PUMKIN

The desire to leave the city, the pull of the Northern Vermont Countryside, tucked away near the Green Mountains appealed to the Finns. Leaving Boston behind where Martin and Tess met in graduate school and their two children Robert and Lil had been born. Everyone escaping cities: the crime, the pollution, the tents springing up along the streets. Cramped in an apartment, the children needed more space to roam, at least Robert, the budding athlete. Lil was not allowed to venture outside. 

The rent they’d been paying—exorbitant! A no-good landlord who illegally raised the prices each year. Martin saw a position opening at the local school for a history teacher and applied. After many interviews, he was hired and the Finns bought an old two-story, two-bedroom cabin with an attic that would double as Lil’s room. She’d have a triangular window that she could stare out of all day when not being home-schooled by Tess. It beat the parking lot that used to be her view. 

“It’s so big,” Robert said, when the family entered. “I could play ball in the living room.”

Robert always had a ball in hand and proceeded to throw it against the wall. 

“Robert, delicately,” Tess sang, but she was smiling. She often smiled at Robert.

Martin entered with Lil, zipped up in her special container they used when she was being transported outside. The air quality had declined over the last few years and Lil’s immune system couldn’t handle. Since she was five and had an attack, the family kept her as protected as possible. Martin unzipped the see-through container and Lil stepped out, releasing a breath, since she held it as much as possible when being transported. Her eyes got wide. 

“What do you think, Lil?” Tess asked, but she wasn’t smiling. She often didn’t smile at Lil. 

Lil’s mouth hung open, sticky with spit. She swallowed a dry hunk of saliva, then gave way to a coughing fit. 

“She must’ve got a breath while coming from the car,” Martin said, as if Lil was to blame.

Lil’s eyelashes fluttered. “I’m sorry.”

Robert dribbled a ball around Lil. “Where’s my room?”

Martin gestured to the stairs. “Second bedroom at the top.”

“And mine?” 

Martin and Tess stared at Lil. “The attic,” they said, in unison. 

The family went to unpack while Lil made the chore of climbing to the attic. The house was lit well, surrounded by many windows, but the attic was gloomy. One triangular window that had a hunk of dust she had to scrub away, which made her sneeze. There was a twin bed discarded in the corner and an old dresser, a desk that had seen better days, and a rickety chair. She went in the closet and reached to turn on the light.

The bulb blew out, making her jump. Most things frightened Lil. She was prone to sleeping most of the time, upon orders of her family’s doctors. Her stomach often hurt and her limbs worked like noodles. When she’d look at herself in the mirror, she appeared pale enough to not even be there, like she could just vanish, not exist at all. Mirrors made her sad, so she was glad there were none in this room. 

Even with the bulb out, she could see what looked like a stuffed animal perched on the shelf at the top of the closet. She went to reach, but it was too high. Boosting herself, she put one foot on a lower shelf and reached as hard as she could until she grasped the stuffed animal. She could feel its fur between her fingers, so soft, so plush, but then tumbled back and landed on her back. 

“Oof,” she said, rubbing her tailbone. The sound of laughter made her gasp and hold onto her heart. 

A tiny pumpkin stared back, a big smile on its orange face and a patch of green for hair. It stopped laughing. She squeezed its hand and it started laughing again, echoing through the drafty attic. 

“I’m gonna name you Pumkin.” She gave it a big, strangling hug. 

–

When Lil went downstairs with Pumkin in hand, her mother was directing everyone where to unload the boxes with all their stuff. Tess enjoyed being the boss. If Lil wanted anything, she deferred to her mother, rather than her father, who was quiet and spent most of his time with his nose in a history tome or newspaper. 

“What is that ghastly thing in your hand?” Tess asked, yanking Pumkin away. 

Lil felt lost without her stuffed animal and clapped to get it back. 

“It so dusty.” Tess shook it. “Do you know what dust does to you, Lil? Dust can kill you.”

Lil had been told all of the things that could kill her, but hadn’t died yet, so it was hard to tell what actually posed a threat. She was on a strict diet. Dairy could kill, wheat, meat, even most fruits. She ate meals of rice and steamed vegetables with a white powder on top said to ease digestion that left her hungry. Since her stomach hurt so much, she’d rather be hungry than in pain. 

Tess grabbed a towel and proceeded to wipe all the dust from the stuffed animal. 

“That’s Pumkin.” Lil bit her lip. Mother and father liked children who were seen but not heard, except for Robert, who acted as loud as he wanted. 

