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Description
Chilly fall air bit harshly at Casimir's face, the majority of what happened on that dismal night has been lost to time but through the fog he recalled the chill nipping at his face for it was a stark contrast to the searing heat his mother had pulled him from. The screams piercing the air bore through the young boy's skull and a heavy cloud of black smoke evaded his nostrils even as he was carried from the scene. Sirens, wails, groans, darkness...ebbing into his line of visions...everything spun out of control and the next thing he knew he was in a hospital bed.

Bandages were wrapped around his arms, head, and even his thin gown covered torso. Everything was numb. Still, he felt a sense of dread no child ever should upon seeing his mother standing at the foot of the bed staring at the little television in the corner of the room. Her shoulders bobbed, Casimir remained silent, holding his breath he made out the face of his father on the screen. Fear gripped his heart and he let out a shriek more fitted to a girl than a boy. All he could see was that report even as his mother tried to comfort him, his horror rose to a crescendo with a sudden swarm of nurses that pried them apart and held the terrified child down.

"No," he screamed, "no, I'll go...I'll go...I'LL GO!!!!!"

Fighting like a demon from hell, Casimir clawed and kicked and bit, tasted their liquid mercury, but felt no remorse. He barely registered the pinprick to his neck that rendered him unconscious within mere minutes. The next time he awoke he was surrounded by family. His mother sat dabbing at her pink tinged face with a crumpled tissue while his aunt, Olivia, stood next to her husband, Uncle Darnell, and his grumpy Gramma Pearl.

"Look, Dawn," Olivia exclaimed, "look he's awake!"

A blur of red was all Casimir caught then his mom was at his side kissing and fretting over him, her copper ringlets tickling his pallid cheeks and the cherry scent of her perfume overwhelmed his senses. "Oh, Casi, my poor baby! Are you all right? Are you thirsty? Do you feel like talking? Please, baby, please tell you're okay!"

"Dawn," Gramma hissed, glowering at the worried mother, "give the boy room to breath!"

"You--"

Before she could spit any venom at the elderly woman Darnell came to her defense, "She's just worried about Casimir, Mrs. Grissom."

"Hey, kid," Olivia murmured coming to affectionately ruffle Casimir's flaxen locks, "how're you feeling?"

"I-I'm okay." Turning his soft brown hues to stare at his mother, the child was caught off guard when his mother's concerned gaze turned to a scolding glare.

"What were you thinking? I told you not to wander off, you disobeyed me, and look what happened! If I hadn't found you, Casi, I--" her voice broke, fighting back a sob she struggled to remain calm and not break down in a fit of tears. "Had you breathed in anymore smoke...never mind. I'm just glad your all right."

"I'm sorry, Mama, I-I didn't mean to but I..." his tried to conjure a memory of what happened, why he had disobeyed, but his mind came up blank, and then he remembered something, "...I thought I saw Daddy."

Silence. Uncle Darnell cleared his throat then ushered his wife and mother-in-law out to the hall. Confused, Casimir groaned softly feeling a slight pressure applied to the back of his head, moving away with a grimace to sit at the very edge of the bed Dawn stared off across the room. Her hair having fallen to shield her face from her son's view did little to conceal the agony in her voice. "Casi, your father is a sweet man and he...he has done something very brave, very foolish, but still very brave. I...I can't tell you any more. Not yet. Just know that no matter what anyone else says your daddy is a hero."

"A hero..." Lying back down, Casimir smiled a little and fell into a light slumber blissfully unaware that his father had became a murderer.

Nothing made sense after his stay at the hospital. All the joy and innocence in Casimir's life was subsequently snuffed out.

The morning they left a large crowd stood out front holding signs and posters kept at bay by a miniature army of policemen. Dawn held Casimir close as she carried him out guarded by Olivia and Darnell whilst Gramma Pearl tailed them with hospital security, her grumbles unheard over the crowd's monstrous roars. TV people shouted questions at them, flashes of light blinded Casimir, but he didn't let go of his mother until they were safely in the backseat of his uncle Darnell's car. The drive home was long and silent, uncomfortably so.

