Animal Father

A Story by Kaden L.

A kid controls animals

The concrete sidewalk I was walking on had small dents in them from gunshots. Some were recent while some had been there for years. Either way, I had to walk on them to get home, so counting them every now and then would be somewhat entertaining because new ones would show up. And I would be aware of the new ones. Especially after the day I just had; I don’t want to go over it because I’m still sour about it

Behind me, I heard my neighbor’s door open, and I dashed to my front door. I wasn’t in the mood to get involved with anything. My front door required me to shove it open with a couple of heaves; it required me to do that all the time. It wasn’t as if my mom could afford a better door.

I hurried inside and darted around to shove the door closed. My mother heard that and rushed from the kitchen to where I was; she looked horrible and exhausted. “Did you lock the windows and the back door like I told you too?” I asked. I gave her that simple task this morning before I went to school, and I hoped she would manage to fulfill said task.

She then began to look worried, as if something was wrong, and there was. “Oh, God!” she said in frustration. “I forgot-I’m sorry. I-”

“God bless,” I said, “one simple-and I mean one simple-task! Jesus, just go back to the kitchen because you can’t feel bothered to use your brain for once in your life.”

“Yes, yes sir.” She scurried back into the kitchen to finish whatever she was making. I don’t remember what it was because I didn’t eat it.

I went into my room and placed my backpack onto my mattress on the ground. I opened my backpack and took out my homework, which was balled up and at the bottom. My balled up homework made for a nice ball, so I threw it against the wall. It bounced off and landed on the floor with the rest. I was gonna push my bag aside and take a nap, but there was a knock at my door. Knock knock knock knock, it went.

I stormed to the door and behind it was my regretful mother. “Three knocks!” I said, “three knocks. For God’s sake! We’re trying this again.” And then we did. We shouldn’t have needed to, but alas, my mother was as stupid as ever.

After that, she said “dinner’s ready” in a low voice with her head hanging low. I followed her to the kitchen, and the most putrid smell emitted from the oven. What was in the oven was some sort of meat concoction. Again, I don’t remember what it was, and I’m sure my brain did that on purpose.

As soon as the fumes hit my nose, I vomited all over the oven and “food.” I slammed the oven shut, and I left the kitchen. “I guess I’m going hungry, again,” I hollered at her. She collapsed onto the floor with her head resting on the oven’s handle and cried.

I had nothing else planned, so I rested on my mattress. The sweet realm of sleep soon blessed me after a couple minutes. Sleep was the only time of the day where I had peace and quiet. However, occasionally I’d be awoken to some idiots blazing their guns to some other idiot whilst sometimes dying in the process. That did not happen, thankfully.

Morning came, and my alarm woke me up to my dismay. She said, “I made breakfast” in a sullen tone, which I believe was uncalled for. I should’ve been the sullen, depressed one after having to smell such an atrocity “dinner” was.

“I am not eating right now,” I said, “but I may - I may - eat it after school. So, please keep it warm.”

“Yes, sir,” she said. She dragged herself down the hallway and to the kitchen while leaning her body against the wall. The growls of her stomach almost made me yell at her for being too loud, but I was patient that morning. I heaved the door open, slammed it shut, and ran to school; it was not far from my neighborhood.

I reached the path that led to the entrance and overheard an argument between two students. It didn’t seem like they were arguing, just yelling nonsense at each other that led to them getting in eachother’s face. All the students who were near me turned their heads and took their phones out to video it.

Then, one of them pushed the other, and it began to escalate from there. Students swarmed the scene with their phones in their hands. The police officers had to use brute force to break the fight, and yet some students didn’t comply, which led fist fights between the officers and students.

I made that last part up, but there was a fight, and I didn’t bother watching it. The sounds of other students yelling in awe about the fight were drowned out as the door behind me closed. Teachers monitoring the front said “hello” and “good morning.” I sighed and made my way to the cafeteria, which was to the left of the entrance after a couple of steps.

There was a short hallway that led to the entrance and just before it, there were the restrooms, and the boy’s restroom happened to be closer than the girl’s. Just as I was about to step foot into the cafeteria, someone wrapped their arms around my neck and dragged me into the bathroom. That someone was a boy named “Joseph,” and he hated me for some reason.

He wasn’t a big guy or anything - in fact, I was a lot larger and taller than him - but he was athletic, which gave him the only upper hand I’ll ever be subject to.

Joseph slammed my head against the wall and held it there. “Give me my money back, now,” he said. My head was throbbing, and it began to bleed onto the wall. “I swear to God if you don’t…”

“Sorry, man, but the money’s spent,” I lied. “It’s all gone now.”

He clenched his hand, pulled my head and slammed it harder onto the wall, creating a small hole. I’m surprised I didn’t get knocked out. He pulls my head away from the wall and leans toward my ear. He said, “if you don’t manage to return my money to me by the end of the school day, I will knock your teeth in. Also, I am totally better than you.”

He did say that last part, trust me.

“Look, man, I already spent the money,” I lied, “and I can’t get it back, dude. So…go away…please?” Before I said “please,” he let go of my head and turned around. His face was blank, and he walked out of the bathroom. No hesitation at all, none.

