A Badtime Story

The twins, Jacob and Jacob, were less than talkative that evening.

“I shall remove the gags, but only if you promise not to say those words again,” said Nurse Mariam. The twins nodded like men on the gibbet, their shiny leather gags black with drool.

Downstairs, the muted prayers of the Also Sisters could be heard trying to contain the consequences of their innocent incantation. Which they had said twice. “But the restraints remain,” she added.

Again they nodded and Nurse Mariam kissed them gently and brushed away what was probably fluff from their bed sheet.

“Don’t wake before Dawn,” she said, dampening down the light and bolting the door six times.

The children waited until the sound of Nurse Mariam’s nails could no longer be heard on the wooden walls before raising their arms from beneath the covers.

“Tonight?” said Jacob, drying his lips with his sleeve.

“We shan’t be heard,” nodded Jacob.

Their shackles were tight but the boys used their teeth to loosen them enough to enable them to slip out of bed and onto the floor.

Some of the floorboards were darker than others and some newer. The children counted each board in a line leading towards the wardrobe.

“It was that one,” said Jacob, pointing to an especially dark and stained slab of wood.

“Too far,” said Jacob. He pulled on his restraint but could only reach the third floorboard. He tested it with his weight. The wood creaked as it sagged and Jacob giggled, the sound of a man swallowing water.

“Loose enough?” said Jacob.

“We can try,” said Jacob.

The boys began to prise the board up with their fingers. It was not easy. The board was tight, far tighter than the one they had chosen earlier in the week but 1/42 of an inch by 1/42 of an inch they worked it up from the others until they were able to grip it properly.

“Cavity,” said Jacob, his eyes wide with joy.

“Rat-run,” said Jacob.

And then they lifted the board out entirely.

Beneath the floor they saw a face staring up at them, its eyelids blinking like the hands of a clock stuck between seconds.

Jacob and Jacob muffled their screams and jammed the floorboard back into its hole to cover the face. Then they fell flat upon it and within seconds they had fallen fast asleep.

They did not wake before Dawn and so were spared the sight of her standing in the fading moonlight. But they heard, deep in their dreams they heard.

Goodnight.

—

Illustration © 2017 Carl Pugh

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