"If you'd like, Dawn," Olivia said once they were home and seated in the living room, "you and Casimir could spend a few weeks with me and Darnell. Just long enough to let things cool off."

"Thanks, Liv, but no thanks. I think we'll be fine until Albert gets back."

"If he gets back."

"At least stay with Mom." Olivia pleaded appearing more worried than Casimir had ever seen her in his five years of life. "If I know my brother," she reasoned, "I know he wouldn't want anything bad to happen to either of you, you're his entire world!"

Dawn mulled that cliched line over for a few minutes. Casimir sat silent in her lap staring from face to face trying to figure out just what the hell was going on. Alas, with his child's mentality he was unable to fully grasp the terror shining so vividly within their eyes nor catch the caution each took regarding his presence. Finally, Dawn agreed to go stay out if town with Aunt Olivia and Uncle Darnell...just until her husband returned.

Those were some of the most hellish weeks in Casimir's young life. Nightmares plagued his sleep and he often woke wetting himself and in tears for reasons beyond him for the nightmares were never clear. Always vague and...hazy...like that night his mom took him to the theater. Needless to say, neither Aunt nor Uncle were pleased with this and chastised Casimir for it. It was humiliating! Thankfully, his mother wasn't as critical and often defended him.

Perhaps, what made the stay truly terrible was Darnell's particular method of teaching. He firmly believed that fear was the key to correcting any unwanted behaviors and effectively drilling lessons into a child's skull. His first lesson was one Dawn had agreed to, showing Casimir how dangerous weapons were. For this lesson they went on a hunting trip. Only five years old and drug into a wondrous virgin land man had yet to defile, Casimir felt as though he'd been brought into an enchanted forest like in the fairy-tales his mother would read to him before bed. Birds sang along with other forest creatures in a natural symphony the small boy found to be breathtaking.

Sadly, he wasn't allowed to enjoy it like he wanted to.

Darnell snapped his nephew out of his daydreaming to lead him deep into the wood with his hunting rifle held casually over his shoulder. Both of them were dressed in heavy clothing to fend off the cold, Casimir carried their snacks--some vegan crap Aunt Olivia had packed for their trip--toddling behind his uncle unaware of the man's hurried stride. They stopped at what appeared to be a secret clubhouse painted in earthy tones that Darnell kept hidden at the edge of a dense thicket that faced a sparse meadow near death from the cold onslaught of a fast approaching winter.

"Sit," he indicated a stool in the corner of the tiny room. Casimir done as told. Daydreams and imagination kept him preoccupied for the next couple hours before the thunderous BANG of his uncle's rifle startled him from the seat to the floor, grasping at his throbbing ears, and before he could regain his senses Darnell forced him to his feet and drug Casimir out to that dying meadow where he was further startled to see a bloodied lump of brown and white fur lying in the grass. Frightened black eyes stared up at them and a sickening mewl escaped the wounded buck's mouth pleading for mercy.

Bloodied white teeth seemed to snap at the Casimir.

"See this?" Darnell said sternly, kicking the deer in the side producing a louder shriek of pain that prompted Casimir to cover his still pained ears. "Guns are dangerous, Casimir, they aren't toys. Never, ever play with a gun!" Another cry from the animal produced a spray of red tinged spittle, Casimir stumbled back at the sight with a cry of his own, tears filling his eyes. His little heart beat fast heavy with pity creating a resounding ache in his chest.

"I won't," the tearful promise sounded pitiful even to the speaker, "I won't, Uncle, just stop! Stop hurting it!"

A scowl of disapproval was offered in response before Darnell turned his attention back to his rifle. "Good," he murmured, "but you shouldn't fear guns, Casimir. They can help as much as hurt. For instance," he pulled his nephew closer despite his reluctance to get anywhere near the dying animal, "it can be used to silence unwanted noise."