“Pumkin?” Robert said, intercepting the stuffed animal from Tess. Somehow, Pumkin didn’t look none too happy to be passed around, its smile looking like it was straining. “I think you mean, Pumpkin. With a p.”

Lil reached out for her new friend. “I like Pumkin, without a p.”

“You’re a p,” Robert said. “A pain in the fucking ass.”

“Please, give it—”

Robert tossed Pumkin in the air. Lil saw Pumkin spin and crash against the floor. She squealed. 

“Little miss.” Tess grabbed Lil’s hand and squeezed hard. “What did I tell you about squealing like a pig? You stupid pig.”

“Oink, oink,” Robert said. “Stupid pig.”

Lil could cry, but she was more focused on getting Pumkin back. Once she had the stuffed animal in her arms, she felt whole again. She passed by her father, who had his nose in a book, never sticking up for her like he should, and retreated up to the attic where she closed the door, pretending she lived alone in this new house without a family who made her sad. She squeezed Pumkin’s hand in an attempt to make her laugh.

“They should all be killed,” Pumkin said, its voice a little Kermit-the-Froggy. 

Lil pulled away from the stuffed animal. “What?”

Pumkin gazed back, its thin smile curling up its fuzzy orange face. She had only imagined it spoke—a talking pumpkin would be impossible. She had an overactive imagination, a necessity for being cooped-up so much of the time. If she didn’t have imaginary friends, she had no one. But still, she was old enough—eight now—to know the difference between an imaginary friend who she pretended could speak, and a stuffed animal that actually spoke. 

“Pumkin, did you…?” She stopped herself, shook her head. “You’re not real.”

Since it freaked her out, she marched over to Pumkin and whisked it back into the closet, shutting the door. It had been a long day already and she was tired. She lay on the bed, turning away from the closet toward the window. The sun was setting. Vermont really was beautiful, better than dumb, old Boston. The sun looked hidden in the mountains, surrounded by pink clouds. Life wasn’t great in Boston, but at least here, she had a pretty view, like a painting. She closed her eyes, imagining the cabin all to herself, her own world, as she drifted off to sleep. 

When Lil woke, it was dark and there was a banging on the closet door—bam, bam, BAM. Her stomach tossed and she had to retch. The acid crept up her throat but she kept it down, like a good girl, so she wouldn’t stain her sheets. She thought she dreamed of the knocking against the closet door until it happened again—bam, bam, BAM. This time, louder, sharper, a scissor stabbing in her ear. 

“Let me out, asshole,” came the Kermit-the-Froggy voice from inside the closet.

She threw her achy legs over the side of the bed, rubbed her eyes, and made her way to the closet. Fingers on the doorknob, she gulped. When she pulled it open, Pumkin marched out on its little fuzzy legs and pointed in her face. 

“I don’t appreciate being locked away,” Pumkin said, its eyebrows slanting down. 

“Am I dreaming?” Lil asked.

“Gone on, pinch yourself and find out. It’ll hurt, I bet.”

Lil dug her nails into the skin on her arm. It did, in fact, hurt. 

“What’s going on?”

Pumkin let out a rocking belch. “You’ve got a real shit family. Not too pleased to have them mucking up my cabin. Took forever to get the last family outta here. They were shit too.”

“You’re alive?” Lil wanted to squeal, but held it inside. “But, you’re a stuffed animal.”

Pumkin blew a raspberry. “You’re a stuffed animal.”

“No, I’m a little girl.”

“You’re so pale I can see right through you.”

Lil looked down at her hand. Blue veins running across, skin thin like paper. “I’m sick.”

Pumkin reached into its pocket and pulled out a small cigarette. “Got a light?”

Lil shook her head. 

“Eh, what good are you for?” Pumkin went to the dresser. “Got to have a lighter around here somewhere. Maybe the police cleaned it out when they swept the place.”

“Police?”

“Yeah, after the last family got…” Pumkin ran its hand across its neck. “Iced.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Killed. Stabby, stabby. Last family was a piece of shit too, like I explained. Didn’t deserve this house, these views. So, I ended them.”

A chill crawled up Lil’s bones. “How?”

“I have my ways.” Pumkin opened another drawer, yanked out a lighter. “Voila, they left one.” He went to light the mini cigarette. 

“Wait, my parents will smell…”

“All the way up here? They’re busy downstairs.”

“But the smoke will…”

“Will what?”

“Will kill me,” Lil whispered, because smoke like many other things had been described as super deadly. 

