Nightswim

I dressed and came out to breakfast. Mom and dad were there- dad reading the paper before going to work, mom finishing up breakfast. Mom asked if I went out earlier that morning and I'm not sure why, but I lied and said no. She just guessed it was Tubby's restlessness she heard. Then the phone rang and she went off to the living room- she and dad wouldn't tolerate a telephone in the kitchen- and dad looked at me from around the paper.

"You alright?" he asked and I said I was- which was the truth- I felt great- better than I had anytime of my life. He said I looked a little pale and my eyes were red. I said it was probably just from the shots or something. I started to eat the bacon my mom had finished, but couldn't eat much of it- I wasn't very hungry, which was odd because I had skipped dinner the night before. But, I didn't want to worry dad so I ate three pieces. I thought I was going to be sick, though.

Mom came in shaking her head and had a worried look on her face. My dad noticed and asked what was the matter.

"That was Betty Shultz," I could see dad roll his eyes expecting some hot piece of gossip that couldn't wait until after breakfast, "Don't roll your eyes- Betty's a good person, just likes her gossip- anyway, they found a body down by the ball field. Sheriff Turner said he was all- well it's not proper discussion for breakfast."

"Who was it?" dad asked, looking at her with real interest.

"Some hobo, I guess," she returned to her breakfast preparation- oatmeal, which I normally devoured with lots of brown sugar- but didn't seem particularly appetizing that morning.

"I'll bet it's the same one that attacked those kids the other night."

"Probably the same one. Well, it's awful. I don't care who it is. Some people are monsters. Just to imagine someone around here capable of doing that- killing someone."

"Oh there's plenty of people around I guess that once you got their juice up, would be plenty capable."

"Still, it's awful. Whoever it is- has to be a monster to do that to another human being."