I stood still for a couple of seconds trying to process what happened. Why did he just…walk out? I thought. Curious as to where he went, I meandered my way to the exit. And when I got out, I saw that he was making his way towards the exit. The teachers monitoring the front said “hey, what are you doing?” and “stop!” I stayed a good distance from him, but I still followed so I could hear and see what’s going on.

“Hey, you can’t just leave,” one monitor said, “stuh-stop! Huh-Hey, officer, stop him!” One of the officers who broke up the fight, approached Joseph and grabbed his arm to get his attention. But Joseph kept moving.

“Kid, you need to stop, now” the officer said, “look at me when I’m talking to you!” Joseph was staring straight ahead (possibly with the same blank face) and his legs were moving. The officer tried to tug him, but he simply couldn’t. The officer’s arm’s veins were showing, and he was wincing trying to get this Joseph to stop.

After a couple of seconds, the officer was being dragged by Joseph, who was still moving straight; the officer was forced to let go of his arm. He stared in awe as Joseph was walking away in a perfect straight path. The officer turned around, sighed, and said nothing to the other officers. They were just as confused as he was.

Joseph walked in a straight path until he couldn’t be seen. I turned around and went back inside the building while everyone else observed Joseph. Their jaws gaped slightly open while they were frozen in place.

The school day went about as usual, and I eventually walked home. As I was nearing my house, I noticed two tall figures in black hoodies on the sidewalk across from the one I was walking on. I couldn’t identify their faces, and my gut told me that I shouldn’t try, so I decided to speed walk.

The two figures changed their path and crossed their sidewalk; they were heading towards me. I saw that one of them stuck their hand in their front pocket while the other stuck their hand behind their back pocket. I walked a bit faster.

My heart was racing; there were so many thoughts filling my head that it was going to flood. All I could mutter was, “leave me alone leave me alone leave me alone...” I started to wince the more I said it and the closer they got.

Suddenly, they both stopped and scattered in opposite directions like two rats being seen in an alley. All I could say at that moment was “what the…?” All those thoughts that filled my head were in those two words. The only thought left in my head was did I do that?

I took a minute to observe my surroundings; I felt like I was a different world. I told two guys to leave me alone and they ran away from me. Wait, hold on, I thought. A sudden realization came over me. Did I…was I the reason Joseph acted all weird? Did I make him do that?

There was no other choice but to answer my question and test it out. I observed my neighborhood, which gave me a plethora of choices. There were barren trees with very little leaves, old houses that were rotting, and rusty fences with constant barking dogs behind them just to name a few. I let my mind run wild with things I should say, and it came down to either commanding the dogs to be my bodyguard and maul anyone who gets too close or commanding my mom to come to me.

I chose the latter because it was simpler, “mo-ther, come here, immediately,” I said. The front door to my house was heaved twice and then out came my mother rushing to me. She had the blank stare that Joseph had earlier. Oh my God. It actually worked. Well then. A slight smile grew on my face, the first time in a while.“Ho-oh, okay then. So it was me. Alright then, lemme have some fun with this.”

I snapped my head to the rusty fences to my right and called out to the dogs, “hey, come here!” I did the same on my left. One by one, Pit Bulls, Black Labradors, and German Shepherds jumped their fences and came to me at once (since I am very smart, I immediately knew that my ability could work on other animals. I assure you that it did not take me a minute to figure that out).

There was a surge of power rushing through me. I could feel it in my heart, hands, legs, feet, etc. That feeling made me feel new, like I was reborn into something great. “Everyone in this neighborhood,” I announced, “you are to come here and follow me and my orders immediately!”

Doors all around me slammed open as people of varying ages ran out their houses and to me. In the span of about ten seconds, I had a whole mob of people at my command. Oh yes, this is perfect. Now, I must begin. But what should I do-oh! I’ll take down the school. I’ll use this as an opportunity to get my name out there.

And so I marched my swarm of “people” all the way down to the school. There were still plenty of students who haven’t left; and the same applied to faculty. The students who hadn’t left and were waiting outside gazed at my army in confusion. The closer we got, the more people who would come outside and see what was going on.

“Stop!” I said to my army once we got to the front of the school. Some students fled the area while most stayed and watched. “Alright, now tear this building and everyone in it apart.”

The people in my army obeyed my order. The students and staff who were watching us were attacked by my people, and I watched every bit of it. Students and staff were wailing and screaming as their limbs were torn off. The officers present grabbed their guns but the bullets did no harm to my power as they were ripped and clawed to shreds.

Half of my people went into the building, and I followed them in. Floor tiles, arms, parts of the walls, desks, chairs, and so much more were being plucked and torn. A panicking student ran up to me and asked for help, but one of my minions pulled him by the hair and yanked him to the ground. Like a swarm of bees, my minions piled on top of him and ripped his hair out, gouged his eyes, tore off skin, and limbs were yanked off.

The beautiful sight of arms, legs, eyes, heads, etc. being scattered on the floor or in the hands of my minions made me shed a tear. I felt like a god, but I didn’t and still don’t consider me one. I am what humanity needs. And I must care for humanity in my way. I am what other animals need. And I must care for the other animals in my way. Humans and animals are the same. I am Animal Father.