“Smoke won’t kill you. Look.” Pumkin blew an O that passed over Lil’s tiny head. She squeezed her eyes shut out of fear of instant death—the smoke seizing her lungs, making her cough up blood until she bled out. But the smoke dissipated into the air and she was still alive. “Your ass-munch parents have been telling you a tall-tale.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yeah, maybe smoke kills you eventually, but not after one puff. What kind of moron are you?” He held out the cigarette. “Wanna try?”

“No, no.”

“Go on, it won’t kill ya. In fact, it’ll make ya feel alive.”

Lil’s fingers quivered as she took the cigarette and put it to her lips. She inhaled, her body on fire, and coughed out a big exhale. She kept coughing, afraid to see a spray of blood, but eventually, the coughing subsided and she felt like she could float. 

“I don’t know why they’re lying to you, but they are,” Pumkin said, scratching its ass. “Told you that you can’t be outside… What kind of horseshit is that? This is Vermont. Some of the cleanest air in the world. I saw them bring you in that contraption.”

“That’s my transport unit.”

“All lot of bull freaking diarrhea is what that is. They like keeping you scared.”

“Why?”

“Who knows? They’re asswipes, that’s why. That’s why we’re gonna kill them.”

Lil let out a nervous laugh and then clamped her hand over her mouth. 

“And that godawful brother of yours, too. I saw the way he bosses you around. Thinks he’s king shit. I wonder what he’ll be like when I drown him in the toilet. Then he’ll really be the king of shit.”

Pumkin squeezed its hand and laughed. 

“Pumkin, I don’t think—”

“And what’s with this stupid fucking name? Pumkin? Do you have a lisp? I’m a pumpkin. With a goddamn p. And actually, I’m not a pumpkin at all. This dumb ass body is just how I transport myself.”

Lil’s teeth started chattering. “What are you?”

“Calm down, silly. I’m not gonna hurt you. I like you. Even though you’re a rube. But that’s not your fault. You got two dipsticks for parents. You never stood a chance.”

Lil’s eyes watered up. 

“Now don’t go crying on me. Lil, right? That’s your name?”

“Yes.”

“Decent name. I’m nameless. So, whatever, call me Pumkin with a missing p if it tickles your fancy. Just stop crying.”

Lil wiped her eyes. “Okay.”

“I don’t know what’s up your parents’ sleeves, but we’re gonna find out. You and I. It’s the middle of the night. Did they even come up to check on you? Worry if you had dinner? They had a nice dinner downstairs. I can still smell the chicken, but did they invite you?”

“I can’t eat chicken.”

Pumkin blew another raspberry. “Are you insane? Who doesn’t eat chicken? I’m gonna get you some chicken. There’s gotta be some leftover in the fridge.”

“No, chicken will—”

“Will, what? Kill you? What happened with the cigarette?”

“N-nothing.”

“That’s right, nothing. Just like when you eat chicken. C’mon.”

Pumkin gestured over its shoulder on its way to the door, opening it to darkness. Pumkin crept outside as Lil followed. Down the creaking stairs they went, passing by her parents’ bedroom who snored like foghorns. 

“I’m gonna fuck them before I kill them,” Pumkin said, its grin reaching comical proportions. 

“What was that?” Lil asked. She had already crept passed their bedroom, afraid they’d overhear. 

They passed by Robert’s room, who let out a juicy fart in his sleep. 

Pumkin waved its hand in front of its nose. “Ugh, that one deserves to die just for that.”

Downstairs in the kitchen, Pumkin proceeded to open the fridge and pull out a plate of wrapped chicken. It tore off a hunk and gobbled it up, then held out some for Lil.

“I’m scared.”

“You can’t go through life scared,” Pumkin whispered. “Where does that get you? Stuck inside while life passes you by. It’s passing you by, Little Lil.”

“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “Okay.” She stuck the chicken in her mouth, chewed it up and swallowed. She counted in her head the seconds it might take to die, but it didn’t happen. “It tastes delicious.”

“Yeah, I told you so. Go to town.”

Lil began eating more as Pumkin leaped up on the counter and opened some cabinets. 

“What do you they usually feed you?”

“Rice and vegetables,” Lil said. “And they sprinkle this white stuff over it, to help with my tummy issues.”

“Tummy issues, huh? Yeah, cause all you’re eating is fucking rice and vegetables.”

Lil laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, I like when you curse.”

“Well, get fucking used to it, sister. Because I curse a fucking lot.”

Lil gave a wicked grin. “Fuck yeah.”

