The Vial in the Park

Two siblings were wandering along a path in the park. It was long after dark, but neither sibling wanted the day to be over. They had had such a fun day even though the moon was hanging limp and bloody in the sky, it did not waver their spirits. They walked the path guided by its red arrays. Passed the playground with rusted bars, edging towards a dark, dark woods where no light could penetrate.

But the sister, the youngest of the duo, was tired. “Let us stop for a rest, Oh Mikey. Please, let us stop.”

Mikey, the oldest of the two, nodded, though he was annoyed. He scanned the area for a place to rest, regardless- he was a good older brother, after all.

Up ahead just off the beaten path was a tree. A brambling, bumbling old thing with gnarled roots and branches that hung so low they scraped the ground.

“Over there, against that old tree, you can rest.” Mikey informed his sister.

Laura was the first to push herself between the knotted roots sticking out of the ground like tombstone teeth. She perched herself upon a mossy patch and Mikey soon followed suit. There were no annoying bugs or the squawking of crows, nay, nor a shiver of wind in the branches. All was still and quiet in the dark, dark woods. The silence sat thick and heavy, and soon too did the sibling’s eyes- shuttering shut, breaths evening out.

It could have been many days or an hour when the siblings awoke. It was still night, and the moon still shone in all her brightness in the star-filled sky. Sleep had shaken off, but there was a fogginess that came with dreams, a distortion between the dreaming and the waking. A step in both worlds; neither here nor there in entirety.

The woods were alight, the path in front of them like a beacon shining bright. Laura was the first to notice the thing before them. A jar or a jug- a glass something.

“What is that?” She stated from her spot against the tree, pointing at the thing.

Mikey was the first to touch it.

It was an oddly shaped vial- twisted shapes on smooth, smooth glass with a cork on the top covered in a flaking layer. Mikey took the vial, shaking the contents within. Even though the light was poor, the mixture inside was even darker than the darkest night. He turned the vial this way and that, staring at the black liquid. It had flecks of brightness that illuminated like stars or glitter, shades of silver in an oily residue. With every turn revealed a hidden creature. A gnarled and twisted thing with wrinkly skin where the mixture dripped off of it in thick waves. Mesmerized- Mikey could not look away, until Laura tugged on his shirt sleeve.

“Mikey! Mikey! I want to see. I want to see!” Laura reached for the vial, but Mikey could not turn it over. Would not turn it over to her.

“Don’t touch.” He turned his back to her.

She started to cry. She always cried to get what she wanted. He hated those fake tears that never spilled over. But he was a good older brother, so he let her look.

“Fine. You can look, just don’t touch.”

Laura nodded firmly, placing hands behind her back. She pushed forward on tiptoes, and Mikey allowed the closeness to his vial. She scrunched her nose and turned away.

“It’s an ugly thing. So ugly, I bet it will gnarl and gnash big, ugly teeth, and it will rip your head clean off and swallow it in one bite.” She turned away from it in disgust.

Mikey shrugged. He liked the vial, liked the creature; he didn’t need his sister wanting it too.

“Let’s head home, it’s getting late.”

So, they wandered back down the path in the park, passed the woods and to their street, at the end of the block on the corner, where they lived.

Mother was asleep when they returned home. They snuck in quiet as thieves, tiptoeing across wooden floor to get ready for bed.

Laura and Mikey shared a room. Laura had gotten the top bunk, and Mikey the bottom. He placed his vial on his dresser across the room. They said good night, and soon they were asleep.

Mikey awoke to the sound of screaming.

It was Laura, yelling incoherently and then there were footsteps thundering towards their room. Their mother opened the door with wide concerned eyes.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” She yelled over the screaming.

“It’s looking at me! It’s looking at me!”

Mikey looked up from the bed to see her pointing to his vial. The dark, dark liquid turning and trembling around a wrinkled figure. Its eyes were open. Huge unblinking eyes, its mouth agape with a wide point jaw too big for its face. It was staring at Laura with a manic grin on its face, pointed gnarled teeth dripping with black tar. Staring. Staring.

“What is that?” His mother screeched.

“It’s mine. My vial. I found it last night.” Mikey stated firmly.

Mother shook her head. “It’s an ugly thing. So ugly, I bet it will gnarl and gnash its big, ugly teeth, and it will rip your head clean off and swallow it in one bite.”

“Get rid of it and get ready for school.” Was mother’s final words as she closed the door behind her.

“Yea, Mikey, get rid of it.” Laura mocked.

That made Mikey mad. He didn’t want to get rid of it. It was his. His vial, his creature. But he had to get ready for school, or they would be late for the bus. So, as he was packing his bag, he put the vial in his pack, zipped it up, and walked out the door.

At school, Mikey couldn’t wait to show his friend Ryan his vial. He waited until recess to bring it out, and when he did Ryan stepped back. “It’s an ugly thing. So ugly, I bet it will gnarl and gnash its big, ugly teeth, and it will rip your head clean off and swallow it in one bite.”

Mikey shouted at Ryan and got into trouble at school.

His mother and father were upset about getting a call from school. But Mikey wouldn’t tell them he brought his vial along, it was his and his alone- no one else liked it the same as him.

The next morning started much the same. But Mikey was confused. He left the vial in his bag, but when he woke up to Laura screaming, the vial was on its spot on his dresser- though ten sizes too big.

Mother and father came running into the room shouting.

Laura threw a pillow.

And the vial shattered. A great wave of thick, black liquid came crashing out in a wave. The flecks of brightness pooling out to reveal flecks of bone. The creature with twisted body unfurled itself, joints popping and contorting until it could stand at full height. Giant eyes, unblinking and still, surveying the room with uncanny observation. Teeth gaping from giant maw. It opened its mouth, too wide for head, unhinging like a snake to reveal rows and rows of blackened teeth, an oily sheen dripping from each one.

It gnarled and gnashed its big, ugly teeth. Biting his family’s heads and swallowing them in one bite.

Afterall-

He was a good older brother. After all, an older brother would never let his pet grow hungry.