To Whom I May Discern

Day 1

The light is dim. They left me a small office lamp in the corner, not that anyone will see me trapped down here. All the windows are painted black except one small one facing the side yard. You would think some neighbor kid would poke a spying little head in and look around. At least then I would not be lonely. Someone could rescue me.

I have been needing rescue since the news of the murders broke.

Ma and Pa gave me pen and paper to doodle with. I always loved to draw, ever since junior high. That must have been four years ago now.

At first I drew Ma and Pa and they loved it. Then I drew some classmates. I won an award for a sketch of our town hall. The principal called it beautiful. I even drew her in her office alone. But she didn’t like it. Not at all.

Ma found out about it, of course. I dunno what sent her into a rage, but she was more pissed off than a hungry raccoon. She took me out of school after that. Ma is so good to me. She always knows what is best.

Day 3

I’m only guessing it’s Halloween since the doorbell has rung so many times. I thought I heard one of the neighborhood kids scream in a high voice, “Trick or treat!” Ma and Pa hand out candy every year. I remember having candy when I was younger. I wish I had some. No Halloween for me this year. I’m sad.

This is the first time they’ve chained me in the basement since the killings began. Ma went a little crazy over the last one and said it was for my own good to stay hidden away. She loves me. She didn’t want me to be next, so best to just not be outside at all. Out of sight, out of mind, she says. She’s real smart. I am glad Ma and Pa are not murdering dogs. I wish I could have a snack, though. I sure am hungry today.

Day 6

I hear Ma and Pa leave every night about nine. Where do they go so often? They come back early in the morning. I know this because of Pa’s clock hanging over the workbench. There’s no tools though. Pa took ‘em away so the killer won’t use them to gouge my eyes out when I’m sleeping or cut me open. That is scary to think about. Pa can be a little scary sometimes.

Day 8

Ma went mad today. It sounded awful. Her and Pa get in fights all the time. A dish broke, I’m sure of it. Then Pa slammed a door. I hope they don’t hurt each other and forget I’m down here. Please God don’t let them forget about me.

Day 11

I am so hungry. Ma came in two days ago but only gave me a raw steak. It smelled so bad, I could not eat it. The day after it was gone. She must have took it in the night while I was asleep. Why would she tease me like that? By now, I think I could’ve ate it raw.

Day 13

I keep looking at that little window across the room. Even though it has bars I can still see the moon coming up through it. It’s beautiful tonight, a nice half moon. I can’t get close to the window. This big, ugly chain wrapped around me, which used to tie up our dog, Heath, is bolted tight to the brick. It’s not long enough for me to move around. I can’t even reach the light switch. It’s so heavy on my back. These silver cuffs hurt my wrists too. I am getting weak.

Day 19

I read once that a human can go three weeks without food but only three days without water. Well, I have water. Lots of it. Ma put bottled water down here for me to get at. I have been stacking the bottles, trying to make a small fort. I have nothing but time.

Food, though, I never get. Maybe I should not think about it so much since my stomach growls all the time. Some people starve victims as a form of torture. Why won’t they feed me? I see empty plates but no food. Do they do this to be mean? I can’t imagine Ma and Pa trying to starve me just to be cruel. They always have a good reason for everything.

I’ve been such a good boy.

Pa can fly off the handle when I’m bad. It’s not really his fault. He is a good Pa. He loses patience with Ma every once in a while, especially when she brings up that same old argument. She wants to have another son. She can be cruel sometimes too.

Day 20

I keep wondering to myself: kids aren’t born bad, are they? I heard Ma and Pa fighting about that over dinner. It smelled so good. Why will they not give me some? Ma can be so mean. Like tonight, she covered the window and blocked the moonlight. She hates when the moonlight creeps in. It’s the only thing I can see out that window, the only thing that gives me pleasure. It’s the only natural thing in my life and she blacked it out. Now there’s just the lamp. Why would she do that?

Pa said kids are born messed up because of bad chromosomes. Ma gets flustered and yells back that a baby is an angel, and it was Pa’s fault that boys turn bad and hurt each other. I dunno what that means, but I think she’s talking about that bad grass he smoked.