BANG!

The deer laid silent, tongue lolled out to the side whilst torrents of blood rushed from its nose and mouth staining the browning grass below and the grisly hole that had been blown in its side. "Now, let's move on to knives."

A skinning demonstration was provided to show Casimir how easily he could hurt himself. Needless to say it sickened him to the point that his stomach rid itself of its putrid contents, a rough smack to his back and a scolding came after but Casimir was too busy sobbing to listen. In the end, he was relieved when it was all done and over with, and his uncle decided it was time to go home. Other horrid lessons such as that hunting trip took place during Casimir's stay and he hated them so much especially when pain was inflicted on him, as was the case during a baseball lesson that blacked his eye leading to his uncle getting snapped at by Dawn who'd then had to hear a lecture from Olivia who always defended her husband's actions even if she, herself, didn't approve.

Arguments happened frequently with Casimir's aunt and uncle against his mother. Guilt always ate him alive during those fights because he knew it was his fault for upsetting everyone, if he were better at games or more brave...if he were taller or stronger...then maybe nobody would have fought, but Casimir wasn't any of those things. He was just some pale shrimpy kid with a weird name his mom's grandfather had.

All he could do during those fights was listen and hate himself a little more each time.

But the absolutely worst part of the stay, aside from those stupid lessons and the adults bickering was the fact Casimir's father, Albert Grissom, was absent the entire time. Nobody told Casimir anything about his dad, everyone stepped on eggshells when the topic was brought up or promptly dismissed it as adult business that the boy had no reason to worry about.

Then it was over.

Mid December it was announced over a breakfast fit for a king that Dawn and Casimir would be returning home. During the long car ride home everything was explained in as gentle a manner Dawn could manage about the stay and why her husband had been gone for so long.

As it turned out that night she took Casimir to the theatre (the one memory that seems to be forever lost) was the night his father was on the graveyard shift. They had gone to see him at work but something happened, according to the news it was faulty wiring, but rumors had spread like wildfire that it was arson comitted by a disgruntled employee. And that was it...Ryan Bailey...kids, so many kids died...Gerald Duiett...and Albert took the wrap for his boss, some lazy asshole that failed to make sure his building was up to code. Mary Sylvest. Thankfully, no evidence could be found to hold Albert liable and he was released. Kennedy Jones. Casimir was amazed at how his father had burnt all the names of the kids killed in that fire into his mind. Dylan Goldman. Their graves became their church and they would pray for them every Sunday while Dawn went to Mass with their other relatives. Harlan Fiar.

That should have been the end of it.

Nancy Allan.

But it wasn't....

Yancy Lincoln.

Soon after their reunion the Grissom family was mercilessly plagued with phone calls at all hours of the day, hate letters flooded their mailbox, property was attacked behind their backs, and they were all monsters as far as the public eye could see. Casimir sometimes awoke late in the night to hear whispered conversations about moving or changing numbers, taking necessary precautions against...he never knew what...his parents tried to put on a brave face for their son and promised that everything would be okay, they tried getting him to look forward to Christmas and it worked.

Instead of nightmares, Casimir experienced pleasant gift-filled dreams where he played and laughed in fields of innocent daffodils and lilacs...just his parents and him.

For a time they were at peace, phones unplugged and hate mail shredded Casimir began to feel somewhat normal after a time. His parents seemed to start feeling normal, too. And then the unthinkable happened just a week shy of Christmas. Albert had found temporary employement as the local mortician's assistant, which took him quite a way from home leaving his wife and son to their own devices for several hours a day.

On that morning, Dawn and Casimir were to bake gingerbread cookies and had to run to the store for a couple missing ingriedients. They returned home jovial, everything seemed normal...for the most part...then they saw it upon entering the kitchen. The sliding glass door that led into the back yard had been shattered leaving a cinder block among the broken shards of glass. Dawn made the connections before Casimir could fully register the danger, she dropped the sweaters and paper grocery bag she had been carrying to grab her son, she ran for the front door only to stop when the sound of footsteps warned her their escape route was in a direct collison with the intruder. Acting quick, she ran back to the kitchen spotting the unused broom closet in the corner.

