When The Monster Comes | Completed

Chapter 12

Though they were long past the fog, the air was still heavy from the rain. Under normal circumstances, it would've been made tolerable by the breeze, but now Timmy bristled at even the slightest discomfort. The aching in his ankles made him wince in pain with almost every step he took. His forehead was hot and pulsing with exhaustion.

Worst of all, his heart stung with fear and despair.

The Dark had totally consumed the world now. With no moon in the sky, The Monster would grow ever more potent, both in magnitude and reach. When Timmy finally drove his nemesis off, it was with a full moon, with his bucket-helmet, and from within the relative safety of his very own house.

Like this, Timmy wasn't sure what he'd do. He wasn't sure he'd be able to do anything at all.

Some of these self-defeating thoughts, though, stemmed from his growing sadness. For all the safety his bucket-helmet offered him, it wasn't the vulnerability that wore on him. It was the simple fact that he loved that helmet very much. It had been a staple of so many of his adventures with Mr. Easybreeze. When he had gone into his backyard and found The Stone of Forever, it was the bucket-helmet that helped him get past The Hungry Squirrel. When he had gone to the park and had to get to the Way Back Evergreen, it was the bucket-helmet that kept him safe from The Weird Shell Thingy. And when he had gotten sick and his dad was away on business, his mom brought him soup and made sure he had his helmet close by, just so he'd feel safe.

Timmy missed those times, when his mom would quickly and calmly take care of him when something was wrong. That's how it was when his dad was around, before The Monster took him. His mother would always worry, of course, but it was different now. Timmy could only recognize the change, not yet developed to grasp it and give it form. But without truly realizing it, he knew his mother used to have a quiet worry, one that motivated and compelled her to act.

Now, though Timmy would never admit it, he knew that it threatened to tear her apart.

Of course, Caroline tried to hide the crying in her room after she thought Timmy was asleep. She tried to hide the money troubles and the uncertainty surrounding her job. Not that Timmy would understand any of it, anyway. But Timmy noticed things, even as she tried to hide it. He heard the crying every now and then. He saw the far-away look in her eyes at the dinner table.

He loved her, so he didn't let on that he knew. He just tried to make her happy.

It scared him, more than The Monster itself, that it wasn't enough.

So he soldiered on like that, with tears escaping his eyes, as he moved along the road in pain. He would cheer up, and then a gust of wind would instinctively bring a hand to his now-naked head to keep his bucket-helmet from flying away. It would bring his mind to a new tragedy all over again, and his mood would darken still. His already-burning eyes would relinquish more of their moisture, dampening his cheeks. How long that cycle continued, Timmy couldn't tell. But his will to resist it had faded.

But then a sliver of the moon pierced the clouds, and the light softened the scene around them. The many trees around them, ominous silhouettes before, now glowed like crystal towers. Wildlife seemed to awaken, as the sound of crickets buzzing and owling hooting became tangible in the nighttime air.

Perhaps best of all, Mr. Easybreeze got in on the act. His heart had burned seeing his friend in such pain, but he didn't know what he could do. But the moon had given him an idea. He scurried in front of Timmy on all fours and planted himself in the middle of the road, before arching his back and starring straight up at the moon.

"AHHHRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," Mr. Easybreeze howled.

At first, Timmy wasn't thrilled with his friend's behavior, his emotional state being what it was. "Mr. Easybreeze, stop it! Someone's going to find us!"

His friend, though, persisted despite his protests. "AHR AHR AHR AHHRROOOOOOOOOOO!"

Timmy giggled for a moment now. "Stop, Mr. Easybreeze, you're being silly," he said with a grin.

Mr. Easybreeze chased his tail in a circle, panting a barking, before sitting down a howling once more. "AHHROOOOOOOOOOO! AHR AHR AHR AAAHHHRRROOOOOOOOOOO!"

Timmy bubbled over with laughter at the site before him. He put his hands on his knees as he let the sound flow from him, his maladies an afterthought at the site of Mr. Easybreeze's performance. When he finally got a hold of himself and caught up to his canine friend, he put his arm around the dog's shoulders.

"Thanks, Mr. Easybreeze," he said. "You're the bestest friend."

Mr. Easybreeze gave one of Timmy's still-moist cheeks a lick. "You are too, Timmy. The bestest."

The two continued on like that, with Timmy's arm around his furry friend. The moonlight eased his worries of The Dark, the companionship eased his worries over his mother, and the journey took his mind off the pain. Yet for all the victories of the moment, a troubling certainty grew within him: The Monster was growing closer. He was safe for now, and he could probably escape if need be. But he knew beyond knowing that The Monster would find him again.