Thomas

by
Joseph Minotti

Thomas Rigby stood drenced in sweat in the darkness of his bedroom closet.
Heavy footsteps approached closer,louder,toward his private sanctuary.
Tonight,just this one night,he thought,his father would not find him.

He knew.John Rigby always knew where to find his son when he was a bad
little boy.But he wouldn't know where to find his son tonight.Not any
night.John died from cancer in 1995.

Thomas's fascination with death began at age ten.He captured rats in the
basement,laid the creatures on their back,sliced thin skin with a razor.
from head to tail.As he watched his tiny victims squeal in pain,an evil
thrill surged through his body.

When John caught Thomas in the hideous act,his strong hand bounced Thomas
from left to right,like a ping pong ball-shoved him into the closet for
five hours with no food,water,bathroom.

Several months later,Thomas no longer awaited his father's wrath.He

raced upstairs,stood in the closet until John told him to come down.

He never understood why he was punished,although John repeatidly said

his actions were wicked.

The years passed.The boy was a man now.The moment had arrived to conquer
the next and final level.

The night after John's funeral Thomas forced entry into a neighborhood
home.The only sound he could hear on the second floor was the faint
breathing of a man sleeping in peace.

With the silence of a beast searching for prey,he crept into the room.
He opened the leather case,spread his tools on the bed.

Monnlight pierced through flimsy white curtains-guided his vision.

The hammer descended in quick motion.Again.again,the weapon collided

with the man's forehead.His eyes opened wide,his body jerked with each
strike.As he groaned in pain,Thomas stripped the man's pajamas,pressed
electrical tape over the victims mouth.

Thomas gripped the butcher knife in his right hand.Within seconds,the

blade crashed into the old man's chest.His lids opened for a second time,
his body shivered.

Thomas heard his muffled cry,watched his terrorized face.With each hack
Thomas's excitement elevated.An eerie gleam filled his eyes at the as he gazed
at the blood spotted wall-moved his tongue over his wet lips-the red
liquid tasted sweet.

He slipped his hand inside,worked his way to the heart.With a firm,

gentle grip,he wrenched the organ from the lifeless body.He raised the
heart above his head,like a first prize winner would hold up a trophy.

Afterwards,he tossed the heart on the bed,packed his tools.He glanced

at the corpse for a few seconds,lifted to his feet.As he walked across
the wooden floor,the red substance on the bottom of his sneaks made a
tacky sound.

The moment he stepped outside a sudden fear rushed over him.He had to hurry.
Hurry home to hide in the closet.But he couldn't tell his father about
his accomplishment.He'd spend double time in darkness if he did.His father could
snap,beat him hard,thrust his large hand into his chest and pull his
heart out.

When he arrived home,he ran upstairs.Once again,Thomas stood in the closet,

awaited for his father's call to release him.

He wondered why the punishment continued.His father should understand,he thought.

After all,the man was no different.He watched his father chop bodies
for many years.Perhaps he was afraid his son would learn-surpass the ability
he had.That's why he chased him off the basement steps.He was jealous.
No wonder why his father threatened to comit him to the "Bad House"where
crazy people live,are tortored on a table,like the one he used.Stick
needles in the center of your eyeballs.Remove your lungs with a rusty
old knife,feed them to the patients.

Thomas had all the answers.The more his thoughts ate at his brain,the
more he wanted to dig up his father-open the coffin and cut out his
heart.

Thoms continues to mutilate innocent victims.Searches houses,alleys,lurks in dark

parking lots.His brain is rotting more and more with each passing day.

He's coming after you!