Love, Ken, Page 3

We’ll be out of here in no time.”

  “Whatever,” she said as she crossed her arms.

  I looked up at the bank teller. His face was pale and he was sweating. He had a small white paper in his hand, which was shaking. The man he was helping was the one who pushed my wife.

  The teller’s arm moved off to the side and the customer shouted, “Don’t even think about it!” He pulled out a gun and screamed, “Push that alarm and everyone in here dies!”

  My wife screamed and fell to the ground, holding onto my arm. I knelt by her side and held her.

  “I want all the money in those drawers!” He slammed a briefcase on the counter. “Fill it up!” he shouted.

  I looked back at my wife and the horrified expression on her face was frozen in place. I looked up and saw everyone crouched on the floor and the man with his gun pointed forward at nothing. The teller wasn’t there and everyone was silent. There was blood on the counter and on the man’s coat.

  As I realized what happened, all at once I heard a loud bang, people screaming, and something hitting the floor. Everything started moving again.

  “You killed him!” someone screamed.

  The shooter demanded, “Everyone stay down!” He walked around the counter and started emptying an unlocked drawer.

  I looked at my wife who was breathing heavily and sweating. I said to her, “Honey, are you all right?” I held her close and rubbed her head. She was sweating so badly that I could feel it through her hair.

  “What kind of question is that?” She whispered to me.

  “Why did you kill him?” another man in the bank yelled. “He didn’t do anything to you!”

  The killer shouted, “Will you shut up? I’m trying to count!” The other man walked up to the counter. The killer pointed the gun at him and yelled, “Stop right there! Don’t come any closer. I killed him and I’ll kill you, too!”

  Inside I began to feel a strong sense of fear. It hadn’t been there before because I was too worried about my wife. In my head I examined all the possible outcomes of the situation. The one that scared me the most was my wife and I getting shot. I started thinking about every aspect of my life: my wife, my mom, my brother, my niece and nephew, my house, my job, and so many more things that flashed through my head. I remembered seeing my father die when I was young and not understanding death. I was afraid that on that day I finally would.

  “Why do you need to count?” the man asked the killer. “Just take all the money!”

  “Shut up!” the killer screamed. He swung the gun around and shot blindly.

  In my dying moments I heard my wife screaming. The killer had shot me and for one brief second I understood death.

  Dear Missy,

  I’m so happy to hear that James moved in with you! I didn’t think he’d make the commitment so soon. I bet Belle and Tammi are just elated. You finally have the family you always wanted. Has he proposed yet? He better. He can’t move in like that and not ask you to marry him.

  I had a visitor yesterday. A camper stopped by to ask me if he could use the bathroom in my cabin. I let him, of course. I couldn’t turn away a stranger in need. I told him about you and the girls and James. I love sharing good news, especially up here since I hardly get to talk to anyone. Saying it out loud made it that much more exciting.

  Did I tell you the local market here sells tangerines? I was there the other day and got excited when I saw them. I love tangerines. They reminded me of a story I wrote when I was younger. I called it “The Fruit Family.” It was so silly but I was just a child. I was the tangerine and you were the strawberry, our favorite fruits. When I come home I’ll bring you some fresh strawberries from the market. I hope that will be soon. I miss you.

  Love,

  Ken

  Monsters, 2

  Teddy had his flashlight in his hand. He saw the light moving around above the trees. He was still a little upset from seeing all the monsters at school, but he wanted to find out what the light was. He walked across the yard and to the trees. He looked up at the light and it still hadn’t gone into the trees yet. He called out to it, asking it to come down. A few seconds later, it did.

  Looking into the trees, Teddy could see the light was back pretty far. He made his way in, asking the light to come closer. As he got near it, it moved off to the right. Teddy followed it where it went. Every time he got close to it, it would move farther away in a different direction.

  Determined, Teddy kept following it. He got worried that he was moving too far away from his house, but the desire to figure out the light took over. The light started moving faster and Teddy had to run to keep up with it. He got tired and had to sit down. When he did, the light moved closer. Excited, Teddy got up to see it, but it moved away again.

