The Half That You See by Rebecca Rowland (best summer reads .TXT) 📕

what I’ll call it too. I’ll just call It that in my head though, and not say the word out loud so my daddy doesn’t catch me.

Some of my friends say the boogeyman lives under their beds and comes for them after they’re tucked in for the night. Mine lives in my whole house and no one tucks me in so I guess it is different for me. Some of their brothers and sisters say It’s not real. I don’t know what my brother and sister would say. I can’t tell them about it. My daddy would get mad. All I know for sure is that my boogeyman is real.

I wish I could tell my sister. She is pretty and smart and can play the organ. When she turns it on and starts hitting notes, the mouses that live in there come scurrying out, giving my cat Fluffy some fun. It doesn’t matter that some of the white keys are broken. She still makes nice music. I just started taking lessons too, so I can be just like her some day.

I like her lots ‘cept she’s always with the babies. Babies in our house come and go like kittens. We never get to keep those either. My sister always has a baby in her arms. I guess we are doing a good thing, saving babies by giving them a home, but sometimes I wish I were one of them instead of me.

I can hear it now. The boogeyman I mean. It’s down the hall and Its screams sound like when I reach out to the right side of the organ and press a bunch of notes at the same time.

It’s loud this afternoon. The screeching I mean. I’m huddled against my closed bedroom door and hoping It doesn’t come any closer. My head is spinny and hurts and I push my hands against my ears to make it stop. Should I get up to grab my lucky penny out of the drawer beside my bed to make a wish and risk It coming in to get me? Or do I stay put? My teacher put me on a scale a few days ago cuz she’s says I’m too skinny. I hope being 49lbs will be enough to hold the door shut. I can feel my heart going babump, babump, babump when I put my hand to my chest and I hold my breath to stay quiet. I start to feel dizzy and I’m desperate for air. Finally, the screeching gets quieter and I let the old air out and suck in some different air.

Grabbing my lucky penny and slipping it into my pocket, I run out of my room, through the living room and then the kitchen and out the door in my bare feet. I keep running, opening the fence gate, not bothering to close it behind me. I know if the cows get out, my daddy’s face will get red and hot and mad but I can’t stop running. As I catch my breath, I start calling for her. Sugar, my spotted Arabian is out here somewhere and what I need is to feel her soft, pokey nose whiskers against my face. She’s my best friend. I think I’m hers too, since I’m the only person she comes to when her name is called. She stays hidden in the bush from the rest of them, ‘cept if my daddy gets out the hay tractor. Then she comes running.

It doesn’t take long before we find each other in the trees down by the creek.

I used to cry when the boogeyman came for me, and well, sometimes I still do, but today, I just talk.

Today It was loud, Sugar. And close. I could smell It as It came closer. It smelled like the swamp. Oh Sugar, when will the boogeyman go away? It’s been ‘while since It came out. It likes to stay in my daddy’s room lately. I like it better when It’s in the basement. Then It’s not so close. The other night, after my night snack, It was lying down in the hall closet. I saw a knife in its hand. The yard light was shining through the window and I saw something shiny. I think it was a knife. So I ran to my sister’s room and told her I was having a bad dream. She told me I could lie in her bed for a few minutes while she checked the baby. Then I had to be brave and go back to my own room.

Oh Sugar, I know you are kinda old and my daddy says when people get old, they die. Please don’t ever die, Sugar. I love you so much. More than anyone in the whole wide world. I wish you could live in my room with me. I think the boogeyman would be scared of you and would stay out of there for sure.

My heart sinks as I hear my sister calling my name over and over. It must be suppertime. And just when my heart stopped jumping all jittery too.

Oh Sugar, I’m so sick of hamburger and potatoes. I wish we could eat pizza. I only get to have pizza at Cathy’s house when her mom lets me come over. Will you walk home with me, Sugar? All the way?

As I get closer, I decide to peek in the windows and see if I can see the boogeyman before I go in. My daddy gets mad when I hide outside but It was just so loud today. I don’t see any sign of It so I make some courage and carefully go in for supper. Hamburger and potatoes. What a surprise.

After we eat, my sister and I do the dishes and then she tells me I should do a puzzle or color. I’d rather go back outside and be with Sugar, but there’s not enough time to find her before I’m supposed to take a bath.

I have to go to bed