“That’s right.” Pumkin studied the cabinets. It pulled out a jar of white powder in the back. “What’s this?”

“That’s what gets sprinkled.”

“Sugar? Salt?” Pumkin opened the jar and took a whiff. “Whoa.”

“Why whoa?”

“Sister, that’s some poison in that motherfucking jar.”

Lil’s eyes went wide. “Poison?”

“Do you have tummy troubles before or after you eat?”

“A-after.”

“And do you have tummy troubles now?”

Lil thought about it. “No.”

“That’s because you skipped dinner. So they didn’t have a chance to poison you. Do you understand what they’re doing?”

A dizzy spell made Lil spin around. “Uhhh.”

“Those pieces of dog turd up there are poisoning you. Not enough to kill you, but enough to make you sick. Then they tell you can’t go outside.”

Pumkin held up the toaster so Lil could see her reflection. “Look, you’re a goddamn ghost. Pale as shit. A sheet with a face.”

“I-I don’t wanna look.”

“You goddman better look, because this is what those jackamoes are doing to you. Don’t know why, but I’m gonna find out. We’re gonna find out and then I’m gonna slit a smile into their throats.”

“Uh…”

“And don’t eat any more of their shit. I’ll get you real food. Stuff that’s not tainted. Assholes. I’m gonna make them squeal like the little fucking pigs THEY ARE.”

Pumkin hopped down and put its furry hand on Lil’s face.

“Sweet Lil. Sweet little fucking stupid Lil. You don’t deserve this. You deserve annihilation.”

Pumkin squeezed its own hand until its laughter ate up the room.

–

The next day proved busy for the Finns. Deliveries arrived with furniture. Lil was ordered to stay up in her room, since there’d be so many people bringing in their germs. Tess came around lunchtime to leave a plate of rice and vegetables with white powder. Lil had been chatting with Pumkin and stopped when her mother entered. Tess seemed to frown upon seeing Pumkin on her bed. 

“Did you sleep with that dirty old thing last night?” Tess asked, swiping Pumkin off the bedspread. Tess inspected its fur. “This thing could have lice for all you know. I’m gonna stick it in the washer.”

“Noooo, Pumkin’s my friend.”

“What a filthy friend Pumkin is. Eat your lunch. I made it especially for you.”

Lil sat at her desk, her fork paused at her mouth. When her mom left, she waited and then went to the bathroom and dumped the food into the toilet. Down the stairs, Tess was carrying Pumpkin and Lil’s heart hurt at the thought of never seeing her furry friend again. Pumkin had added some spice into her life. She couldn’t imagine living without it anymore. 

The day proved monotonous. Lil watched the sun circle across the sky in an arc and some adventurous birds that made it high enough to her attic window. Without Pumkin, everything seemed pointless, so once the sun set, she made her way downstairs. She had to hold her stomach to keep it from growling, she was that hungry. 

The movers had brought an entire living room set and the family lounged on the couches. Mom and Dad drank from a bottle of wine, while Robert had a Coke with ice, evidenced from his belching. She’d never be allowed Coke, the sugar thought to cause too much distress to her body. 

“Over here,” she heard a whisper, coming from the laundry room to the side. None of the family appeared to notice. Sneaking over, she found Pumkin fresh as a daisy in the dryer, its green tuft of hair sticking up. 

“You mother took me for a ride, that’s for sure.” He squinted. “You don’t look too well.”

“I haven’t eaten.”

“You threw out that garbage they’re making you consume?”

Lil nodded.

Pumkin bashed his tiny fists together. “I’m gonna fuck them up.”

She grabbed Pumkin’s arm. “What are you gonna do?”

“I keep liquid cocaine. The last family here brought me to such lows. I dilute cocaine with water. We’ll spike all their drinks. Then…” Pumkin drew its hand across its neck.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“You don’t have to.” Pumkin hopped up on the counter and opened a cabinet, grabbing a bottle in the back. “Here, this’ll do the trick.”

“How are you gonna get it to them?”

Pumkin passed it to Lil. “You do it. Ask to refill their drinks and slip it in. Tell those morons they deserve it after all the hard work they did today.”

The bottle felt electrifying in Lil’s hands.  “OK.”

Lil walked back into the living room, her family swiveling over.

“Lil, what are you doing down here?” Tess asked. 

“She looks like the orphan boy from that British movie,” Robert said. “Lil, do you have tuberculosis?”

Martin snorted and then covered his mouth and went back to reading the newspaper. 

