his forehead. Its okay, youre okay, she said. Its just, I thought we were through this, hun. Her eyes became big, full moons. Why dont you use your toilet?

The thought of speaking it aloud made him think about them, The People, and how that maybe by discussing them, he would bring them further into the world, further out of the toilet and into his bedroom, where they would take their sewage fingers and pull his covers off and he would scream and they would

Im scared, he said in the smallest voice he could.

Oh honey. She brought him closer to her chest. Youre not gonna fall in. Theres nothing to be scared of.

Im not scared of falling in, he said. Im scared of The People.

Mom tilted her head.

The thick groan of the garage door sounded from behind the walls and Mom rushed out of the bathroom, down the stairs, and to the office where Thumper yapped away in her crate. She cut her thumb trying to press the metal springs together, and then she took the miniature schnauzer into the kitchen, placed her in the sink, and started running the water right as The Father threw the garage door closed behind him and boomed a tremor through the walls. Mom jumped as a sensation shed felt much too often, and for too long, slid down her.

Motherfuckers dont know what Im worth, The Father said. He crossed behind Mom and went for the cabinet. Clinks of glass hitting glass preceded the pouring of liquid. He lifted it to his lips. You know, I would love to take a baseball bat to work tomorrow and bash Mr. Barbers face in. He finished the drink. But I wont be able to, because I wont be going to work tomorrow, or any other fuckin day. He slammed the glass onto the countertop so hard it bounced. Why are you washin that dog?

Upstairs, Jimmy got out of the tub, dried off, and threw on his pajamas. He snuck down the staircase and hid behind one of the wooden banisters just in time to see The Father rip Thumper out of the sink and carry her by the neck to the carpet.

Bad! The Father yelled, rubbing the dogs nose in the stain. Bad dog! He pressed into Thumpers head with both hands. Her yelps came out in muffled sputters, the sound of them dashed against the carpet. Youll learn, you little shit! The Father grabbed the back of Thumpers neck and pulled her into the air. Without the insulation of the carpet, her yelps came full-force and screeched through the room. Nothing could disguise their purpose, she was crying for help.

Then The Father dropped Thumper from his chest, a height five times the size of the dog, and returned to rubbing her nose raw against the stain.

Stop! Jimmy yelled. He flew down the stairs and hid behind Moms legs. Youre hurting her!

The Father looked at Jimmy, his teeth showing through bared lips, and Jimmy saw the fake molar on his left, the golden one he only saw when The Father flaunted his anger, its shimmer a signal of his rage. In Jimmys mind, the sight of that tooth was a trigger for fear.

Come here, The Father said.

Jimmy looked up to Mom, who was already peering down at him. Listen to your father, she said. Her hands shook as she pressed him forward.

You can learn something from this, The Father said. When you break the rules, the best way to learn is hurt. He picked Thumper up and clamped his hand over her mouth to muzzle the yelps. Its nature, how God intended. You mess with a beehive and get stung, and you aint gonna do it again. He dropped her onto the floor and continued to thrash her nose against the carpet even as specks of red appeared. Its how I learned, its how your momma learned, and its how this dogll learn. Back into the air. Thumpers eyes were glazed with moisture. So Im not hurting her. Im teaching her. Do you understand me?