My Friend Bobby Read online

  I was scared and I said come on Bobby and let's lock ourselves up in my room and we ran upstairs and locked the door. Mommy was banging things and laughing and crying downstairs and screaming we've got to get out, he'll kill us if we don't, and a while later I heard the car come up the road fast, and saw Daddy run into the house.

  Then Mommy was screaming please Ben, we've got to get out of here, he tried to kill me, and the dog is vicious, he bit me when I tried to make him stop.

  And then Daddy was running up the stairs two at a time and I could feel him inside my head for the first time and I knew he was mad, I never knew Daddy to be so mad before, and he tried the door and then he said open the door, and I said no, and he said open the door or I'll kill you and then he hit the door and hit it again and then the lock broke and the door flew open, and Daddy stood there panting. His eyes looked terrible and he had a leather belt in his hand, doubled up, and he said come here, and his voice was so loud it hurt my ears.

  Down below Mommy was crying please Ben, take me away, he'll kill me, he'll kill us both, he's a monster! I said don't hurt me Daddy it was Mommy, she was bad to me, and he said come here, even louder. And I was frightened and I said please, Daddy, I'll be good, I promise. I promise, Daddy.

  And then he started for me and I screamed out Bobby! Don't let him hurt me, Bobby— and then Bobby snarled like a wild animal and jumped at Daddy and bit his wrist bad so the blood spurted out, and Daddy shouted and dropped the belt and kicked at Bobby but Bobby was quick, and he jumped for Daddy, and I saw his white teeth flash and heard them snap close to Daddy's throat, and then Bobby was snarling like a wild lion and I was excited and I shouted hurt him, Bobby, he's been bad to me too, he wants to hurt me, hurt him Bobby, don't let him hurt me.

  And I saw Daddy's eyes open wide, and felt something jump in his mind, something that I had never felt in Daddy's mind before and I knew he was understanding my think-talk, and I said I want Bobby to hurt you and Mommy because you're not nice to me, only Bobby and my panda are nice to me, hurt him Bobby, go ahead, bite him in the throat and make him bleed. And then Daddy caught Bobby by the neck and threw him down on the floor and slammed the door shut and dragged something up to the door, and then he was running downstairs, and he shouted my God, I heard it, you were right, Carol, you were right, I felt him, I felt what he was thinking!

  And Mommy cried please, Ben, take me away, let's leave them, never come back, never, never, and Daddy said it's horrible, he told the dog to kill me, he's something evil, he's monstrous. And I could hear Daddy's awful fear pounding into my head clear from downstairs.

  Then I heard the door banging, and looked out the window and saw Daddy carrying suitcases out to the car, and then he and Mommy both came out running and got into the car and the car started down the hill and then they were gone. And the house was very quiet. I looked out the window and I couldn't see anything but the deep snow and the sun going down over the hill.

  Now Bobby and I and the panda are all together and I'm glad Mommy and Daddy are gone. I went to sleep for a little while because my head hurt so but now I'm awake, and Bobby is lying over across the room licking his feet, and I'm glad, glad, glad that Mommy and Daddy have gone away and I hope they don't ever come back, because Bobby will take care of me. Bobby is my friend and he said he'd always take care of me no matter what and he understands my think talk even if he isn't very smart. It's beginning to get cold in the house because nobody has gone down to fix the fire but I don't care about that. Pretty soon I will tell Bobby to go down and fix the fire and then I will tell him to get my supper for me and then I will stay up all night because Mommy and Daddy won't ever come back to make me go to bed. There's just me and the panda and Bobby, and Bobby will take care of me because he's my friend.

  It's getting very cold now, and I'm getting hungry. Soon I will tell Bobby to feed me and I will tell him to start the heat going again.

  The end

  About the Author

  Alan Edward Nourse (1928-1992) also wrote under the pseudonyms of Doctor X , Alan E. Nourse, M.D.

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  Table of Contents

  My Friend Bobby

  About the Author

  eStar Books