Tess seized Lil’s shoulders. “You do look rather peaked. This is what happens when you leave that attic, germs, germs, germs.”

“Top off your drink?” Lil asked, like an old-timey bartender she’d seen in a movie.

Tess looked at her screwy. “Well, I won’t say no to that.”

So, Lil went around filling each of their drinks with Pumkin’s liquid cocaine and no one appeared to notice, since none of them noticed her much anyway. 

“Drink up,” Lil said, turning over the bottle and realizing it was empty, then giving a shrug. 

“You may go,” Tess said, waving her away.

“Yeah, bye, wench,” Robert yelled, and burped. 

Martin stuck his nose in the newspaper and sipped his spiked drink.

Pumkin met up with Lil on the way upstairs. “No, let’s get you some food, girl. You are as white as Ivory soap.”

Pumkin took her into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he got a plate of last night’s remaining chicken while she feasted. 

“I don’t understand why they’re so mean to me,” she said, between chews. 

Pumkin shrugged. “You’re born to cruel people. And I understand this because I’m a demon.”

Lil choked. “What was that?”

Pumkin slapped her on the back. “I’m not of this Earth. But don’t you worry about that. It’s got nothing to do with you. I was meant to meet you, Lil. Save you from this god-awful family of turds.”

They heard a howl coming from the living room.

“What was that?” Lil asked, her heart beating fast.

“I think the liquid cocaine’s kicking in. Give it a little more time and lemme do my magic.”

Lil felt like she couldn’t eat anymore. “I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?”

Lil rested her head on her chin. “I dunno.”

Pumkin slid over, brushed the hair out of her face. “You scared of being alone?”

Lil thought about it and nodded. 

“Silly Lilly, you’ve got me. We’re a team.”

“We are?”

“Sure, we are. And you don’t need them. See, I’m gonna let you in on a secret. When I kill bad people, i.e. your crappy family, I get… bigger, stronger. I’m trying to leave this Pumkin body. Because, well, it’s limiting, Lil. Small arms and all. No dick and such. I thought the last family would do it, but not quite. Offing them did bring me a voice, so there’s that. Baby steps, right? With those three knuckleheads on ice, I can burst out of this flimsy body. I’m sure of it. And I’ll take you outside.”

Lil’s eyes swam. “Without my transportation unit.”

“That thing is a load of ass. Hell yeah without your dumb-dumb transportation unit. You can breathe real air.”

“I haven’t breathed real air in…in…”

Lil thought back to the last time she took a breath. The cool breeze tapping against her cheeks, spiraling up her nose before she sneezed like mad, forcing her mother to keep her locked inside. The world became a booby trap, while Robert came and went to school with his bounty of friends while her mother took away the key to her bedroom. She’d spend the day watching the parking lot, getting excited when a car would pull in and out. Growing older and weaker, her fingernails brittle and loosening, her tongue full of spots, the mirror portraying a girl at the end. 

“Fuck ‘em,” she said. “Fuck ‘em all.”

Pumkin clapped. “That’s the spirit, Silly Lilly. And I will. I will fuck ‘em all. You go upstairs.”

Lil took the plate of chicken with her along with a glass of grape soda. Halfway up the staircase, she turned to the wild party downstairs. Her mother was swaying and swinging her arms like a giant inflatable tube dancer. Robert was attempting a handstand while her dad actually put down the newspaper, his eyes spinning like slot machine. 

“Whoa,” Lil said, as Pumkin waltzed into the room. He inspected all their empty drinks and smirked. Robert fell on his head with a cry. Stunned, Pumkin took him by the hand and led him into the bathroom off the side. 

“You’re mean to your sister,” Lil overheard Pumkin saying. 

“What?” Robert rubbed his skull. “Who are you. What are you?”

“I’m your fucking destiny, shithead.”

Robert started laughing his mean laugh, one that Lil recognized when he’d hold her down and sit on her face, crushing her until she couldn’t breathe. He’d trip her and pretend he was innocent. And he would bring her food as well, usually with extra white powder. Once he told her it was better before she was born, when he had his parents all to himself, because Lil had the ability to suck the life right out of the room. 

“Fucker,” Lil hissed, as Pumkin leaped up and planted himself on Robert’s face. Robert stumbled around, unable to see, before Pumkin brought Robert down on the floor, cracking his skull. Blood spurted out as Robert moaned, but Tess had turned on music as Fleetwood Mac poured through the cabin. Pumkin jumped on Robert’s back, lifting him up and plunging his face into the toilet. Robert flailed around and Pumkin kept flushing until Robert was making this weird gurgling sound. Soon, his arms stopped flailing. He twitched a bit before going still. 

