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"The Worm of Secrets"

     The rain fell hard as I sprinted from my car to the front door of my house. I had a jacket on, the hood over my head being pelted by the cold droplets. I felt my jacket become half-drenched before I'd finally made it through the door and my son shut it behind me. He was five and not much taller than the doorknob on the door. But even still, he was excited to see me.
    I shook off the rain water before lifting him off the ground and giving him a big hug. He hugged me right back, giggling a bit as he did. I loved this little guy.
    I set him back down as the babysitter approached. I fumbled for my wallet, trying to make small talk as I handed her some money.
    "So, how was he today?" I asked.
    "He was fine," she said. "We watched some cartoons and he drew some pictures. Oh, and he brought home a worm. He was talking to it for a while as he drew. I don't know what that was about."
    "Huh," I said, fishing out some a $20 from my wallet before handing it to her. "I guess he's got a good imagination then."
    "Guess so," she said as she took the bill and stuffed it into her purse. She headed out the door, pulling her hood over her head. She said goodbye and ran out to her mom's car, which was sitting in the driveway next to my car. I waved to them as they pulled out and drove away.
    Then, I shut the door and turned my attention to my son, Michael. He was sitting on the floor, looking down at something. It must be the worm the babysitter was talking about, I thought. I approached him and asked who he was talking to.
    "Oh dad," he started, excitedly. "This is my new friend. His name is Tony."
    "Tony the worm?" I smirked at him, crouching down to meet his height. I gazed down at the long, squirming, pink worm on the floor. "Nice to meet you Tony."
    Michael smiled as he looked down at the worm. He nodded a few times before slowly turning his head up to me. His face was blank as he looked in my eyes. "He said he doesn't like you,"
    "Well, that's not very nice," I joked. But Michael stayed very serious.
    "He says he knows what you did," he said blankly, his eyes accusing.
    I let out a nervous chuckle. "Okay bud, this isn't funny anymore."
    "It's not a joke," Michael said. "He knows what you buried in the backyard, below the flowerbed.
    My eyes went wide. Oh god, he's been digging around out there hasn't he, I thought. That's how he found the worm, isn't it?
    I stood up and with a stern voice, told him to go to his room. He grabbed his worm and apologized before taking off down the hallway. I turned my attention from him to the back glass door. The flowerbed was still in tact. She was still buried. Thank god. I couldn't imagine how heartbreaking it would be for him to see his own mother down there...
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