  He sat back down and the light moved closer. Teddy realized that the light was playing with him and he smiled. He liked to play. Teddy stood up again and ran after the light. It moved away from him just as fast as he could run. He would stop and sit and the light would come closer. Then Teddy would get up and run after it again.

  Teddy was having so much fun that he didn’t realize he had gotten himself lost. He didn’t know where he was. He was scared, but he tried to stay brave. After all, he had his flashlight. He could see the monsters with it.

  Suddenly the light started talking to Teddy. It asked him his name. Teddy told the light his name. It asked him how old was. Teddy told it he was five. It asked him what his favorite show was. He said Diego. The light said he liked Diego, too. When the light asked Teddy where he lived, Teddy got nervous. He didn’t answer and he started to back up. The light told him it was okay, that he didn’t have to tell it. Teddy was relieved.

  Still not close enough to the light to touch it, Teddy asked the light to come closer. The light said it was too dangerous. Teddy asked it why and it said it was sick. Teddy said he knew what it was like to be sick and told the light about the time he had chicken pox when he was four. The light seemed really interested in Teddy’s story.

  When Teddy was done with the chicken pox story, he asked the light what it was. The light said it was Teddy’s friend. Teddy laughed. He told the light he knew it was his friend but he didn’t know what kind of thing the light was. The light said that was a silly question. Teddy said he thought it was silly that a light was flying around his backyard.

  Then the light said it wasn’t just a light. Teddy got nervous and excited at the same time. He thought he was about to find out what the light was. Then the light disappeared.

  Teddy called for the light, asking it where it went. He begged the light to come back and said that he liked talking to it. He heard the light’s voice say it liked talking to Teddy, too. Then Teddy heard footsteps coming toward him. Scared, he raised his flashlight where the light had just been. Right in front of him was a monster.

  Teddy screamed. He turned to run but the monster grabbed him. The monster said it thought Teddy liked him and that it wanted to play. Teddy was yelling and screaming and the monster covered Teddy’s mouth with its hand. Teddy bit the hand and it let go. The monster swore at him as he ran away, out of the trees. He could hear the monster coming after him and yelling at him.

  Suddenly Teddy remembered that he didn’t know where he was in the trees. He started crying but kept running. He could see his house through the trees to his left, so he turned left and ran faster. As he got closer to the end of the trees, he heard the monster’s footsteps getting slower. Teddy ran into his backyard and kept running for the house. He looked back and the monster wasn’t there. When he looked forward again he ran right into his dad.

  He stared at his dad for a few seconds, not realizing what had happened. When he did realize it he hugged his dad and cried. His dad hugged him back and kept asking him what was wrong and what happened. Teddy couldn’t talk. Even when he was safe in his parents’ bed, he couldn’t talk.

  Teddy didn’t think he was ever going to fall asleep, but he finally did. He parents took him to school
the next day to see Miss Payton. Teddy liked seeing her, but he was still upset and scared after the monster tried to hurt him. He sat on the floor silently the whole class. Miss Payton kept trying to get him to talk and play, but he couldn’t. He just kept seeing the monster in the trees.

  When class was over, Teddy walked over to the corner and sat in it. He knew the monsters from the day before would be coming and he wanted to be as far away from them as possible. He didn’t have the energy to scream or cry when they started coming in. Miss Payton kept coming over to him after each one left. He felt safe when she was near him, but he was still scared.

  Then Teddy saw the monster from the trees. It came into the room and looked right at him. Teddy stood up and started shaking. Miss Payton saw him getting even more scared and she asked him what was wrong. Teddy was staring at the monster. Miss Payton looked at it. She didn’t say anything and Teddy couldn’t talk. He was frozen with fear.

  His parents finally came into the room but Teddy couldn’t run to them. They came over to him and seemed really worried. They hugged him tight and Teddy closed his eyes and clung to his father. They took him home.

  Teddy knew he would be safe at home.

  Dear Missy,

  The market didn’t have any tangerines today. I bought some strawberries, though. I’ll eat one for you. I think the cashier was flirting with me. It’s been so