Pumkin hopped away, brushing off its tiny hands. When it caught Lil’s eye, it made an A-OK sign and Lil did the same. Looking back at Robert, he still wasn’t moving, the toilet water spilling out of the bowl and drenching him good, mixing with the blood. Her brother was dead—this was certain. He’d never treat her poorly again. She felt electrified. 

Now Pumkin set its sights on Tess and Martin. Tess looked curiously at the stuffed animal, but was too consumed in her wild dance to care. Pumkin leaped into her arms and they danced her chaotic dance together. 

In her ear, Pumkin whispered: “Why do you treat your daughter the way you do?”

Tess was caught up in the song “Gypsy,” so Pumkin had to shout, “Why are you poisoning Sweet Lil?”

Tess blew a raspberry. “Sweet Lil. She’s a burden.” She yelled over the music. “Right, Martin? Lil, the party pooper.”

Martin rose and danced as much as his withdrawn self could, pointing his finger to the sky like he was in Saturday Night Fever. 

“Such a party pooper,” he said, as he danced closer to Tess, Pumkin locked between them.

“We like to keep her small,” Tess said.

“So we can feel big,” Martin said.

They chortled, their lips inches apart, before sealing their cruelty with a kiss. 

“Come,” Pumkin said, its button eyes spinning. “To the couch.”

Pumkin directed them to the sofa where they all lay down. Pumkin jumped on Tess’s stomach and honked a boob, while Tess declared him, “Naughty, naughty.”

“Who’s this naughty, naughty in our house?” Martin asked. 

Tess put her hand over her mouth, suppressing a guffaw. “I believe its Lil’s stupid little stuffed animal.”

Pumkin looked at her sideways. “Don’t call me stupid, lady.”

Tess rubbed her eyes. “What is happening?”

Pumkin squirmed down her chest, lifting Tess’s skirt over her head, and sliding down her underwear, then plunged itself inside of her, headfirst. Tess moaned and screamed, as Martin got jealous. He dropped his pants and draws and crawled beside them as Pumkin worked him over with its free hand. 

“Is this a dream?” Martin asked.

Pumkin popped its head out of Tess, licking its lips. In its other hand, it held a knife. “No, you idiot fuckers, this is your nightmare.”

With a spin, Pumkin slit a smile into Tess’s throat and then flipped over to Martin and did the same. Both parents held onto their necks, blood spurting out at an alarming rate as Pumkin licked the knife clean. 

“Lil,” Pumkin called. “Sweet Lil. Won’t you come down?” 

Lil had been watching the scene through her fingers, feeling an urge to save her rotten parents, while also cheering at their demise. As she descended the stairs, they both implored with their eyes to be rescued. Once Lil reached the couch, her mother held out a cell phone.

“Call… Nine… One… One…”

Lil snatched the cell phone.

“Please… Lil…” Martin coughed up a spray of blood, his wound gaping. 

Pumkin handed Lil the knife. “I’ll let you deliver the final blow.”

Lil dialed 911, pressing the phone to her ear. She pushed tears from her eyes as the operator came on. 

“Nine one one, what’s your emergency?”

“Yes,” Lil said. “Please, my family… My brother, my mother, and my father. They’ve all been killed.”

“What’s your address?”

Lil let the phone slip from her fingers. She took the knife from Pumkin and stabbed it into Tess’s throat and Martin’s until they gasped and then gasped no more. She handed it back to Pumkin who licked it completely clean. 

“Come,” Pumkin said, holding out its hand. “Let’s get you outside.”

Lil squeezed its hand as Pumkin let out gunshots of laughter. Together they walked out of the cabin. The air hit her like a force, frightened at first from its chill, before it began to soothe. She did not cough, just breathed. Breathed for the first time in a long time, as the birds chirped around her and Pumkin whispered, “I’m so proud of you.”

When the cops came, Lil spoke of a stranger with a hood that attacked the house. She hugged Pumkin throughout the whole ordeal.

“Pumkin kept me safe,” she told the officer.

“Well then, let’s make sure Pumkin stays at your side.”

In the police car, as they drove away, she nibbled on Pumkin’s ear and whispered “Thank you,” and “I love you.”

But Pumkin never spoke back. 

Lil squeezed its hand as laughter bounced around the car, causing the police officer to flinch.