"Keep hold of these, Casi." She whispered shoving their sweaters in with him. "Keep quiet and don't move no matter what, understand?"

"Mama, I don't un--"

"I love you, baby. Just be quiet, okay? Be quiet. Be brave."

"I'll tr-try, Mama, I--" before more could be said she closed the door.

Less than five minutes later Casimir heard the quiet sounds of movement and adults talking. He was able to make out the voices of two men and a woman talking to his mother who had moved away from the closet to what he could only guess was the broken door. The quiet crunch of glass confirmed this suspicion.

"My son has already ran for help," she lied. "You can still leave. I swear I won't press charges if you just leave--"

"Shut the hell up!" a man snapped. A sound similar to a clap startled Casimir whose quivering brown hues were frozen on the door seperating him from the dangers beyond. "Your husband's a murderer, we're here for retribution! My daughter was the only joy in my life," a crack entered the angry voice, "but now she's gone...because of him!"

"The same could be said for our Yancy," a woman breathed. Her voice rose and grew darker with each word that left her mouth. "And we will have your son, we will share our pain with you, you evil bitch!"

Casimir's breath caught in his throat. He was shaking in fear for both himself and his mother. Nevertheless, Dawn's voice was calm yet forlorn as she made a proposal that nearly drug a scream from Casimir's throat.

"What if, instead of our son, you took me instead?"

"No!" The second man snapped. "We want that little snot! Now where is he?!"

Silence. Chills ran down Casimir's spine and he quivered in trepidition when they began to speak in voices too low for one of normal hearing to detect. Casimir listened as they accepted the proposal for in the end, as the woman said, "...blood is still blood..."

Casimir's entire form jumped, his hands rose to cover his ears, as a shrill agonized howl broke the near silent whispers.

Obscenities were shouted, sobs from more than one individual broke out, noises erupted from a volcano of violence and he could only imagine what horrible things were transpiring. Darnell's hunting trip with the deer flashed into the boy's mind as those screams increased in frequency seeming too animalistic to be human. Soon there was loud banging against the closet door, tears had already began to flow freely down his cheeks, as he envisioned whatever monsters were torturing Mama breaking in to take him as well. Hands were kept firmly pressed against his ears to guard against the wretched noise.

Each sound produced a soul crushing ache deep within Casimir's being, he struggled to remain silent tempted to interject with his own pleads for them to take him to spare his mother.

After what felt like an eternity Casimir uncovered his ears. Spine-tingling silence chilled him to the core especially when he realized that the warm pool he now sat in was more than his own stinking bodily fluids. So there he sat within the kitchen broom closet, silent and crying while hugging Dawn's pink sweater as tightly as he could in an attempt to remain calm and quiet unaware that on just the other side of the door lay her mangled corpse.

Several long hours passed before the gruesome scene was discovered.

A horror-struck Albert rescued Casimir from the broom closet in a state of grief and shock. Hugging his little boy close he kept whispering apologies to Casimir but they fell on deaf ears, as his soft brown hues were drawn to Mother's broken body. Her eyes were wide in pained terror but her lips had curled up in triumph during her last moments alive. The eyes...her smile...an eyeball hanging loose from her socket...the sick dent in her skull responsible for her demise...it was all so heartbreaking but Casimir's tears had all been expended during his time imprisoned.

All that was left were long, distant stares whilst his father continued his apologetic mantra until the authorities arrived.

Grief-stricken monsters had visited that night to take his mother away but the words and accusations stuck to him like glue. The lines in the minds of all adults seemed clear and the villians in this story seemed so well defined to every observor who stood out front of his house that night.

Still, the boy could only wonder: What is evil really like?

