Secrets are the darkest treasures we carry with us. They are our constant companions that have the ability to tear us down at any given moment. But some secrets are small and give the keeper the slightest unease when found out. Other secrets are the ones that can tear people apart. Often in more ways than one.
***
It hurt to laugh from how funny the show on television was. I was watching it in the living room, wishing one of my parents would walk in to find out what was so funny so I could tell them what I'm watching. It's a show called Sniffing Turtles. Basically, these guys wander around and do really bazar things to win money. It's hilarious to see the people try and it's even funnier to see them fail. There was one guy that had to kiss a monkey. It ended up death gripping the guy with its tongue. It was weird to watch but at the same time I was crying from laughing so hard.
When it cut to commercial, I got up from the couch, grabbing my bottle of soda on the way up. I was startled by the sound of something falling to the ground and rolling as I picked up my drink. Did I make something fall? Did my drink knock something over?
I tried looking around for what fell, but nothing seemed out of place. I heard it roll more and saw it going somewhere near the bookcase on the other side of the room. I would have looked on the ground near it, as there was nothing to block my view. However, I found myself distracted by the wall behind the bookshelf. Or at least the lack thereof.
I walked up to the bookshelf and noticed there was a very thin sliver of wall missing just where the back of the shelf met the wall. I went to the other side of it and saw the same thing. What was behind it? I began to start pushing the bookshelf down the wall just slightly, but was cut short by my dad walking in.
"What are you doing there, son?" he asked. Why did he seem so ominous to me right now?
"I'm trying to move this shelf out of the way," I explained. "I looked behind it for a second and there's an entire cutout all the way around the shelf. Come here, look if you don't believe me."
His eyes met mine with a look of disconcern, before making his way over to the wall. I told him to touch the wall behind him and tell me there wasn't a cutout. He patted the wall. It was solid. I was in shock, it was there a second ago. How could I have been wrong?
Dad chuckled at me as he walked away. "You really do have a creative imagination."
I wasn't imagining this. But if nobody was going to believe me or tell me what's going on, I guess I'll have to figure it out for myself.
***
That night after I made sure both my parents were asleep, I crept past their bedroom door. I peeked underneath the door to see if there was any light on, any kind of sign they might not be completely asleep. When I knew I was safe, I made my way slowly downstairs and down to the living room. Finally, I stood before the bookshelf. What kinds of secrets do you hold? I found myself asking.
I got to one side of the shelf and pushed it the opposite direction. As I pushed I noticed a small slit in the wall where it had previously stood. I followed the line with my eyes as I pushed and saw it lead across the top. I felt excited and at the same time, nervous. I knew I was right, but did I really uncover some kind of nightmare scenario? Is there somebody living in the walls?
Finally, the bookshelf was pulled away and the full cutout was exposed. I pressed my hand against the center of the cutout and gently pushed.
There, on the other side of the wall, stood a man about my age, hunched over, his back turned to me. He was twitching and wore only tattered clothes. He looked like a house elf from my mom's favorite movie series. I reached out my hand to touch it. It turned to face me in a quick way that caused me to stumble on my back in terror.
The creature leapt from the cutout and landed on my chest on all fours. It hissed at me before seeing the window behind me. He leapt through it, glass shattering all over the ground.
I was afraid. I had no idea what I had just unleashed but I knew I was lucky to be alive.
***
It hurt to laugh from how funny the show on television was. I was watching it in the living room, wishing one of my parents would walk in to find out what was so funny so I could tell them what I'm watching. It's a show called Sniffing Turtles. Basically, these guys wander around and do really bazar things to win money. It's hilarious to see the people try and it's even funnier to see them fail. There was one guy that had to kiss a monkey. It ended up death gripping the guy with its tongue. It was weird to watch but at the same time I was crying from laughing so hard.
When it cut to commercial, I got up from the couch, grabbing my bottle of soda on the way up. I was startled by the sound of something falling to the ground and rolling as I picked up my drink. Did I make something fall? Did my drink knock something over?
I tried looking around for what fell, but nothing seemed out of place. I heard it roll more and saw it going somewhere near the bookcase on the other side of the room. I would have looked on the ground near it, as there was nothing to block my view. However, I found myself distracted by the wall behind the bookshelf. Or at least the lack thereof.
I walked up to the bookshelf and noticed there was a very thin sliver of wall missing just where the back of the shelf met the wall. I went to the other side of it and saw the same thing. What was behind it? I began to start pushing the bookshelf down the wall just slightly, but was cut short by my dad walking in.
"What are you doing there, son?" he asked. Why did he seem so ominous to me right now?
"I'm trying to move this shelf out of the way," I explained. "I looked behind it for a second and there's an entire cutout all the way around the shelf. Come here, look if you don't believe me."
His eyes met mine with a look of disconcern, before making his way over to the wall. I told him to touch the wall behind him and tell me there wasn't a cutout. He patted the wall. It was solid. I was in shock, it was there a second ago. How could I have been wrong?
Dad chuckled at me as he walked away. "You really do have a creative imagination."
I wasn't imagining this. But if nobody was going to believe me or tell me what's going on, I guess I'll have to figure it out for myself.
***
That night after I made sure both my parents were asleep, I crept past their bedroom door. I peeked underneath the door to see if there was any light on, any kind of sign they might not be completely asleep. When I knew I was safe, I made my way slowly downstairs and down to the living room. Finally, I stood before the bookshelf. What kinds of secrets do you hold? I found myself asking.
I got to one side of the shelf and pushed it the opposite direction. As I pushed I noticed a small slit in the wall where it had previously stood. I followed the line with my eyes as I pushed and saw it lead across the top. I felt excited and at the same time, nervous. I knew I was right, but did I really uncover some kind of nightmare scenario? Is there somebody living in the walls?
Finally, the bookshelf was pulled away and the full cutout was exposed. I pressed my hand against the center of the cutout and gently pushed.
There, on the other side of the wall, stood a man about my age, hunched over, his back turned to me. He was twitching and wore only tattered clothes. He looked like a house elf from my mom's favorite movie series. I reached out my hand to touch it. It turned to face me in a quick way that caused me to stumble on my back in terror.
The creature leapt from the cutout and landed on my chest on all fours. It hissed at me before seeing the window behind me. He leapt through it, glass shattering all over the ground.
I was afraid. I had no idea what I had just unleashed but I knew I was lucky to be alive.
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