Grace Anderson is an up-and-coming indie author based out of Denver, Colorado. Her work centers around grief, mental health and all the emotional ups and downs that come with being human. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, thrift shopping and sipping chai at local coffee shops.
THE BEAST
by
Grace Anderson
The Beast was born on New Years Day, right on the stroke of midnight.
I was so excited to bear my first child, my baby boy that had been growing in my stomach for the past nine months.
I wasn’t going to lie, I was a bit shocked when my baby came out with thick grey fur and long wolf-like teeth, horrified even. But he was still my baby and I loved him in the way a mother should. I took him from the wide eyed nurse to hold him to my chest and fed him like I would any other baby, despite his teeth gnawing into the flesh of my breast.
It seemed the Beast was growing a full foot taller every week. He outgrew a full set of clothes in less than a month. It was a dire strain on our already thin finances just to feed him, even without the need to constantly buy him new clothes that properly covered his limbs. Nevertheless, I gladly bought him anything he needed. After all, he was my son and I loved him.
Before I knew it, the Beast was turning five. It was a frigid New Year’s Eve. The snow was coming down in blankets outside but I put in the extra effort to make our home warm and cozy.
I presented the Beast with a homemade cake, the only gift I could afford to give him after a year of his expenses.
“Happy birthday, my love.” I said, ruffling his fur.
The Beast dug his clawed fingering into the cake like a vulture into a carcass.
Even at five years old, the Beast had not spoken a single word. He communicated solely through growls and grunts. But I always reminded myself that even if he went his entire life without speaking, I would have loved him all the same. I just hoped someday I would finally hear him call me “Mama”.
Chocolate crumbs dangled from the fur on the Beast’s face as he devoured the cake. His elbows had grown far past the sleeves of his pajama shirt. I would have to buy him new clothes again. But I didn’t mind. I was just happy that he was happy.
A strange sound escaped from the Beast’s as he stuffed the remainder of the cake into his gnashing mouth. I could have sworn I heard something resembling a word come out of him. My heart leaped.
“What did you say, baby?” I crouched down next to him, smiling despite myself. “Did you just say something?”
“More.” the Beast said, louder now “More, more, more!” His limbs started flailing as he flung anything within reach onto the floor.
I was so happy that my child was finally speaking that I didn’t even care about the mess he was making.
“Alright, baby.” I stifled a scream of joy “Anything for my special birthday boy.”
I spent a full day baking cake after cake for the Beast just as he demanded. I didn’t get a second of sleep that night.
Five days after New Years, it was time for the Beast to begin his first day of school.
I put this off as long as I could, I was worried for him as any parent worries for their child. What if the other kids judge him? Exclude him? Bully him?. I could barely even stand to think about it.
But I was beginning to get phone calls from the school district. I knew I had no choice but to send him despite my anxiety.
I dressed the Beast in a set of his clothes with minimal tears and bite marks. I put him in his car seat and drove through the snow to Hamilton Elementary School.
I sat in the car for a few minutes after I pulled into the parking lot, trying to control my breathing.
I forced myself to smile at the Beast through the rearview mirror.
“Will you be a good boy at school for mommy?” I said.
The Beat smiled and nodded. His canine teeth had grown, sticking out of the corners of his lips even with his mouth closed. He was growing up before my very eyes.
I was so very proud of my boy..I couldn’t help but shed a tear as he entered through the front door of the school.
It didn’t take long for me to get a phone call from the school.
“Hello?” I answered.
“We need you to come to the school right now.” The teacher was hysterical. I could barely understand what she was saying.
“There’s been an incident.” My heart pounded in my chest. Did my fears come true? Were they picking on my boy? Did they hurt him?
I wasted no time. I sped over to the school as fast as the law would allow and nearly sprinted up the stairs to the Beast’s classroom.
It looked as if a massacre had taken place in the classroom. Broken doll heads and tattered pages of books were slung across the room like murder victims. Large dark red splotches of what could only be blood were splattered up the walls. You could feel in the air that some horrible act of violence had taken place here.
At the center of it all was my little beast, looking as innocent as ever, sucking on one of his classmate’s dismembered arms like a pacifier.
The teacher cowered in the corner of the room, trembling and whimpering
“That’s no child.” She managed to choke out “That’s a monster!”
I shot the teacher a dirty look. How dare she say that about my baby?
I gathered the Beast up in my arms and embraced him, kissing his blood-stained cheek.
“Don’t listen to her, baby.” I told him “You’re no monster. You’re a perfect, sweet little boy. How about I take you to get a treat?”