Description
Chilly fall air bit harshly at Casimir's face, the majority of what happened on that dismal night has been lost to time but through the fog he recalled the chill nipping at his face for it was a stark contrast to the searing heat his mother had pulled him from. The screams piercing the air bore through the young boy's skull and a heavy cloud of black smoke evaded his nostrils even as he was carried from the scene. Sirens, wails, groans, darkness...ebbing into his line of visions...everything spun out of control and the next thing he knew he was in a hospital bed.

Bandages were wrapped around his arms, head, and even his thin gown covered torso. Everything was numb. Still, he felt a sense of dread no child ever should upon seeing his mother standing at the foot of the bed staring at the little television in the corner of the room. Her shoulders bobbed, Casimir remained silent, holding his breath he made out the face of his father on the screen. Fear gripped his heart and he let out a shriek more fitted to a girl than a boy. All he could see was that report even as his mother tried to comfort him, his horror rose to a crescendo with a sudden swarm of nurses that pried them apart and held the terrified child down.

"No," he screamed, "no, I'll go...I'll go...I'LL GO!!!!!"

Fighting like a demon from hell, Casimir clawed and kicked and bit, tasted their liquid mercury, but felt no remorse. He barely registered the pinprick to his neck that rendered him unconscious within mere minutes. The next time he awoke he was surrounded by family. His mother sat dabbing at her pink tinged face with a crumpled tissue while his aunt, Olivia, stood next to her husband, Uncle Darnell, and his grumpy Gramma Pearl.

"Look, Dawn," Olivia exclaimed, "look he's awake!"

A blur of red was all Casimir caught then his mom was at his side kissing and fretting over him, her copper ringlets tickling his pallid cheeks and the cherry scent of her perfume overwhelmed his senses. "Oh, Casi, my poor baby! Are you all right? Are you thirsty? Do you feel like talking? Please, baby, please tell you're okay!"

"Dawn," Gramma hissed, glowering at the worried mother, "give the boy room to breath!"

"You--"

Before she could spit any venom at the elderly woman Darnell came to her defense, "She's just worried about Casimir, Mrs. Grissom."

"Hey, kid," Olivia murmured coming to affectionately ruffle Casimir's flaxen locks, "how're you feeling?"

"I-I'm okay." Turning his soft brown hues to stare at his mother, the child was caught off guard when his mother's concerned gaze turned to a scolding glare.

"What were you thinking? I told you not to wander off, you disobeyed me, and look what happened! If I hadn't found you, Casi, I--" her voice broke, fighting back a sob she struggled to remain calm and not break down in a fit of tears. "Had you breathed in anymore smoke...never mind. I'm just glad your all right."

"I'm sorry, Mama, I-I didn't mean to but I..." his tried to conjure a memory of what happened, why he had disobeyed, but his mind came up blank, and then he remembered something, "...I thought I saw Daddy."

Silence. Uncle Darnell cleared his throat then ushered his wife and mother-in-law out to the hall. Confused, Casimir groaned softly feeling a slight pressure applied to the back of his head, moving away with a grimace to sit at the very edge of the bed Dawn stared off across the room. Her hair having fallen to shield her face from her son's view did little to conceal the agony in her voice. "Casi, your father is a sweet man and he...he has done something very brave, very foolish, but still very brave. I...I can't tell you any more. Not yet. Just know that no matter what anyone else says your daddy is a hero."

"A hero..." Lying back down, Casimir smiled a little and fell into a light slumber blissfully unaware that his father had became a murderer.

Nothing made sense after his stay at the hospital. All the joy and innocence in Casimir's life was subsequently snuffed out.

The morning they left a large crowd stood out front holding signs and posters kept at bay by a miniature army of policemen. Dawn held Casimir close as she carried him out guarded by Olivia and Darnell whilst Gramma Pearl tailed them with hospital security, her grumbles unheard over the crowd's monstrous roars. TV people shouted questions at them, flashes of light blinded Casimir, but he didn't let go of his mother until they were safely in the backseat of his uncle Darnell's car. The drive home was long and silent, uncomfortably so.

