Morry used chalk to draw a circle on the pavement around his mother, who sat cross-legged in the driveway. It wasn’t a perfect circle, but not bad for a four year-old.
“You stay in there, mommy,” Morry said. His mother gave him a quizzical look.
“Why does mommy have to stay here?”
“’Cause if you come out, you’ll go bye-bye.” Morry’s mother frowned.
“Who told you I’d go bye-bye, Morry?”
“The man with the cat eyes,” Morry said matter-of-factly. Morry’s mother stood up.
“A man with eyes that look like cat’s eyes?”
“No, the man with the cat eyes. He has ‘em in a jar. They look like marbles. He said he’d give ‘em to me.” Morry’s mother walked toward her son, casting a nervous glance around the front yard.
“What else did the man tell you?” She was standing just inside the chalk circle.
“He said he collects things, and he said he’d trade me the cat eyes. And he gave me this chalk.”
Morry’s mother reached for him, stepping outside the circle. She disappeared. Morry grinned. He ran to the center of the circle and picked up a glass jar full of what looked like marbles.
©2009 Robert C. Eccles
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November 13th, 2009 at 6:37 am
Very, very creepy. Well done! I love tales of superstition.
November 13th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Little buggers! Trade their mother for a jar of damn marbles.
November 13th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Wow. I really feel sorry for the kid in this story. When I did the same thing to my mother, I got “two” jars of cat eyes. Albeit, mom was kinda overweight. And demons do tend to charge by the pound. Anywho.
I love your writing, Bob.
November 13th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Ohhhhh! Soooooooooooooo creepy Bob…I got the shivers three times after I finished reading this.
November 13th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Thanks, everyone! Glad you enjoyed it!
November 13th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
This story chills me to the bone. I’m taking away marbles from my kids. The brevity and sharpness of your prose hits a home run. Great Story Bob!
November 14th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Very creepy!
November 18th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
I remember this one from the 200 word thing
I loved it then and I love it now!