John Kuykendall

314 John Kuykendall

She told herself it was just a number.. She was Wrong.. "It's going to happen in three minutes." Mark Tapper sat on the edge of his son's bed and tried to comfort the eight-year-old. He considered calling an ambulance, but he didn't know if what Jeremy was suffering from qualified as an emergency. He decided to wait for his wife to get home, since she'd be there in just a few minutes anyhow. She'd left work early when the school called, but Mark was able to get to Widowsfield Elementary to pick Jeremy up first. "What's going to happen in three minutes?" Mark glanced at the clock on the nightstand that displayed 3:11 on the stomach of a Batman figurine. "I told you," said Jeremy. The desperation in his voice terrified Mark. "The Skeleton Man's coming." "I don't know what that means, kiddo. Help me out here." Mark tried to wipe sweat from his boy's brow, but Jeremy jerked away as if frightened by contact. "Who's this Skeleton Man you keep talking about?" "He's coming, and then everyone's going to go mad. Dad, I don't want to kill you again."