"If you'd like, Dawn," Olivia said once they were home and seated in the living room, "you and Casimir could spend a few weeks with me and Darnell. Just long enough to let things cool off."

"Thanks, Liv, but no thanks. I think we'll be fine until Albert gets back."

"If he gets back."

"At least stay with Mom." Olivia pleaded appearing more worried than Casimir had ever seen her in his five years of life. "If I know my brother," she reasoned, "I know he wouldn't want anything bad to happen to either of you, you're his entire world!"

Dawn mulled that cliched line over for a few minutes. Casimir sat silent in her lap staring from face to face trying to figure out just what the hell was going on. Alas, with his child's mentality he was unable to fully grasp the terror shining so vividly within their eyes nor catch the caution each took regarding his presence. Finally, Dawn agreed to go stay out if town with Aunt Olivia and Uncle Darnell...just until her husband returned.

Those were some of the most hellish weeks in Casimir's young life. Nightmares plagued his sleep and he often woke wetting himself and in tears for reasons beyond him for the nightmares were never clear. Always vague and...hazy...like that night his mom took him to the theater. Needless to say, neither Aunt nor Uncle were pleased with this and chastised Casimir for it. It was humiliating! Thankfully, his mother wasn't as critical and often defended him.

Perhaps, what made the stay truly terrible was Darnell's particular method of teaching. He firmly believed that fear was the key to correcting any unwanted behaviors and effectively drilling lessons into a child's skull. His first lesson was one Dawn had agreed to, showing Casimir how dangerous weapons were. For this lesson they went on a hunting trip. Only five years old and drug into a wondrous virgin land man had yet to defile, Casimir felt as though he'd been brought into an enchanted forest like in the fairy-tales his mother would read to him before bed. Birds sang along with other forest creatures in a natural symphony the small boy found to be breathtaking.

Sadly, he wasn't allowed to enjoy it like he wanted to.

Darnell snapped his nephew out of his daydreaming to lead him deep into the wood with his hunting rifle held casually over his shoulder. Both of them were dressed in heavy clothing to fend off the cold, Casimir carried their snacks--some vegan crap Aunt Olivia had packed for their trip--toddling behind his uncle unaware of the man's hurried stride. They stopped at what appeared to be a secret clubhouse painted in earthy tones that Darnell kept hidden at the edge of a dense thicket that faced a sparse meadow near death from the cold onslaught of a fast approaching winter.

"Sit," he indicated a stool in the corner of the tiny room. Casimir done as told. Daydreams and imagination kept him preoccupied for the next couple hours before the thunderous BANG of his uncle's rifle startled him from the seat to the floor, grasping at his throbbing ears, and before he could regain his senses Darnell forced him to his feet and drug Casimir out to that dying meadow where he was further startled to see a bloodied lump of brown and white fur lying in the grass. Frightened black eyes stared up at them and a sickening mewl escaped the wounded buck's mouth pleading for mercy.

Bloodied white teeth seemed to snap at the Casimir.

"See this?" Darnell said sternly, kicking the deer in the side producing a louder shriek of pain that prompted Casimir to cover his still pained ears. "Guns are dangerous, Casimir, they aren't toys. Never, ever play with a gun!" Another cry from the animal produced a spray of red tinged spittle, Casimir stumbled back at the sight with a cry of his own, tears filling his eyes. His little heart beat fast heavy with pity creating a resounding ache in his chest.

"I won't," the tearful promise sounded pitiful even to the speaker, "I won't, Uncle, just stop! Stop hurting it!"

A scowl of disapproval was offered in response before Darnell turned his attention back to his rifle. "Good," he murmured, "but you shouldn't fear guns, Casimir. They can help as much as hurt. For instance," he pulled his nephew closer despite his reluctance to get anywhere near the dying animal, "it can be used to silence unwanted noise."