Ma says beating or kidnapping a boy can turn him into evil spawn. But I was not like that. Wasn’t hiding me evil enough? It’s so hard to love her sometimes. She wouldn’t hurt me, right?

I try to be good for them, but I still wound up in the basement. My stomach’s starting to hurt again. I miss food.

I miss my friends too.

Day 21

I heard another woman scream today, like she was being stabbed. I was scared it was Ma, but Ma is alive. She was humming in the kitchen. I think her and Pa made up. I’m happy when they stop trying to hurt themselves.

But who was that other woman?

Day 22

They found another boy eviscerated. Pa got all crazy and paced back and forth like a madman. He talked low, his voice was shaky. “That makes five total. This time, they found fingerprints on him.” Ma got frantic. “We have to leave before they find out. What should we do?” Pa said they had to find out what the police know before they get caught. Do they do this every night? How many are they involved in?

Day 24

Ma came down to see me today, even gave me a hug. She brought tons of food to keep me well fed for a long time. The pork chop was so good, especially. Her and Pa were doing everything in the world to protect me. I believe it. She says it will all be over soon. We would be leaving away from here as soon as some of the shadow people go away. She told me if something was to ever happen to her, I was to fight against anyone who would deny me my right to live. I don’t understand that very much, but I guess she’ll explain more when she feels better. She kissed my head and said goodbye. I think she really is losing her mind.

Day 26

I can’t take it down here anymore. It’s so dark. I’m afraid. Pa may have killed Ma. I dunno who else could’ve made that scream. I’m really scared. I have got to get out of here before he kills me too.

I found one of Ma’s hairpins on the ground. This is one of those discernments Ma was always talking about. Have a good sense of judgment. Do the right thing.

I saw this once on a cop show. I’m going to bend it and turn it into a key so I can unlock these cuffs. I’m going to wait at night when Pa is away from the house.

Day 27

I got it. I am free. The little key worked. My cuffs came right off. They plopped to the ground. My wrists burn a little but that’s okay. Ma said things made of silver can do that since I’m allergic.

The basement door, I couldn’t unlock with my key. I banged but no one came. Where is Pa? My stomach is growling louder than ever.

I got a good look through the window finally. The night sky’s full of stars. The trees are waving their branches. Ohhh and the lovely moon. So round it’s blinding. It makes me happy though. I tried yanking on the bars. They wouldn’t budge. Maybe I’m not so free after all.

I just waited by the window, hoping someone could help.

I saw that guy Matt Martin walk by here a little while ago. I remember him from school. I kept his yearbook picture in my breast pocket. Ma and Pa never searched or saw it. They prolly suspected I was hiding something, but it doesn’t matter now.

I wanna go play with Matt. He’s around my age, if I remember. That would make him about seventeen.

DAY 28

This may be my last letter. I was writing by the window, staring at the moon when my hands started shaking so bad. My fingers were doing a funny little thing. They were growing like crazy, like one of those fireworks snakes. My nose grew out a little, but it didn’t hurt. Kinda felt good, in fact. My hands got furry. I didn’t notice at first. It’s so dark in here.

I cannot write much more. My chest is bulging. My feet have become gigantic claws. I can’t hold the pencil any longer.

I’m really hungry now.

From an excerpt, Crescent City Courier, November 28, 2014, Friday Ed.

The Thanksgiving holiday was wracked with bloodshed as 250 bodies were found at The Blackout, a dance club in the Lakeshore subdivision. The victims were mutilated in the same fashion as those in a similar bloodbath just a year ago to the day. The incident occurred only a mile from another tragedy, the double suicide of Chase and Miriam Leavitt, affectionately known to neighborhood kids as Ma and Pa Leavitt. Their bodies were found just this morning. The whereabouts of their only son, Thomas Paul Leavitt, is still under investigation. The boy had reportedly been missing for some time now.

The suicide of the elderly couple has been under some suspicion, as a single revolver holding two silver bullets was removed by police. There is no apparent motive yet.