BANG!

The deer laid silent, tongue lolled out to the side whilst torrents of blood rushed from its nose and mouth staining the browning grass below and the grisly hole that had been blown in its side. "Now, let's move on to knives."

A skinning demonstration was provided to show Casimir how easily he could hurt himself. Needless to say it sickened him to the point that his stomach rid itself of its putrid contents, a rough smack to his back and a scolding came after but Casimir was too busy sobbing to listen. In the end, he was relieved when it was all done and over with, and his uncle decided it was time to go home. Other horrid lessons such as that hunting trip took place during Casimir's stay and he hated them so much especially when pain was inflicted on him, as was the case during a baseball lesson that blacked his eye leading to his uncle getting snapped at by Dawn who'd then had to hear a lecture from Olivia who always defended her husband's actions even if she, herself, didn't approve.

Arguments happened frequently with Casimir's aunt and uncle against his mother. Guilt always ate him alive during those fights because he knew it was his fault for upsetting everyone, if he were better at games or more brave...if he were taller or stronger...then maybe nobody would have fought, but Casimir wasn't any of those things. He was just some pale shrimpy kid with a weird name his mom's grandfather had.

All he could do during those fights was listen and hate himself a little more each time.

But the absolutely worst part of the stay, aside from those stupid lessons and the adults bickering was the fact Casimir's father, Albert Grissom, was absent the entire time. Nobody told Casimir anything about his dad, everyone stepped on eggshells when the topic was brought up or promptly dismissed it as adult business that the boy had no reason to worry about.

Then it was over.

Mid December it was announced over a breakfast fit for a king that Dawn and Casimir would be returning home. During the long car ride home everything was explained in as gentle a manner Dawn could manage about the stay and why her husband had been gone for so long.

As it turned out that night she took Casimir to the theatre (the one memory that seems to be forever lost) was the night his father was on the graveyard shift. They had gone to see him at work but something happened, according to the news it was faulty wiring, but rumors had spread like wildfire that it was arson comitted by a disgruntled employee. And that was it...Ryan Bailey...kids, so many kids died...Gerald Duiett...and Albert took the wrap for his boss, some lazy asshole that failed to make sure his building was up to code. Mary Sylvest. Thankfully, no evidence could be found to hold Albert liable and he was released. Kennedy Jones. Casimir was amazed at how his father had burnt all the names of the kids killed in that fire into his mind. Dylan Goldman. Their graves became their church and they would pray for them every Sunday while Dawn went to Mass with their other relatives. Harlan Fiar.

That should have been the end of it.

Nancy Allan.

But it wasn't....

Yancy Lincoln.

Soon after their reunion the Grissom family was mercilessly plagued with phone calls at all hours of the day, hate letters flooded their mailbox, property was attacked behind their backs, and they were all monsters as far as the public eye could see. Casimir sometimes awoke late in the night to hear whispered conversations about moving or changing numbers, taking necessary precautions against...he never knew what...his parents tried to put on a brave face for their son and promised that everything would be okay, they tried getting him to look forward to Christmas and it worked.

Instead of nightmares, Casimir experienced pleasant gift-filled dreams where he played and laughed in fields of innocent daffodils and lilacs...just his parents and him.

For a time they were at peace, phones unplugged and hate mail shredded Casimir began to feel somewhat normal after a time. His parents seemed to start feeling normal, too. And then the unthinkable happened just a week shy of Christmas. Albert had found temporary employement as the local mortician's assistant, which took him quite a way from home leaving his wife and son to their own devices for several hours a day.

On that morning, Dawn and Casimir were to bake gingerbread cookies and had to run to the store for a couple missing ingriedients. They returned home jovial, everything seemed normal...for the most part...then they saw it upon entering the kitchen. The sliding glass door that led into the back yard had been shattered leaving a cinder block among the broken shards of glass. Dawn made the connections before Casimir could fully register the danger, she dropped the sweaters and paper grocery bag she had been carrying to grab her son, she ran for the front door only to stop when the sound of footsteps warned her their escape route was in a direct collison with the intruder. Acting quick, she ran back to the kitchen spotting the unused broom closet in the corner.

"Keep hold of these, Casi." She whispered shoving their sweaters in with him. "Keep quiet and don't move no matter what, understand?"

"Mama, I don't un--"

"I love you, baby. Just be quiet, okay? Be quiet. Be brave."

"I'll tr-try, Mama, I--" before more could be said she closed the door.

Less than five minutes later Casimir heard the quiet sounds of movement and adults talking. He was able to make out the voices of two men and a woman talking to his mother who had moved away from the closet to what he could only guess was the broken door. The quiet crunch of glass confirmed this suspicion.

"My son has already ran for help," she lied. "You can still leave. I swear I won't press charges if you just leave--"

"Shut the hell up!" a man snapped. A sound similar to a clap startled Casimir whose quivering brown hues were frozen on the door seperating him from the dangers beyond. "Your husband's a murderer, we're here for retribution! My daughter was the only joy in my life," a crack entered the angry voice, "but now she's gone...because of him!"

"The same could be said for our Yancy," a woman breathed. Her voice rose and grew darker with each word that left her mouth. "And we will have your son, we will share our pain with you, you evil bitch!"

Casimir's breath caught in his throat. He was shaking in fear for both himself and his mother. Nevertheless, Dawn's voice was calm yet forlorn as she made a proposal that nearly drug a scream from Casimir's throat.

"What if, instead of our son, you took me instead?"

"No!" The second man snapped. "We want that little snot! Now where is he?!"

Silence. Chills ran down Casimir's spine and he quivered in trepidition when they began to speak in voices too low for one of normal hearing to detect. Casimir listened as they accepted the proposal for in the end, as the woman said, "...blood is still blood..."

Casimir's entire form jumped, his hands rose to cover his ears, as a shrill agonized howl broke the near silent whispers.

Obscenities were shouted, sobs from more than one individual broke out, noises erupted from a volcano of violence and he could only imagine what horrible things were transpiring. Darnell's hunting trip with the deer flashed into the boy's mind as those screams increased in frequency seeming too animalistic to be human. Soon there was loud banging against the closet door, tears had already began to flow freely down his cheeks, as he envisioned whatever monsters were torturing Mama breaking in to take him as well. Hands were kept firmly pressed against his ears to guard against the wretched noise.

Each sound produced a soul crushing ache deep within Casimir's being, he struggled to remain silent tempted to interject with his own pleads for them to take him to spare his mother.

After what felt like an eternity Casimir uncovered his ears. Spine-tingling silence chilled him to the core especially when he realized that the warm pool he now sat in was more than his own stinking bodily fluids. So there he sat within the kitchen broom closet, silent and crying while hugging Dawn's pink sweater as tightly as he could in an attempt to remain calm and quiet unaware that on just the other side of the door lay her mangled corpse.

Several long hours passed before the gruesome scene was discovered.

A horror-struck Albert rescued Casimir from the broom closet in a state of grief and shock. Hugging his little boy close he kept whispering apologies to Casimir but they fell on deaf ears, as his soft brown hues were drawn to Mother's broken body. Her eyes were wide in pained terror but her lips had curled up in triumph during her last moments alive. The eyes...her smile...an eyeball hanging loose from her socket...the sick dent in her skull responsible for her demise...it was all so heartbreaking but Casimir's tears had all been expended during his time imprisoned.

All that was left were long, distant stares whilst his father continued his apologetic mantra until the authorities arrived.

Grief-stricken monsters had visited that night to take his mother away but the words and accusations stuck to him like glue. The lines in the minds of all adults seemed clear and the villians in this story seemed so well defined to every observor who stood out front of his house that night.

Still, the boy could only wonder: What is evil really like?